Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I would strongly recommend the 'clumping' bamboo, not the 'running' bamboo. I don't think you could get rid of our patch with dynamite. That said, I have retained control of my yard by mowing off new shoots as they come up in the spring.

Yeh, most varieties are invasive. A few are not.

We have Autumn Olive taking over any field that is not well tended. The birds eat the fruit and spread the seed far and wide. As I get older, tending my fields will get harder. I should avoid the invasives that I can.

Today I am doing wiring in the greenhouse. I need 120vac and 12vdc all over. Then there is the computer control wiring. For the computer wiring, I will use a lot of CAT5 which has 8 conductors in twisted pairs. Then I use a small screw lid circuit box with an 8 pos barrier strip with screw terminals. Six regions/circuits should cover the building.
50F outside and sunny in the greenhouse it is 76F and in the sun it is much hotter feeling. I am working in a T shirt and perspiration drips from my forehead onto the work . In August that gets old, but when outside there is 6" of snow, I find it just great .

Sounds high tech and fun Doug....Make sure you keep the pics coming.

I will get pictures up soon. I have water circulating in my system.
First start of system was March 2nd. After running 3 hours, I discovered two leaks. One at a bulk heat fitting and one at the seam between the two pieces of my pond liner in the grow bed. The amount of water loss was not significant...but I want a system that does not leak......so, I drained the system back to the fish tank and fixed the leaks. What a pain. Now (March 4th noon) I have water circulating in the system again without leaks.

Next problem: The water is seeping thru the concrete of the tank. I sealed the concrete with two treatments of an organic concrete sealer they use for radon remission. Perhaps a scamming product? Not good, we have radon in our house and I used this stuff to seal the basement floor...DAMN!

Next step: today I will fill the tank to exactly 24" and stop adding water. Over several days, I will monitor water level to determine water loss. Without plants or high temperature, I think I can almost neglect evaporation (at least a minor amount).

I want to add ammonia tomorrow and put aquarium waste in the filter. I want to cycle the system for the fish introduction in a few weeks. Found a fish farm about 60 miles(100 km) from me. Going to call and establish a relationship. I hope they let me tour facility when I pick up fish.

I put a clear section (about 20cm long) in each pvc pipe run to watch the water flow. I have one in my heat exchanger and I can see the pink antifreeze go by. I have them in the pump to filter line and another in the return to tank from sump line. I am getting a lot of air mixing in at filter to grow tank and at drop from grow bed to sump and the drop from sump to fish tank. Along with the air pump and air stone system, I should have excellant dissolved oxygen.

The water in the system straight from my well has the following values:
water temp = 10C, pH = 7.8, TDS = 410ppm, EC = 242 uS,
ORP = 220 mv

I did a calculation for 5ppm ammonia from my 10percent ammonia and 1361 gallons. 1361 x 3.78 = 5150 litres. 5150 x 5x10-6 x 10 = .2575 litres or 257.5 ml. I will have to adjust this to how much water I have with the seaping at the time I add.

Pics will follow soon. Lots of snow and clouds here now. I am using 18000btu radiant heater to keep it comfy for working.

A green house really keeps the snow days at bay. Love trugging through the snow into mine. Patiently awaiting more pics.

Today I added my aquarium filter squeezings to my filter. I added 200ml of 10% ammonia to my 1350 gallons of water yesterday. Today I measured between 3-4ppm ammonia. I added 50ml more (my original calc was 257ml needed for 5ppm. Looks like that is working out correct. Who know how accurate the 10% concentration number was on the bottle, so I added less to start and then measured before correcting. Now I will measure every so many days until I see about 1ppm, then I will monitor nitrites until I see less than 1ppm. Then I am ready for fish!

Pictures tomorrow!

here is startup day pics

Hell of a tank DB... thanks for the pics

More pics

That fish tank will never work Doug. Pack it up and ship it to me I may be able to fix it!
Can't wait to see some fin work. What's the starter fish going to be?

Last pics

I am watching the ammonia now that I have aquarium filter slug in the filter. i added 10% ammonia to get 5ppm. Circulating water continuously and checking ammonia every few days.

Now I can go off and do some contract work off site and know my AP is cycling to be fish ready.

Sa weet

Wow.

John;
Fish as follows; 200 channel catfish 4-6inch $59/100, 200 hybrid bluegill 2-4inch $59/100, and 50 perch 2-4inch for $49.50/50.

The company is in Ohio, but will bring them to me in a tank truck at no shipping charge. They also have Silvercup 35% protein feed at $22/40lb. They can bring three bags in the truck with the fish for no shipping.

The Perch are the slowest growing, but they taste so good I have to have some. I am using a two year growout by using two tanks to hold yearlings and new fish each spring.