Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I think you mite need a larger bucket [filter]

yeah I thought of FF but the bucket should surfice for now. I am planning on doing water 5-10% water changes 2 times a week (or only once if that is all I need). I will keep monitoring the amm trites and adjust as required. I may even link up 2 buckets but space in this setup is at a premium. I have thought about putting a 50lt polystyrene box full of gravel on top but am a bit concerned about overall weight sitting on the tank. Will play around and see.

Quachy

Sounds great Quachy wonder where you got that idea from?!?!
How thick is your glass? and do you have a cover over it. I am assuming this internal setup is actually inside the house?
I'd be very wary about the GB sitting ontop the tank if over carpet. I have luckely only had one mishap with my shed/prototype system, I drained (or actually pumped) 50% of my roughly 200lt FT onto the shed floor, because i knocked the inlet pipe out of the GB.
I was concerned about there being too much weight on top of the FT especially because i was using the 20mm blue stone screening which arn't light, but everything is holding up so far. I am concerned about the second polystyrene GB that i plan to put in tho.

250L inside with 40 fingerlings....is that going to created an ammonia smell inside? I was going to do something similar, but have been hesitant regarding the smell. Will your 30-40L bucket filter/grow bed be inside?

To increase your nitrate consumption, have some floating rafts on the FT.

Ammonia will kill fish long before it becomes noticeable, at least I've never been able to smell any from any AP.

the setup is in the garage. there is plenty of air getting into the tank from my pump and the return (which is a constant height constant flow system) also oxygenates the water. I'm a bit worried that there are too many fingerlings in the tank but will wait and see. I have put a fern in the bucket to help suck up some nitrates and will see how that goes. very little light so the fern should thrive. if I get too much of a spike then will move the bigger fingerlings into outside tanks. I did some measurements and the tank is only 150lt not 250lts (I'll blame dad for that!) All the more reason to keep testing the amm and ites and remove fish accordingly.

Bundy, yeay you gave me the idea! I have decided that if I need more filtration, then I will put in another bucket instead of a top mounted gb/filter for fear of breakage!

Once the water clears up a bit (hopefully tomo) will take some pics and post them up.

Quachy

I think you might need a larger tank...

Or less fish.... mind you, I think you'll find the answer to both your question as to "which outgrows the other".... and the answer to your overstocking... fairly quickly...

Unless ammonia kills them all first...

I can smell some sort of smell from my AP, it would have to be an ammonia based smell, so inside without any breeze, I reckon there would be a fair amount of smell. But I'm guessing, and would like someone with experience with a reasonable FT inside to set the record right.

my system does emit a slight smell my girl friend notices it more than me but in the shed near a window can't be any worse than in a small green house.

I think you mite need a larger bucket [filter][/quote]
I think you might need a larger tank...

Or less fish.... mind you, I think you'll find the answer to both your question as to "which outgrows the other".... and the answer to your overstocking... fairly quickly...

Unless ammonia kills them all first...[/quote]

I'm going to hook up another bucket and keep doing tests. I will remove fish as the biofilter starts to fail to keep up with the load. The main reason truth be told, for keeping them in the tank is to keep a close eye on the bass. as it seems there have been very few people keep bass, I thought it best to keep them in a visible area and jump on any issues that arise, the silvers are in there because they were unlucky enough to get caught in the net and me too lazy to remove them

anyway will keep you all posted as to the results.

Quachy

Progress update:

Been picking a handful of red ripe strawberries for the boys each day for the last 3-4weeks. Haven't been able to get a photo because they are at them before I can get there! Makes me think I may need to turn one tub into a dedicated strawberry growbed! Cucumbers are going crazy, picking 2-3 a day so far and soon will not be able to keep up eating them. Tomatoes are setting fruit and plenty of them. I am experimenting with pruning and not pruning and seeing which produces more. Corn in the garden has fruited (?) but the ones in the growbed, although very very healthy, are yet to flower. They were put in about 3-4 weeks after the dirt garden one to stagger the crop. My next lot of corn need to be put in also. There has been more lettuce and chard (silverbeet) than any of us can consume and carrots are really taking shape. The beetroot have also formed really well. Capsicum, eggplant and chilli are all setting fruit. Watermelon also setting fruit (yeah - first time in 5 years damn it!). Photos to come.

Sounds like its going great. I'd love to see a pic of your watermelon progress.. I have one but its tiny at the moment.

mine are tiny also but I have a few developing, will take a photo tomorrow.

photos:

they are still small, but are bigger than a couple of days ago so I am assuming they are setting and have bee pollinated.

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