Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

do you have an aquaria shop near by?
They may do a test for you to see if the water is ready for fish

Should have let me know when you up here Vegiman... have a couple of Master Test Kits available... could post....

Legend

Just for you C1

Update 26th Feb 2009

General
Air Temp: 24.2c
Humidity: 44%

Water Temps:
- Pond = 23c
- FT = 21.5c

pH:
- Mains = 7.0
- Pond = 7.0
- FT = 6.5

Hardness:
- Mains = 50ppm
- Pond = 70ppm
- FT = 70ppm

Ammonia:
- Pond = 0.15ppm
- FT = 0.0ppm

Nitrate:
- Pond = 10.0ppm
- FT = 0.0ppm

Nitrite:
- Pond = 1.0ppm
- FT = 0.0ppm

Comments:
Readings as per LFS tester.

Note:
- Pond is the ornamental pond is stage soon to be for the Koi
- FT is the 500l 'B' tank this will be the edible species tank.
- Amonia, Nitrate & Nitrite tests only conducted on used water not mains supply

Cheers for that

Most welcome

I have just started to build a new Bio-Filter and was wnering what media I should use.
Here is a draft of what I am looking at.

Note:
The water is delivered through Point A and is returned to the system via Point D. This standpipe has holes drilled in the lower section to ensure delivery is to the base of the media not half way up to the return spout.



The Medication Layer is also where you can add Shell Grit/ Charcoal etc. if needed for buffering.

What filter mediums would be suitable for use in such a filter?

At the moment I am thinking River Gravel for the base layer, Pea Gravel for the second layer, Filter Wool or similar for the third layer.
Each layer will be housed in netting for ease of servicing.

Any other comments or suggestion welcome

Would envisage that most of the solids material would become entrapped in the river pebbles (layer H)....

Without an means of "back-washing".... this will require periodic removal and washing.... which means all layers will need to be removed to service it....

Would you perhaps be better off leaving layer H as a screened void where solids could collect and be periodically "tapped" off....

Yes good suggestion, I was thinking about it but thought this would serve the job though maintenance could be a real pain so, YES I will incorporate that into the design

Do you agree with the medias?

I've had a biofilter running for 2 1/2 years, just a blue barrel full of clay balls - water goes in the top and splashes out the bottom back into the ft. Haven't cleaned in yet

Humm... as I see it...

With the water being essentially pumped into the bottom... the layers of river pebble and pea gravel will trap the larger solids... and the filter wool will capture the "fines" ... suspended particles...

And replacing the filter wool is not that problematical....

However I'm worried as to the accumulation of solids, overtime, in the bottom two layers... and whether or not they may become anaerobic under high feed load...

Of course the obvious remediation is to pump from the sump... after the majority of the solids have been filtered by the growbeds....

And ideally oxygenation could be supplied by an input of air....

In which case, it would be ideal to actually provide sufficient air to suspend the filter medium.... difficult with media such as river pebbles and pea gravel...

But possible if you were to use bio-balls....

If your intention is merely to provide filtration of (some) solids and suspended matter then IMO.... you either need to look at a "suspended" bio-media and the ability to backwash...

Or to flood from the top and remove the bulk of any solids/particles in the first layers...

At least that allows access to wash/replace the media.... ala a trickle filter... like the half drum of clay balls I use... water in top.... drain to fish tank...

If you're looking to actually acheive some level of nitrification... then I think you have no choice but to go down the road of an aerated suspended media...

Do a "google" on "Skippy Filters".... as alternative ideas...

Basically exactly what I do Steem... but I regularly clean mine...



And here's why...


To help maintenance...

There are two plastic sieves... one inverted on the bottom of the drum... (to keep the clay balls from blocking the outlet holes)...

The bulk of the clay balls... then another sieve full of clay balls that trap the majority of the solids... and can be removed for cleaning...

Skippy Bio-filter

http://www.skippysstuff.com/biofiltr.htm

http://www.skippysstuff.com/minime.htm

might be worth a look...lol
I thought about throwing some worms in there too

in that link, the skippy people say