Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

RAINING!!!!!


Usually i dont mind the rain, Especially when im working, but the fact that iv got a whole day off and i want to go out n finish washing my Media now iv got the rain to contend with.... might go find my Coat!!

Spread it out in the rain... and go and have a beer...

Just Cracked a Pale Ale

Got my GB Online today washed all my media and got the flow running has been going ok for a few hours now and my sump still has plenty of room for another GB!!!!

Time For a few beers and put the kidlets off to bed in the next hour or so!!!!

Having fun keeping the rain outta my system too Need to get my Greenhouse Frame up and on the way over my beds!!!!!

I wouldn't stress too much about keeping the rain out of the system. It is an easy way of topping up the system. went out to check mine today in torrential rain and it was filling up, just hope we have seen the last of the rain for tonight as its been steady all day.

Yeah I know my sump has bout 50l to go til it fills I'm running minimum without pump getting dry at all even though there's 300mm left when both beds r full so I could deal with rain I just don't want too Wana keep it sealed heh

Nice and Sunny today Allthough Chilly out there Sun Just jumped onto my GB's which are still cycling nicly!!! bout to add some Hummonia into my system that has aged for a week.

Still dont have a test kit yet But theres nothing alive in there and plants are living on seasol and lookin Okish concidering its been Freezing cold and Wet for a week hoping the nice sun keeps out today and warms things up a little.....

I worked out somthing that sounds better than 1 Siphon Gurgleing...... its 2 siphons gurgleing, i can even tell which one is going now when i sit on my Pattio i cant see the system but hear it )

Been doing lots this week, Some more Pics to Keep Updated

A Vid Of my System
http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/m3 ... System.mp4
















Bubbles from the Venturi

-4 Over Night, Max of 9 today at 2:30

So Glad i dont have fish... or a thermometer to test my water temp...... stuck my finger in at 6am (still -3.5 outside) iv got frost bite... maybe i could get some penguins??

Got some funky smelly water going on, its pretty clear but has a nice ammonia smell too it

added bout 500mm of aged humonia on sat, could be a bit of the seasol added as well...... need a test kit now to see wtf is going on and need to build the hothouse so i can get some plants in.... Small Broccoli plants have some new growth but as we have had 1 day of sun in 2 weeks and there only under a sheet of plastic, i reckon thats good! least there not dead

Brought the steel for my hothouse and tank stands yesterday, but with all the work iv got on atm its not looking good to find half a day to do it 11 hour days are taking there toll.... and iv only got about 4 months of it to go now (thats if no more work comes in, which it will)

Yeah, a greenhouse makes all the difference in our climate. I have tomato seedlings coming on nicely in mine already.
Also all my plants in the growbeds in the greenhouse are growing great
Hope you get some time to put her up eh

Not looking too good, iv got sunday off and i think i will need to rest!!!!

Might get a little time sat arvo to Knock up the frame, going to make a basic frame then use mesh to make an oval top then order get some hothouse film to cover it, Hoping to make it big enough for 2-3 more beds and my tanks. i made a 6 x 7 Free standing pergola last year

Heres some pics of it (this is when i just stood it, i leveld it up a bit more and trimed the cloth etc





Landlord said i wasnt allowed to attach shade sails to the house or anything, so i put this to him and he was fine, its completly free standing and has 4x Ropes with 3ft pegs peged into the ground and a 2ft peg on every leg, had wind thats has brought down trees and its still standing. best thing is it all bolts together like a markee frame so if i want to take it down i"ll just have lengths of steel and some shadecloth

90% Blockout Shadecloth allows my kids to play outside and not chargrille in summer, also covers 3 north windows and stops heaps of heat coming into the house which made the aircon much better (evap cooler) instead of it running flat out on a 35c day we dont run it on low most of the time and it keeps much cooler

Got Some Seedlings today

Grabbed a punnet of Broccoli and silver beet, Oregano and a Rhubarb Root, planted them up in my beeds had some dramas with leaks that turned into small flows over the weekend and had no time to fix them, found an empty sump again, the best thing iv found is my sump empties to the same level every time just enough to keep the return in the sump going and only a small dribble out into the ft's which doesnt allow my Siphons to turn on.

So i fixed my leaks properly (had to dig the blue metal from around my siphon to get the wrenchs in there to tightn up my bulkhead fitting that was my worst stream)

found that with a bit of Teflon tape on the end of the PFC then putting it into the coupling, elbow or tee, it makes a nice hard push in and seals tightly, saves them wanting to pull apart easily...worked a treat so i done all my joins with it (bout 3-4 layers round) then u can still pull them apart to changes stuff or clean them....

as for testing im going to give it til tomorow since iv filled my sump right up thismorning with town water and a few small fills yeaterday and the day before.

again a stress to newbies cycle cycle cycle.... least u dont have fish while ur ironing out problems... i reckon if i had fish they would be either sick or dead with the ironing out of some of my small problems.

So no Drips, few more plants and my brother filled me another bottle of Hummonia Fri night!!!! lets see what the week brings, hopefully soem sun to warm my make shift hothouse up!!!!

Looking good MT3tal
Your system is taking shape.
And what a win by the mighty Tiges

Cheers mate! its Getting there slowly, i need to make this hothouse and tank stand asap, my tanks are sinking and moving, Ratchet strapped them up, need another GB too i reckon, and im going to Plumb 3 x 65l Tubs Together and Use them as a Tomato Bed, as there deep and should be good for them overpoweing tommy plants. Seen some ideas for a Seperate Bell Syphon going to toy with this for them, in aid of keeping the roots outta it.


Up the TIGES!!!! you hear about Cousins??? In ICU from a Sleeping pill Mishap...... Benny benny Benny.... they weren't sleeping pills..... or can he use warneys Excuse?? "Mum Gave them to me"



His Girlfreind rang the club first?????? just incase thy wanted to keep it under wraps, but i guess the "Club Doctor" quickly Prescribed some sleepers for him hahahahaah

my reasons behind Aquaponics

A Normal Nights Veg

(Veg uusaly chnges to what we have or what in season and cheap)