Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Nice one Les, Are they chives in the background starting to spill over the sides?

No mate, vb gave me a bag of oats and I have been using them to use up the nitrates while I was translocating the GBs - gradually pulling them out before they take over the system

Mate.... all looking very nice and organized Les....

You've obviously got too much time on your hands.....

Now folks lets help Les out..... he needs a new project

Hah! - I'm still trying to organise the travel arrangements for the AP meet, if I don't get that right then Jaymie will.........

Latest readings:
Water temp: 18c to 20c
pH: 7.2 (has been steady on this figure for quite some time)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0.5
Nitrates: 150

I haven't been doing nitrite tests for many months and only did it as an after thought when I got the new tank up and running. I thought the level would drop back to zero but has remained on 0.5 for over 2 weeks now - so does anyone know why it is not moving:

1) Fish are eating - but not very much
2) 2 GBs have been running for over 2 months and another for one month (2 GBs were moved and had mature gravel transferred so bacteria levels should be high)
3)All new plants and growing well

Suggestions

I always seem to have nitrite in my sytem. Given ur nitrAtes u are obviously feeding reasonably heavily for the temp/fish/baccy etc i reckon.

Hey Les, Im actually watching your system closely as to some degree, Im modelling ours on the set up of yours... no plagerism intended

Our posts...
http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... c&start=90

There is enough space behind each of our growbeds in the future for another growbed each. and all growbed will be sitting on besa block as well...

How has that gone btw.. using besa block for stands... have you had any issues in your design with your standsm piping etc?

McPhro

G'day Mc

Besser blocks are very sturdy and will take a lot of weight, things to watch out:
When used on a flat concrete base, they can be placed as if building a wall (hollow parts inside) - if you are going to put them on a base other than concrete then it is best to lie them on the sides, this spreads the weight more evenly and the blocks don't tend to sink into the ground (thus providing a non level base).

I initially stacked them 2 high and the GBs were ~700mm high, this was a good height for working on them (planting, harvesting, etc)

When I started adding more GBs, I realised I would run out of the blocks, so measured them up and found that I could do one high and have a lot of room for the piping and connectors - no worries.

The GB height is now 500mm, this is also a nice height to be working at, even more so for children - plus it makes the pipes a little more inaccessible for prying fingers...either height is good but the lower means more head room for plants like tomatoes, sweet corn and any climbing vines

With the GBs I have put 2 rows of blocks then laid timber slats (10mm fence palings ) across to distribute the weight, there will be between 3/4 to 1 ton of weight (gravel + water) at some time, so don't have it being held up by most of the GB base

Certainly like your plans for the setup, my personal preferences tho is to have enough room to walk on either side of GBs (saves reaching right across the full width)

Quick update:
Have now got 5 GBs full and sequentially flooding them - full cycle is 47-1/2 minutes, this averages out at 9 min 30 seconds to fill each GB...drain time is ~4 minutes each.

This means that with 6 GBs, the cycling time will be around one hour and the water flow is 1,200-1,500lph...so fish water turnover is around once every 2 hours.

1)Plenty of aeration - 200-250l every 10 minutes going through the GBs
2)Have a "TEE" junction after the pump which return about 1/2 the pump flow staright back into the sump tank
3) venturi on pipe going into the main tank (small hole and irrigation connector in it )

Next step - one more load of gravel to fill GB6 and setup the nursery system, then I can rubbish vb for being so far behind

LOL, VB that sounds like ye have a bit of time remaining assuming Ell is a slow poke at washing gravel of course.

hehehe - no luck for vb there John, have just been doing some speed training/repetitions on GB 4&5, GB6 will be a breeze

Mate - I'm not sure exactly how old you are, but I figure I have 20 odd years on you. If I haven't got mine setup by 2030, then you can have the bragging rights (if you are still kicking that is ).

:bottomlipdrop:

Nitrite level now dropped <2.5
tank water starting to clear as seen by the comparison of a previous pic with the SP

Have you cleaned the bottom and sides of your tank EKB?