Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Sorry johnnie

I was getting there with the peat moss................

ok, picture the "tower"

now mould a piece of PVC so that it will forcefully slot in on an angle into the "grow site"

now remove the gravel from the grow site and pop in a seedling (that you have grown in some peat moss )

then pack back around it with some more wet moss.

hold down and remove moulded PVC tool.

next planting time should be easier, do the same thing, but the peat moss should pull out as a clump with the plant due to the roots.

I guess you could just use standard seedlinngs with potting mix, but this will eventually clog the system

Have i explained it ok? Its clear in my head

What do you think?

I love you guys.

Working out all these problems so i don't have to face them.

GROUP HUG!

ahhh, thank you

Apparently, (in other words I dunno for sure), but someone was telling me today that it is important that the flow rate is not too high through the bed.

For me this isn't a problem as I will just put a Y fitting in there, add another tower and split the flow into two.

I am sure that roots will slow down the flow rate quick enough anyway - but if it is a torrent then I can understand that it would perhaps be difficult for the plants to "grab a bite to eat" :tongue8:

I just posted a few pics of my little systems in the album.

I am thinking .. when I cut this stormwater pipe .. I cut at 90 deg to the vertical.

I am thinking that rather than cutting the slots horizontally , maybe a 20 or 30 degree angle cut will allow a slightly curved lip to be formed that would assist in keeping the gravel in.

I am using washed pea gravel .. mixed with shell grit ...

I think larger gravel may require a slightly different cut angle.

I was also using 4.5 inches as the gap between the cuts .. I think that 5 or even 6 inches would be better to allow a deeper bed of gravel to form.

An excellent idea! - We just got to tinker a little more to make it bullet-proof!

(Was it Murray who came up wth this melt a stormwater pipe job?)




Planting tool ..

a dinner knife struck as close to vertical as possible against the front of the "pocket" to part the gravel worked well for me!

I set up my mini pipe system today and all is well... I have 3 'pockets', each planted with herbs, and in the top I have planted watercress... So for there has not been a drop spilled and all the gravel has stayed in place too.

Piccies would be nice ...

My scale is one million times smaller than Joel's ..

But the principles are the same ...

(I bet Joel will mess around with tower systems too!) [probably BIG scale!] ... and make it extreme .. profrssional ... I am thinking racks ... weldmesh (for climbers and stability) and towers ...

Even if these were "gathered" and stood in a sump ( I figure many of you are using a "sump" .... amazing!

These towers seem real easy and sweet to me! Just gotta get the cut angle and dimensions correct! .. Best media etc. etc..


so I guess we got some homework to do!

Scale up wouldn't be a prob in Joels aquaponic garden ... ... seems to me ... just a matter of denisty and light .... ie. find a bright spot in joels jungle and put a tower in ...


Wrap them up against some trellis for stability .. (weldmesh + electrical cable ties?)

I think I am saying, tie the weldmesh to the pipes and they have a trellis to climb on and the pipes have stability! (My pipe looks like the leaning tower of Pisa! But I am working on it!)

OK ..

Gimme some feedback regards "angle of cut" on these towers !

I am guessing, stand the pipe vertical ... 90 deg is not the best ...

70 deg to vertical may be better .. would create a lip ....

You know my secret weapon Johnnie, electrical cable ties....... I use them a fair bit....

Must admit I am starting to feel a little left behind in the vertical growing stakes at the moment.
Nice pics in the album...

Only problem i have found with the cable ties is that they weaken significantly both over many years and more so with UV exposure (sun )

But they are one of the seven wonders of the world, along with duct tape and silicone.................

that they would... but I am in deep "poo poo " right now as the digital camera stopped working while I was trying to get pics of my new barra - if you ask the missus I got water into it... in reality, I have no idea what happened... took a photo of one of the barra fingerlings, put the camera down, returned fish to pond, picked camera up - not working ...
Have put one on lay-by and should get it by the end of next wekk with a bit of luck...

I also make a lot of use of cable ties and grab loads of them when I see them cheap...

I dropped my torch into the water this eve .... 20 bucks worth ... so glad it wan't my camera .. but am am going to smack myself around a a little .... hopefully my wife will assist! Hee Hee ... Just joking!

Dont temp fate - she might get ideas
LOL

Finally figured out where and how I can incorporate my first few towers into one of my existing system...
s


With this system here I can get rid of the black pipes running from the top yabby drums to the bottom yabby drums and stick in little towers....