Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ta Da !!

http://www.aquaponiclynx.com/aquaponic-lynx-live-garden-cameras/duck-tv

I certainly do like it and will be implementing it on the weekend.

Water tests last night came up with
pH 7.9 (coming down good)
Ammonia 1
Nitrite 1+

So making progress. Granted the heavy rains have probably affected things some and the sump is trying to overflow but I'm not gonna complain, we need the ground water top up.

This morning the ammonia and nitrite were both down to 0 so I dosed again today. That is pretty good having the initial dose converted within 5 days. Yea it was pre-cycled media but the fish tank and sump tank were totally fresh plastic.

Anyway today 7:45 pm (few hours after dose #2)
pH 8.0
Am 1 ppm
Rite .25 ppm
Rate 10 ppm

I've built a frame for the 100 gallon tank to be able to set up a 100 gallon 4 tower system. Looks pretty good other than being rather tall to deal with.

Very nice system, TCLynx. How do you run all those verticle tubes off one header with no control valves? I would expect the flow to be unequal, going mostly to the one closest to the pump. I count 10 tubes.....what size pump? I am contemplating using a four tube system over my outdoor tank, for strawberries.

At the moment I'm running the 300 gallon tank and ten towers off the one Quiet One 5000 pump. There is one control valve in the set up. It is plumbed after the towers and before the fish tank feed. Basically I make sure there is enough pressure to have a steady stream in all the towers so I close the valve to the tank until all the towers are steady which eases off the pressure into the fish tank a bit and stops the sucking and breathing effect between the towers and the fish tank.

I may test a Quiet One 4000 pump on this system but I think it is probably just a touch too small for the CHOP 2 design with a 300 gallon fish tank. If the towers were hanging over the fish tank, the Quiet One 4000 could handle it I know but It would be hard pressed to provide enough pressure for all towers plus as much water to the fish tank as I like to circulate in this configuration.

The Quiet One 4000 is what I use for the 100 gallon version of the tower system with the towers mounted directly over the fish tank and there is plenty of flow left over to feed a gravel bed and do a spray bar in the fish tank.

Almost cycled up.

The readings tonight (about 24 hours after the previous readings)
pH 7.9-8
Am 0
Rite .25
Rate 10

I dosed again and I kinda expect only a trace of nitrite when I test again tomorrow evening. I'm kinda impressed that the plants in the towers are using the nitrates as fast as they are and have kept the Rate readings down to only 10 ppm. I dosed with some chelated iron and maxicrop yesterday as well so I expect the plants in all systems to perk up a bit where some were looking a bit yellow and it's been ages since I gave any seaweed extract to any of the systems.

The front porch system is seeing rising nitrates since it has all the little bluegill fingerlings getting high protein feed. Luckily that set up seems well able to cope with the extra load and the ammonia and nitrite readings haven't shown even a blip.

All sounds like it's coming up beautifully TCL ! Great

got a 100 gallon version put together yesterday too.

Front


Back


And me hanging towers

You are one productive person. Thanks for the inspiration

It comes in fits and spurts, don't expect much from me for the next couple weeks.
I often have big blocks of time without work and I go crazy on projects at home and some of them make me look really productive if I take pictures and post time. Then I'll have blocks of time where I'm working too much to do anything else and I'm lucky to check my e-mail.

And today is raining again so I won't get to do much outside or take any new pictures.

Looks good TCLynx
The tower system is something I still want try.

Looks Awesome TC. I'm always amazed at the sheer amount of work you guys accomplish in a day or two. you put everyone else to shame. . . .

ah, the only really time consuming things on this project were painting and measuring/writing down all the measurements so I can re-produce it. To me the actual building is like paying with tinker toys, granted, adult size ones.

TC - are you at all worried about the weight of the tower sitting on the rubbermaid tub? And was your design decission based on not having the wood contact dirt..ie rot?