⚠️ This forum has been restored as a read-only archive so the knowledge shared by the community over many years remains available. New registrations and posting are disabled.

All times are UTC + 8 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 12 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Feb 18th, '13, 22:15 
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Joined: Feb 2nd, '13, 09:10
Posts: 93
Gender: Male
Are you human?: yes
Location: La Molina, Lima, Peru
Good morning, we are building our first system and want to include flow beds, we are very aware of the need to filter out all solids and have designed a three stage swirl filter that works extremely well. I am a little concerned that it might take out a lot of the nutrients as well. Am I mistaken?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
    Advertisement
 
PostPosted: Feb 18th, '13, 22:35 
A posting God
A posting God
User avatar

Joined: Apr 4th, '11, 13:18
Posts: 2381
Gender: Male
Are you human?: Not before 8am
Location: Perth, Western Australia
It will, especially trace elements and Potassium, but the collected solids can be put through a digester and the nutrients added back into the system... or used on wicking beds.

I haven't looked, but I'm sure there would be threads on here re digesters.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Feb 18th, '13, 23:42 
Mr Damage wrote:
It will, especially trace elements and Potassium.

Why would a filter take out trace elements... and why Potassium in particular... :don't know:


Top
  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Feb 19th, '13, 00:20 
A posting God
A posting God
User avatar

Joined: Apr 4th, '11, 13:18
Posts: 2381
Gender: Male
Are you human?: Not before 8am
Location: Perth, Western Australia
I didn't say Potassium "in particular"... I said "especially trace elements and Potassium"... and I said that way because these are the elements frequently discussed as being deficient in AP, so I was suggesting that by removing the solids anthony would be removing those elements... but hey, if removing solids from the water doesn't remove nutrients from the system then he has nothing to worry about.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Feb 19th, '13, 07:23 
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Joined: Feb 2nd, '13, 09:10
Posts: 93
Gender: Male
Are you human?: yes
Location: La Molina, Lima, Peru
Thank you both for your input, we had thought about re-introducing the solids in some way or using them as worm food.
RupertofOz I was especially keen to get an answer from you as you have a proven flow bed system. I was kind of thinking a long the lines of, 'how could your flow beds work so well if the filter took out the nutrients' but I was looking for some re-assurance. If the nutrients are chemical components they become an integral part of the water and therefore can't be taken out by a filter. Am I right?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Feb 19th, '13, 07:33 
Almost divorced
Almost divorced

Joined: Mar 21st, '12, 11:42
Posts: 1363
Gender: Male
Are you human?: yes
Location: Bendigo, Victoria
Mr Damage wrote:
It will, especially trace elements and Potassium, but the collected solids can be put through a digester and the nutrients added back into the system... or used on wicking beds.

I haven't looked, but I'm sure there would be threads on here re digesters.

I'm interested in how you would add the 'digested' nutrients back into the system? Do they go on GB's or would you be able to somehow dissolve them and add them back...

I've read up a bit on what to do with the wastes - so far the easiest suggestion has been to aerate them (remove from filter bottom, add to bucket with an airstone, wait a couple of days) then use them on wicking beds or gardens, but I haven't seen anything about adding them back into the AP system itself. Sounds like something I would like to try.

@anthony - while trace elements have been discussed quite a bit on AP sites, what matters is that the ammonia gets through - that is the food for the plants. I've been running an IBC system for 8 months or so and have had not the slightest indication my plants are lacking anything - that might be because my solids end up in the GB and worms take care of them, but I've seen people with similar systems getting deficiency symptoms in their plants, so I am puzzled also.

Maybe 8 months isn't long enough, although the system was at least 2 years old when I bought it as is from a guy leaving town, or maybe the quality of fish food matters and some people buy cheap or generic food that doesn't have enough of the right chemicals in it?

If anyone else knows of where we might get answers to this kind of thing I'd love a link.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Feb 19th, '13, 07:52 
Xtreme Contributor
Xtreme Contributor

Joined: Oct 31st, '12, 07:38
Posts: 191
Gender: Male
Are you human?: I THOUGHT I was...
Location: USA New Hampshire
Wouldn't the addition of a bead/sand/moving media bio-filter help solve the "problem" of solids and assist with the physical breakdown, as well as early aerobic digestion, of waste?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Feb 19th, '13, 08:16 
Bordering on Legend
Bordering on Legend
User avatar

Joined: Jan 3rd, '13, 23:47
Posts: 318
Gender: Male
Are you human?: Yes
Location: Omaha, NE
I have a friend who has been using compost tea and spraying the net pots here and there to help them along and from what he has said everything has been way better because of it. I was planning on doing the same thing.

Fishbits wrote:
Wouldn't the addition of a bead/sand/moving media bio-filter help solve the "problem" of solids and assist with the physical breakdown, as well as early aerobic digestion, of waste?
I

This is what I have been talking about in my thread with a three stage filtering system (swirl/"sponge"/bead) I think if you go with something like this I don't think you will have many issues. But I can be wrong I am a newbie :-P


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Feb 19th, '13, 09:33 
Almost divorced
Almost divorced
User avatar

Joined: Aug 9th, '09, 13:14
Posts: 1357
Gender: Male
Are you human?: I'll be baaaack!
Location: SOR, Perth, WA
Journeyman wrote:
I'm interested in how you would add the 'digested' nutrients back into the system? Do they go on GB's or would you be able to somehow dissolve them and add them back...

Here's what I tried (and it works): Once the waste has been in the digester with air for a few days, switch the air off for about 12 hours (overnight) and allow the solids to settle. Siphon the clean, nutrient-rich water from the top of the digester tank back into the AP system through the fine material filter. When you reach the solid material slurry at the bottom of the digester tank, siphon this off into a separate container for dispersal on the dirt garden (citrus trees love it, but be careful with some other plants as it is very rich and some other fruit/vege plants don't take too kindly to it unless it's well diluted). Now with the empty digester, add the "new" solids from your filters, top up with system water and crank the air; repeat EVERY two-three days.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Feb 19th, '13, 09:34 
:headbang:


Top
  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Feb 19th, '13, 11:13 
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Joined: Feb 2nd, '13, 09:10
Posts: 93
Gender: Male
Are you human?: yes
Location: La Molina, Lima, Peru
Thanks Bunson

RupertofOz your link doesn't work


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Feb 19th, '13, 11:29 
Almost divorced
Almost divorced

Joined: Mar 21st, '12, 11:42
Posts: 1363
Gender: Male
Are you human?: yes
Location: Bendigo, Victoria
bunson wrote:
Here's what I tried (and it works): Once the waste has been in the digester with air for a few days, switch the air off for about 12 hours (overnight) and allow the solids to settle. Siphon the clean, nutrient-rich water from the top of the digester tank back into the AP system through the fine material filter. When you reach the solid material slurry at the bottom of the digester tank, siphon this off into a separate container for dispersal on the dirt garden (citrus trees love it, but be careful with some other plants as it is very rich and some other fruit/vege plants don't take too kindly to it unless it's well diluted). Now with the empty digester, add the "new" solids from your filters, top up with system water and crank the air; repeat EVERY two-three days.

Thanks bunson - exactly what I needed. Mind you, between that and my worm farm tea I could be enriching most of the street... :D


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 12 posts ] 

All times are UTC + 8 hours


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Portal by phpBB3 Portal © phpBB Türkiye
[ Time : 0.102s | 14 Queries | GZIP : Off ]