Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

My half barrel system experienced an algae bloom on the surface of the very top layer of gravel. In some places very heavy algae.

Scratch down a layer of stones and there is no algae at all.

I painted my FT IBC with white paint. I've had no algae in it at all, I assume the fish help with that also.

But the algae in the half barrels is bothering me. Is there anything that I can do about it?? Or should I even worry.



Thanks

emp1953
http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22925

My Solution to the same problem was lowering my grow bed set height down to about 2 inches below the surface. My tanks are clean and water is staying cleaner as a result. Also the plants are still growing just fine.

I'm not sure how deep a barrel GB is (though it depends on which axis it was cut) off the top of my head but typically on a 30cm deep ebb and flow media bed you have approx 5cm of dry zone at the top. This minimizes evaporation as well as removing algae and certain plant stem diseases from the equation.

Algae robs nutrients from your water and can effect DO at night. Not to mention clog your pipes if it manages its way in. Algae needs light so as long as you shade any area with exposed water you should be fine. But on your GB barrels you should really lower the water level.

If you're getting algae on the top of the media, either the water is splashing over the top of the media, or the water level is too high.

LIke Zwiebel (we need to give him a nickname) said, you'll get diseases and have excess evaporation from the water level being too high.

Cut a little off your standpipes, or add some more media over the top of the bed.

LIke Zwiebel (we need to give him a nickname) said, you'll get diseases and have excess evaporation from the water level being too high.

A while back in the UK there was a children’s toy called weebles,it was a collection of figure with a round base so the kids could push them about and they wouldn’t fall over just roll about,the TV advert had a song which went Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down,i know that doesn’t mean a lot without the music,but as soon as i saw his name i remembered the advert,the UK members here should be able to remember.
So as for a nickname....Wobble.
No offense meant Zwiebel.....

Yeah, Yeah.. I don't know why I chose this name. Well I do but it was a bad idea. I was being lazy coming up with a name and just choose the name of character I created in Pillars of Eternity (video game). If I didn't screw up using wiktiontary it's German for onion knight. So call me whatever. ZR works too.

*edit* @dasboot - lol. Well give me a few more years and I'll be wobbling.

We had that commercial here too. Classic Andy!

Nah, man, that ain't me. I'm old school...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNrBbgKMVDM

And apparently running Japanese Roms.

Barrels are cut long ways so they are shaped like a half moon. I added gravel to a few of the barrels but then I couldn't get seeds to germinate, they didn't get wet. Sometimes those beds flood above the gravel still. The system turned into a queuing system on its own for siphoning. Only one bed will ever siphon at one time.

I can pull the bell dome on the beds with the media filter in place and cut the pipe down an inch with a dremel. I have some beds with no media filter So I guess I wait until I take out the media and put in the media guards.


Thanks