Mespe's 50 Gallon Aquarium setup in Progress

[mespe]

Here are some close ups of the bottles and what they do.

As the diet coke bottle fills up, the weight causes it to pull on a fishing line (25 lb test) which, through a series of pulleys closes the valve (small black thing in the picture in the previous post.

It also aerates the water, I think pretty good. there are 6 holes drilled in the bottom of the diet coke bottle, that allow for drainage and aeration.

When the valve is closed, water is forced up the 2 45 degree elbows and flows into the left grow bed. When the auto-siphon kicks in, it fills up a Pepsi bottle and eventually opens the valve, allowing water back into the right side grow bed.

Don't have water in the FT yet, as I have some more gluing to do on the 3 1/2 PVC Trough.

[keith_r]

nice diy sequencing valve! what kind of valve is it?
how about this warm weather? back into the 40's tonight though
how does that sump hold up when the water level is low?

[mespe]

The valve is a automotive heater valve used on a Mercedes 190e, it was originally vacuum operated. When I make another, I think that I will move the auto siphon outlet to the rear of the GB to elminate some pulleys. The sump is fine, it even overflowed when I turned the pump off and it siphoned water from the FT.

I've not had success attaching the valve to the PVC. PVC glue doesn't stick to the valve plastic. looks like it might be a job for JB weld, or maybe jsut stick a screw through teh PVC into the valve plastic. shouldn't be a problem if it leaks a littlem as it will leak into the GB

Since it's sequential (meaning less water because only one GB fills at a time), I will keep the sump as full as possible. the size of the pool is perfect, just wish it was hard plastic insteasd of vinyl.

[mespe]

Hm, not sure if it's like that up there, but around here they have 2x4x8 treated lumber for $1.96 at all the home improvement stores, which is a buck cheaper than the untreated studs they sell... just a thought!

The last thing I wanted to use was treated lumber. Way too much water will work its way from the wood to the fish, treated wood has nasty stuff in it. Since this is a closed system, and leaching chemical will quickly accumulate in the water.

[mespe]

The 2 liter switch-over valve seems to be working fine, been running non-stop for 4 days and no hickups. now to get some fish,,,

[urbanfarmer]

Excellent work sir.

[keith_r]

i started cycling my system with a couple dozen minnows from the bait shop..was told they wouldn't survive in a tank, but they did fine
(until i put the perch in)

have you decided what fish you'll be using?

[mespe]

I called Butch up, apparantly he knows big Al, as soon as I mentioned aquaponics, he started chuckling and said something about alot of calls about fish for aquaponics.

I'm going with bluegill I think, haven't decided if I'm going to a pond, or buying them, I guess it depends upon cost. Some hatcheries charge $60/100 don't know how much 10 are going to cost. 10 should be a good number for a 50 gallon tank, no? Or can I get by with more?

I primed the system with some seagreen, changed the color of water to something murky looking. I would imagine after the water cleans up, I should be good to go.

I did have some sequencing problems, because the pulley for the left tank was pulling on the valve's lever at an angle and it wasn't fully opening the valve, at which point both GBs were getting water and the autosiphons were siphoning as fast as they could.

No overflows, just not sequencing.

Also noticed after the addition of seagreen, that some foaming is occurring at the water entry points of the GB's when the water level is towrads the high side.

[mespe]

I put some seeds and cotton balls in the lettuce cups, covered them with cellophane. Also pulled a few small lettuce seedlings from my lettuce box and put them in cups with cotton balls. Probably to early for the seedlings, as I'm not providing them any nutrients (no fish in tank)

I also planted some kidney beans and black eye peas that I robbed from my wife's pantry in the kitchen. seeds don't need any nutrients to sprout, so I figure they might sprout by the time I get fish. I promised my wife to eat 6 less kidney beans at the next meal. Can't wait to see some green in my GBs, fish or no fish.

[keith_r]

butch is a good guy, i got 15 bluegill, a couple dozen crayfish and a sucker fish for something like 30 bucks from him, but the bg are mixed (green sunfish, and regular bg)
i had 25 yellow perch delivered for around 50 (woulda cost me more to drive to the fishery near dayton)
i had plants in before i had fish, i cycled with aged humonia