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Posted: 6/5/2015 11:55:03 PM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
3/8" NATURE'S WAY RESOURCES. its just of i-45 and 1488 Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
Originally Posted By delicious_bass:
Originally Posted By opie69:
I'll take some pictures this weekend but i have the bell siphon working, gonna work on the wood frame this weekend. I also found the Expanded shale only about 30 minutes away, so my brother is gonna pick up a yard for me next week. btw discovered delicious_bass only lives about 30 minutes away too. will be nice having a local resource i can turn too. Anytime! We are getting ready to move a little deeper into the country and I have listed my system for sale on a few other forums. I plan on rebuilding whenever we get to the new place plus it would be difficult to maintain fish if I am back and forth between properties. You have my number if you need anything at all. Edit- where did you get shale and iS it 1/4 or 1/2? 3/8" NATURE'S WAY RESOURCES. its just of i-45 and 1488 Good people. I love their leaf compost and I get all my mulch from there. |
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Posted: 6/8/2015 9:38:05 AM EDT
[#2]
Worked some more on the system this weekend. Got the Grow Bed painted. Started on the frame for the enclosure(used what wood I had laying around).
Also started the fishless cycle with aqueous ammonia on friday, added enough to get a reading of about 8ppm ammonia on friday by this morning it was down to 3. I will add some more tonite. I had gotten an old filter pad from the local fish store to help jumpstart. This upcoming Saturday,I will be getting the media for the grow bed, I settled on expanded shale. so i need to have at least the top of my frame finished out by then. Here are some updated pictures. 
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Posted: 6/9/2015 1:46:55 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
Worked some more on the system this weekend. Got the Grow Bed painted. Started on the frame for the enclosure(used what wood I had laying around). Also started the fishless cycle with aqueous ammonia on friday, added enough to get a reading of about 8ppm ammonia on friday by this morning it was down to 3. I will add some more tonite. I had gotten an old filter pad from the local fish store to help jumpstart. This upcoming Saturday,I will be getting the media for the grow bed, I settled on expanded shale. so i need to have at least the top of my frame finished out by then. Here are some updated pictures. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/EKmBvyxNswjkT03JzZyR3IrYFy6tPDn7rahqz_oG3SY=w705-h939-no https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BOrLQiHfqz_0KRYbc9oDoWVQMx6sXG2V0nbqHPprC8I=w705-h939-no https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9sOXQNm8cajC8sXSoQdYaMijGMRxA_3JCSEIWUBSRE8=w705-h939-no https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KtGm1FCB3u1rhhlCbc3ZgZmRooIQmzxwLlGo2E9uRDk=w705-h939-no That looks really good. Keep us updated on the water quaility. Its hard to have to wait... 
You probably already know to give the shale a very good rinse before you add it. |
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Posted: 6/9/2015 12:44:38 PM EDT
[#4]
Well I have been playing with aquaponics for two years now and it's time to build my permanent indoor / sun room aquaponics system. My current system has not been a hundred percent successful but all I do is feed my fish and plant things none of the fancy testing that you guys do. My new concept is going to be 2 feet wide by 60 feet long with a 12 inch deep grow bed 2 feet wide running the length with a 2 foot by 18" by 60 foot fish tank on the bottom. All built with wood and lined with pond liner. I was thinking of dividing the Groh bed into 10 foot sections with each section having its own Bell siphon and probably two pumps redundantly feeding all the beds. I might need to do some engineering as my wife wants to enjoy the fish while sitting next to it so a little pond that is connected to that 60 foot tank with all the bell siphons dumping to a little waterfall in that pond.
I am making this up as I go along and still have to figure out my favorite medium for the grow beds. My volcanic rock did well but algae grows in it like crazy. My diatomaceous oil absorb grows well but doesn't drain well or quickly. The gravel does slightly better. So those are my random thoughts as I'm laying out the wood. Please weigh in on my plans. |
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Posted: 6/9/2015 2:15:03 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BUCK1911:
Well I have been playing with aquaponics for two years now and it's time to build my permanent indoor / sun room aquaponics system. My current system has not been a hundred percent successful but all I do is feed my fish and plant things none of the fancy testing that you guys do. My new concept is going to be 2 feet wide by 60 feet long with a 12 inch deep grow bed 2 feet wide running the length with a 2 foot by 18" by 60 foot fish tank on the bottom. All built with wood and lined with pond liner. I was thinking of dividing the Groh bed into 10 foot sections with each section having its own Bell siphon and probably two pumps redundantly feeding all the beds. I might need to do some engineering as my wife wants to enjoy the fish while sitting next to it so a little pond that is connected to that 60 foot tank with all the bell siphons dumping to a little waterfall in that pond. I am making this up as I go along and still have to figure out my favorite medium for the grow beds. My volcanic rock did well but algae grows in it like crazy. My diatomaceous oil absorb grows well but doesn't drain well or quickly. The gravel does slightly better. So those are my random thoughts as I'm laying out the wood. Please weigh in on my plans. I'm a newbie(haven't even got first fish yet(eta 2 weeks) but that sounds awesome. |
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Posted: 6/9/2015 2:16:53 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By delicious_bass:
That looks really good. Keep us updated on the water quaility. Its hard to have to wait...
You probably already know to give the shale a very good rinse before you add it. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By delicious_bass:
Originally Posted By opie69:
Worked some more on the system this weekend. Got the Grow Bed painted. Started on the frame for the enclosure(used what wood I had laying around). Also started the fishless cycle with aqueous ammonia on friday, added enough to get a reading of about 8ppm ammonia on friday by this morning it was down to 3. I will add some more tonite. I had gotten an old filter pad from the local fish store to help jumpstart. This upcoming Saturday,I will be getting the media for the grow bed, I settled on expanded shale. so i need to have at least the top of my frame finished out by then. Here are some updated pictures. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/EKmBvyxNswjkT03JzZyR3IrYFy6tPDn7rahqz_oG3SY=w705-h939-no https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BOrLQiHfqz_0KRYbc9oDoWVQMx6sXG2V0nbqHPprC8I=w705-h939-no https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9sOXQNm8cajC8sXSoQdYaMijGMRxA_3JCSEIWUBSRE8=w705-h939-no https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KtGm1FCB3u1rhhlCbc3ZgZmRooIQmzxwLlGo2E9uRDk=w705-h939-no That looks really good. Keep us updated on the water quaility. Its hard to have to wait...
You probably already know to give the shale a very good rinse before you add it. ya i was thinking i needed to rinse the shale. i have the second IBC tote that i haven't cut apart yet. im thinking about installing a screen over the drain the bottom of it and then cut the top off the tote, fill it with all the shale and then just run the hose in that to clean it. serves 2 purposes, i get to clean it plus have a handy storage for the time being of all the rest of the shale i don't fill the first growbed up in. |
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Posted: 6/9/2015 2:26:10 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
I'm a newbie(haven't even got first fish yet(eta 2 weeks) but that sounds awesome. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
Originally Posted By BUCK1911:
Well I have been playing with aquaponics for two years now and it's time to build my permanent indoor / sun room aquaponics system. My current system has not been a hundred percent successful but all I do is feed my fish and plant things none of the fancy testing that you guys do. My new concept is going to be 2 feet wide by 60 feet long with a 12 inch deep grow bed 2 feet wide running the length with a 2 foot by 18" by 60 foot fish tank on the bottom. All built with wood and lined with pond liner. I was thinking of dividing the Groh bed into 10 foot sections with each section having its own Bell siphon and probably two pumps redundantly feeding all the beds. I might need to do some engineering as my wife wants to enjoy the fish while sitting next to it so a little pond that is connected to that 60 foot tank with all the bell siphons dumping to a little waterfall in that pond. I am making this up as I go along and still have to figure out my favorite medium for the grow beds. My volcanic rock did well but algae grows in it like crazy. My diatomaceous oil absorb grows well but doesn't drain well or quickly. The gravel does slightly better. So those are my random thoughts as I'm laying out the wood. Please weigh in on my plans. I'm a newbie(haven't even got first fish yet(eta 2 weeks) but that sounds awesome. Thanks I love the concept and the Lord gave me a very understanding wife. |
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Posted: 6/10/2015 9:22:44 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BUCK1911:
Thanks I love the concept and the Lord gave me a very understanding wife. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BUCK1911:
Originally Posted By opie69:
Originally Posted By BUCK1911:
Well I have been playing with aquaponics for two years now and it's time to build my permanent indoor / sun room aquaponics system. My current system has not been a hundred percent successful but all I do is feed my fish and plant things none of the fancy testing that you guys do. My new concept is going to be 2 feet wide by 60 feet long with a 12 inch deep grow bed 2 feet wide running the length with a 2 foot by 18" by 60 foot fish tank on the bottom. All built with wood and lined with pond liner. I was thinking of dividing the Groh bed into 10 foot sections with each section having its own Bell siphon and probably two pumps redundantly feeding all the beds. I might need to do some engineering as my wife wants to enjoy the fish while sitting next to it so a little pond that is connected to that 60 foot tank with all the bell siphons dumping to a little waterfall in that pond. I am making this up as I go along and still have to figure out my favorite medium for the grow beds. My volcanic rock did well but algae grows in it like crazy. My diatomaceous oil absorb grows well but doesn't drain well or quickly. The gravel does slightly better. So those are my random thoughts as I'm laying out the wood. Please weigh in on my plans. I'm a newbie(haven't even got first fish yet(eta 2 weeks) but that sounds awesome. Thanks I love the concept and the Lord gave me a very understanding wife. And that's how every single project goes at my place! Your plan sounds pretty good to me and I'm looking forward to seeing it. No system is going to be 100 percent perfect, it's going to do what it wants to do just like in nature. We have two side by side systems that are very similar and get different results from each. All of the high speed stuff that some of us do to our systems are just extras that may or may not make that big of a difference in the long run. Here is an example. We are always changing something in our Extension Office system such as the way solids are collected or what type grow bed we have but my system at home that was based on the first and much simpler design does just as well. My crops and water quality are good and my fish are spawning, growing, and very happy. That is all that really matters. |
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Posted: 6/11/2015 9:44:55 PM EDT
[Last Edit: opie69]
[#9]
Got another night of work in. got the "roof" on the enclosure, so now the tank is only exposed to sunlight a couple hours per day. resurected a wet/dry filter i had laying around, filled with bio-balls. to help until i get the gravel.
Been working 13 hour days this week so my construction time has been limited. but i needed to get that roof on so that i could put the gravel in. Had a definite algae bloom, gravel is getting delivered on saturday. Added ammonia to 5ppm last night, this evening it was .25 ppm, nitrite was 2 ppm, nitrate was 20 ppm. so the tank is nearly cycled, just a couple more days. gonna put gravel in on saturday, and transplant some herbs. i know most people have a supply of water already "de-cholrinated" but is like aquarium de-chlorinated like prime okay to use in an aquaponic system? 
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Posted: 6/12/2015 12:21:21 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
i know most people have a supply of water already "de-cholrinated" but is like aquarium de-chlorinated like prime okay to use in an aquaponic system? Is there a way to let the water sit for 24 hours so the chlorine off-gases? I'm sure it's likely harmless, but it's better to avoid putting something in there if you don't have to. |
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Posted: 6/12/2015 10:54:12 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By C-4:
Is there a way to let the water sit for 24 hours so the chlorine off-gases? I'm sure it's likely harmless, but it's better to avoid putting something in there if you don't have to. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By C-4:
Originally Posted By opie69:
i know most people have a supply of water already "de-cholrinated" but is like aquarium de-chlorinated like prime okay to use in an aquaponic system? Is there a way to let the water sit for 24 hours so the chlorine off-gases? I'm sure it's likely harmless, but it's better to avoid putting something in there if you don't have to. Ya i can do that. cheaper too, was just being lazy |
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Posted: 6/14/2015 8:35:54 AM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
Got another night of work in. got the "roof" on the enclosure, so now the tank is only exposed to sunlight a couple hours per day. resurected a wet/dry filter i had laying around, filled with bio-balls. to help until i get the gravel. Been working 13 hour days this week so my construction time has been limited. but i needed to get that roof on so that i could put the gravel in. Had a definite algae bloom, gravel is getting delivered on saturday. Added ammonia to 5ppm last night, this evening it was .25 ppm, nitrite was 2 ppm, nitrate was 20 ppm. so the tank is nearly cycled, just a couple more days. gonna put gravel in on saturday, and transplant some herbs. i know most people have a supply of water already "de-cholrinated" but is like aquarium de-chlorinated like prime okay to use in an aquaponic system? https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Nhn8vX2DCQk/VXo4xOZd-AI/AAAAAAAANNc/jCeh6LB8Yjc/w240-h320-no/15%2B-%2B4 https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-y5z-XS31Gr0/VXo4xPGeuRI/AAAAAAAANN8/J65Q9iOD1ps/w415-h553-no/15%2B-%2B2 Just let me know when you are ready for some tilapia. I will give you 20 good sized ones. We will be listing our house for sale and if the buyer doesnt want my system the ones I dont give you will need to go to. We will be building so I wont have the time nor space for them for about a year. Then you can give me a few back
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Posted: 6/14/2015 9:59:30 AM EDT
[#13]
I looking for ideas on "nice looking grow beds.
I designed some out of wood but they will be a lot of work and be way to heavy. Shallow galvanized water troughs would look nice but 1'x2'x6' ones are $124 here and I would need 8.... Ouch So Ideas? Mt wife suggested designing them so they could be modular and moved easily but I don't see that happening. Thoughts? I want 12'' deep and will probably go with 3/4 gravel this time? Thanks |
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Posted: 6/16/2015 6:57:49 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By delicious_bass:
Just let me know when you are ready for some tilapia. I will give you 20 good sized ones. We will be listing our house for sale and if the buyer doesnt want my system the ones I dont give you will need to go to. We will be building so I wont have the time nor space for them for about a year. Then you can give me a few back
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By delicious_bass:
Originally Posted By opie69:
Got another night of work in. got the "roof" on the enclosure, so now the tank is only exposed to sunlight a couple hours per day. resurected a wet/dry filter i had laying around, filled with bio-balls. to help until i get the gravel. Been working 13 hour days this week so my construction time has been limited. but i needed to get that roof on so that i could put the gravel in. Had a definite algae bloom, gravel is getting delivered on saturday. Added ammonia to 5ppm last night, this evening it was .25 ppm, nitrite was 2 ppm, nitrate was 20 ppm. so the tank is nearly cycled, just a couple more days. gonna put gravel in on saturday, and transplant some herbs. i know most people have a supply of water already "de-cholrinated" but is like aquarium de-chlorinated like prime okay to use in an aquaponic system? https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Nhn8vX2DCQk/VXo4xOZd-AI/AAAAAAAANNc/jCeh6LB8Yjc/w240-h320-no/15%2B-%2B4 https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-y5z-XS31Gr0/VXo4xPGeuRI/AAAAAAAANN8/J65Q9iOD1ps/w415-h553-no/15%2B-%2B2 Just let me know when you are ready for some tilapia. I will give you 20 good sized ones. We will be listing our house for sale and if the buyer doesnt want my system the ones I dont give you will need to go to. We will be building so I wont have the time nor space for them for about a year. Then you can give me a few back
thanks for the offer man. We had a bit of a hiccup in the plans. My father passed away unexpectedly saturday morning. So i had to leave for utah, will be here for a another week. may have to start the cycle over again as i'm not there to put ammonia in the tank. |
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Posted: 6/16/2015 10:06:53 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
thanks for the offer man. We had a bit of a hiccup in the plans. My father passed away unexpectedly saturday morning. So i had to leave for utah, will be here for a another week. may have to start the cycle over again as i'm not there to put ammonia in the tank. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
Originally Posted By delicious_bass:
Originally Posted By opie69:
Got another night of work in. got the "roof" on the enclosure, so now the tank is only exposed to sunlight a couple hours per day. resurected a wet/dry filter i had laying around, filled with bio-balls. to help until i get the gravel. Been working 13 hour days this week so my construction time has been limited. but i needed to get that roof on so that i could put the gravel in. Had a definite algae bloom, gravel is getting delivered on saturday. Added ammonia to 5ppm last night, this evening it was .25 ppm, nitrite was 2 ppm, nitrate was 20 ppm. so the tank is nearly cycled, just a couple more days. gonna put gravel in on saturday, and transplant some herbs. i know most people have a supply of water already "de-cholrinated" but is like aquarium de-chlorinated like prime okay to use in an aquaponic system? https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Nhn8vX2DCQk/VXo4xOZd-AI/AAAAAAAANNc/jCeh6LB8Yjc/w240-h320-no/15%2B-%2B4 https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-y5z-XS31Gr0/VXo4xPGeuRI/AAAAAAAANN8/J65Q9iOD1ps/w415-h553-no/15%2B-%2B2 Just let me know when you are ready for some tilapia. I will give you 20 good sized ones. We will be listing our house for sale and if the buyer doesnt want my system the ones I dont give you will need to go to. We will be building so I wont have the time nor space for them for about a year. Then you can give me a few back
thanks for the offer man. We had a bit of a hiccup in the plans. My father passed away unexpectedly saturday morning. So i had to leave for utah, will be here for a another week. may have to start the cycle over again as i'm not there to put ammonia in the tank. Sorry for your loss. |
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Posted: 6/16/2015 11:07:53 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
thanks for the offer man. We had a bit of a hiccup in the plans. My father passed away unexpectedly saturday morning. So i had to leave for utah, will be here for a another week. may have to start the cycle over again as i'm not there to put ammonia in the tank. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
Originally Posted By delicious_bass:
Originally Posted By opie69:
Got another night of work in. got the "roof" on the enclosure, so now the tank is only exposed to sunlight a couple hours per day. resurected a wet/dry filter i had laying around, filled with bio-balls. to help until i get the gravel. Been working 13 hour days this week so my construction time has been limited. but i needed to get that roof on so that i could put the gravel in. Had a definite algae bloom, gravel is getting delivered on saturday. Added ammonia to 5ppm last night, this evening it was .25 ppm, nitrite was 2 ppm, nitrate was 20 ppm. so the tank is nearly cycled, just a couple more days. gonna put gravel in on saturday, and transplant some herbs. i know most people have a supply of water already "de-cholrinated" but is like aquarium de-chlorinated like prime okay to use in an aquaponic system? https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Nhn8vX2DCQk/VXo4xOZd-AI/AAAAAAAANNc/jCeh6LB8Yjc/w240-h320-no/15%2B-%2B4 https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-y5z-XS31Gr0/VXo4xPGeuRI/AAAAAAAANN8/J65Q9iOD1ps/w415-h553-no/15%2B-%2B2 Just let me know when you are ready for some tilapia. I will give you 20 good sized ones. We will be listing our house for sale and if the buyer doesnt want my system the ones I dont give you will need to go to. We will be building so I wont have the time nor space for them for about a year. Then you can give me a few back
thanks for the offer man. We had a bit of a hiccup in the plans. My father passed away unexpectedly saturday morning. So i had to leave for utah, will be here for a another week. may have to start the cycle over again as i'm not there to put ammonia in the tank. I am very sorry to hear that. I'm not too far down the road and you are more then welcome to PM me if I can do anything to help. |
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Posted: 6/17/2015 6:30:28 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By opie69:
We had a bit of a hiccup in the plans. My father passed away unexpectedly saturday morning. So i had to leave for utah, will be here for a another week. may have to start the cycle over again as i'm not there to put ammonia in the tank. I'm very sorry to hear that. 
Only because it is relevant to your post, aquariums, especially saltwater ones, are often cycled by putting a piece of raw shrimp or fish in the tank. As it rots, the bacteria brake down the protein and produce ammonia as waste. In this way, you have a slow, steady release of ammonia waste which act as food for your cycling bacteria. You can put the piece of raw shrimp or fish in a mesh bag to keep it in one area so it doesn't plug anything. Depending on the size, you would probably not have to touch anything for 7 to 10 days easily, probably even longer. The system would be on auto-pilot for a while. |
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Posted: 6/22/2015 4:11:09 PM EDT
[#18]
I am calling celery a fail.
Big biter tasting bush.  " />
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Posted: 6/22/2015 7:57:42 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BUCK1911:
I am calling celery a fail. Big biter tasting bush. http://<a href=http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t664/beau1911/20150621_180135_zpsbc5zvkng.jpg</a>" /> Can you at least feed the leaves to your animals? |
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Posted: 6/22/2015 8:03:58 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By C-4:
Can you at least feed the leaves to your animals? Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By C-4:
Originally Posted By BUCK1911:
I am calling celery a fail. Big biter tasting bush. http://<a href=http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t664/beau1911/20150621_180135_zpsbc5zvkng.jpg</a>" /> Can you at least feed the leaves to your animals? Nothig is hungry enough to eat it yet. I did see a goose poking at it. But the deer rabbits elk and Barbary sheep walked around it. |
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Posted: 7/7/2015 12:08:48 AM EDT
[#21]
I will update this soon. I promise.
This year I've done 2 things differently as I previously mentioned and have shown some pictures: 1) Solar heater: This is working out well. Today was very sunny and I was able to get a 5 degree F difference between the inlet and outlet. I also have computer controls to turn the solar heater pump on and off depending on light condition and the temperature difference. Will update with more info. My friend who is good with electronics rigged up an Arduino computer to do it. 2) UV light filter: This is effective at killing the baddies in the water. Looks like it is working well. Here is a picture of the fish at the bottom of the 550 gallon tank. There are 12. The biggest one on the left is 1.5 pounds. The total weight I put into the tank is right around 10 pounds. For size reference, the stand pipe on the right is a 2" pipe. Will update soon. 
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Posted: 7/7/2015 8:44:27 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By C-4:
I will update this soon. I promise.
This year I've done 2 things differently as I previously mentioned and have shown some pictures: 1) Solar heater: This is working out well. Today was very sunny and I was able to get a 5 degree F difference between the inlet and outlet. I also have computer controls to turn the solar heater pump on and off depending on light condition and the temperature difference. Will update with more info. My friend who is good with electronics rigged up an Arduino computer to do it. 2) UV light filter: This is effective at killing the baddies in the water. Looks like it is working well. Here is a picture of the fish at the bottom of the 550 gallon tank. There are 12. The biggest one on the left is 1.5 pounds. The total weight I put into the tank is right around 10 pounds. For size reference, the stand pipe on the right is a 2" pipe. Will update soon. http://i.imgur.com/81M6hHA.jpg I have heard of these being used but every time I search I look it up it gets over my head fast. I will be interested to see what you did. |
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Posted: 7/7/2015 11:49:03 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By delicious_bass:
I have heard of these being used but every time I search I look it up it gets over my head fast. I will be interested to see what you did. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By delicious_bass:
Originally Posted By C-4:
1) Solar heater: This is working out well. Today was very sunny and I was able to get a 5 degree F difference between the inlet and outlet. I also have computer controls to turn the solar heater pump on and off depending on light condition and the temperature difference. Will update with more info. My friend who is good with electronics rigged up an Arduino computer to do it. I have heard of these being used but every time I search I look it up it gets over my head fast. I will be interested to see what you did. It's basically a small computer as I'm sure you've read. You can add all sorts of sensors to it. We have two temperature sensors that measure the fish tank and the solar heated water inside the coil. If the temperature is greater than 1 degree F in the solar heater, the computer turns the solar heater pump on. There is also a light sensor and the computer first checks to make sure it is daylight, and then it checks the temperature difference. This is also waaaaay above my pay grade. I've seen the programming and I'd like to get into it, but it's definitely a winter project when there is less to do. My friend loves electronics/computers as a hobby. I paid for all the parts, probably $120 worth, and he did all the labor. The nice thing is many of the parts can come apart and be re-used for other projects including the Arduino computer. |
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Posted: 7/28/2015 11:20:25 PM EDT
[#24]
Quick update: No, I haven't forgotten about this thread.
I have 12 Channel catfish and they are doing well. One thing I've noticed is they can get "nippy" with each other and will bite pectoral fins. I haven't seen them do it, but that's the most likely explanation for some marks on those fins. I'm still feeding the 35% protein feed and I can tell the nitrate levels are much better than last year. Their appetite drops when the levels get high. I've been doing water changes periodically to lower the levels. I found some squid that I got on sale a while ago and they love it. I'm also supplementing their diet with frozen sardines that aren't all that expensive and they love that as well. I'm starting to think about where I'm going with all this and I've given serious thought to trying to breed these fish next year which is when they will most likely reach sexual maturity. I still have to get them through the winter and I've thought about several ways to do this, all of them being a significant challenge. The solar heater is controlled by an Arduino computer. It measures the temperature at the end of the solar heater but within the tube and compares it to the water temperature in the fish tank. If the solar heater temperature is higher by 1 degree F, the computer turns on the water pump to the solar heater. The pump is in the fish tank and the ends of the solar heater are in there as well. So if the pump is not on, there is no water flow through the solar heater. At times, the solar heater can bring the water temperature up by 5 degrees F from the beginning to the end of the solar heater. It pumps about 130 gallons of water an hour. The real benefit is several days of hot, sunny weather which can really bump the temperature. The peak temperatures so far have been 80 F. That's as high as I've gotten. I'm hoping to break that temperature over the next couple of days. |
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Posted: 7/28/2015 11:53:17 PM EDT
[Last Edit: TheRedGoat]
[#25]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By C-4:
I'm starting to think about where I'm going with all this and I've given serious thought to trying to breed these fish next year Well, you've already bought them, dinner. Edit, missed a comma there... TRG |
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Posted: 7/29/2015 12:10:48 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By C-4:
Quick update: No, I haven't forgotten about this thread.
I have 12 Channel catfish and they are doing well. One thing I've noticed is they can get "nippy" with each other and will bite pectoral fins. I haven't seen them do it, but that's the most likely explanation for some marks on those fins. I'm still feeding the 35% protein feed and I can tell the nitrate levels are much better than last year. Their appetite drops when the levels get high. I've been doing water changes periodically to lower the levels. I found some squid that I got on sale a while ago and they love it. I'm also supplementing their diet with frozen sardines that aren't all that expensive and they love that as well. I'm starting to think about where I'm going with all this and I've given serious thought to trying to breed these fish next year which is when they will most likely reach sexual maturity. I still have to get them through the winter and I've thought about several ways to do this, all of them being a significant challenge. The solar heater is controlled by an Arduino computer. It measures the temperature at the end of the solar heater but within the tube and compares it to the water temperature in the fish tank. If the solar heater temperature is higher by 1 degree F, the computer turns on the water pump to the solar heater. The pump is in the fish tank and the ends of the solar heater are in there as well. So if the pump is not on, there is no water flow through the solar heater. At times, the solar heater can bring the water temperature up by 5 degrees F from the beginning to the end of the solar heater. It pumps about 130 gallons of water an hour. The real benefit is several days of hot, sunny weather which can really bump the temperature. The peak temperatures so far have been 80 F. That's as high as I've gotten. I'm hoping to break that temperature over the next couple of days. That's ok I have not forgotten either. As a matter of fact I was going to post a picture or two of where my system used to sit. As you may know we have our house listed for sale and since we are building I will not have a place for it so I put it on Craigslist in the Farm and Garden section. It sat idly until a week ago when I got an inquiry about it and if it was still available. I replied it was and after a few email exchanges I found out that the interested buyer had attended our first aquaponic workshop in 2013. They ended up coming to see it and after hearing about the hard times they fell on after the class I felt bad and came way off my listing price and agreed to deliver and install. I did ask for a small deposit just to ensure they were serious and went ahead and disassembled everything and transferred the fish temporarily to the extension office so the fish would not have to endure the move right away. The buyer called and cancelled this morning but told me to keep the deposit. Now I have to find a place for everything to go since it took a good days worth of work to get everything moved onto my largest trailer. I can hopefully ask my dad if it can come to his house an hour away and stay there while we make the move and bring it back when we get settled. After all the hassle of this I don't even think I want to try and set it up again just in case the one serious buyer we do get happens to hate fish and wants it gone. 
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Posted: 7/30/2015 12:07:59 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By TheRedGoat:
Well, you've already bought them, dinner. Edit, missed a comma there... TRG Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By TheRedGoat:
Originally Posted By C-4:
I'm starting to think about where I'm going with all this and I've given serious thought to trying to breed these fish next year Well, you've already bought them, dinner. Edit, missed a comma there... TRG Without the comma it has a different meaning.  Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 7/30/2015 12:10:20 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By delicious_bass:
That's ok I have not forgotten either. As a matter of fact I was going to post a picture or two of where my system used to sit. As you may know we have our house listed for sale and since we are building I will not have a place for it so I put it on Craigslist in the Farm and Garden section. It sat idly until a week ago when I got an inquiry about it and if it was still available. I replied it was and after a few email exchanges I found out that the interested buyer had attended our first aquaponic workshop in 2013. They ended up coming to see it and after hearing about the hard times they fell on after the class I felt bad and came way off my listing price and agreed to deliver and install. I did ask for a small deposit just to ensure they were serious and went ahead and disassembled everything and transferred the fish temporarily to the extension office so the fish would not have to endure the move right away. The buyer called and cancelled this morning but told me to keep the deposit. Now I have to find a place for everything to go since it took a good days worth of work to get everything moved onto my largest trailer. I can hopefully ask my dad if it can come to his house an hour away and stay there while we make the move and bring it back when we get settled. After all the hassle of this I don't even think I want to try and set it up again just in case the one serious buyer we do get happens to hate fish and wants it gone.
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By delicious_bass:
Originally Posted By C-4:
Quick update: No, I haven't forgotten about this thread.
I have 12 Channel catfish and they are doing well. One thing I've noticed is they can get "nippy" with each other and will bite pectoral fins. I haven't seen them do it, but that's the most likely explanation for some marks on those fins. I'm still feeding the 35% protein feed and I can tell the nitrate levels are much better than last year. Their appetite drops when the levels get high. I've been doing water changes periodically to lower the levels. I found some squid that I got on sale a while ago and they love it. I'm also supplementing their diet with frozen sardines that aren't all that expensive and they love that as well. I'm starting to think about where I'm going with all this and I've given serious thought to trying to breed these fish next year which is when they will most likely reach sexual maturity. I still have to get them through the winter and I've thought about several ways to do this, all of them being a significant challenge. The solar heater is controlled by an Arduino computer. It measures the temperature at the end of the solar heater but within the tube and compares it to the water temperature in the fish tank. If the solar heater temperature is higher by 1 degree F, the computer turns on the water pump to the solar heater. The pump is in the fish tank and the ends of the solar heater are in there as well. So if the pump is not on, there is no water flow through the solar heater. At times, the solar heater can bring the water temperature up by 5 degrees F from the beginning to the end of the solar heater. It pumps about 130 gallons of water an hour. The real benefit is several days of hot, sunny weather which can really bump the temperature. The peak temperatures so far have been 80 F. That's as high as I've gotten. I'm hoping to break that temperature over the next couple of days. That's ok I have not forgotten either. As a matter of fact I was going to post a picture or two of where my system used to sit. As you may know we have our house listed for sale and since we are building I will not have a place for it so I put it on Craigslist in the Farm and Garden section. It sat idly until a week ago when I got an inquiry about it and if it was still available. I replied it was and after a few email exchanges I found out that the interested buyer had attended our first aquaponic workshop in 2013. They ended up coming to see it and after hearing about the hard times they fell on after the class I felt bad and came way off my listing price and agreed to deliver and install. I did ask for a small deposit just to ensure they were serious and went ahead and disassembled everything and transferred the fish temporarily to the extension office so the fish would not have to endure the move right away. The buyer called and cancelled this morning but told me to keep the deposit. Now I have to find a place for everything to go since it took a good days worth of work to get everything moved onto my largest trailer. I can hopefully ask my dad if it can come to his house an hour away and stay there while we make the move and bring it back when we get settled. After all the hassle of this I don't even think I want to try and set it up again just in case the one serious buyer we do get happens to hate fish and wants it gone.
I find fish much more agonizing to deal with than animals or chickens. It's hard to find a temporary place for them like other animals or birds. When will your house be up? Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 7/30/2015 1:48:10 AM EDT
[Last Edit: delicious_bass]
[#29]
It has been on the market for about twenty days with pretty good feedback but not that right one yet. We have found a decently priced 5 acres 20 minutes from here and got a builder and plans lined up. With the VA I can't break ground until I sell.
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Posted: 8/8/2015 11:29:09 PM EDT
[Last Edit: C-4]
[#30]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By delicious_bass:
It has been on the market for about twenty days with pretty good feedback but not that right one yet. We have found a decently priced 5 acres 20 minutes from here and got a builder and plans lined up. With the VA I can't break ground until I sell. Any ponds on the property? Quick update: I wanted to go over quickly the temperature control of the solar heater. The water circulates from a pump in the fish tank, out to the solar heater coils made from 1/2" irrigation tubing, and back into the fish tank. Before, I had the solar heater coil outlet empty into the grow bed, but this meant that there was always some flow through the coils through siphon action even when the pump wasn't on. Now that the outlets and inlets both go to the fish tank, there is no water flow through the solar heater coils unless the water pump is on. It's a 375 gallon-per-hour pump but the flow, due to resistance, is a total of 130 gallons-per-hour through the coils. The coils are attached in parallel which greatly reduces resistance. 
This is the temperature controller. At it's heart is an Arduino computer. It has two temperature probes in the form of K-Type wire thermocouples. It's waterproofed with shrink tubing and silicone. 
Read the following carefully. The computer has two temperature sensors. One is in the fish tank. The second one is inserted into the end of one of the solar heater coils. The coil is adjusted in such a way as there is water filling it almost to the end of the tubing. The temperature sensor is advanced far enough so it sits inside the end of the coil, but far enough that both the coil and the temperature sensor in it are exposed to direct sunlight. The computer senses the temperature in the fish tank and in the solar heater coil. If there is a temperature difference of greater than 1 degree F in the solar heater than the fish tank, the computer turns on the water pump. If the temperature difference is less than 1 F, then the pump is turned off. There is a peak temperature cut-off of 86 F as a precaution to overheating. However, as I'll post in a later post, the temperature seems to peak out at 80 F as the maximum temperature of the system. No matter how hot it seemed to get, the temperature losses in the system seemed to prevent a water temperature of greater than 80 F. That's fine as that is a good temperature to ensure fast growth but not so high that dissolved oxygen becomes an issue. Temperature probe in the end of the solar heater. I had problems with grounding and we eventually dried out the thermocouple wire and put shrink tubing and silicone on it. Now it works perfectly. Remember, the solar heater end must be filled with water and exposed to sunlight, and the temperature probe sits inside so it can measure if the temperature difference is greater than 1 degree F in the solar heater compared to the fish tank so it can then turn on the pump that circulates water through the solar heater. 
Temperature probe in the fish tank. 
The front of the temperature controller has a display that tells you the temperature of the system or fish tank, and the temperature of the heater or solar heater. If the temperature difference shows the solar heater coil is hotter by 1 F, it will turn the pump on and shows "ON" in the display. 
Fish pictures. I'm not sure about weight, but they are growing fast. The largest of the 12 fish was 1.5 pounds when I put them in. The total weight was around 10 pounds of fish. 
There is a bit of a size difference between the fish even though they all started about the same size.
The genius of this controller is with one line change in the program we can change this from a solar heater to a cooler. This is important because I am still toying with the idea of growing Rainbow trout in this system. I think that with a combination of Mylar to reflect sunlight from the entire system, bubble insulation, cooler coils that would come on at night when the air temperature is cooler, and emergency cooling with my garden hose (well water at 52 F year-round), I could keep the temperature from getting above the low 70's. Most of the time, I'm sure I could keep it in the high 60's or lower. Just an idea I have for now as I still have these catfish and I'm thinking about trying to breed them next year. More to come. 
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Posted: 8/9/2015 9:37:58 AM EDT
[#31]
I haven't been training the tomatoes this year and they are going crazy.
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Posted: 8/10/2015 12:32:03 AM EDT
[Last Edit: C-4]
[#32]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BUCK1911:
I haven't been training the tomatoes this year and they are going crazy. http://<a href=http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t664/beau1911/20150719_115936_zpstsmxefbi.jpg</a>" /> Tomatoes are nitrogen hogs as you know. They look happy! One quick thing about the catfish: Apparently Channel catfish have a few differences between the sexes. The males are supposed to be darker in color relative to females in the same water, and males have larger heads. Intrperestingly, their flesh weighs about the same because even though males have proportionately larger heads, the females have proportionately larger internal organs so it balances out. My plans to breed these will depend on being able to separate them into breeding pairs. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile 66/72 71/75 |
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Posted: 8/27/2015 10:32:47 PM EDT
[#33]
Quick update: 08/27/2015 Columnaris infection again I had to battle Columnaris infection before last year and it's back again. One fish has a lot of the white plaque-like lesions on the tail and back. I have antibiotic feed but the fish are not eating it. I think the culprit is high nitrates. I have been busy this summer and haven't been doing water changes as frequently as I should have so there is no mystery as to why this is happening. I think it's stressing the fish. I have some antibiotic treatment that you're supposed so treat the water with but I have been unable to catch the affected fish to keep it in a separate container. My plan is to continue trying to get them to eat the antibiotic feed and turn off the solar heater as higher temperatures favor the bacteria. I added 1 part per thousand salt and I'll increase it to 2 ppt and then 3 ppt each day. I won't go above 3ppt. This apparently helps with skin mucus. I have the UV filter which will at least kill free-floating Columnaris bacteria. I also ordered a 1000 gallon pool from Walmart. It was discounted because of the time of year and it's being shipped site to store so shipping is free. I should have done this at the beginning of the season so I'd be able to do high volume water changes. We learn through our mistakes though it's better to learn through the mistakes of others. As I've explained before, I need a large container to store the water as the well water is at 52F, way too cold to add to the fish directly. It needs to get to ambient temperature.
More as events unfold. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 9/2/2015 3:56:25 PM EDT
[#34]
Yesterday wife really got behind the project when comparing tomatoes from her outside garden (my feed plot) to my aquaponics.
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I dont know what causes the split tops on mine on the left? But I know what's eating hers on the right
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Posted: 9/2/2015 3:59:08 PM EDT
[#35]
Started the full scale build inside it will hold 1500 gallon when I get the pond liners in.
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I plan on grow beds on the top its 2x 53 feet long with a 3x8 deeper pool on the end. |
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Posted: 9/3/2015 8:00:45 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BUCK1911:
Yesterday wife really got behind the project when comparing tomatoes from her outside garden (my feed plot) to my aquaponics. http://<a href=http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t664/beau1911/20150830_183654_zpsha2j4wlk.jpg</a>" /> I dont know what causes the split tops on mine on the left? But I know what's eating hers on the right My understanding from reading and personal experience is the tomato absorbs a lot of water and splits as a result. I've seen the same happen with mature cabbages after a heavy rain. |
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Posted: 9/3/2015 8:01:03 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By BUCK1911:
Started the full scale build inside it will hold 1500 gallon when I get the pond liners in. http://<a href=http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t664/beau1911/20150901_075604_zpshnk0n4be.jpg</a>" /> I plan on grow beds on the top its 2x 53 feet long with a 3x8 deeper pool on the end. That is going to be absolutely kick-ass! 
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Posted: 10/12/2015 11:48:28 PM EDT
[#38]
Quick update: I'm getting ready to bring my Channel catfish inside. I had a terrible case of Columnaris that hit two fish hard but I managed to get everyone healthy again. I have a total of 12 fish and they look great. Water temperature has really gone down. I have recorded the AM and PM temperatures for the whole season and will post them. I am very curious about the weight gain. I think it will be substantial. As I think I mentioned, I'm going to try to breed the catfish in the spring. I'm still reading about it and I think it's doable. Channel catfish exhibit sexual dimorphism and therefore can usually be separated into male and female pairs for breeding. I will update on my UV filter as well. It worked out great. I had no problems with algae or bacterial bloom this season. Pictures coming soon. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 11/27/2015 10:11:35 PM EDT
[Last Edit: C-4]
[#39]
Update: 11/27/2015 Bringing fish indoors soon!
So, I've had a good season I think. I have been able to procrastinate bringing the fish indoors due to warm weather. But my luck will run out soon. On Monday, 11/23/2015, the outflow from the fish tank to the grow bed froze and the sump tank was emptied. Not a big deal since there were two goldfish in there and still a good 6" of water since the pump was off the bottom. But that is the last official day that I didn't add external heat to the system. What I had to do to melt the ice was to run the well water from my garden hose into the system. The water temperature is 52F in the well so more than hot enough to melt the ice.
I disconnected the UV light/filter on Monday as I was concerned that water would freeze inside of it and break the bulb. The water enters the device, is irradiated with UV light to kill any pathogens, and then the water enters the fish tank. 
Close-up 
The indoor system I had last winter used 2 canister filters to process the ammonia waste. I had to do a lot of water changes and limit feeding as they were having a difficult time keeping up with the ammonia produced by the fish. Fortunately, the fish tank in the basement was next to a sink so water changes were easy. I did re-start those 2 canister filters, but they will need to be supplemented by additional media to keep up with the ammonia waste. This is the two canister filters. I put the mesh bags of ceramic beads, sponges, and expanded shale into the sump tank for the spring/summer/fall so that bacteria would stay alive in them and I wouldn't have to re-cycle those filters. I simply put them all back into the 2 canisters filters and brought them indoors. I have them filtering the water in a 5-gallon bucket to which I added some Ammonium Sulfate. 
The total weight of fish going into the system in May 2015 was 9.8 pounds. I have no idea how much the fish have grown, but it's a lot! I bought another scale specifically so I can weigh the fish and I will definitely post results. The fish are now 2 1/2 years old. I put 12 Channel catfish into the system and all 12 survived, though as I posted in the earlier post above, I had a battle royal against the bacteria Columnaris. I will write more about that since it is a common organism and you can indeed beat it. So what I did was construct a home-made filter using a 20-gallon container. I am going to bring the 300-gallon sump tank indoors instead of using the 75-gallon one over this past winter.
I am going to put the 20-gallon container in the middle of it and run water through expanded shale to act as the filter media. I will also be able to do water changes as necessary and I will limit feeding. My goal is to maintain their size over the winter. I am not trying to get additional growth out of them. Though it's a 20-gallon container, I am only going to fill it to 15 gallons. I will post pictures of it as I move along in the process. I wanted to post something today because I really need to keep this updated if the moderator was gracious enough to tack this thread. I need to keep up my end of the bargain. 
So, here are the three 5-gallon buckets of expanded shale that will go into the indoor system: 
I'm keeping them in the sump tank for now. 
That's it for now. I'll keep updating this as I slowly move the fish indoors over the weekend.
ETA: I almost completely forgot! I may have posted this earlier, but the reason for not eating the fish is I'm going to try breeding them in the spring of 2016. I've been reading a ton about this and I'm very excited about this new challenge. The fish did demonstrate some breeding behavior this past spring, but they were still likely too young (2 years old) and there was no place for them to breed as they need a container with a 6" hole in it. They will be more likely to breed at 3 years of age anyway.
Here's a great Youtube video I found summarizing the important points for breeding Channel catfish. Enjoy! 
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Posted: 12/3/2015 1:12:56 PM EDT
[#40]
Here's a handy booklet that deals with chemicals available for treating diseases. http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/aadap/drug_info_materials.html It shows hydrogen peroxide and Chloramine-T as treatments for columnaris. I don't know anything about catfish culture or columnaris, but Chloramine-T kicks the snot out of bacterial gill disease in salmonids.
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Posted: 12/3/2015 10:32:27 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Orthus:
Here's a handy booklet that deals with chemicals available for treating diseases. http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/aadap/drug_info_materials.html It shows hydrogen peroxide and Chloramine-T as treatments for columnaris. I don't know anything about catfish culture or columnaris, but Chloramine-T kicks the snot out of bacterial gill disease in salmonids. Cool, I'll take a look. I've come across those treatments in the past. The one issue is you'd have to keep the fish in a separate "hospital" tank as those would kill bacteria in an aquaponics system. Not a big deal to transfer fish temporarily though. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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AZ, USA
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Posted: 12/9/2015 11:07:31 PM EDT
[#42]
So I'm not sure if this is a dumb question or not, but I have a very small indoor setup. I just upgraded from a 10 gallon tank to a 55 gallon tank. My problem is with the bell siphon, it worked fine before the larger tank. Now it doesn't work at all. Nothing with the pump or grow bed has changed. I have no idea what is going on. I'm watching the water fill and drain just fine, however when I put the bell back in plsce it just keeps filling, doesn't stop. I even made larger openings, but get no new results. Any help would be great, thank you in advance.
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Posted: 12/10/2015 1:21:16 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By tack87:
So I'm not sure if this is a dumb question or not, but I have a very small indoor setup. I just upgraded from a 10 gallon tank to a 55 gallon tank. My problem is with the bell siphon, it worked fine before the larger tank. Now it doesn't work at all. Nothing with the pump or grow bed has changed. I have no idea what is going on. I'm watching the water fill and drain just fine, however when I put the bell back in plsce it just keeps filling, doesn't stop. I even made larger openings, but get no new results. Any help would be great, thank you in advance. Mine get funky for no reason sometimes and I just have to play with them. Post pictures if you can. |
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AZ, USA
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Posted: 12/10/2015 7:21:17 PM EDT
[#44]
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Posted: 12/12/2015 2:35:58 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By tack87:
Here's what I'm working with. <SNIP> I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at. Is that black part a tube? In any case, as BUCK1911 points out, the tubing can get a layer of bacteria that can mess with the proper functioning of the bell siphon. I would clean it up as much as possible. Are you using the same pump? Automatic bell siphons are, as I'm sure you know, finicky about the water flow. 1) Too little flow and you won't be able to "trigger" the siphon action. 2) Too fast a flow and you can trigger the siphon action but you can't "break" the siphon and the grow bed stays empty of water. If you can't trigger the siphon action, then you need a faster water flow. Is the pump lying lower in the fish tank? If so, the pressure and flow from the pump is less and you aren't triggering the siphon. I've had to mess around with pumps and automatic bell siphons to get them to work. It can be very frustrating. Make sure the inner tube is perfectly vertical. I've had automatic bell siphons stop functioning because of that as well. Also make sure the bell portion is lying flat against the bottom of the grow bed. Sometimes a rock will prevent it from lying flat and you can't start the siphon action. |
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AZ, USA
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Posted: 12/12/2015 8:53:15 PM EDT
[#46]
Well I went through and changed everything, and found the problem. The drain pipe under the grow bed wasn't working, because as soo as I took the elbows off it started working. Now I'm just trying to dial in the proper water flow.
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Posted: 12/12/2015 9:01:11 PM EDT
[#47]
Bells are funny critters.
Mine gets weirder in that my fish tank is 50 feet from the grow bed and had to add a ''vent'' halfway to the tank for my problems to go away. |
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Posted: 12/13/2015 11:11:18 AM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By tack87:
Well I went through and changed everything, and found the problem. The drain pipe under the grow bed wasn't working, because as soo as I took the elbows off it started working. Now I'm just trying to dial in the proper water flow. There was likely enough resistance to slow water flow just enough to stop it from triggering the siphon action. Glad you found the problem!
You may have mentioned it already, but what kind of fish are you growing/planning to grow? If indoors, you can do tilapia. |
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Posted: 12/13/2015 1:44:31 PM EDT
[#49]
Have we had a discussion on the best kind of fish?
I went with goldfish for simplicity but want to upgrade at some point. Goldfish are very nutritious but I can't imagine eating one but could use them as chicken food. Tilapia are tasty and easy but not very nutritious. Catfish? God said no.. could feed them to birds also.
all the others seem a lot more difficult. Thoughts? |
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AZ, USA
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Posted: 12/13/2015 3:46:44 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By C-4:
There was likely enough resistance to slow water flow just enough to stop it from triggering the siphon action. Glad you found the problem!
You may have mentioned it already, but what kind of fish are you growing/planning to grow? If indoors, you can do tilapia. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By C-4:
Originally Posted By tack87:
Well I went through and changed everything, and found the problem. The drain pipe under the grow bed wasn't working, because as soo as I took the elbows off it started working. Now I'm just trying to dial in the proper water flow. There was likely enough resistance to slow water flow just enough to stop it from triggering the siphon action. Glad you found the problem!
You may have mentioned it already, but what kind of fish are you growing/planning to grow? If indoors, you can do tilapia. At the moment I'm not raising fish for food, don't have a big enough tank. All I have are mollys. And as far as the problem goes, I fixed the original problem to run into another. I can't seem to get the water flow right. Either my siphon doesn't start or it doesn't stop. I've been adjusting it for the past two days. |
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