Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ok wicking beds completed and growing. Swirl filter completed and will get a watertight/effectiveness test tomorrow.

Ok, all right on the watertight but a few problems. I need to push a bit of water through it to turn over the GB; pump chops it up into small bits and most are not heavy enough to fall to the bottom with the fast swirl.
Plan B, introduce bioballs (free) or bottle caps (free) under the swirl arrester (read fluro anti glare panels). The balls or caps can sit and do the slow the swirl, stop crap getting to the top. When timed 15/60 on the off the whatever will drop to the 1/3 of the filter. When it switches on it should give the media a bit of a thrashing and knock off the crap.
We shall see.

Managed to get a few things done, potting /seedling tray bench completed. Swirl filter now using 1/3 bioballs, so its no longer a swirl filter. Stand pipe surround completed and installed with sump screen, about 500l of 'growbed media' in though I still need about another 200l. Can't put water in yet until I level the bed and finish the plumbing (drat).
Also I have somehow acquired a couple of tadpoles in the floating duckweed screens.

It's an over sized party popper Got any pics of the inside of it?

Ok bed leveled sort of, water in and only the external plumbing to do. Tested the airlift running on a 3.5w hailea air pump, seems to go ok.
A few nervous moments as to how 3 paving bricks and some milk crates would handle the water weight but so far so good. Still need the extra 200l of media.

Stuff ups:-

Don't use oxygen mask hoses for the airline hose, they are ribbed down the inside and won't seal on to the airpump.
Use rigid pipes for the airlift extensions, slightly flexible ones tend to move a bit and especially with slightly buoyant media.
When you think you only have 2 tadpoles think again.
And I think I have been through the swirl filter problems.

Hello Burnsy , not sure a pic would be useful as it has stuff in it, but if I can find a couple of good batteries will give it a go this afternoon.

Ok a few pics, only the alkaline ones seem to work with my camera.

Ok its three so:-

Tadpoles are hard to photograph

And if anyone thinks the potting/seedling tray stand is flimsy that's at least a 10kg cheap pressure washer on there and I quite like it.

Another 240l of media in so it has settled down and compacted. Airlift, outlet pipes now under the media, was running approx 500lph, with the extra media is now probably doing better ( mind it now sounds like my stomach after a vindaloo and a stack of stubbies ). Last of the plumbing etc will have to wait till Monday as I am working the weekend, bummer its going to be really hot.

Plumbing completed, waiting for the silastic to dry. Chucked some seasol in the GB (thought about cycling it but can't be bothered with the testing ). Put in a few really small cherry tomato seedlings but I think the next few days will stuff them.

Wow... I keep missing this thread (I think because of the title), looking great dude. I now see what your up to with the spa



p.s. I think we should have a comp on how many bottle caps are in there I guess...... 24?

The container of which you speak that you are having trouble identifying appears to be the base section of what humans use in order to train at punching the living day lights out of another human being. It is filled with H2O and then the top section that resembles a human torso is secured on top. One then trains by punching it. Also known as a "Training Dummy".

Looks like MacGyver has guessed it (good spotting)

Do you wish to revise your estimate up to say 30 Charlie?

Unless anyone is wondering what it is, or what the 'test' is, its a growbed/biofilter with built in airlift (to keep the bacteria alive), and a test of whether you can grow things in bottlecaps. (very unscientific running two changes at once)

A quick update; the tomato seedlings survived, but are currently sulking (This might be due to the fact they spent a day and a half in a ziplock bag in the butter compartment of the fridge). I scattered some seeds on the GB about 4-5 days ago and I am seeing a few green shoots.
Downside of bottlecaps is that children and adults like to play with them ; cooking fat decided to take a flying leap onto the GB (we are going to have a long talk about physics shortly, but I don't think he will do it again ).
Bees and other insects seem confused by them, this may be a positive or a negative.
The tadpoles have developed back legs, so no doubt they will be off soon.

I love it Sleep

Unless I get something edible out of it Charlie, it will be an albatross. But thank you for the encouragement.

Well I do have a few alternate plans, but it will be nice if it works.

On the upside I now have a 500w PSW 24v inverter ( battery charging ability) and a couple of 50ah batteries witch I got on a swap.