Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Is it your water that's smelly... or the growbeds... or both??

What colour/state is the water??? ... how much have you been feeding them each day... and how much growbed volume do you have... and what pumping cycle??

Do not increase your feed!!!

Water is clear, and I can easily see the fish, I have attached a pic of the FT I took tonight.

I have been feeding them morning an night, approx 1-2 tablespoons of ground up pellets.

There isn't a buildup of feed on the bottom.

My pumping cycle is the standard flood and drain (15min flood per hour), and this fills all 6 grow beds (standard BYAP beds).

I remembered that I had a small pot of shell grit in the sump, someone told me to do this so the system will self level. Since I tested and saw the high pH I have removed that from the sump, and I will re-test on Sunday to see if anything has changed after 2 days of running.

In regards to the smell, I had broc and colli that was being severley attacked by small bugs, and I was losing the battle, so ripped them out. I noticed that the grow media looked like it had some mould around the base of these plants. The roots looked healthy though...

As yet I haven't changed my feeding.

In regards to the location of the smell, FT is fine.

The smell was down near the sump, but I think it was coming from the bed near the sump, and was the bed that had the colli that were badly infested with bugs.

My theory before I did the water tests was the smell was coming from the colli/broc plants, and possibly the mould like material under the folage in the upper part of the grow media.

Can't notice the smell tonight, so maybe it was the plants I removed...

Newfarmer, I checked the Ebara in my ATU sytem and you are right it was not a best zero or optima, it is the larger pump from the range up and has a slightly longer (but not that much (maybe 300mm) float switch. Sorry, no model number as it was too much effort to remove it from the system so I could pull it out and read it but I think it is a DW range.

Burnsy,
Got some feedback from Joel last week, and BYAP are going to replace my blown Ebara (Joy )...

One thing Joel did say was they have had a few waranty issues with Ebara, so it might be worth giving him a call, before opting for the more expensive pump, and see what options he might be exploring.

I think the wholesale price for the Ebara pump you have been looking at is >$600, so might be a very inexpensive call...

That being said, my other Ebara is still going strong.

The other consideration may be the seals, pretty sure they are oil bath seals, and from what I have read this may harm you bacteria. Not sure that it has been tested by anyone though, and seems unlikely to me, but feasible all the same I suppose. The points on harming the fish though I think is a croc, and the type of oil used is very different to the standard engine oil, some I think are even vegitable oils. It's not like an oil tanker has crashed into your system, and the amount of oil to get past the other seals would have to be small. Not to mention if oil is escaping, then the seal is degrading, and they would be unlikely to warant for the >8000hrs like they do for these type of pumps.

Happy to be proven wrong though if anyone has some proof/info otherwise.

Cheers,
NF

The ebara I have at home is in my septic system and when I had problems with it the state manger for Ebara came out in his suit and had a look before getting my septic guy to replace it next service so I have been happy with the Ebara service I actually think that they replaced it with the bigger pump at no cost as I am sure I had an Optima in there at first. Either way I have no problems with it.

I agree about the oil issue, blown out of proportion in my books.

Turns Out Laksa is invasive, possibly not quite in the league of Mint, but didn't want to wait that long.

Checked the runners, and there were definitely sending down roots.

I removed, pruned, and replanted in a pot in the bed, I find this useful with the more invasive plants as it is easier to prune back to the pot when the get out of hand, and if it does go like the mint, it's easier to remove from the bed, simply pull out the pot.

I have done the same previously with some of my other invasive herbs, and have had reasonable success keeping them under control.

Have attached some pics for those interested.

Yep, same way I grow my mint, I just pull out the suckers once a week or so.

I read in another post you were going to use poly hoops for a cover. That was my initial plan but I baulked at the wind factor. Mind you I have heard of filling the poly with concrete. This then makes the poly option cost rise a bit. My thoughts were to slip a piece of barbed wire down the centre for reinforcing. It would depend on what dia poly and what size hoop you go for.

Yeah it's not going to be quite in the relm of you super structure, only approx 4.5m wide.

Posted some initial pics from this arvo, the last one might be a bit hard to see as it was getting dark, will take some better ones tomorrow.

Went for 40mm poly as it slips over a star picket nicely, and should give better strength.

Construction - Day 1

Frame Going Up...

How the heck did you manage to bend 40mm poly over star pickets??

Lookin good
lookin forward to see what sort of differance it makes for ya crop

uummm... That looks like a little overhang on your car

One person on each end, first person stands next to the first star picket, and then get the other person to walk towards you, as the pipe bends up, first person lift it their end up and slip it over the star picket, and then muscle it down.

You then slip the other end over the second star picket, sort of need to push the end inwards, and pull the top away if that makes sense, to make the poly straight to slip over the star picket.

I glued the top cross coupling as it has a fair bit of strain on it, plan to do the same for the roof ribs.



Yeah, had to take the back streets home...

Thought the pic might get a few rised smiles...