Carbrooksilkies 2 ibc systems

[carbrooksilkies]

Back last year i got sick and tired of having worked up the Vegepatch to a perfect condition only to then become to tied up in other projects or work to maintain the patch and spray/ water and weed.

So i got the tanks up and running and rushed out and got 50 silver perch from SEQ Fish http://www.seqfish.com.au/ took them home and within 3 days they all died!!

Why did they die, because i was an over eager idiot. I have kept fish for years and know better and should have put in some cheap feeder goldfish, built up the nitrogen cycle and made sure the tank was running... but i didn't.

After 3 weeks of having goldfish in the tank the plants started to grow nicely and now i have small red claw growing out in each of the IBC's rather than silver perch and the system is running perfectly.

[davidstcldfl]

Hi carbrooksilkies....welcome to the addiction.... :D

[JCO]

Welcome to the show....pull up an easy chair, relax and stay awhile. New voices are always a welcome addition to our family..! Whatever questions you have on you mind, this is the place to get the answers. :mrgreen:

[Big Al]

hi there carbrook, what part of australia is carbrook located in. glad your here Big Al

[dufflight]

Welcome.

Its hard to wait for a system to cycle. At least now you can use one system to kick start a new one. Just got another batch of SP(300) the other day.

[carbrooksilkies]

Carbrook is in Qld - between redland bay and loganholme

[JCO]

What time of year is it there and do you have a winter to contend with there and what are the temps...summer and winter? :mrgreen:

[urbanfarmer]

I just wanted to say HELLO!

I have found this forum to be a cornucopia of knowledge. The members here are friendly and wise! Your stay will be a pleasant one, WELCOME.

[Oldandfound1]

Hi Carbrook,
Welcome to the Forum. Good looking flowers in your photo. Keep us up to date on your Summer grow.
Dennis
Oldandfound1

[carbrooksilkies]

Scrapped both individual systems on the weekend, have added 1 full tank (new ibc) for fish only, have got the 2 half ibc's as sumps full of redclaw and adding 2 bathtubs as grow beds. Only got half way through the rebuild over the weekend due to being "asked" to build a new chick run... More progress and photos next week was dark by the time i got the pumps set up... Had some fund creating affnan syphons, which after very little trial and error worked a treat. It was a pleasure to sit back with spotlights on Bundy in hand to see it all up and running @ 10pm last night

[stucco]

Be careful! Those auto siphons will put in a hypnotic trance. Don’t look directly into them. :shock:

[carbrooksilkies]

ok Revised system set up is now with :
1 IBC fishtank - with 40 SP small + 1 20cm & 12 Goldfish
2 IBC cut down as growbeds and sumps - with 100+ redclaw

Planning on adding 3 more IBC's as fishtanks to be joined via 90mm pvc at top height to stabilise water and have a single joined system. Then will have 2 half cut barrels on the top of each tank running back into each tank.

Will also have to sort out decent drain systems from the ibcs to the other 2 sump and grow beds as the 25mm piping is problematic with kids climbing tanks to feed crayfish and pick veges. Have had a couple of incidents where piping has come loose or out, but pump has a float and tanks are joined at high levels fo no losses or complete drain outs so at least some of the system design concepts have worked.

[carbrooksilkies]

oops wanted to add GB2 & the sump to sump joiners - over flow (a set up that i presently hate as it clogs with val that i have in the tanks for the crayfish to munch on and i need to replace in the future.)

[urbanfarmer]

Looking good, sir! It is coming along nicely. :D