Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Great Tip DD.


o ok now i get it, i need to do that because i would love to set up a .5lb:1g:2g ratio system, but when i save more money.

but fornow i got it pretty simple...fornow

so i broke down, and spent the money on Hydrotron, but at least i know its the right thang to do.
ok 50gal system up and running
its simple
$25-390gph pump(1/2 poly)
$75-hydroton
$20-Hydro Bulk heads
$13-Grow bed
$15-50gal rubbermaid tote
$20-Air Pump/Stones/15min on/off timer
$10-Block and wood for stands
_____
$178.00
all prices rounded up, with CA Taxes.

so for under 200bucks i set up a non-ratio 50gal system. yes not to ratio, but it has a pretty big grow bed(filters about 25g at a time). so i need 3 more growbeds, and a sump. but fornow it works.

ooo and it only took 2.5 hours to set up and wash the hydrotron.

i have 10 goldys in there with about 5gal of water from my outher system and 40gals of tap water.
i hope it cycles quickly




support Bungee....just in case







the pump is on for 15min then off for 30 min then pumps for 15min ect...
-df

Grow Bed Design

i get about 7 or more inches of flooding



ruff drawing i know, i forgot to take pics wile i was makeing it.

so i have 9 goldys now.

i had one floater this morning. im killing fish
but isnt that the end goal?

end goal to kill fish that you get to eat
But cheap goldies are not always that healthy to begin with so I wouldn't sweat one dead shortly after introduction. Just test the water to make sure it isn't your fault and have patients.

Also, as you are just getting a small system up and running, I wouldn't sweat the Ratio as it is just goldies in there. When the ratios become really important is when you are feeding up fish to eat, then it becomes rather important as not enough filtration means it is hard to keep growing fish alive and eating well. Goldies can be kept pretty much at whatever size the space and food supply allow so feed them based on what your water tests tell you is ok. Once things have cycled up that will mean keeping the ammonia and nitrite at 0 and enough nitrates that the plants are happy but hopefully still readable on the test (sky high might not be good for the goldies long term.)

So for this small system it sounds like a good start!!!! Or perhaps it is just a system to cycle up some media for seeding the bigger system? In any case

Not sure that pulling the water & solids back through the pump is a good idea... for the pump...

And we like to get the solids out of the tank and into the growbed.... fill from the top of the growbed...

DF- Be careful with that timer you have there. I am currently using that one and I have had some problems, ie. not precise in its timing, the pegs are easily pushed down on accident causing pumps to run too long, and I think the tooth that clicks over the pegs can work a peg up and thus it will not turn on at that time the next day. But I got to say the price is right! You just have to stay on top of it.

I actually just ordered a digital timer from Home Depot that cjinVT recommended here viewtopic.php?f=18&t=7230. I think this one will work out better!

Enjoy your new system!

thank you TC,

i whould love to have a larger system, if i could get a loan or a grant, i will do a full farm/green house, i have the room. but i dont make alot of money right now(im only 22, but i bought a house ) so a larger system is going to have to wait...

i might make extra growbed for this, i think i need 3 more(25gal filtering each), but with 75 bucks for just the media for each bed, its going to have to wait, and plus i need 12" depth anyways

untill then, this for now, i would like some tilapia someday
-df

yea, ive had that problem with the brinks timers befor to, but lucky as we all do, we like to take hours out of are day and look and tinker with are systems, so i try to check it. thank you, im going to check out that timer, i sound like a good bet.

its more for clearing the solids out of the pump, but yea i see what you mean, a re-work of things are in order. but after i get more/better GBs. and maybe you valve, the turtle will work great with this set up. but thank you rupe, i didnt ketch that...

as of today, i still have all nine goldys, and i feed them a little this morning, to their cheers of joy.
soon they will know me as the food god, bow in my presence, and squeak "oo, godly figure over the goldys, mighty food creator, please bless us with another helping."
and i will, because i am nice

but there just barrowing the food from me.

so i hope good news from here on out...

-df

update:

50g system has been cycleing for a week, water clear, pH rites rates amm all in line(pH-6.8-7.4) maybe driving to San Diego tomorrow morning for tilapia fingerlings

30g system producted some killer romain lettice, basil not so killer, the cherry toms got transplanted to my 50g system for now...
pics



leftover hydrotron form the 50g set up

hand full of lettice yum..

my next 30g harvest

new GB media

water after media change

5 hours later

50g system


all the fishys still there

yesterday i drove 6 hours to get some tilapia fingerlings!!

these babies are 1/2 inch of O.mossambicus i got 50, three died over night
i need to make it a little warmer...its around 74-80(night time temps are 3-4am)

tilapia mama was GREAT!!!
(ebay seller cooljewels ) she has a good raft set-up…cool as hell!!!
she has ALOT of experience(i think she teaches Aquaculture) so i am staying in tuch, we has a veary great conversation i got filled with 180% more information then i had before...just absolutely awesome lady!!! i will defiantly promote her to any socal tilapia farmer!!!

also she can hook me up with some used once for drinking water food grade 275g IBC containers!!!
and i got a bunch of duckweed!!! i jumped for joy!!

im movin up

all around a good day.
so i am going to take some pic soon.
-df
PS i still cant be leave i jumped for duckweed

amazing what one might jump for when it comes to producing your own food!!!!!
(I have to admit that the other half gets special treatment when he brings me compost, he isn't allow to buy flowers.)
Anyway, river gravel or lava rock makes great grow bed media so it is not mandatory to use the costly stuff for the grow beds if you have a landscaping source for pebbles in your area. Granted it's heavier but if one has more time than money on their hands, washing gravel is a good workout.

Where did you get your grow bed and how many gallons does it hold?