Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

more damage and a look at the last brockley

Here we had already removed some pipes and replaced them with better ones.

The tank floated out of the hole and some of the piping came loose and drained most to the water. The low water switch saved the fishes.
Since I had such a high PH in the water I have been filling the tank with the rain water in the big pond outside. Its PH is much less so have to go slow. The outside pond is now at 6.8 Ph I think so have only been adding about 50 gallons at a time. Yesterday I finally got enough to restart the cycle timer on the pump instead of just recycling in the tank for the fish.

Flowering cabbage
cabbage
dill weed

in 16 you can see the roof pipes hanging in the tank water and the pump filter I made to keep the fish out. you can also see the low water fill line which is off now. And the 3 way valve I use to fill my beds or recycle to the tank. The bags in the back are filled with barley straw to reduce the PH abut I think it did now work yet.

17 you can see the hoops are all replaced and the horizontals also are in. Now I need to fix the holes in the plastic covers.

18 holes in the plastic from the uprights made to hold up the clinbing wires for the plants.

Good to see ya back on the horse and riding again Don...

P.S ... did/does... the hoophouse have a ridge pole connecting the hoops???... and/or any diagonal bracing on the end bays???

I have 3 horizontal rails that run from end to end but I do not have any triangulation pieces. I am going to put in a couple of A frames in to hold up the center rail. I will add pics later of what ever I get in for bracing.

Hello Don,

I started reading your thread back when you first started it but I haven't been keeping up lately.
I just reread it and was glad to see you had built a hoop house... I'm so sorry the snow did so much damage. If it makes you feel any better, I will learn from your tragic event... I am just finishing up my own hoop house and I am going to add some vertical bracing, this weekend. We don't often get snow here in Texas but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Your system looks great and your persistence is inspiring. Thanks for posting, we all learn from each other.
Mike

Thanks Mikey. Where in N Texas are you. I pass through there once in a while. Got relatives and friends over that way and go see them ever couple of years.

Have you got a system yet? Start a thread and get help and answers to your problems and encouragement to get and keep you going.

The best thing to have when you start is good water. Mine is terrible, High PH and lots of IRON.

Don,

I'm located just outside of the Sherman, Denison area... 70 mi north of Dallas.

I had a barrel system, much smaller than yours, for about three years. I shut it down this fall and I'm currently building a larger system. I hope to have it up and running this spring... though I'm behind schedule due to bad weather on my days off and fighting an inner ear infection... and, I'm not nearly as energetic as you MY water has very high ph. Even after 3 yrs my ph was still on the high side. I now have a IBC tote to catch rain water for my system... I"m sure that will help.

I'm unable to upload pics right now but that will change soon... maybe I'll do a little write up.

Mike

looks good for being built for an old man. Best wishes from another old man. Jerry

Thanks Jerrry I had a lot of help from Arthur. We replaced the pipes with out removing the plastic. Made it a lot easier where the plastic was concerned. Patching is a problem any way you do it. Still have one hole on the outsice top I have to fix because it will not presure up like it is suppose to. About a base ball size hole. That is as big as the blower that fills it up.

Mikey if you don't know, you can use the subscribe feature to keep up with particular threads. it is on top of each page of the thread on the left side. It will notify you when a post is made on the thread.

I patched all the holes I could find but still it does not pressure up right. There must be more holes I did not find.

Wow, great thread. Just read the whole thing. You've been through a lot, but I am thankful for the knowledge I've gained in reading it. Shortly will be setting up my own AP system. Thanks for documenting the ups and downs of your journey so very well.

Good to see you bounce back from the snow damage Don..

Had a Good read/catchup..

On a Side Note..
>> Australia has had 2 gun buyback now..

- first BUY back was for all Pump action Shotgun's and ALL semi automatic Rifle's.. Plus People that wanted to hand in gun's..

Cost they say over $500Million.. True figure they will not Disclose as the figure is suspected to be over $1 Billion..




- Second Buy Back was for Pistol's.. All Pistol's with a Barrel Length less than 4" or over 357MAg So basiclly 10mm+..

Cost of this Buy Back has never Been Released.. AT a guesstimate I personally think that the amount spent was well in excess of $1billion even to as much as $2billion..

-->> The reason for this Buy back was -- An international Chinese Student went on a shooting Spree in a university..
- How he got Permission for the Handgun's is in Question.. as The Primary Club he was a member of Told/wrote/notified the authorities that they[the Club] did not feel that he was competent to have anything of a higher capacity than a .22 pistol.. but in the Shooting incident the bulk of the gun's recovered where > than .22 caliber gun's..

So someone in the authorities had to approve all the applications to purchase more[higher capacity] gun's..
- did they take note of which gun club was the Primary club..? or did they not care..

Sorry for My rant.. But there is my 2c's worth to the gun debate..

Juergen