Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Have put some 3/4" bolts, Silastik and 3/4" rubber grommets in Lug holes ans will continue the fill tomorrow, but that should stop it, hope the guy comes and plastic welds sooner than latter
Will post some pics of the great switch on tomorrow

Well it's all running all leaks fixed, only place water coming from is where it suppose to, pump is a tad to fast for the stand pipe drains but only a bit of surface water in GB which disappears after a few minutes, but pump must be doing around 9 - 10.000 lph I thought about 8,000 would have been max, but only ended up with around a metre of head, left memory card at work, camera doesn't like the 2 GB one Mr Rudd bought for it, so some pic's tomorrow, but back to Nocky Sketch (explanation first post this thread) it looks like photo's on page 5 with water coming out of the right places, and lots of it
beer o'clock by nocky's clock

Dam edit expired, was better when it was gone
How Much seasol should I put in 5000lt of water with added humonia

Humonia has nothing to do with seasol - Humonia provides the nitrates and seasol provides the iron, potassium, and other nutrients.

For a new system of your size, I'd put 1 cup per week of seasol concentrate in, for the first 4 weeks. After that, probably 1 cup a month for the first six months, then whenever you notice a nutrient based problem.

You'll need to stop the water getting to the surface of the gravel - either more gravel, or lower water level. It will algae up terribly. Maybe return some of the excessive water from the pump to the tanks for aeration / swirling?

I know pee is nitrogen and seasol is the rest but just was wondering how much pee whilst cycling, have planted seeds now.
water is only on surface for about 10 mins each cycle which is 40min on and 1 hr off, but will look at a 3 way valve to stop so much getting to the GD's, drilled some small holes in stand pipe cap and drain runs without building over the top, loud though, but I can't hear it inside

Just enough ammonia to reach about 1 or 2, then up to 4 on the nitrates. If you try to force the readings higher, you actually retard the cycling.

Pic of water going around, have seeds in and waiting for the cycle so can get fish

Is it floading a little high or is it just the photo.
Looking great anyway.

Nocky, is it flooding high in the bed because it is backing up over the 25mm stabd pipe or is the stand pipe to high?

I have found that with the 25mm stand pipe going into a 20mm reducing socket like Joel uses in the school system I am setting up it is backing up over the stand pipe even with the inflow to the bed restricted right down. Two nights ago the easterly blew some sand into the timer causing it to stick which in turn caused one of the grow beds to overflow because of the backing up (emptied the FT by half before the level switch on the FT pump switched it off). I am mucking around with plumbers pipe at the moment and have found that DVW40 pipe with a bit of sanding fits directly into the waste drains instead of using the 25mm pipe in a reducer socket. I think you can get 38mm pipe as well and am going to try and see if that fits better. Either way I am going to change over our standpipes to larger diameter pipe to stop this happening again (should also be cheaper than buying sockets if you can scab pipe offcuts from builders rubble piles).

Another thing I have found is that the GB's are still draining after 45min when the pump kicks in again and starts filling them. There is about 30mm of water left in the bottom of them. I am using 2 x 6mm holes in the base of the standpipe to drain the beds the same as Joel uses at the shop. Are you having the same thing happen? Does anyone reckon it is a problem, should I drill a third hole to make sure the GB empties completely before it starts filling again?

Cheers,
Mike

Intersting......

Duff and Burnsy, They are a tad over full but could do with a little more gravel, drains are working fine now they gurgle away, they were going over the stand pipe but drilled some small holes in the standpipe cap and fixed, I think the problem may have been the water level was above the last holes in the stand pipe cover, but pump is doing around 2000lph more than I thought, I may take 10mm off the 25mm internal pipe
burnsy mine are 40mins on and 1 hour off and water still drains after the hour but not a lot left, maybe drill out the bottom hole about 1/8th bigger, maybe the Guru's can tell me if that will work
also burnsy $15 at coles, Arlec electric lcd timer with 20 on off settings, but try some 1/8th holes in your cap, I drilled 5 I think

Just add some clay to the top.

have some clay but might now wait till seeds germinate

Mine are only trickling at the end of the 45 min. I have my FT pump feeding out in 40mm pipe and then divides into two 25 mm pipes that feed three beds each. I have no problem with them flooding too high with Joel standard stand pipes.

That quote was from Burnsy not Duffy??