Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

While I am in the process of becoming unpopular on here, this is one reason to have filters OTHER than GB's. If you had a solids filter and a biofilter in place before the GB's you would not affect the plant food system and you WOULD have the ability to detach those huge heat sources (or cold sources in winter) called GrowBeds.

You are pumping your FT contents out to heat sources. You could have 2 100L filters in the shade providing all the filtration needed for you FT and you would probably knock 10º off your temps.

Build a swirl filter to get the solids out, have that run into a MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilter) and then to your GB's. The biofilter could be as small as 50L - the swirl filter needs to be bigger to ensure the best removal of solids. Insulate both of them, site them in shade and you have a system that cleans the water for your fish and DOESN'T cook your fish for you.

Not an unpopular thought at all Journeyman... you're spot on....

Being able to isolate the fish and plant components during day/night... summer/winter... has great benefit... but definitely requies external filtration...

OBO in Kalgoorlie for instance.. from memory.. doesn't pump through his grow beds much during the day....

I myself... vary the pump cycles through the seasons.... often not pumping during winter nights...

To do so... requires external aeration.. and filtration...

OK... I saw a couple of... not-so-positive... reactions to my ideas about having external (to GB's) filtration to provide resilience in any system and thought maybe it was not a good view to post about.

Every view is a good one to discuss, just has to be worked through. Chainsaw does not pump at night during winter for the reason you mentioned, loss of heat in your grow beds. I will be giving it ago this winter and see what happens.

I will be running a large air pump at night but will I also need some sort of external filtration I have yet to discus with any one. MaybeI had better start looking into it.

Best
I can say is for you to give them ago while you are discussing it and either prove the sceptics wrong or right but keep asking that is the best way.

This statement was made without the help of intoxicating liquids so be aware, cheers

Dont be silly Rupes the only unpopular one around here.... but thats only because he wears gumboots everywhere.

You dont do that do you?... or eat prawn heads?

[/quote]While I am in the process of becoming unpopular on here, this is one reason to have filters OTHER than GB's. If you had a solids filter and a biofilter in place before the GB's you would not affect the plant food system and you WOULD have the ability to detach those huge heat sources (or cold sources in winter) called GrowBeds.

You are pumping your FT contents out to heat sources. You could have 2 100L filters in the shade providing all the filtration needed for you FT and you would probably knock 10º off your temps.

Build a swirl filter to get the solids out, have that run into a MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilter) and then to your GB's. The biofilter could be as small as 50L - the swirl filter needs to be bigger to ensure the best removal of solids. Insulate both of them, site them in shade and you have a system that cleans the water for your fish and DOESN'T cook your fish for you.[/quote]


This makes a lot of sense to me.. Texas seasons are really 9 months swelter, 2.5 months freezing and two weeks perfect weather. So this is of interest to me..
This newbie is glad you originally posted the suggestion Journeyman. Maybe some suggestions work for some people and other suggestions work out for someone else.. either way I LOVE hearing all the varying ideas and finding what works for me and my zone... It's appreciated.

Just use fish that can handle the high temps. Our friends in Australia do not have the luxury of being able to raise tilapia. They love the heat. They are from Africa. It gets hot there. They will feel right at home. Also, make sure you are growing plants suited to the heat. The tilapia will eat like mad in he heat, you need the veg to use up those nutrients.

"Not an unpopular thought at all Journeyman... you're spot on....

Being able to isolate the fish and plant components during day/night... summer/winter... has great benefit... but definitely requies external filtration..."

That is really amazing Rupe , you mean you could run a system that used external filtration and biofiltration for the fish and and used the plants to remove excess nitrates etc depending on load?

Weee-elll... Given the right Teppanyaki place and I have been known to eat prawn heads...

But gumboots are for Kiwis... aren't they? Used to provide a satisfying end to a hot date?

Apparantly Sleepe....

But I have my doubts... I mean to say.. most of the gurus doing it "commercially".... don't seem to do it that way.... they're still using media beds...

Sorry Rupe

Been working today and its been hot; I tend to be a little stroppy after that.

Rupe, you mean a set up like this? http://youtu.be/39xT5xzNu3s

in a much simpler band aid for me, i found covering my barrel with 100% cover during the hot days worked. My barrel is dark brown and only has a small opening in the top, was basically a solar heater.


But its an interesting idea using a valve or tap to regulate flow.

If you are going through a swirl filter etc how to keep the plants moist and not drying out?

I'd set up the system so during the day I run via the filters with the outlet running back to the FT then at night switch it to run to the GB's - I'd probably wait a couple of hours after dark to allow the GB's to cool a bit but then you'd be running warm FT water out to cooler GB's.

You could also bury pipe in the ground deep enough to be cool and stay that way during the day and pump your water down through the pipes to help cool it down.

Another possibility is have a rack of pipes running horizontally with hessian or similar water-absorbent cloth packed around it with a trickle feed of tap water and run a solar-powered fan across the wet cloth. Pump your FT water through it and let evaporation do the cooling.

Or combinations...

Insulate all parts, including pipes to and from filters as well as the FT - especially the TOP of the FT. There are a lot of things that leak heat - finding them and neutralising them will help with the heat issues.

but when the water is not going to the GB's how to stop the plants overheating/drying out?