Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Have you looked at the near 100 pages of my system?

There is probably 20 pages of AP!

We all do a pretty good job of hijacking.

Probably just that time of the month, everything seems to be stuffed up at the moment

Gnash, Sleepe's my car along with Shopping Trolley.

Now in Sydney (Camden) again, and about to head to Port Maquarrie tomorrow... I always thought I'd like traveling, I never knew I'd have so much at home to care about, let alone AP to worry about.
I hope my plants are ok, the system is on manual, because of the pump problems and DW is looking after it. Whilst I think DP: Chloe thinks that all my veggies are tasty, and there may be none left when I get home.
Not to mention multiple Chrissy present projects that are as yet UNSTARTED! oh my life is hectic atm
Merry Christmas Everybody!

...just make sure you have BYAP as the priority (as I see you have)...merry travelling and a safe journey to xmas Kuda

Thanks Les, but I must admit the priority goes DW, DP, AP, AC in that order.

DP & AC = Darling Puppy and Annoying Cats respectively :-)

OK People, sorry but you've been kept out of the loop.
So much has been happening, I've been shipped everywhere with work, and making minor adjustments when I got home, only to not be able to test before I hit the go button and get on another plane!

Anyhow.
I have some goldfish, I have a GB (you knew this) I have now planted out my GB, and am having SERIOUS nitrate issues.
I'm also having rather serious blockage issues in the FT. (but tree above drops heaps of shite)

So I drained each tank (without wasting the water) and cleaned it out. boy was there some shit in there!
Then I made these REALLY stylish lids What do you think?[web]http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/album_pic.php?pic_id=353[/web]
At least it'll keep the shite out.
I also removed as much of the duckweed as possible, as I knew that it would probably die and rot with the covers on the tanks.
I am also concerned with my 2ppm Nitrates... so I was hoping removing the duckweed would allow the bacteria a little more ammonia to make nitrates for my plants. Any basis in this theory? I'm going to dry the duckweed for later feeding.
I got this much off 4 IBCs
[web]http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/album_pic.php?pic_id=354[/web]
(I borrowed Chloe's Bucket)

I planted out my growbed as below
[web]http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/album_pic.php?pic_id=351[/web]
with some cheap capsicum plants (6 for a dollar) some cheaper chilli plants (8 for a dollar) and some not so cheap cucumbers (3 for $2 but one died - too small sun baked it)
I was then given some pumpkins, which I planted one in the Gb and one in full sun wet posi (under grey water outlet) to compare growth rates. The one in the ground hasn't yellowed, nor did it wilt in the sun like the gb one (which got better) So atm not much to say for AP, except I have no N and therefore it's my fault :-)
and then I was given some big strawberry runners. The strawberries dies in the ground, but have done well in the AP system so far (burnt in the ground) But of the two plants with decent root stock, Chloe has already claimed one from the GB and boy am I not happy - she's so cute though.
here is another look
[web]http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/album_pic.php?pic_id=352[/web]
But of course the damnable weeds think there's enough nitrates to begin seeding on their own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Damn them!
[web]http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/album_pic.php?pic_id=355[/web]
Sometimes however I also piss myself off. Hence my rule to over-engineer if you can.
This would mean beefy steel GB stands.
Not dodgy slapped together treated pine stands without enough feet!
The following image doesn't bend cos it's a wide angle camera, that's just the way the GB stand and GB have decided to deform
[web]http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/album_pic.php?pic_id=356[/web]
Damn my impatience, and tight assedness (timber is cheaper than steel, especially when you don't use enough)
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

So. in short, will removing the duckweed aid my nitrate production?

I think so. Duckweed is supposed to suck up ammonium ions, so getting rid of it would leave a lot more for nitrate conversion.

Nothing wrong with "dodgy slapped together treated pine stands without enough feet!" This is just a test for the bigger, better system you have undoubtedly been designing, right? If anyone asks (including you!), you are doing quick&dirty testing of the load-bearing ability of timber as a side experiment.

And it really shows the rest of us what not to do. Thanks!

nuh uh. I try to design the final system right up, I hate undoing my work...

Re ammonia, I hope we're right... I need more ppm

I'm glad my F*** ups can be helpful for others... But I wont be happy about it!

"When in doubt, add more fish." - DD

(Removing the duckweed definitely helps.)

1) What!? You mean I'm the only one here who is happy when things go awry?
2) I kid. I was 1/2 joking & 1/2 looking at the silver lining..
3) Besides, they aren't entirely f<>ups, they are also unintended and uncontrolled experiments with unexpected (but sometimes useful) results. Like life.

I like number 3 hydro...

As do I, you're quite a wordsmith there.

I just prefer to do it right the first time.
Show everybody how I did it right.
Watch them do it with their own shortcuts, and then feel better when they have to redo sections :-)

But then I'm an egotistical arrogant engineer, so hey

Not really true, but I do so hate when it's not right the first time. TO the point that I will push something I've designed that does it the hard way, just because it was my idea and I put in a lot of effort doing it the wrong way.

Janet - THERE ARE NO FISH! not until the end of Jan anyhow. hence my Victorian Fish Farm thread (which of course you prolly wont have read being in the US :-) )

I added some more goldies, but they cost me more than SP fingerlings will, it's SO wrong, I can't bring myself to buy more.