Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

As i said earlier there's a net gain in water using AP. but i still reckon I can find a way to weed out the washing part, or atleast prevent it being wasteful

Alright, it's taken me a bit of searching, but here is the pic of the prototype Snag AP Puddler Gravel Washing System. This was taken about 38 years ago...my parents and I spent some time on the sapphire fields at Anakie, Central Qld. This was a very waterwise method of washing the crud from sapphire bearing gravel. The gravel was placed in the suspended sieve, lowered into the water about 5-10cm and pumped up and down via the sapling lever, agitating the gravel and depositing the fines in the tank. As a young whipper snapper, my job was to empty the fines every day and to keep the water level up. This could be translated to ap gravel washing very easily, with a spare tank, wading pool or possibly even a wheelbarrow.

The woman in the pic was a local…Cass by (nick?)name.

For those who need to conserve water - there is a process called flocculation where a small concentration (0.01%w/v) of an appropriate floc in water is added to a "slurry"(fines and water the stuff you get when you filter off the gravel). This collects all the fines together like a glue and causes them to drop out as a solid leaving clear water. the water is then re-used to wash the gravel.

Great work snag! Agitation is the trickiest bit of washing, and that looks to me to be the perfect answer...not too much rolling over itself which will cause more breakup.

Look forward to the first AP working prototype...I'm sure you do too snag, when the royalties start rolling in...

Well I did a stupid thing. I did not wash my gravel. Put it in the GB's and used water to rinse it and collect the dirty water in the sump tank. Trouble is no matter how much turning the gravel over and rinsing it ,it still has plenty of clay fines. The water is always dirty. Now i have to build a filter to help clear the water. Will post some pics on my thread soon. Oh the shame!! the same!! Why did i not listen the the gravel washing Gods????? AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH.


AP

Everyone the picture of the woman is actually SNAG he like to dress in drag????

AP

If it makes you feel any better AP ... you are not alone.

In the end, I ended up having to wash all my gravel.

What sort of filter are you thinking of building?

AP standard is one clean, newish, white sock... It's quite effective.

Btw ppl, I've been running my gb for some time now, and the water has ALWAYS come out crystal clean... no redness :-)

PS Please excuse the skyting Scottie and AP

scottie I will build a filter in a box with cotton wadding on the bottom followed by fine sand and then course sand and then fine gravel and then course gravel. Hope it works?

AP

:shakinghead:

Maybe try the sock and check / clean it daily. sounds easier!

That's POSTING god AussieP...don't go giving him new titles, or Jaymie will get jealous

Steve and Scottie, tried the sock , no good, build the filter and they will be clean, i hope???

AP

Hows your pH AP??????

Reason for asking........ if 7-8 then you could bring it down and filter the fines out by using coco-coir....

True the coir/peat will add some discolouration of the water itself.....

But two birds with one filter.... so to speak?