Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Quite frustrating not being able to see them, not to know how much to feed them.

Water in the IBC FT is clear and I can see well the SPs scrambling for food four
or five time a day if I’m at home or ignoring it and hugging the bottom on a cool day.
With the tubs I’m running blind and will have to do another water test soon.

Frustrating it is :-)
System's looking great Steve, I was quite surprised at the progress last time I visited.
I find the most frustrating thing is being in another country, and not knowing for sure if the little fishies are ok, are being fed enough, too much, pump's running ok etc...
Vanny's doing her best, but even she's not sure if she's doing the right thing... just following my instructions. (I wrote them down this time, and we discussed them thoroughly)
I just can't wait to get home to see DW, Chloe, cats and check on the fish... been away too long now.

Neat use of the spoon!

Had two days with temperature over forty C. and as many power cuts,
one per day but the back up sys. kicked in without problem.

The 12w Resun airpump on the IBC was quite adequate
but a similar one running four separate diffusers for the tubs and a B. Barrel was very disappointing.

Have ordered a 55w 60l/min airpump.
Wanted a 45w one but out of stock or more expensive than the 55 watts.

In the IBC and each tub have a small pond pumps, 36w high flow + 3x 20w permanently on
just to oxygenate the water.
My DW still didn’t realised how many spoons she is missing .
But all that works only when there’s power.

Didn’t lose any fish since last post, none of the new ones.
Managed a night shot of the cats but the new SPs are keeping to the bottom.

In the scorcher have lost some of the greens but toms and basil did survive.

you have confetti!

After so long we had some showers and my near empty rainwater tanks are full again.
During that scorcher days had to top the FTs quite often, were pretty thirsty those SPs and Cats.
All doing OK and did grow a bit.

With toms I had better luck in the Smart Valve Pots than in the AP but anything else doing great.
The Galapagos toms are not worth the trouble.

That new 60watts backup airpump proved itself worthwhile during the recent power cutoffs. Makes the water boil in the IBC and the three tubs and the barrel.

Have changed all the GBs to scoria but have used a layer of Coco coir in the Green Barrel FT GB for cuttings propagation.

Got a Fowlers (6 tray) dehydrator and already put some 15kg of Roma toms through it. Most of them bought at the market.
Did try other varieties I had from the garden but the juicy ones are very messy to work with.
Next year will try “Peron” toms.
Bought the seeds from Cornucopiaseeds.

“PERON - Sprayless (Certified Organic)
A medium size semi-determinate bushy tomato that is very resistant
to fungus diseases common to tomatoes. A very heavy yielder of large
size to 9cm, deep red, round fruit of the most extraordinary quality.
Interior of fruit is very solid and meaty with very small and
numerous seed cells. Ripens to a beautiful deep red colour over the
entire fruit without green or yellow shoulders. Its tough, velvety-
smooth skin is very crack. The Peron tomato is called sprayless
because it will produce a normal crop of quality fruit in most areas
without any disease control. It performs wonderfully in the tropics
where the fungus diseases are a problem and is drought resistant.”
They will be at the “Gardening and Rare Plants Expo
http://www.gardeningandrareplants.com.au/about.shtml

Its few days now that the new (prototype) controller is running on the test bench while I’m working on the second.
Did only some minor layout changes.

The second half of the fun was getting the program do what I wanted.
With a Centre Off SPDT switch to one side I can set the Pump Time On with a trimpot,
with switch to the other side can be set Time Off. One timer for two pumps and one timer for three, as I need.
Turns the pumps on in sequence.

Does have inputs for high (overflow) and low water levels, in that case the pumps go off and an emergency pump/ airpump goes on.
Also a connection for temperature sensor but not yet implemented in the software.

Looking good Steve. Those cats look great.



yep but fish food, not fish scale, so he's doing alright

Nice idea using an analogue input to set times.
Wish I had thought of that, I still need to plug in a laptop to my controller to change variables.
Which software do you use for your prototyping layout?
(you don't have to answer this, in the case, it is an "evaluation" copy)

Either some b*#@*&* vent through the sound barrier (where's LKB right now?)
or we had a earthquake here some fifty min ago.
Shook the hell out of the dinner plates and glassware but they did survive.
Never seen the budgie so scared.

scottt, it's Light Edition of EAGLE,
schematics is unlimited bud layout is limited in size, only two layers and one sheet.

have to plan ahead when working on something bigger so I can make the layout in sections.
Eagle isn't as widely used here as Protel but excellent when you get used to it.

Must be a bloody big plane Steve, he busted the sound barrier over our place too

I'm told the epicentre was in Corumburra 4.7 or something... biggy.

found it

Earthquake shakes Victoria
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/13/2464399.htm

Beauty, we had some rain.
The Northerners don’t need to have all of it for themselves.

Got both rainwater tanks full again.
Did do ½ water change in Tubs and IBC, were only toping up until now
and were quite worried because of lot of solids suspended in the water but had no loses.

Cold nights are pulling water temp. down, the SPs and Cats eating much less.

Its two weeks that I have installed the new timer and relay box for the IBC,
but still have to connect the high and low water sensors.
Have also everything ready for the Tubs but will need a full dry day
as some serious rewiring is needed.

Pulled out most of the tom plants that were rather disappointing
and have Mibuna coming up nicely. All the greens are doing great.
No picks today, were too busy or too wet.