Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all. Used to use Sears sump 1/2 h.p and they lasted a good three years. Now I cannot get them in my local store. I'd like to know what others use and reliability. Also, someone told me i should put a vent hole in the discharge pipe to prevent air lock. Never did that before and seems that it would get clogged anyway. Any thots? thanks.
shelia

Hi Sheila, Welcome to the forum!

I have a Tetra Dynatec that I have been pleased with. The different models will move between 1100gph and 2250gph. What volume of water are you looking to move, and do you want submersible or not?

Somewhere on the forum is a thread where we are tracking what pumps we use and if they fail for us...might want to browse the hardware section.

Thanks Janet,
I will go to that section. I have always-six years now- used submersible pumps. I have a 600 gallon tank and five growing beds. Water is pumped 15 min. about every hour, hour and a half over night. My tilapia are huge now so I keep a good air supply. I'm sort of on my own with this so I'm trying to think of sound things that can save me money. I'm also thinking of down sizing a bit. I'll go to the hardware section and see if I can find a thread. If you have any good ideas about winterizing I'd like to hear them.
shelia

Hi Shelia, sorry to hear about your pump difficulties.

But delighted to hear about your system and your "huge" Talapia. Of course now we're going to ask that you post some pictures for us all to see.

Welcome to the forum, have you really had a system going for near on six years?

Sheila, my system is all indoors. No ideas about winterizing except to enclose the system in a greenhouse and heat the water. Whereabouts in NC are you? I was raised in Kinston.

Pictures are definitely required. Start a thread in the Members' Systems section.

Thanks Rupert and Janet,
I am located in Durham,NC and yes the system really is six years old. I have a 20x24 greenhouse. I will most likely begin to clean out some of the beds as they are beginning to get lots of material in them now. I'm trying to be more cost wise as I winterize this year-I'm doing some house renovation. So, I'm open to ideas. I wrap my tank now with insulation and will be putting up plastic over my plexy soon.

I'm always interested in how others manage winters and costs as well.

I'm going to look into the dynatec pumps. Reliability is so important. I will get my sister to help me load some photos so ya'll can see.

If possible you could go to this newspaper sight for now to get an idea about what I'm up to. - shelia


http://www.thedurhamnews.com/front/story/84999.html

Unfortunately the page is no longer available to load Sheila.

Would be delighted to see the pics when you can post them, and please post pics as you clean and "winterise" your beds....

I'd be very interested to see the accumulated state of the beds over the period of time.

Seems that a few worms are the desired method for controlling solids build-up in grow beds.

check out the worms in VB's system. My thjoughts on why his plants always look so good? Maybe the worms break the solids down and make the nutrients more readily able to be taken up by the plants?

Taking worms with enough in your grow beds wouldent it act as a wormfarm what comes out the other end be the same as worm tea

which is good for growing vegies

I would say you are right with that F&F except it would probably be a very weak solution compared to a normal worm farm - my guess is that there is less worms and more water (but it works for vb )

The reason i brought it up is worm tea good or bad for fish after a while with the build up of numbers and recirculating the consentration could build up also if its good why not run a line through the worm farm!

Take one for the team

Mite be brave not stupid at the moment want to eat the trout first all thow i could try on a small system i have plans for

F&F i think you're on the money.

Dilute is not bad, when you consider how much you usually dilute worm tea before using it.................