Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Cool, thanks.

Latest test:

29/12 AM PH: 7.8 | Am: 0.5 | Nitri: 5.0+ | Nitra: 20.0

My aim today is to further my learning of Sketchup - so far I have been using Excel and the results, while they can show off the basic ideas, fall down when it comes to maintaining scale etc.

I have mucked around with Sketchup before, and I have found the thread with all of the goodies for download (including the mega pack of just about every thing needed, thanks to earthbound , here. If you do download it, as noted by Geek2Nurse on page 4 of that thread, you might need to change the extension from .skb to .skp - at least that helped me).

Quick update (with pics!)

I added some chelated iron this morning (one 5g scoop, as per instructions), after my previous water test. Will test again tonight to see what is happening. Also added 20ml of Seasol to keep the plants happy if they were missing anything.

Pics;

('nother) quick update (more pics!):

i also used t pieces and elbows. it's good price wise but also has drawbacks

What are some of the bigger drawbacks? I saw zsazsa video where he had algal buildup where it fed the grow bed.

It seems a fairly elegant setup - would you say the pros outweigh the cons?

ps here's tonight's water test;

29/12 PM PH: 7.8 | Am: 0.25 | Nitri: 5.0+ | Nitra: 20.0

30/12 AM PH: 7.8 | Am: 0.25 | Nitri: 1.5 | Nitra: 15.0

At least that is how I read it? If the Ammonia is closer to zero then should I dose a little more to see how long it takes to disappear, or leave it a bit longer?

Leave it.... you've still got a lot of nitrites to convert....

Get your plants in... and/or watch them bloom...

The main issues I have with it are:

1. Algae buildup in the outlets and on the stones underneath
2. splashing water around the outlets
3. no easy way to distribute the water through the growbed - I'm running constant flood and the water enters the growbed in one corner and my drain is in the opposite corner. I'm concerned about the corners between the inlet and outlet and hence occasionally block the inlet, pull out my standpipe and let the entire growbed drain. This is manual labour and something I'd like to avoid. I am considering redesigns and will do so at some point in the future when I either move the system or make a new one. I'll be buying a house in the next 3-8 months and will redesign from scratch once I have my own place. For now I'm thinking I might start using a timer on my pump to make the growbeds at least a little bit flood and drain. Haven't found a good timer as yet so if someone can recommend one, please link me.

If you run siphons then yes pros definitely outweight cons. I don't give a crap about the algae, i just rub it off like zsazsa does in that video. CF presents some more problems, but because the area of the growbed where I made my grains isn't level, I had trouble designing a good bell siphon as I couldn't get my standpipe and gravel guard etc level.

In fact I have some small stones inside my gravel guard that are a pita on one of my growbeds that I can't get out without digging out half the growbed and I just can't be stuffed.

So really my problems are more with my general design and implementation than the elbows.

and yeah like rupe said, don't do anything until you have 0 nitrites, then add fish. Your pH is creeping a bit low though.

Hi SP, AS Bear said Mary river gravel is great, I have used it for 4 years. With your PH switch over to the normal test (not the high range) Just keep pumping 100% of your water into the grow beds and keep on constant flood. IMO works better. I have found that syphons have tendency to drag sediment back into the FT. Where on the coast are you?

Hey chainsaw, I'm over in Maroochydore.

I read through Bear's thread last night - I hope the little rain we have had recently is helping him out.

I was going to go and get some more gravel today, but I got stuck designing an AP in Sketchup. That program is really addictive! I'll post my results later on tonight, I think

Here is my latest test (I have switched to the low range PH test);



Is my system getting too low? Got whatever rain fell into it over the last couple of days, and for a small system I guess it would take less rain to have an impact.

Is my next step getting some shell grit? Would I be able to get that from a pet store? Hardware store?

Thanks in advance any tips +/or hints!

6.4 is exactly where you want to be but keep an eye on it and add a stocking of shellgrit (found at pet shops etc) to your FT or GB supply if it falls lower than 6 to buffer it back up.

6.4 is perfect!!

As mentioned earlier here are two Sketchup mockups that I did today.

I spent yesterday going through the instructional videos, and today building (all from scratch) a couple of different setups.

The only difference between the two is that one consists of;


And the second mockup doubles the number of each type of bed (so four media beds and four raft beds), but not increase the number of the sump or the fishtank.

I am attempting to maximise the benefits of;


Some assumptions about the levels which may or may not be accurately depicted using real world physics in the Sketchup models (these are my first produced, so some things may be off );


I don't know how I would control the outflow into the media beds, but it would either be taps, or elbows like zsazsa.

Some questions;

Can gravity do all this? Preferably without having to change the height of much - but a little tinkering is to be expected!

You will find shellgrit more expensive from pet store, I got mine from the Palmwoods Hardware/Rural store. They have it for people that have chickens. I have a few systems in operation and you are quiet welcome to drop over and have a look (like others have) just drop me a PM and I'll give you a call or email.