Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I would be afraid that paint would just rub off when the gravel is moved.

Good news this evening! The nitrites are back down to .25; from over 5.

It could have been that because the filter had removed so much junk the bacteria were having a party.

I am almost finished with my new fluidized bead clarification filter. I would have been finished already, but the union I bought did not have the o-ring in it. I guess I need to let the glue dry for a day anyway that might be better for the fish to avoid pvc glue.. Just have to remember the P word.

Does anyone know of a place to order netting for making hapas?

I got the fish moved into the first tank of the system today.

Dan try http://www.deltanetandtwine.com/

(662) 332-0841

I do all my net business with them. They make everything and if they don't have the mesh you want they will get it. Very reasonable as well.
I actually had some hapas made by them years ago. I would recommend using the largest mesh you are comfortable with. I found the small mesh clogs with feed and waste.

And what a great system you have.

Just a note on the nitrite levels, it can build up in the fish blood and cause "brown blood disease" don't worry the salt as discussed previously will remedy the disease and the fish will be fine to eat.

Thanks jdphish. The other company I contacted seem to busy to give me a quote. I will call deltanet today.

I am worried about the poo and food getting stuck in the nets. Can you give any help as to net sizing? I will have 12 nets, one for each month of age starting with a 2 gallon size for the new babies all the way to 118 gallons for the fish at 12 months.

Would I be better off to place all the fish over 6 months of age into a tank without a net?

just pm'd you before seeing this.

None of the net making places has bothered to get back to me. So I dont know how/when I will get my happas in.

Well, I dumped my bio filter sand by accident into some gravel so I am having to start over on my cycle. My growbeds will be in place in about 2 more weeks. What is to high for nitrite and ammonia?

Nitrite of 1 or < (and it's falling), is not a huge problem, but prolonged exposure can stress fish......Nitrite can be mitigated by the addition of salt

Toxicity of Ammonia is very temperature related.... what's your water temp DanD?...

I'd knock the feed off for a day, maybe two.... till things settle

I have stopped feeding. Wife fed them yester day even though I asked her not to feed them (she forgot).

My temp is 77.2 F (25.11 C).

Sorry... and your pH?

My pH meter broke so I do not know for sure. However, I added a pH buffer powder that, has to this point, kept the pH at 7 to 7.6

Might be pushing things a bit close to the edge then... maybe a small water change might be in order..... see chart...

Do you have an air line in the tank at all?

I have a aquarium pump rated for 60 gallons with two air stones and the small trickle from the FSB water returning.

Well it took from march 13'th to now for my bead filter to establish the bacteria. 39 Days. I guess it is harder for bacteria to start on LDPE plastic than gravel. Ammonia abruptly dropped to 0 some time between Friday and yesterday.

Finally got around to doing some work..
Top to bottom:
Dig'n a hole
Set Tanks
Filling Sump
Fittings
Covered Tank Drain
Tank Drain Line
Overflow detail
PCV welded with silicone; just in case.

Welded in Return Water Line
The Gravel Pile
Washing The Gravel
Filling A Fish Tank
Tank # 3 slot
2 of 3 Filled with gravel
My Helpers
Gravel Still Dirty after washing

Washing Gravel.. Again..
System Running. Fish Tanks
Loop Siphons Working
Back side of system..


Sorry the pics are not real clear. I used my video camera because the batteries were dead in the good camera..

This is the first 25% of my system. It is chift-pist. 1 pump pumps the sump into the fish tanks where they overflow into the grow beds then the loop siphons return the water to the sump. One major thing I will do next year to this is to cut the gravel tank in half and double my grow bed surface area. Currently I have over 1200 gallons of gravel in three tanks 24 inches deep. The sump holds 420 gallons of water and the fish tanks hold 700 gallons so thats 1120 gallons of water in this first part of the system.