Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So decided not to fill the top tank totally with sand.
Put the perferated drainage pipe in and put gravel around it to hold it still.
Then I put perlite in and placed a screen on top and put the sand on top of screen.
This way the sand doesn't get too much water and the surface is above the fill line. I expect the sand will wick moisture and probably remain moist all the time. This might be a method for rooting cuttings or something.
I'll keep everyone posted as to how it goes.

So here is a pic from standing on top of the pool steps (the other half's parents used to have an above ground pool untill it burst for the 3rd time and they got rid of it. I now have the big plastic pool stairs sitting next to the barrel ponics where I can climb up and see into the top tank. The pool steps have also been useful for adding buckets into the full compost bin that happens to be right next to the barrel ponics.)

Tonights water tests
pH 7.9 perhaps even a bit lower
Ammonia 1 ppm (finally moving down more)
Nitrite 2-5ppm I think
Nitrate 5 ppm

I only added the one dose of aged hummonia so far. I'm wondering if I should does again before ammonia reaches 0 or if I need to wait till the ammonia is all gone before dosing?

gee, you've been busy

Since you don't have fish, I'd say it's OK to dose before ammonia is entirely gone. Maybe wait until it's at 0.5

Fish won't stop dosing so you should as well.. Unless your getting ready to get fish.

I think I'll be waiting till I get the big pond dug and at least one big grow bed attached before I worry about getting fish.
At the moment I'm trying to create some inoculated gravel, gain some experience with the different plumbing methods and siphons, and see what my water's pH does over time with active bacteria working.

I think my plan for the bulk of my grow bed space to hook up with the big fish tank will be lined beds supported/framed with pallets. I was thinking I'd make them 3 foot wide by 9 foot long and the gravel about a foot deep. This makes each bed about a third of the fish tank and each bed gets a cu yard of gravel.

I'll start off with the first bed being 2-3 feet away from the pond kinda parallel with it I think and it will probably be on two layers of pallets sitting on top of a fair bit of the sand out of the pond. I'm hoping this will give me enough rise to gravity drain into pond. This will also give me enough grow bed space for a small amount of fish while I work on how to hook up other grow beds.

My flat location and desire to put the fish tank in ground (for the temp stability of the ground here) makes CLIFTPIS kinda impossible for me.

Actually, it makes any kind of sump challenging as I'm not really sure how to keep one in the ground if we get heavy rains, any not full water container in the ground during one of our heavy downpours is likely to pop out.

Anyway, with my two currently idle barrel halves I will start experimenting with how to cascade beds and see if I can work out something fairly reliable.

TC

That sand is really fine.

Makes the creek sand I am considering having a go with look like cobbles.

I've got a really dum question. Do you think it will work? I know you must other wise you wouldn't be bothering but gees.

ANy way I hope it does work because then it means mine will and its almost free too (just transportation costs)

Well Stuart,
I am kinda thinking my sand will likely be of little or very limited use in the system. Perhaps one bed with a surface layer of sand for rooting cuttings or something. After messing with trying to grade it and such I've decided not to try a half barrel test with it at this time. That's why such a small amount as a top layer over screening on top of gravel in that top tank.

I think I will be using most of my sand to raise the ground level a bit under the first big grow bed I'm planning.

If your sand is more like tiny gravel, give it a try. My sand is more like the sand I'm used to seeing in inland lakes in Michigan.

However, I can say it didn't cloud the water too horribly though it did cloud it some. Here are some pictures.

Today's readings
pH 7.8
Ammonia between .25 and .50 ppm
Nitrite 5 ppm or more (I'm wondering if it's actually been more than I've been reading it as for a while.)
Nitrate 5 ppm (I'm wondering if it may just stay there since there are already plants in the system)

As the Ammonia has been dropping and there are no fish in the system to injure, I went ahead and dosed again with another 500 mL water bottle full of aged urine (this bottle was dated 1/17/2008 and has been over the pH 9 benchmark for a while now.)

I will test again tomorrow to see the effect.

What, no toes?

do I get a half point for the mashed thumb?

I rarely go out of the house without shoes but maybe I can capture the cook's toes.

it double posted and I don't see a delete option so I'll just have to change the post

But taking a picture of your own toes on purpose just doesn't seem right, doesn't it need to look like an accident or something?

sorry, no It MUST be your own toes, Forum rules. No toe pictures by this time tomorrow and yuor account will be deactivated. Sorry, thems the breaks kid

I as admin supreme over-rule the consort of the spam assasin.

a mashed finger qualifies