Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Been a bit busy with uni over the last couple of weeks so haven't been posting. Was very silly and started a uni degree part time about 7 years ago - have been doing it very slowly ever since, wishing all of the way I had never started it.

Anyway - haven't done anything more about my solar ideas, but I believe thay are sound and will proceed with them when I get the time and my grow bed. Heating will definitelly be necessary in these parts. Like you Murray I got a frost last night.

My test tank is still running with small grow-bed. Have put no fish in as yet - will not do this until I get the proper grow bed. The tank water temperature got down to 7 degrees last night, so will have to heat for fish to go in.

I will post pictures or drawings of my solar heating system when I get around to finalising the design.

Steve, Thought I answered that question already... Must have been that time when we lost things... My water temp is 9 degrees this morning at 8.00 and the fish aren't interested in eating at all... The ambient temperature was meant to be 4 this morning..

Murray one of the best ways to keep your system at a decent temperature is like Gary suggested, through a correctly orientated and well constructed greenhouse. The problem with keeping just say the fish tank warm, is that the heat radiates out through the growbeds, when the water is pumped through the system. So number one, enclose the whole system....

Which leaves my system, out in the open with just a clear roof over the top, totally exposed to the elements and almost impossible to control the water temps... Pumping water through black poly coils does help heat the system up quickly once the sun is up though, even if it does lose the heat over night..

What are you studying VB...?

Friggin commerce. Hate every minute of it - wish I had studied horticulture.

Condolences, VB

VB, the definition of an economist is like a guy who knows 365 different ways to make love, but doesn't know any women.
(I know that this post adds a great deal to the general store of knowledge about Aquaponics....not!!!)

Yesterday I made up a F/glass lid for my 200 ltr fish tank and at 5:30 last night the water temp in the tank was 23 deg C.... put the lid on for the night and this morning at 7:00 am the water temp was 21 deg C......basic stuff....but it works. The temp inside my shed this morning at 7:00 am was 7 deg C
Only small things, but I am sure there must be others out there who are starting out knowing a little as myself, so I hope this info helps.

Oh VB...... Yes condolences....

You still have the bubbler going through that do you Murray? I wonder if there's any use in pumping warm air through the water, probably wouldn't make any discernable difference to the temperature, just a random thought..

Hi earthbound, no air bubbler, but I have this amazing piece of engineering that consists of a 300mm dia plant pot that has been 3/4 filled with gravel of various sizes and acts as a filter and the excess water from the 500 gph Rule spills over the sides and aerates the water.

The flower pot sits atop a couple of house bricks which gives a good hiding place for my little Jade Perch.

I hope this pix loads

Murray

mmmmmm

Try doing it as an attachment Murray, works a treat...

So the water is just flowing into the top of the pot filled with medium? Does the water get pushed through the gravel in anyway?? Just trying to fiure it out exactly, but your certainly getting some decent oxygenation by the looks of that.. Nice one.

I will try the attachment thing next time. Thanks earthbound....
About 1/3 to a 1/2 is going down through the gravel and out of the holes in the bottom of the plant pot, the rest spills over the sides. Every three or four days I have to give the fine gravel on top a bit of a stir up as it slowly clogs, should have used the bigger gravel. I imagine the good bacteria will be building up in the bottom of the flower pot ....?

Murray

murray@boatshop.com.au
www.boatshop.com.au

Yep, bottom AND top (aslong as it never dried out) will be hosting bacteria.


Wow, so it seems that a high percentage of heat loss may be through the surface of the water?

Probably explain why mine hasn't dropped as low as i expected, i have a large bubbler running 24/7 and the air going through the bubbler would have been between 2C and 4C the last three night, but the min temp i have logged is 10C, might have been alot worse if the surface wasn't covered. (the 1000Lt bulk container still has its "top" on, just a 6" hole at the top

Yep, bottom AND top (aslong as it never dried out) will be hosting bacteria.


Wow, so it seems that a high percentage of heat loss may be through the surface of the water?

Probably explain why mine hasn't dropped as low as i expected, i have a large bubbler running 24/7 and the air going through the bubbler would have been between 2C and 4C the last three night, but the min temp i have logged is 10C, might have been alot worse if the surface wasn't covered. (the 1000Lt bulk container still has its "top" on, just a 6" hole at the top

So Steve, you think it is poss that the bacteria may now be establishing itself in the gravel in my flower pot ? The flower pot has been operation like that now for 3 weeks...... So,.... if the bacteria is establishing itself I will not need to do water changes any more ?????
I have been replaceing about 10% of the water each day.... I take out a couple of plastic buckets full of water and replace with fresh. Another thing I have observed is that over the last 4 or 5 days the water is going slowly down in PH without my doing anything to adjust it. The fresh water I put in is very high in ph, so why is this change, is this evidence of the bacteria establishing ??????..............???? or is there something else at work here.... The water in the tank is ever so slightly brown but sparkling..........as you can see in the pix above....... so much to learn !!!!....

Murray,

running late for a job, I think the slow natural downward shift is very good evidence that the system is cycled, Will reply in more depth later today.

Steve