Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

IKE was late 2008. I pressed on the sides good and no cracking. They seemed to be in a generally shaded area and had wood piled on top of them. Seem OK - no yellowing yet.

Mark

Get the system build/plumbed and gravel washed/added. Then see what season it is. I strongly advise fishless cycling. Granted, I started the PeePonics thread. Then once cycled, keep it cycled by small additions of fish safe ammonia or humonia until you are ready to get fish. Good opportunity to get comfortable with using the test it and see what kind of pH action your water and media has.

The pH of our tap water is pretty neutral...been running aquariums for some time now. Who knows what will happen with the gravel - I have a couple buckets of some unknown gravel type and I think Rick was going to bring a little bit too. If I can get the system cycling this weekend I'll be happy. With Ricks pond sludge and a little pee, I suspect it will cycle fast enough for me to get some lettuce and a couple bluegill from the local pond in there pretty quick. I am also due for a water change in my salt water tank - anyone know if might be a good idea to add a little of that too? I'm not sure if the same bactieria grow in salt and fresh water systems.

Mark

So long as you never use aquarium medications or treatments, then you could add a little from your salt water aquarium. Adding some salt to AP systems is pretty common to bring the salt to about 3 ppt as a general tonic for the fish and to provide some trace nutrients for the plants. But you won't want to go higher than that in the AP system or some plants will suffer greatly (only go higher on the salt for AP if the fish are having specific health issues and can handle high salt.) Channel Catfish and Blue gill don't like much salt so 3 ppt is the highest I would ever run with them unless just doing a quick dip to help heal a wound or something.

It was always thought to be different... with Nitrobacter the nitrifying bacteria in freshwater systems... and Nitrospira in saltwater systems...

However recent research has shown that in fact it's Nitrospira that responsible in both cases...

There's a few pints of nice porous expanded shale media stacked in mesh pots, getting doused with the output from my biofilter. Did you know 5" mesh baskets fit perfectly into 8" hollow concrete blocks? Now I want to design some strawberry towers out of these, they can sit right in the pond...
Anyway, I see lots of flecks of gunk running down into the media. You can just mix this into the top and throw in the aquarium flora, just let them all fight it out!

It'll have 24 hours of this mini-bakki-shower-tower action and the weather is not too cold either. I'll bring a little pump suitable for muck life support so you don't have to rush to build the growbed. It's in the weeds out there where I found the Tetrapond filter...
Rick

Very Cool!

beware the effects that concrete blocks can have on your pH.

ya - I'm still trying to figure that out. Supposedly, there is a concrete addative you can add to make it water proof and render the block with it. I'm not sure if Fibromix is the right thing or not....ah so much research left to do, yet alone get the practice system up and going.

Mark

Absolutely. This block is just suspending the (round) pond basket, the water looks like it is dripping down into the next basket below without touching the concrete wall.

May be some concern about the exp. shale medium itself, it's a little higher pH but does it buffer the water? I'd like to know before I go and buy yards of it of course. It's advertised as neutral and suitable for hydro.

Oh noes! My whole POND is concrete! I'm doomed!!!
I need to go to bed is what the truth is...

Rick

sminfiddle and I cut them up today....they seem to be in good shape. A word of advice to anyone cutting up the ICBs. Cut along one of the horizontal bars. It will act as a guide and leaves you with a surface sutable to set stuff on. I cut one of them between the horizontal rails and after standing it up realized it was a mistake. Also watch for the sharp edges and wear gloves!

Need to run out to HomeDepot to get some concrete blocks to hold them up. sminfiddle kindly brought a couple pumps (one turned out to be broke....jeese you just cannot get any good free stuff anymore ) - brought some expanded shale and some pond sludge. Need to get something cycling soon to keep that sludge alive. Picture to come a little later!

Thanks for the help Rick - was a pleasure to meet you!

Mark

Move the ICB topic to a new thread so this one can get back to the Greenhouse...
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=6894

Happy to use my post #100 to say it was great to meet you and Mrs. Déjà today. Discussed plans for your 3rd system while standing next to the soil garden (it must wonder where the gardener went). LOL you have the bug bad my friend!
I'm inspired to kick up my progress on the system at my place. You are making some good choices and also have one of the best raw sites to be found in the BYAP world. Remember, no sales tax on water harvesting/recycling equipment!
But we do need to come up with a good name for the society. It can't be Houston Area Live Fish Aquaponic Systems & Solutions

Deja, do you plan on installing Subterranean Heating and cooling system to your greenhouse???