I am building a system - Update 5/5/13

[hawkiye]

Here is the system I am building this forum has already helped me out in how to do things feel free to make suggestions. I am pasting these from a local meetup forum so if the context seem a little off here and there that is why I don't have time to edit them. Here we go.


Ok then lets get things moving so thought I would Post a couple of pics on the chaos that will hopefully soon become my working AP system. []

These are the grow beds I am deciding how to lay out. I am going to build a greenhouse room on the patio eventually so decided to see if I could make the AP system fit on the patio rather then on the other side of the house. I think it will work but I'll have to build a custom tank for the fish. I have a good water bed liner that may work for that but we'll see...





On another note The Bees are amazing these girls know how to work! I haven't seen a flower or bloom anywhere yet they are finding pollen somewhere. Not a lot but they are finding it... I am impressed!

[hawkiye]

Well so the water bed liner will not work its to small so I need to figure out how to build a custom tank for cheap. The conventional method is to build one out of wood and user a pond liner. But pond liners are dam expensive. Thought about using a couple of barrels connected with large pipe but I want a little bigger tank for the fish. So in my travels I ran across this guy on youtub who build pools out of cardoard.. Yep that's right I said cardboard LOL! So its got my gears turning here check it out:


[video:2zzke3cb]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsAxyxDOAS0[/video:2zzke3cb]

It's actually not a bad idea and most of all cheap. I don't think I will use cardboard this time around because I don't know how long it will last but it could lend it self to some cool shapes. However some thin plywood or ceder fence pickets instead would be better I am thinking. His water proofing method is pretty clever I thought. What I may do is build the tank of wood and water proof it like he does and try a small test tank out of cardboard just to see how long it will last... hey if it works we could call it Cardboard Aquaponics LOL!

Well I am off to check out some hard rock covering and price it etc...

[hawkiye]

Update: 3/14/13

Well the grow beds are all leveled and ready for plumbing. Looks easy but the patio has a pitch to it so the water will drain and i have rock steps that I built on to it that are not perfectly flat so after fiddling around and shimming the block I finally got it level. Leveling is important so the water distributes evenly into the beds and does not flow to one side or the other.





I also tested the gravel from the local cement plant for high PH using vinegar. Just take a hand full of gravel and put it in a clear jar with vinegar and if it starts fissing or bubbling it has to much limestone in it that will keeps the PH to high for the system my gravel tested fine.



I have also been clearing out the planter area ( digging up potting some of the plants we want to save till we figure out where to put them etc. for the fish tank and getting the outside of the tank ready for paint. I was going to use the hard rock coating but it's to expensive and I have some really good exterior paint already so i am going to use that and I have an piece of floor vinyl I will set under the tank on top of some gravel too to keep water from wicking up the wood and rotting it eventually

As usual when you start a project it just seems to expand and make more and more work. I'll need to put a gutter up on the house where the fish tank is going to sit so the rain does not drain into the tank. Luckily I have some gutter laying around but will need some paint to match the house. I am also going to have to dig the planter out a foot deep for the tank as it is too tall otherwise...

I will get more pictures and an update up when I have some time.

[hawkiye]

Update 3/18/12

OK things are moving forward slowly. I had to put up a rain gutter where the fish tank is going to be so the rain would not run into the tank and over flow it and mess with the PH etc.

Here is the gutter all installed. Luckily I had this laying around it was missing 2 out of 8 brackets and of course the big box store did not have that type of bracket so I used a couple of long lag bolts to replace those two and it worked good. I of course had to paint it and luckily still had some house paint from when we bought the house 9 years ago and it was amazingly still good.



I then focused my attention on getting the tank ready. I painted the outside with a good acrylic latext paint to water proof it which I also had lying around too can you tell I am a miser LOL! So I went to work to get the tank finished so I can get it in place to start plumbing.





These are a couple of shots of the tank as I get ready to put the other end on and I will then have to glass in the corners like you see in the rest of the tank and then put a final coat of resin on. This will hold about 800 gallons it will make a great fish tank. I was building this for rain water catchment.

I got the other end on and started working on the ground where the tank is gong to go; under the window where I put up the gutter. However I have run into a snag. This tank is just to damn big to fit there without blocking part of the walkway. The window is a pop out and I'd have to drop the tank almost two feet into the ground to fit under the pop out so I could move it back off the walk way area. That is a lot of digging by hand. It also needed to go down at least a foot to fifteen inches so the grow beds could gravity drain back to the tank. Also I did not really want to put a wood tank (the outside) in the ground as the moisture would rot the wood eventually. I was going to put some of that rubber roofing sealer on it and go for it as it is what I have and can't afford to spend a bunch of money right now.

I have been racking my brain on what to do. So I think I am going to build a custom permanent pond/tank there so it can conform to the area. Either way it looks like I am going to have to dig. So I think what I have decided is I will dig down about foot to fifteen inches and come up about 24- 27 inches with a ferro cement (like a pool) tank and may decorate with some rock etc.. After pricing pond liners and plywood to build a smaller tank that would fit the area this will be the cheapest. I already have the sand cement and wire mesh and even if I had to buy it it would still be much cheaper. Only thing I'll need to buy is some pool paint probably.

This is what happens when you have limited space. Should of just went with a barrel-ponics system LOL! I always have to do things more elaborate then most it seems... And now the wife wants another patio with a gazebo and a fire pit (which I had promised to do a year or so ago) LOL! Amazing how the size of a project just grows by leaps and bounds as it goes... So I am going to get to building the new tank tomorrow.

[hawkiye]

It is coming along nothing like making work for yourself. Here is a couple more photos of digging the tank/pond:



Here is the finished hole... And now of course it is raining a bit today lets hope it does't rain to much...

[hawkiye]

Update 3/24/12

Ok moving along here the tank is coming along slowly I have about half of the first coat of cement on. Doing it in a hole like this is not the easiest way to do it but the only way for the space I have. It would be better to if you dig down completely and then back fill the dirt to the level you wanted it. or just dig the entire tank into the ground. The wire moves a lot wen sticking up over the edges so you have to mix the cement just right so its wet enough to flow but dry enough to stick to the wire.

But it working as we get read for the meetup tomorrow. Also a sprayer would be better and easier then troweling it on. However its not to bad :


Here's some pics of the tank partially coated:






Being partially in the ground should help keep the water temperature more stable. I will also build up some rock around the part sticking up out of the ground which will also help insulate the tank.

[JCO]

Looking very good ... keep the photos coming

[badflash]

Those pools will need a little more support on the bottom. Once you put water and media in them they will sag any place there is overhang.

Another note on the rain water. You need to harden that water before adding it to your system. I assume you are growing tilapia. If not check the hardness and pH requirements. Rain water is essentially distilled and has nearly no minerals. One member lost a hge number of fish by adding straight rain water.

[hawkiye]

Those pools will need a little more support on the bottom. Once you put water and media in them they will sag any place there is overhang.

Another note on the rain water. You need to harden that water before adding it to your system. I assume you are growing tilapia. If not check the hardness and pH requirements. Rain water is essentially distilled and has nearly no minerals. One member lost a hge number of fish by adding straight rain water.

Thanks for the tips. Yeah I will be using some plywood underneath the pools to reinforce the bottoms so they do not sag. I was not planning on using rainwater I was going to use a tank i was building for rainwater as a fish tank but it turned out to be to big for that spot hence I am building the ferro cement tank. I have irrigation water but am afraid to use that too no telling what is in it from the farms up stream. So will bite the bullet and use tap water and let the chlorine dissipate. Yes I will be raising Tilapia for starters. Want to try my hand at trout eventually too just cause I like to eat trout and also cause everyone says its to hard . However I read somewhere that trout are the most popular fish for AP with the Ozzies.

Appreciate all the feed back though!

[davidstcldfl]

So will bite the bullet and use tap water and let the chlorine dissipate.

Hawkiye, you might want to check in with your city's water dept. Most, if not all city water now has chloromine in it, rather then chlorine. Chloromines don't disapate like chlorine. It might stay in the water for a month or so.
Some of us use sodium ascorbate, which helps to break it down. Or you may need to use another water traetment. Some use special water filters.