Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

You are a bob the builder for sure! Not to be a stick in the mud but could you get rid of the brass fitting, it probally dont matter in this application but ammonia dont like brass at all.

The brass fitting is what gives me a stable join from PVC to the tubing. Now that the holes are tapped in the PVC, I might be able to switch to a plastic fitting. I take it that the ammonia corrodes the brass? I think you are probably right that it won't matter much in this application, but if I start to see problems, I could switch it out.

But my system won't have any ammonia

Thats the spirit..

Janet as you know i have been watching this tread very closely i am so glad to see you got the system to work how you want.

I am looking at the pics and wondering if you will get enough sunlight to grow anything? it looks a little dim in there to me.

Looks fine Janet. Nice siphon....

Well CG, Sunlight is a concern. I won't be able to grow plants that demand high light levels. The room does face southwest, so that's good. I have had houseplants out there that did just fine. Happily, wasabi wants very low light levels. I do think tomatoes and peppers wouldn't like me, though.

Rules are for the obedience of the ignorant and the guidance of the wise.

thats one cool sig

So my parents and my parents-in-law were here at various points this weekend. Both Dads were fascinated by (and quite complementary of) my engineering in the sunroom. Dad-in-Law and I devised a way of getting some aeration out of the auto-siphon output. We suspended a little drilled plastic cup below the output. The water swirls in the cup and spurts out the numerous holes. Seems nice, and it makes a pleasant babbling brook sound now. Dad pointed out that there was a vine growing outside that was probably blocking a lot of light to the sunroom. It had been there so long that I didn't see it anymore. So this afternoon I was swinging from the pergola with clippers in hand. The nice thing about pruning this late in the year is that when things fall down the back of your neck, you don't have to worry that it's a live spider. Dead spiders, maybe. I added a couple more fish from the pond to the AP system so now we're up to 4 fish. Ammonia was back to 0, nitrite was barely reading, and nitrate was dropping from 20, so I decided it was safe. These are my nice Sarasa Comet goldfish (with names), so I'd rather not kill them. I sprinkled some lettuce, spinach and bok choy seeds in one bed, and I can already see some of them sprouting. Dad was making all kinds of inquiries about how many pounds of fish I could harvest. Mom was wondering if I would be mad if she nibbled my wasabi plants. It was all pretty funny. Maybe I can get Dad to be my breeder for Tilapia after a few meals of Yellow Perch. He has a spare 55 gallon tank just sitting there, after all. Hmmm....

Dear santa,
Janet wants a chain saw for xmas - oh! and don't forget the holesaw previously requested

from Janet's AP friend,
Aussie Les

Dear Santa,

As another aussie APer, Id like to extend Janet's xmas wish list to removal of the entire roof area to allow more light upon her AP system...

and to allow for the craning in of a 10000 ltr tank.

Thanks Santie

You don't need a crane - that's what the chain saw is for

its amazing what you can do with a chain and holesaw - apple corers ugh!

Oooohhh--chainsaw.

My mother pointed out that I could get more light in the sunroom by putting in a skylight or three. Bad Mommy!

If I do 10000 litre, I will need to drop thru the floor to the crawlspace. But then I'd need more bedspace. Hmmm... expand the sunroom!!

lol it never really ends once you have the bug

Look , wouldn't it just be easier ti build another house? one totally dedicated to AP? just clear roofing, and large bore plumbing so the fish can swim from one room to another?

Axl, don't encourage people! You know what this bunch is like!

Seriously though, if reets wouldn't KILL me i'd do a MF in my "office" and put a full length "skylight" in ! What a talking point 4ft high silverbeet next to the computer would be..........and it would solve the nute problems in my indoor tank too..............

Like i said,don't incourage people.......(me included )



Steve