Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I think I've finalized my new system design. CHIFT PIST + downstream growbeds

Yay me

2100l GB - done
1000l (IBC) sump - in driveway
1000l (IBC) FT - in driveway
3 blue barrels (600l) as tree planters - in fairy land
5000 lph pump (I'm counting on 3000) - in shed
assorted plumbing and silicone. - in shed
poor timing - middle of summer when everything should already be growing - done
battery backup system - done (might need bigger inverter due to pump start up surge)
power head (additional aeration) - in shed

The swirl filter will have a few cups of shell grit blowing around in it to poo-chew, but with the option to remove some solids in case of emergency to ease the nutrient load.

This will be stage 2 of 3 ("too big to post "animation here http://120thingsin20years.blogspot.com/2010/12/aquaponics-split-system.html)



stage 1 - the system as pictured here but without the tree planters.
stage 2 - add tree planters and get a lime, blueberry, and some grapes of something growing.
stage 3 - add a marron farm once the system can cope with the additional load.

stage 4 would be to try to stop expanding the system for a while and eat some fish.

I just realised, I don't have a problem to solve for the first time since starting this aquaponics caper.

Anyone have any problems?

Hey BWII -

It would seem fate had me chance across your 120TI20Y blog.

Had a quick read of your latest AP endeavours, and was amused by your anecdotes.

You're a funny guy.

I wanna try that haloumi cheese!

What's the next thing to learn on your list?


BTx

...Though I do believe you have far too much idle time on your hands!

I just stopped watching tv !

Cool, thanks.

I make the cheese slightly differently now, I should really update it. But it really is good food.

I dont actually have a list, I try to keep it open. Having said that, next up will be picaxe programmable micro controllers I think. I can see an application for them in almost every other thing I might do. From what I've read they seem really interesting.

I already have some experience in software design, so I guess it's electronics next really. I know nothing of electronics.

I've also been working on a methodology for problem solving, so I might try my hand at taking an invention to market. "Inventor" always looks good on a tombstone. The problem is, I don't seem to be able to motivate myself around the selling myself bit. I lose interest as soon as a problem is solved. I might have to settle on "here lies bullwinkle, patent owner."

Then again, making 6500 bottles of homebrew in my 2 new, slightly honey flavoured IBC's is tempting as well . [EDIT - I foresee no problems what so ever that could arise as a result of owning 6500 bottles of beer. ]

or wed site development using joomla! because I need a new home on the net and know nothing about such stuff. I made a start on this one. You can see my progress at..

HTTP://www.odolobo.com

or pastry because I like eating stuff

or wind power generation to heat my FT

or political lobbyist because I think it might be funny to leverage my vote out of all proportion.

Man, I have a stack of stuff to do. That's a year's worth!

I'll second BT's thoughts Bullwinkle - I read about your haloumi and was inspired so have ordered a cheese making kit that Mrs Chilli can give me for Chrissy

Now I gotta find a temp controller I can fit to a fridge so I've got somewhere I can age the cheese (and properly lager some of my homebrew).

the haloumi worked really well and doesnt need aging, but my "real" cheeses didnt work as well. I ignored them and they went mouldy. One of them had a promising scent.
Just dont follow any instructions on my page for anything other than haloumi. And if you make haloumi, add some starter culture. It isnt traditional but it makes for amazing flavour.

and this... I knew an old Italian man who matured cheese in his cellar. He claimed ventilation was very important.

Mmmm - how the hell am I going to ventilate a fridge - a computer fan may suffice if I also have some water in the fridge for the humidity.

perhaps just a 10 mm hole top and bottom so you get a bit of draw.

I dont know

When you squirt water into a bucket of water with duckweed floating on top, the duckweed parts and floats away from the stream of water. No surprise there. But it should be possible to use that aspect of the universe to create a water powered automatic duckweed feeder.

I told you I didn't have any problems to solve.

this duckweed auto feeder would be easyest to implement on a system running a timer, but it could be done with a siphon by mounting the siphon in a bucket so the outlet becomes the input into the feeder.


-picture a gutter cut from PVC with the ends capped.
-put a standpipe over one end so that it overflows into your fishtank.
-add duckweed. The duckweed will spread out to occupy the space.
-now add a stream of water at a point a few inches away from the standpipe.
-the stream will divide the duckweed, pushing the majority away from the standpipe, and a small amount toward the standpipe.
-the flow dumps the small amount into the fishtank, while it keeps the majority away.
-some shaping of the flow may be required. ie you may have to point the flow away from the standpipe, and make the flow fan out to cover the width of the pvc.
-when the pump turns off, the standpipe stops flowing, and the duckweed spreads out to the standpipe ready for the next pump event.
-adjust the amount of feed delivered by adjusting the width of the pipe, and the distance away from the standpipe end that the water flows in. Moving the stream further away from the standpipe takes a bigger share of the remaining duckweed.

pictured here in stunning clarity(top down view)



If the right hand side of the PVC opened into a duckweed growing tray, it should be possible to meter out a set percentage of whatever remains in the grow tank. Because the duckweed spreads out, and because you can set how much to deliver on each pump cycle, it should be possible to have a population that doesnt give up too much of itself in slow growth times, and dumps plenty in fast grow times. Slow times should be winter, fast times should be summer, which coincides nicely with what silver perch will want.

in the event of an imbalance, you should get plenty of warning, because the feeder only gives up say 5% of what's left, regardless of how much that is. ie if you have only 100 leaves left, you should have a few weeks notice. In theory, an infinite number of weeks.

Coupled with the fact that the stuff grows, you should have an easy to tweak, self adjusting, self regulating, automatic duckweed doser that feeds heavily when the fish are hungry, and lightly when they are not. And it requires no batteries.

All feedback/comments/questions/derisive laughter welcome.

Now I have no problem to solve.

the haloumi worked really well and doesnt need aging, but my "real" cheeses didnt work as well. I ignored them and they went mouldy. One of them had a promising scent.
Just dont follow any instructions on my page for anything other than haloumi. And if you make haloumi, add some starter culture. It isnt traditional but it makes for amazing flavour.

quote]

So where do I find this cheese making info, that you are all on about, pretty please???
Or are you just teasin"

http://120thingsin20years.blogspot.com/ ... el/haloumi

The other cheeses I tried to make didnt work very well.

and when I make the haloumi now I add starter culture

Aaha tahnks Bullwinkle!

... Let us all know how it works out for you Faye - and save some for moi!