Dave's ground breaking news.

[badflash]

You can get a nice blower for around $150. One your system is big enough, it is the way to go. Blowers last for over 20 years and only need to have their inlet filters changed in the mean time. After that a $20 rebuild kit takes care of it. Once you need a bunch of air, forget anything else.

[dufflight]

Handy thing extra air. I drop an air stone in a tank of water to gas off the chlorine. I also have a 150ltr compost tea brewing 24/7. With the added o2 it keeps fresh and can be added to at any time. 300ltr per min runs about 60 air stones ish.

I'm currently looking for an air pump to run about 20 air stones @1m depth for the new systems airlift bio filter.

[badflash]

Here in the US few of us can gas off chlorine from town water any more. Most larger cities and towns have converted to chloramine. You can't gas it off. It has to be reacted away.

[davidstcldfl]

Hi....I was surprised when I saw roots sticking out of my tomatoes' modules already. I believe I transplanted them into the modules about 2 weeks ago.



I'm experimenting with a raft. I did throw a couple air stones, underneath the raft. The romaine and butter crunch are transplants that I bought at our local home improvement center. I did plant some spinach and some asst leaf lettuces on the far side of the raft.



I finally hung some romaine and some spinach leaves into the indoor tank with the tilapia. It took them about an hour, to figure out what to do with it. Then it was a feeding frenzy....

[davidstcldfl]

Good old Murphy....
It's a cold, rainy day with some wind blowing. I walk into the kitchen to get another nice hot cup of coffee. I'm standing there, sipping on it.... thinking I'm glad I don't have to go out today. As I'm thinking this.....I look out the window, at my system. I can see part of the smaller sump, where the 2 pumps are...... ....I don't see any water !
So there I go, out into the cold rain. Both pumps were running....they are still in water. I look around real quick, for any good size leaks. Then I notice the primary sump ( the large one with the goldies in it) is completely full and over running... ....?... So, I go over and pull the slo-drain out of the bulkhead fitting. As I lift it up, I see the slots, that I had cut into it, was full of leaves.... . I had cut the bottom of the pvc at an angle....some water was still able to flow up the drain...but the leaves had stopped at least 1/2 of it. With all the wind we've had the last day or two...I had a lot of leaves in the sumps...
I took the slo-drain, and drilled some 1/2 inch (13mm) holes into the top of the tee. My thoughts are...if the water ever gets that high again, it can flow into the holes. The top of the tee is open, but, it's above the rim of the sump.
Oh yeah, the rain stopped...after I was done.
Hope your day is going better....

My 'Cad' system was made in 1958....

[davidstcldfl]

I'm laughing at myself... ....I made a bell syphon, and it works.... Now I understand, when people say they stand there and watch it.....lol.
The little tub holds apro 18 gal/ 68 ltr. I made the stand pipe, 1/2 pvc / 13 mm. The bell is 2 inch/ 50mm.
Now I just have to buy some rocks or hydrotron and give it a try.

[stucco]

With a half inch stand pipe you might have better luck with a smaller diameter bell, but hey... if it aint broke don’t fix it.

[dufflight]

I've got a few with 40mm stand pipe. They are really fast to drain a gb.

[davidstcldfl]

With a half inch stand pipe you might have better luck with a smaller diameter bell

Well,actually I started out with a 1 inch stand pipe. The flow comming in to the GB, wasn't fast enough, for that much drainage....with the garden hose helping , it worked.... . So, I added a bushing and dropped to a 1/2 inch stand pipe. Do you think a 1 1/2 inch bell would be better

I'll have to look, I may already have a 1 1/2 inch slip cap....I know I have a little pipe that size.

[davidstcldfl]

I've got a few with 40mm stand pipe. They are really fast to drain a gb.

Wow Duff... ...Of course, you do have some nice size GB's.