Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Perfect answer. I know that was a dumb question but I needed to make sure I was thinking about all this correctly. This means I need to figure out my water line in the FT and do some adjustments to make that equal on the other side with that RFF stand pipe.


The exit is at the top (the massive costly waste of a 3" bulkhead) to the 2nd barrel containing filter cloth. The valve you noticed at the bottom will be for waste removal/clean out only. Also good point about the screen I will make sure to come up with something for that part too.


Your price on barrels is awesome I paid $35 each and that was a discount for purchasing 2 of them! I think he had some without removeable lids that were only $25, but I wanted the lids to make it all more accessible yet sealed off with that locking ring. As for IBCs I paid only $45 for mine if you guys want to make a trip down this way I can set you up, not sure what your price is now.

Once I drilled that hole too big there was no way I wanted to redo all that painting although it was fun, I seriously doubt I could reproduce a 3rd one now that matched the other 2 even with the same colors there were so many coats and layering going on.

I was wondering what Chris was talking about. I figured the guy had been up for days raising barns and building till he overworked himself and lost it. The only heater the Marine Corps ever gave me reacted with water to heat up a crappy M.R.E. meal. We made primitive water pressure explosives with them. Good times!

The immersion heater as a backup to my solar heater is a good idea. Picked up 3 more IBC's today. Hoping to get final plan nailed down and start the build next week. I have to fabricate a used aluminum tank that I bought from a buddy for one of my trucks that I'm selling. the current one is steel and is beyond repair. It is not the same size, but we'll make it work. Need to change some brackets and drill some holes for the old sending unit to fit in the "new" tank. Make some creative gasket material to make up the difference between the flat old unit and the round tank. Hope to have that done early Monday and start setting up bottom drains and digging in tanks. They are all higher then I want top work out of, and we're going to drop them down to around 48-50". Once that's done, then we can plumb into RFF and then fines filter. The plan is to have 3 full IBC's for juvi fish, 3- 1/2 IBC's for fry, and the 3 -1000 gallon plus tanks for grow out. Also, a nursery area and small desk/lab area for testing and record keeping. Thanks to Stuart for helping with the design and getting the numbers "tight". Hoping to be able to harvest appx 500 lbs every 7-8 weeks. Not a huge amount, but it should be able to pay off in a 20 months or so, and then be able to add the GH and hydro beds..providing I can find buyers for produce at a price that makes it worth while. My labor is not included at this stage, but any additional labor will be factored in. Hoping to be able to train someone so when we're away, they can make sure things go well. Figuring on backup O2 and then my manual generator to run the regen aerator and pump if(when) needed.

PS- you should be getting about ready for some goldies soon! I think I still have a few left from last year in August when I started, but not sure.

Coach,
I was just thinking that if you daisy chained several barrels together, with a small circulating pump seeing all the barrels would be on the same level. Between the solar and immersion heaters you could have enough heated thermal mass to never worry about outside temps. The heat radiating off the drums would nicely heat the air of you FH and GH. Plus in this configuration you could put your thermal mass barrels wherever you had the room (between FTs, under GBs and tables, etc), and just plumb to them. Allowing you to maximize your thermal mass without it getting in your way.

Ohhhh... look what we found at the local landscaping store today.

Enjoy this moment of zen...



So we didn't buy the toes, but we did get some more media. I can also say from side by side comparison that "Plant It" brand clay floats much more then "Mother Earth."

that was one big Smurf

A hammertoe big Smurf.

$45.00 is still good for the IBC's. I told the lady who sold me the $10.00 barrels to let me know if she gets anymore. They the nice heavy ones with screw on lids. You can use uniseal on those IBC's and save a ton of money too. They're reusable like bulkheads. I'm not sure I would trust them below grade, but for above ground stuff, I haven't had any issues with them. I think a 3" is around $5 bucks.
Yep, memory was correct on that one-http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=89947
Not sure what a 3" bulk is, but thinking about 4-5x that price.

The ph on the mother earth brand is terrible. I was fighting it until I added shell grit.

Ronmaggi,

Thanks for the heads up. I was thinking of buying some. To use for the top layer some of my GBs.

I seriously need to test the water now just to know where we stand before adding anything else. I already have too many variables (3 types of media).

I bought some of both bulkheads and uniseals so I could use them where I felt they worked best. Bulkheads in my sump and heavy underground areas. Uniseals were for things like barrels, I ment to drill a hole for a 3" uniseal and had the bit for the 3" bulkhead on instead. Still makes me cringe, it was an early morning mistake.

Speaking of problems... my DWC bed is wood and very long 15'/4.5m and it seems to be warping slightly in the middle. I believe I am going to drain it out and put another beam on the top in the very center. The horizontal movement at the top and center of the bed between full and empty is less then 50mm. But the fact that it moves at all bothers me and I'm afraid to even lean on it.

So I have a good list of AP todo items now, purchase ph test kit locally so I can give feedback on ph before adding anything else to the equation, play with level of RFF output to FT water level. I'm also still making small adjustments to the height of media verses overflow.

Pond_Sucker,

You may want to take a handful of all 3 different types. Drop them all in their own jar of a know ph water. That way in 24hrs you will know what each will do. Just testing the water will only give you the cumulative effect. That all 3 are putting on your system water.

Will, just add a brace across the top of the DWC bed. Aluminum is easy. Just bend a 90 in it and throw a few screws in it. If you put it on the 8' point, it won't interfere with your raft. Or you could put a few at 1/3 down.

I appreciate it guys. You aren't always as quick as Siri but you give much better advise! A lot cheaper too. Just got back from the fish store and enjoying some amazing weather. I will be using both of your ideas.

Man Siri beat us? We have to quit slipping

So my water is a little too "chocolate milk" for testing the ph but I have set aside some of each of the three types of media in separate glasses of distilled water so maybe some time tomorrow I will have that update. And its a good test that someone with my experience level can report back with accurately I hope.

I did look at some filter material at the fish store they wanted $12/sqft/.9m but it felt like an ocean sponge. My guess is it would take about $200+ worth to fill a 55gal/208lt barrel. So I will continue looking for a more cost effective method, but it was good to feel the material in my hand to understand the concept.

The weather we are experiencing here is like spring/summer time, Time to go enjoy it!