Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Dave how deep, and length, width of you new grow bed?

Hey AD:
In the basement and all further systems I was planning on having a small pump (20-40 watts?) running for circulation but more importantly with a venturi for aeration. It would be on a UPS for backup. Then any further aeration from gravity return would be gravy.
I think I will rinse the crushed shells next time, because there is a lot of powder, and it would too quick of a change. I imagine adding the powder isn't as much of a timed-release, more like an immediate change.

GF, I was looking at building the new bed at 6' x 3' x 1' deep, which would be 134 gallons/500 liters, but since I would need a smaller header tank to start the siphon reliably I don't know how that could work. If I had say a 30 gallon header to fill the beds in say two dumps (the second dump could be fast enough to start a siphon in the grow bed), that would mean 30 + 60 = 90 gallons out of the fish tub, leaving them with 10 gallons to swim in, heh. I am now looking at reducing the bed volume, or more likely using a 30 gallon header with a siphon, and doing an "intermittent partial fill" on the grow bed, although I know that isn't as good as flood and drain.

Ell, the problem is I think that the pump will not be able to fill the grow bed volume fast enough to get the siphon to start because the water level will be changing too slowly, that the siphon will just leak at the pump rate. If I am filling a smaller and taller volume in a header tank I think I can get the siphon to start reliably because the header could dump at a faster rate than the pump would fill.

Dave with my header it starts dumping at the 50 gallon mark and stops about the 10-15 gallon mark, filling all the while, so I think I get aprox 75 gallon per dump. Most of it is just diverted back into the fish tank. I think your on the right track, when mine does a partial fill it cycles again in about 4-5 min so I'm not so sure thats a problem. Check out the syphon on my system it will start with minimum flow.

Four fish died today, including Spot. Two were big.

I got a combo strip test kit tonight.

pH 7.8
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20 ppm
Hardness 150 (Hard)
Alkalinity 120 (ideal)

I am still trying to bring the pH down a little per day through 10%-ish water changes with tap water. Hope there are some left by then!

"60 fish enter, 2 fish leave"

LOL Thunder dome. Sorry about Spot, stop naming em its easier to take when they pass. (sniff).

Snow here in a few days if not sooner, your system inside yet?

One goldfish alive and the algae eater. All the rest have died over the last week one by one. I have been changing out water every day but no relief. Some have had symptoms of septicemia but some not. I expect the last one to go too tonight or tomorrow.

I am going to keep the pumps running, but just to keep the plants going and the bacteria alive. Then take some small sample of gravel to start over in the basement.

I have been working on the primary project this weekend, finishing our basement. When that is freed up a bit I will do AP stuff again.

You've been busy!

sorry to hear about all your losses Dave.

How long will you leave the system before you take the sample for the basement setup?

Hi Jaymie!
That depends on how fast I can work on the basement. I'm hoping to be able to watch football downstairs on Thanksgiving (end of next month). If I get tilapia (probably will) I didn't want to get them before January because I'm afraid they would outgrow the tank before te weather warms up outside.

pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10 ppm
Hardness: 150 (hard)
Alkalinity: 180 (ideal)

Plants don't seem to mind all the havoc going on.

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Dave...about three years ago I was raising Koi in AP system. Everything was cruising along until one day I happened upon a bigger tank for the fish. I came home installed the tank and discovered I needed three times more water to filll the new tank. So I started adding water from the tap and added the usual pond conditioner to get the tap factor out, and then added some of the old tank water to it to get the bacteria going. What I didn't realize was all the added tap water w/ chloramine killed any bacteria in the system and the Koi suffered a week of slow death. I've followed your posts and noted how much your water was getting changed. In such a small system it is probable there is no bacteria left. Cycle the water for awhile, and do not change any water. Add as needed to comp for evaporation but keep it under 5% of total volume if possible. Add pond conditioner after each water add. Go to the LFS and buy a small container of bacteria and add it to the tank after a few days of letting the water sit fish free. Add one or two fish only. Slowly build the bacteria back up and your fish mortality will end.