Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

OK, so the beds blocked with gunk... isolate it if possible... then remove and clean the media..

Otherwise as Sleepe says... it'll all end up in the fish tank... not good...

Question is ... why is the growbed blocked at all???

Rupert........a primmed vac......not the same as your, but very simular sounding when talking to Ben from Age of Aquariums...said aquarium shops use them to clean the bottom of the tanks and do a water change at the same time....biggest one he had went for $ 95 ...I thought a good buy...will post pictures when it gets here...

Sleep.........thankyou so much...some times I ignore the obvious.......I have new seedlings in there, but will go for a poke around the system... \

why are they blocked at all......because SOMEONE mentioned when I asked not to worry too much about the roots because they decompose......poor worms, have there work cut out for them in this bed...I was prdantic to get evey root shoot out, until I aked how clean a bed do others get theres.......NOT TO WORRY...hopefuly this is the problem, and I can fix it ( KISS isn't it C1 )

Hopefully late was the first and last fish for this batch.....took me by suprise

Over and out...... Jimmy and I have to have a chat about it all and his mate Jack can piss off........

Undo the drain to the gb and let the water run onto the ground or divert the pipe from going into the FT. Then use a garden hose to wash the GB out.

Question : what about the seedlings

Q. 2 What about the hydroton

I can redirect the pipe.........but this will take me the rest of the day to clean........

Replant the seedlings into another growbed...

I'd take half the hydroton out... leaving room to be able to wash the remainder in the growbed and stir it around... wash the stuff you take out seperately... then replace...

Just how much root structure was in the bed Jessy....???? ... and were the any worms in it while it was planted???

You have to remember also... you've been chucking a fair bit of feed into the systme as awhole... and that bed also... while it's been blocked and empty...

Check you other beds.... if they show build up... particularly uneaten feed.... then you need to add more filtration... either in the form of more growbeds.... or an external bio-filter...

Tray with water in it for the seedings or chuck them in another GB. The hydroton does not go through the siphon to the FT normally. Pull the inner PVC out of the siphon so the water does not have to get high before it flows. Push the hose down into the bottom of the GB and use your hands to get any buildup moving. I did a similar thing to wash the gravel in my GB's. Just had the outlet diverted to the lawn and ran the water. Used my hands to stir everything up. Yours may not smell very good. Mine had an earthy dirt smell.

Jessy

If you want to try something experimental (never done it before) get an oilless air compressor eg eager beaver even an old vaccum that blows might work, and reduce the outlet to a pipe you can poke into the GB's. Shut the flow to flooded on the gb's. Poke around blowing all the time, drop the water to a container as Duff said or through a filter to a conainer. Take off the clear aerate and use again.
Air should kill the anerobic bacteria and push the noxious gasses out of the gb's. Might have to do it a few times until flow is restored and the worms can do their thing. (they wont go to anerobic areas).

Whatever Hydro says on the bottom of his posts well and truely goes for this one

Onslow wa THE HOTTEST town in the state today 47oC ... feels like this

Water temp is unknown, my thermostate blew up in the heat

The water is hot and gross.....BUT the P's ( if that stands for parameters ) are great nitrite 0.25ppm the others 00

ICE.....might have to use it.....can get ice from site but not until 2am when I head out there....might be the way to go now.....just put the sprinklers on and the ground water is just as hot

And the garden bed that needs help.....but i went for a sleep in the heat of the day....

How are the fishies.

What's your pH Jessy.... low pH (< 7) and high water temps actually provide a buffer against ammonia...

Corrolary is high water temps... maintain less DO... keep your aeration/pumping up...

And shade your growbeds, especially unplanted or newly planted... not just for any seedlings... but to minimise ambient heat transfer to your system water...

Growbeds can act like giant heatsinks...

Shaded in 50 % shade cloth....everything is hot out there still...and the fish are hungry

Now's your opportunity Jessy ... pellets only... no pilchard shakes...

LOL....OK......take it and run will keep you posted guys......if I don't cook the poor fish over night.....

The friggen pellets all floated ....


fish will only eat pre preped shaked mix and pellets

Water feels like a warm bath you would place a child into....

Tested the garden beds...the 2 suss beds smell like rich earth soil....not mud crappy smell.....the other 4 smell like minerals and water...

I am out of ideas and options....the heat of the day and the water warmness are a major concern......hopeing for no floaters in the morning