system updates and questions

[urbanrunoff]

Hello everyone.
I've been cycling my constant flow system for a week now (no fish no plants).
I'm waiting for my heaters, it is too cold now for bacteria build up.
I used an inline carbon water filter (for rv's) and it seems to have filtered out the chloramine leaving me with 1.0 ppm of ammonia.
Nitrate 10
nitrite 0
and a pH of 8.0
very hard water 300.

I was thinking to start my system with goldfish and get “real” fish in the spring when temps allow me to get tilapia.

Since a lot of people use seasol, or maxicrop I was wondering if it was useful to add some seaweed extract? I found some at local store “growmore” 0.10 – 0.10- 1.50. should be safe since it only has .10% nitrogen, ? Would this allow me to add some plnats before the fish. my system, looks so "naked" and the neighbors are starting to ask questions

thanks

[urbanrunoff]

thanks for the reply
ernie, are you in Oceanside? i'm located in Encinitas.
how's the surf? the high tide is killing it here

[JCO]

Welcome to the show....sit down....relax awhile. New voices are always a welcome addition to our family..!

[wolfracer]

Hello everyone.
I've been cycling my constant flow system for a week now (no fish no plants).
I'm waiting for my heaters, it is too cold now for bacteria build up.
I used an inline carbon water filter (for rv's) and it seems to have filtered out the chloramine leaving me with 1.0 ppm of ammonia.
Nitrate 10
nitrite 0
and a pH of 8.0
very hard water 300.

I was thinking to start my system with goldfish and get “real” fish in the spring when temps allow me to get tilapia.

Since a lot of people use seasol, or maxicrop I was wondering if it was useful to add some seaweed extract? I found some at local store “growmore” 0.10 – 0.10- 1.50. should be safe since it only has .10% nitrogen, ? Would this allow me to add some plnats before the fish. my system, looks so "naked" and the neighbors are starting to ask questions

thanks

I reccomend putting the goldfish in. I had the exact same numbers and couldn't seem to get things going until I actually put fish in and things started to happen. I would test to make darn sure the chlormine was gone. That stuff has to be chemically broken down using vitamin c or a chloramine remover.

[urbanrunoff]

cool, i think i'm gonoing to get a couple of test fish then.

[jackalope]

cool, i think i'm gonoing to get a couple of test fish then.

You can just go down to the LFS and buy feeder Guppies, Minnows or Comets for about 5 for $1 ...... a few bucks worth will produce enough urine and waste to get the system kick-started, and if you use Guppies or Minnows, you can just leave them in there for the Tilapia ..... Mmmmmnnnnn fresh Guppy for lunch!!

[jackalope]

ernie, I've looked at TM's site, but there are no plans for the barrel-ponics as far as I can see ..... no plans at all that I can find, and it's a far piece to go to San D from here to take a gander at her operation and see if it's something i could use

[urbanrunoff]

ernie, thanks for all the info.

I live very close to moonlight beach, right by stone steps .
thanks for the offer, unfortunately i have no indoor space. and i'm trying to heat my outdoor 100 gallon FT with 2 300watt aquarium heaters
i'm happy if i get it around 70 this time of the year.
I will def. attend one of tilapia mama's workshops.

thanks again for the offer and maybe in Spring you have some fish you want a good home for.
If i'm successful and comfortable with my system i'm thinking about trying trout next winter. I just love the taste of that fish.
it's storming like crazy outside and i had to dump over 20 gallon to make sure the tank does not overflow.

as you can read i'm doing this guerrilla style for now

[jackalope]

In this pic the air pump is in the center of a 4 barrel system, placed above water the level w/ one way valves on each air feeder line.

That is a really nice air pump ... I've never seen one with so many outlets !! Got any idea where they can be found? That would be better than running several different pumps!

No water pumps are used. The air lifts and water are the same level in each barrel.

I like that idea ! no water pumps ..... air pumps would probably use less power, which would lower my electric bill !

Fish are kept in one or more barrels and solids filtration and/or biofiltration is in the other barrels.

Now I understand the operation a little better

If you look around you can find mesh laundry bags that fit nicely into a 50g barrel, If you put them in the fish barrel before you put the fish in, when it comes time to clean the fish barrel, simply turn off the air pump, pull the bag out of the barrel, put it in another barrel w/ clean water, siphon out the solids from the fish barrel, refill it w/ water then return the bag to the barrel. Done deal.

Things like that aren't easily come by out here in the sticks

I want to thank you for the drawings and the explanations, etc. I like the general idea, but I can see some modifications that I would have to make to her design. Also, 50 gallon barrels are not that easily come by here, but I have a couple of 30 gallon ones and a 15 that I could possibly hook together ..... that would give me a start to figure out any other changes I might want to make Heaters would be the main thing, with the -21F weather we are having right now ..... and it will get worse before it gets better ...... heaters are a big priority This is great! I can see a Barrel-ponics aquaculture system in my future for sure! The good thing is that it's expandable, it would separate the different sizes of the fish, and at any time, it could be tapped into to supply an aquaponics system! I wish I could start on it today, but moving into the mobile and out of the saloon is keeping me occupied for now. I've still got a lot of tile work to do in the mobile, but it's much warmer in there, so I'll have to work around all of the other stuff to get it done. Then, it's ME time .... I'll take some time to work on MY projects

Thanks again

[urbanrunoff]

unfortunately i have no indoor space. and i'm trying to heat my outdoor 100 gallon FT with 2 300watt aquarium heaters
i'm happy if i get it around 70 this time of the year.

How R U insulating your outdoor tank?

the tank sits on a palette and I wrapped fiberglass insulation, covered with plastic around it.
got a plastic (vapor barrier) cover but i'm about to cut a wood cover for it that i'm going to insulate too.

Also, i'm considering building a trickle biofilter for the FT and shut down the pump at night to limit heat loss (it's a constant flow system).
Or maybe a cold frame for the grow bed.