Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Don't mention that on the Venting Corner

As far as I remember fresh pea gravel (the one in EB' pic) causes a slight deficiency. initially, in phosphorus but as this is by adsorbtion the effects are short term.

I like EB's washing method, just put in the GB and pump to waste til the water comes out clean.

and I found it seemed to work better having water in the GB before adding the gravel.

I've learnt the hard way about that and now try to follow Basil Fawlty's advice. Don't mention The War...

And good tip too Slowboat.

Unfortunately I have the pond already running with fish, and no spare pump at this stage, so it will be the old fashioned method for me. I contemplated just getting a big cage (shopping trolley would be beaut) and lining it with something like shadecloth and dumping gravel in there and giving it a big hosing down. The muck would fall to the bottom and it would be easier to unload and wash those last layers than the whole lot at least.

My cousin used to own a mussel farm with my dad and the mussel tumbler would have been P-E-R-F-E-C-T! I could have set it up next to the growbed and the rocks would have just made their way in there nice and clean, all by themselves...

I might salvage an old washing machine barrel when I move to my next house to build something similar.

Why run to waste, the muck drops out so damn quick anyway, then sits at the bottom of the tank. Just chuck it in the grow bed, and vac out the bottom of your tank if necessary.

There are mobs that will recoat frying pans if the teflon comes off. We had to get some pipework done in Perth the other year, and the guy had a pile of pans he was reconditioning. Can get more details if anyone needs them.

I've got 2x2000 litre tanks, so it's not such an easy job to just vacuum it out.
Also water isn't an issue as it's from a very large pond, which is topped up via the overflow from a 40,000 litre tank that is fed by a solar bore pump and then just overflows into a soak.
And with all the retic being off atm, there's plenty of water to go around. And it'll go to water the fruit trees as well :-)
I think it'll be less work in the end as well as there's some big wigs coming down soon, so gotta have it looking good :-)


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Thanks everyone, I'll let you know how I go with it once I'm back in Weipa (in Townsville ATM wife just had no 3) and the system is built.


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Congratulations!


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Yep, understand. Wish I had 2 x2000l tanks.

Congrats Barndilo! Three is so much more....