Hello from Raleigh, NC

[davidstcldfl]

Hi Gigaguy.
I'm using the larger mixing tubs as my GB's. I'm not doing flood and drain though. I covered mine with shade cloth, to help keep down the algae. I'm not sure if it will help keep the temp's down. You can see in the pict, that it's black. I may try to find something white....fabric of some kind...?


My 'homemade' bulkhead fittings are made from 'electrical' (gray) pvc fittings. The female and male adapters will go together, because the threads are 'staright'. The plumbing (white) pvc have tapered threads. The plumbing pipe will fit in the electrical fittings.

I think your green house may get too hot, even with both doors open (?) A solar powered attic exhaust fan, from one of the DIY big box stores, would be sweet.

When Stucco asked if your system was 'cycled'....I think he 'may of' meant ....Has the water gone through the natural process of building up the bacteria and nutrients...and is it balanced (?) PH level...nitrate levels...nitrite levels...ammonia levels...?
A nice 'fresh water' test kit is a 'must'.

Check out the first few pages of urbanrunoff's thread.....you'll see they are talikng about 'cycling' of his water. Here's the link.....
Urban's system


In the picture of your blue FT, the outlet is towards the bottom. Is this the height of your water level ?

[gigaguy]

I think your green house may get too hot, even with both doors open (?) A solar powered attic exhaust fan, from one of the DIY big box stores, would be sweet.?

When I built the hoop house, I put a "opening" that you could call a door on both sides in anticipation that it would be HOT in the summer. I solar exhaust fan is a good idea though.

When Stucco asked if your system was 'cycled'....I think he 'may of' meant ....Has the water gone through the natural process of building up the bacteria and nutrients...and is it balanced (?) PH level...nitrate levels...nitrite levels...ammonia levels...?

I had cycled it for a few days before adding the fish.

A nice 'fresh water' test kit is a 'must'..?

Just picked one up that mesaures pH, Amonia, Nitrite, & Nitrate

In the picture of your blue FT, the outlet is towards the bottom. Is this the height of your water level ?

No the water level was about 1" below the top of that blue tub prior to pumping into the GB's. But, even when the GB's were full of water, the FT was still about 1/3 full.

So for my next attempt should I put the tub in the ground a few inches? Or get a different color?

My wife suggeted I put in a pond just outside the greenhouse, but how would I pump out the water then? Use a sump pump, submerged pump, or pond pump? I was worried the pond pump would filter out the nitrates somehow. I guess that will be what I will move up to though. I should get the "cheap" option working first.

[jackalope]

Just one more comment ..... kinda off the FT/GB subject, keep in mind that there is a chemical interaction between the PVC pipe and the construction plastic sheeting Clik so the Plastic cover may not last more than one season ..... If you use some type of non-plastic fabric tape to wrap the PVC tubing, the cover will sometimes last 3 or 4 years from what I've been reading .

[gigaguy]

Just one more comment ..... kinda off the FT/GB subject, keep in mind that there is a chemical interaction between the PVC pipe and the construction plastic sheeting Clik so the Plastic cover may not last more than one season ..... If you use some type of non-plastic fabric tape to wrap the PVC tubing, the cover will sometimes last 3 or 4 years from what I've been reading .

Yea. From what I read though it only happens once. So you first plastic will last maybe a year or two, but after the PVC has "reacted" the new plastic lasts longer. This was also a temporary thing to see how it worked. And it didnt keep my plants safe from frost all winter, allowed my to start seeds earlier, and is now working for propagations, oh and aquaponics once I get it going.

But I've also read on site that say "All types of PVC are now formulated to resist UV degradation".

So who knows. Either way I was expecting it. My other issue is heating it in winter. I wonder if I will kill the goldies with the cold?

Thanks for the heads up though.

[JCO]

The only way you can kill a gold fish with cold temperatures is if the water freezes solid from the surface all the way to the bottom of the container and then they still might survive

Goldfish are very tough and can withstand very high temperatures if you have enough oxygen in the water. Oxygen is the key to hot weather survival for all fish.

I have raised goldfish and Koi outdoors in kiddie pools and have ice 1 - 2 inches thick on the surface and still see them swimming around under the ice. Fish in general eat very little to nothing when the water temperature drops.

I would say your major problem is not enough FT water volume for the volume of the GBs. You will have to increase the FT volume or find some way of guaranteeing a sufficient amount of oxygen in the water that is left in the FT when the GBs are being filled.

[davidstcldfl]

Glad to hear you got a test kit. That's going to help a lot.

You might try this gigaguy......(hope the drawing will help this to make sense)
Get another large tub....use it for a sump tank. Bury it in the ground ( a few inches sticking up). You can have a pump actually 'in' the sump or... pump 'from' the sump....your choice.
You will be pumping 'clean' water from the sump... to the FT. The fish tank will overflow, through the slo-drain....into the (3) grow beds. The GB's, will then drain the water back to the sump.
This will give you more water to work with....slower to heat in the summer. The fish will be happier because their water level will remain 'constant' in the fist tank. Hopefully, more oxygen too.

Look at the picture of the slo-drain.....should make sense. Water naturally seeks it's own heighth. As you pump 'more' water into the fish tank, the water will flow 'up' the pipe and exit the tank. The reason the slo-drain goes to the bottom, is to help pick up 'solids' (fish pooh) and carry them to the GB's.
People add red wigglers to the GB's to help break down the 'solids'.

Add some kind of insulation around your fish tank (styrofoam) and the GB's too, in order to regulate your temps.

Here's a 'hand' drawing... ...hope it gives you an idea.
I only drew 1 grow bed, I know you have more, was easier to draw. You may need to put some kind of blocks under your grow beds, IF, you need some heighth for the drain pipe to get to the sump.

This type of a set up is called..CHIFT PIST...Constant Heighth In Fish Tank....Pump In Sump Tank

[gigaguy]

Look at the picture of the slo-drain.....should make sense. Water naturally seeks it's own heighth. As you pump 'more' water into the fish tank, the water will flow 'up' the pipe and exit the tank. The reason the slo-drain goes to the bottom, is to help pick up 'solids' (fish pooh) and carry them to the GB's.
People add red wigglers to the GB's to help break down the 'solids'.

Just curious, but wouldnt this mean that the pump is almost always ON?

[davidstcldfl]

Hi gigaguy.
Once your pump shuts off (by your timer)....the fish tank won't 'overflow' anymore, till the pump turns on again.
The FT water level will be at the height, of where your pvc goes through the side of the tank.

In the drawing....I drew the water level , in the FT, at the heighth of the 'pvc tee' and the bulkhead fitting. That's where it should 'normally' be.
The water in the FT, should remain the same. The water in the FT 'might go up some', when the pump is on. That will depend on the actual flow of the pump.

Speaking of the 'tee'....make sure you keep the 'top' of it open. You don't want it to form a 'siphon' and drain the tank (when the pump is off) In the picture, I drew the top of the tee, above the top of the tank...and it's 'open'



The sump's water level will be going up and down, a lot.


Hope this helps...

[gigaguy]

Hi gigaguy.
Once your pump shuts off (by your timer)....the fish tank won't 'overflow' anymore, till the pump turns on again.
The FT water level will be at the height, of where your pvc goes through the side of the tank.

In the drawing....I drew the water level , in the FT, at the heighth of the 'pvc tee' and the bulkhead fitting. That's where it should 'normally' be.
The water in the FT, should remain the same. The water in the FT 'might go up some', when the pump is on. That will depend on the actual flow of the pump.

Speaking of the 'tee'....make sure you keep the 'top' of it open. You don't want it to form a 'siphon' and drain the tank (when the pump is off) In the picture, I drew the top of the tee, above the top of the tank...and it's 'open'

The sump's water level will be going up and down, a lot.
Hope this helps...

Thanks, you all have been a huge help. just a few more questions.

1. Would two 55 gal drums be enough for the sump tank and FT? Or can I just go with two of the rubrmaid totes? With the sump tank burried.
2. I would need to buy a new pump since mine is not submerisble. Would 330gph, 150" lift, .06hp, 1/2" output pond pump be enough? I do have a small pond pump I can use, but I dont know the specs, and it's only got maybe a 1/4" output connection.
This is the small one I have, what do you think?



3. Can I use flexible plastic tubing instead of PVC in some places? Should there be anything special about it?
4. My GB overflows seemed to wor fine with my od setup, but just want to run it by you all. It's 3/4" PVC with holes drilled in it and a 90 degree elbow and then a 2-3" piece of PVC to the max water height of the GB.

My GB's (They were covered a little better with gravel. I ulled them up to get a pic):




Thanks again.

[urbanrunoff]

i doubt it was the heat that killed the fish.
when i had an ICH outbreak, i heated the tank above 80 for 2 months and all goldfish survived.
My goldfish can handle abuse. When i put them into their new system they went from 80 to 65 and survived that too. I think i should rent these super fish as cycle guerrillas and sytem testers.