Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I'd better get an HKS one then. And a good turbo timer.

Actually, on a serious note, would car heater valves be any good for AP duties? I saw some in an Autobarn catalogue the other day from $20 (a large one should be $50 or so at a guess). I don't know how they work but from the pic they should work with minimal pressure. They seem to have some sort of flap inside the pipe which opens and closes to control the heat.

Another project for Les?

Nova

If you could modify the seals a bit then I don't see why not. With a F&D growbed it doesn't have 100% water tight. Just enough to allow the bed to fill then empty when the valve opens.... I have never considered these before, you have got me thinking.

good one nova! didn't realise they were available aftermarket!

They were out on the VN calais, i know the ones you're talking about.

i think they might have a small motor in them that moves a butterfly valve.............will sneak a look at dads car soon

nice one.

You boys are bad. Highway full of broken down wrecks, Les and Steve with 2 1/2 barrels set up, IT LIVES!

Officer walks up. "Excuse me Gentlemen...."

Well the Silver Perch have run into the same problems as the goldfish. I have put them into a temporary home, but I have lost 8 so far (there is still one sick looking one ).

My new theory is chemical contamination from the firefighter I was using to cart the water. I did some firefighting back in November and had foam in the tank. It was after this that I changed the goldfish water and the problems started. I am cleaning the tank (firefighter) with boomspray cleaner (chlorine and potassium hydroxide) and flushing with lots of water and I will rinse the water in the fishtank lots of times before any fish go back in. Maybe use some cleaner in there also, but it is harder to rinse.

Does anyone know what is in firefighting foam? I assume it is some sort of wetting agent, but cannot find anything on the net.

Nova

Geez Nova, sad to hear of your losses. Fish don't like chems eh. Hope you don't lose any more.

MMM...Axl might know, I think it is surfactant(?)makes water grow into foam... and lots of as you no doubt know.

http://www.firehouseinternational.com/u ... emwet.aspx
This is the best i could find,to many variables on make up of the stuff to list

Hey Nova, With regards to foam, there are lots of them, 2 common ones are afff and bfff (australian fire fighting foam, and bush fire fighting foam)
(honestly think that is what they stand for) yep they are surfactants, reducing water tension so the water/foam goes further on a fire. One thing they will do though is effect the Ph of the water! So yeah wash wash wash, and when you are finished washing....just wash abit more more to be safe. Good luck. Axl
I will try to get some msds data on it if you like. give us a hoy!

Axl, does it send ph up or down?

Maybe I should have just flushed those goldies down the dunny, hey Nova ??

Monya, by the looks of things the PH is generally 7.8 so I would assume it would go up?

yep. Unless all the up is from the limestone dust on the roof and in the ground water

surfactants can interfere with fish's gills, essentially drowning them. (I know sounds crazy, a fish drowning), but the surface tension goes down, and the water passes through the gills faster than the fish can expell it.

The goldies are in a different tank to the SP's and are doing fine. One even tried to escape, but I found it before the cat did and put it back in the water, took an hour or two before it looked "right" but I can't tell which one it was now, doing fine.

I am trying a DWC system with the goldies, will get some pics and start a new thread when I get some time (and more set up than just the UGF and pump).

Nova