Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yah it was rooted on the floor, I think I got most of the roots out though. There's tonnes of the stuff LOl, most of it we transferred to a larger dam. Thanks for the id

i didn't realise that the red tub was bottom fed by the pump. you can always put a one-way valve nito the line. You can have a go at making one (you seem like that sort of girl ) think upside down coke bottle with a ball in it

thats how I killed my first pump. Burnt itself out sucking air

Yah I'm a bit worried about that, but hopefully if its low enough down, and none of the pipes leak their should be no way in which the pump can start sucking air.

Hmm I'm bored so was thinking about setting of the tank. To sort of bypass the whole cycling thing, I can just do a major clean on my 11 tanks, dump all that water in, plus rinsings from the 20 separate filters and a pile of biomeda right? Lol there is at least one good thing with having so many tanks, I havn't had to cycle something in a looong time. Sigh must wait till Tuesday, blah I'm to impatient LOL

11 tanks worth should give the system a kick along

G'day cuti, not quite sure washing a pocketful of gravel qualifies as a pass for AP status....seeing a minimum amount hasn't been established, along with your enthusiasm....hmmmmm ok

Unfortunately you are a little too far from me otherwise I would have enjoyed throwing my AP toolkit on the back of the ute and giving you a hand.

Love what you are doing and how you solve the minor problems thrown up ...keep up the good work (and the pics)

I think it's good that the red tub drains back, I'd be a little concerned as to the algal growth you will get on the gravel.. I know in one of my stsrems where the water is flooded over the gravel most of the time the's a horrible dark slimy algae covering everything...

BTW, does your mum know you've stolen and butchered her tupperware?

LOl its not my Mum's. My Gran recently moved to a hostel and she was an absolute hoarder of Tupperware/plastic storage containers. I've been having great fun with it all LOL.

thanks Gran

Hehe, I just checked the tub for leaks, and its all sealed up now so we're good to go LOL. I dont have time to fill it up now but will do it this avo, also will be stopping at the bait store this avo, so might be able to get some yabbies.

Well I bought some yabbies. At 60c each figured it didnt really matter if some were low quality. I bought ten. Well I thought I did, got home and found their were only nine yabbies in the box. I separated them all out into their own containers so i could keep an eye on em in case one carked it, and surprisingly in all the debris of broken pincers etc found the tiniest little 1 cm long yabbie. Somehow I dont think bubby yabbie is going into my system LOL.

Hmph. I just finished filling the system and turning everything on. I forgot one tiny thing bout the pump, it only has a head height of 50cm, and only pumps 450l/ph at the height, so the whole things running much slower then I expected as the pump has to get the water up to the top tub. But otherwise it;s all running well. I transplanted a lettuce across from Mums veggie garden and will see how that goes.

The yabbies are a pretty ratty bunch, a couple only have one claw, one has one leg, no claws but at least 5 of them are feisty things. They keep trying to pinch me LOl, one did pinch me, blah I didn't realize how much they hurt.

Favourite already .....don't name it, unless you call it breckie, lunch or dinner

LOl, well my Dads already put his name down on the one thats been cheerfully trying to pinch everyone who walks past. and no I won't name it. Wonder how old it is? It's seriously tiny, as in see through tiny. Its probably less then a cm long actually. Two of the yabbies have their tails tucked up under em too, and wont let go, from what I've read dosnt that mean I'm gonna get more baby yabbies? or are they just silly weird animals. I gave the ungrateful things some steamed carrots, so far they've been running the other way. So much for the shop guys long spiel of how the only thing yabbies eat is carrot

Lol I've always wanted yabbies, but because their "filthy disgusting smelly creatures" I've never got away with it LOL.

little by little AP will take over the world