Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yes I know, but the same theory applies. A pipe pushed into the mix (with the media evacuated) gives you a view straight down into the bottom of the grow bed so you can see what is happening.

I fail to see how this would in fact assist me, I have a pipe around the standpipe, but that showed nothing wrong.
The area that was wrong, was 3-4 inches around the inlet only. No bigger than that. I can't figure how a pipe in the Gb will assist in seeing such a localised problem.

Forgive me, I am only arguing because I am interested in understanding your idea properly, I'm not trying to shut you down.

I don't really see how an inspection pipe would really assist in the "poke it with a stick" problem either but I can see where the inspection hole might be handy just because for say a grow bed that doesn't have a "stand pipe and associated gravel pipe". I tend to use pipes going down at the drains as inspection pipes but as kuda said, they would not tell if there was an odd overflow happening due to fish poo pavement in the opposite corner of the bed.

I like to keep where the water enters my grow beds quite visible so I can tell when they need poking with a stick. It is also a handy place for collecting worms.

I like that! I think it needs to go into the page of definitions!!
hehehee

Well, maybe I have my mental picture of your system wrong, but I thought that if you had an inspection point at the inlet as well as the outlet (the standpipe) then you could see when the "poo pavement" builds up too much and overflows.

I guess I must have the mental picture wrong. As TC says, I think most of us have the inlet on top or at least viewable, so we can see the poo pavement and I was under the impression your inlet was UNDER a layer. So by putting some sort of barrier to keep the rocks out, you essentially make it viewable. Oh well. It was just a suggestion, if it doesn't apply, don't do it!

As he said, he dug a bit of a hole in the gravel around where the inlet is which essentially is acting like an observation port.
Confusion here I think is that this problem happened in what Kuda is calling his "hidden" beds (or where the edges of the individual grow beds are actually burried by gravel and thus how the overflow was happening without immediate detection.)

Did I get that right Kuda?

100% TC, well interpreted. A photo no doubt would have assisted my (as usual) poor descriptive technique. When I find the camera this arvo I'll get som photos for you all to digest.

Bulk Discount hey kuda did you get blown away, things look wild over that way

Lost the corro steel covers on the FT a couple of times, but the neighbour tossed em back.
Other than that, a few trees down on public property, and a very exciting ride on the freeway with tires that don't grip so well anymore, I haven't really noticed it.

Got some nice seedlings from Milne the other day...
If somebody could let me know which is what that would help... Milne told me but I forgot

Course something thought this was tasty, I'm thinking the slugs I've been battling with.
Any ideas on reducing slugs?

it was a bit OT, but I posted the following in Photo comp thread... just cos Joel asked a 'What's this quiz' I thought I could too, despite the lack of relevance
They are of course seeds that have sprouted in my GB. I can't remember what I planted.

Again, cross posting from photo comp, the cool spider I saw the other morning...

Kuda,
not a bontonist, but looks very close to what I've had in my dig garden
pic-1 bok choi
pic 2 cabbage
pic 3 spinach
pic 4 as pic 1
The 4 pic starting left to right from top
1 not quite sure?? maybe cucumber?
2 lettice
3 Broccoli
4 looks like beetroot

regards
matt