Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

The other method is to extrude the clay into 15mm 'sausages' and cut them into chunks every 20mm or so. Then put them into a ball mill to round them off somewhat... A cement mixer will do.

This method would be slightly more time consuming. The extruder would want to be able to extrude multiple 'sausages' at the same time so each cut will give you 4 or 5 pieces at a time.

Ideally you would use a conveyor and a light gate cutter to automate the process. So I could estimate a production of maybe 10,000 ball an hour this way. So roughly 1 sq foot an hour... pretty abysmal...

Don't know about cheap but Soils aint Soils Forrestfield sells it by the trailer load. Best place for graded stuff (all sizes but it comes in bags) is CIM Cook Minerals. Used to get graded river gravel for the fishtanks and for making up bonsai soil from there.

I can concur with Sleep... Boomerang on Hale Road? lol... They know me by name...

i'm in rivervale so forrestfield is ok for me

Can anyone reccomend where I can get the media?? I think this is better in barrel by the sound of it.

By the way, you can make the clay balls in a cement mixer. It is a technique called agglomoration, basically adding water to dry clay until it makes balls!! Lot of disposable lighters required to sinter them though!!!

Most hydroponic shops and many of the bigger nurserys Bazz.

It might work Bazz, you will need to get the speed and the dry clay mix just right and add the water at exactly the right rate. Look up how gob stoppers are made lol... gives you an idea.

You will need to get an ultra pure clay if your not going to fire them in a kiln. It will break down over time and leach into the system.

And a really good "potters" kiln. Commercially they're fired at 1200 degrees which forces the air to expand in the clay...

Leaving lots of rough (microscopic) surface area pits (as the air escapes) and resulting in the lightness of the finished product.

Heh - I'm all for doing stuff yourself, but I've gotta say that everytime I read about making ones own clay balls, I think why the hell would you bother. It couldn't possibley be any cheaper in the end that buying the stuff.

Buying what stuff.... hehe. I am just too lazy... I am trying to convince dad and his boss to start producing them so I don't have to. I have a lot of time on my hands next year so once I figure out the best way of doing it we may have a WA manufacturer.

I already know there is a demand for it. Just need to make it cheaper than hydroton that is the hard part.

Just convince him to import it

I am expecting that to be the cheaper option... He won't go for that. "No imported crap here".... The clay is dug only about 10km away from the factory.

it'd have to be cheaper to make it yourself. your only costs are going to be the raw clay, a little water and some power to run the mixer and the kiln.

Why not get graded brick rubble and just tumble it?

Its the time as well Timmy - when not running a fully mechanised system. A second job for a couple of weekends would be a preferable option in my opinion - even if it involved the cleaning septics