Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

A drum should be enough to act as a pretty good swirl filter for you, whether you then want to go for further filtration to remove fine solids is up to you.. If you check our ibc of aquaponics viewtopic.php?t=10126&f=4 and have a look at Jets system, he has an interesting three stage fitration system using three barrels.

Zman you got pics or a drawing? other info helpful

If you are going to use those 200L blue barels and split them you will need to put sume support along the long sides as they will bow out and overflow if you don't.

Yes Trevi the blue barrels will collapse. I have 48 of them for my growbeds. A lot of lumber went into the stand for them also.

I am getting lots of plant matter in the FT and it is keeping the water kinda murky. I try to keep it all cleaned off but lots get in every day. I get lots of flowers out of the water every time I go by. Cantaloupes and cucs loose lots of flowers when the plants get big. I guess I will just get another net and keep on netting out the leaves and flowers.

I have changed out 14 barrels of gravel as of yesterday. I decided not to change any more for a week or two so they get their bio slime back before I do some more.

Water test for today.
Rained last night so water is low temp of 80oF
Ph 8.2 still
Ammonia 0.25 still
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10
What can you put in the water to bring the Ph down a bit? Besides time?
My well water here is about Ph 7.8

We had dinner of Chicken and Pesto a second time and this time I remembered you Faye. Here is a pic of dinner. Too bad I ate it before I got to look at the picture or I would have taken another. But it was good. Even better than the first one.

I tried to get a pic of my Catfish eating but they just dont show in the water as they are very hard to see. I would like to have a big glass tank to display the fish. Some of these guys are really getting some size. I think at least one of them is about 10 inches long or a little more. I do not think it is good to catch and stress the fish so I have not bothered them much more than getting in the tank to work on the pump a couple of times since may.

We caught 8 large mouth bass out of dirt tank with grass hoppers caught eating in green house. That is what I call recycling. Jerry

That sounds like the right way to handle things. Have the grass hoppers started to reduce in population yet? Should have been time enough for them to start eating each other by now.

I am kinda sore today. As of yesterday I have changed out the gravel on 26 barrels. That means I shoveled out 52 barrels worth. It is sure looking hard on the plants that got transplanted. I hope it does not kill all of them in the process. Is there any thing that you can do for the plants for shock of replanting in AP? My wife uses something for her house plants that is poison to us so can not use that stuff.

seaweed solution is supposed to help with root growth. Other than that just wait....

Ok I got MaxiCrop with Iron. That should help. I will add some in the morning. I changed out 6 more barrels today and I am tired. I got another load of gravel on the truck but not yet unloaded. Too much work shoveling gravel. This stuff has no bubbles in the vinegar at all so it should be safe to use. Oh by the way any guesses how long it will take for the Ph to start coming down after I get all the gravel changed out.
I have removed several plants that looked like they were dead already. Some of the rest look like I killed them also. It has been pretty stress full on the plants to get transplanted into the big gravel. Looks like it would kill them to try to move any of them out of that stuff. Lots of sharp edges and the like

Just saw the picture of your pesto and dinner thankyou for thinking of me and sharing the photo. I feel your pain on shovelling the gravel. I think I have just loaded a pallet of clay for customers my offsider went home sick You just gotta do what you gotta do.

Did water test also ths morning. Am, Rites, and Rates all Zero, water temp 60oF, Ph was 8.2 still.

Hi everyone. I finished swapping out my gravel for the new stuff that does not have lime stone in it and now my PH is higher than ever. What gives? The PH went from 8,2 to full purple off the chart, probably a couple of colors above 9. I am going to order a PH meter today as I do not trust the drops any more. My well or bore water is 6.8 so it is not that. I am wondering if I should just do water change or put something else in the water to bring down the PH. What do you people think I should do? This can not be good for any thing in my garden. HELP!!!!!!!!!!

My system started with a pH of 8.2 but is now 7.2. Give it time.

Are you rinsing out your test tube with the AP water before you fill it up to test the water with the drops? How are you testing your water, exactly?