Finally, up and running!

[jackalope]

I can finally say I am out of the aquarium business and into the aquaponics business ........ today I put the last of the Goldies into the fish tank and completely dismantled the equipment in the 10 gallon so I can clean it up in anticipation of hopefully purchasing some Nile Tilapia this spring/summer. I've got enough equipment for one fry tank, but I'll have to outfit another for a second tank, as I want to have (eventually) 3 different kinds ..... Nile, Aureus, and Mossambique - not for crossbreeding, but for purity in the line. If they're crossbred, I won't be able to breed my own, so I'd be having to ship new ones all the time ..... I'd rather breed my own. Years ago, when I was heavily into Tropical Fish, I used to breed Platys, Swordtails, Guppys, Bettas, and Gouramis ...... the latter two are the hardest to breed, but the most graceful of all when courting and breeding ..... all that is to say that I think I will be able to breed Tilapia as well ..... with a little help from Dr. Axelrod, Jack and the Internet

My system is mixed ....... the upper section is like this Clik , but I've modified it some to make it a F&D system, as well it will eventually be about 21 cups instead of 11 .... the extension is my next project, since I've finally got the system the way I want it. Up on top is mostly lettuce and herbs, and maybe a tomato or two..
The second level is two grow-beds about 21"x 15"x 6" which are fed by the bottle system above. They each hold 9 cups with cukes, squash, watermelon, bush-beans, onions and tomatoes. both grow-beds have no-holes drains in them which act somewhat like a F&D system, and which empty directly into the bottom level.
The bottom level is the 50 gallon Rubbermaid Fish Tank with a dozen of the largest Goldfish I could find for under $.50. It will take two years for these to make it to edible size, so that's why my next system will be using Tilapia. I'll be on the lookout for more Goldies every time I go to Billings or Great Falls (The LFS in Lewistown charges $.33 for 12 cent babies and minnows). I figure I should be able to put about 35 to 40 young in there until they are about a year old, then I'll separate them into two or three FT's to grow them to their full size. It will be interesting as time goes on ....... especially during the Winter ! All that, and I'm also going to build some vermicomposting beds, and then take a stab at BSFL. That way I'll be growing food for us, food for the fish, and food for the plants. Waaayyy cool

[JeffW]

I built 3 of those hydroponics and they work well, speaking of the hydroponic using pop
bottles. Matter a fact I have my own designs too because there is no rule of law
on how to go with them. There is a way to make them F&D by simply leaving
overflow pvc off then simply use a flexible hose in that spot where the overflow
normally goes, that causes the F&D to happen. I will make a video of that and post
it since I am getting all my stuff out now anyway.

I can't wait for your pics, show and tell

[jackalope]

I built 3 of those hydroponics and they work well, speaking of the hydroponic using pop
bottles. Matter a fact I have my own designs too because there is no rule of law
on how to go with them. There is a way to make them F&D by simply leaving
overflow pvc off then simply use a flexible hose in that spot where the overflow
normally goes, that causes the F&D to happen. I will make a video of that and post
it since I am getting all my stuff out now anyway.

I can't wait for your pics, show and tell

I didn't leave off the overflow PVC, I just didn't drill the vent hole in it ...... that way it acts as a siphon and drains the bottles and the PVC ...... tight now it fills and drains about every 80 seconds, I'm thinking as I add more length, this will stretch out farther and farther. I've got an oversized pump ..... I can't find the box ..... I must have burned it, but I think it's 350gph ..... as far as pics, I'll have to study up on that and figure out how to do that with Linux ..... I'm not the geek type, I'm just a user

[JeffW]

Got ya..I am uploading a video of mine right now. Takes a few minutes on DSL but
as soon I it's done I shall link it here.

Last year I went straight about 15 feet with 1 inch thin wall and about every foot with
the cups then used larger pump. The auto siphon did not work so well with straight inline
setup so I cut it apart later and made it with 3 rows instead of 1 long one and it worked.
I like flood and drain because of the oxygen that get's to the root zone.

The worst prob was the roots plugging the pipe as they filled out. I am still trying some ideas
out to solve that one. I like the way Sheryl did her setup and wonder if that is they way to
go using cups in an NFT system.

[wolfracer]

That system sounds really cool. Can't wait for updates.

[jackalope]

Got ya..I am uploading a video of mine right now. Takes a few minutes on DSL but
as soon I it's done I shall link it here.

Last year I went straight about 15 feet with 1 inch thin wall and about every foot with
the cups then used larger pump. The auto siphon did not work so well with straight inline
setup so I cut it apart later and made it with 3 rows instead of 1 long one and it worked.
I like flood and drain because of the oxygen that get's to the root zone.

The worst prob was the roots plugging the pipe as they filled out. I am still trying some ideas
out to solve that one. I like the way Sheryl did her setup and wonder if that is they way to
go using cups in an NFT system.

I use cheap 12 oz. plastic drink cups (get them right after a holiday, and they're about 1/4th the regular price), and I use a pencil soldering iron to poke the holes ..... I put about 8 holes in the bottom and about 21 in the sides ....... since the water comes up from the bottom, and the water exits from the bottom, I only go up about an inch or an inch and a half from the bottom on the sides. I've found that I am going to have to jack the cups up a bit so I don't swamp the starts ....... they waterlog quickly, and then I gotta replace them. I'm cutting little pieces of furnace filter to set the cups on inside the bottle, which I hope will deter the roots from getting down into the supply .........

[jackalope]

That system sounds really cool. Can't wait for updates.

I like it so far, except one thing ...... when they empty, they gurgle like a percolator, but very loudly, and since I live in Montana and it's still freezing and snowing here, (below zero the past two nights), mine is inside our living quarters so the first few days takes a bit of getting used to, now we don't even hardly notice it .

[JeffW]

Yeppers the coffee is almost ready..gurgle gurgle splash At least I can tell
the pumps working when I here that sound. come to think of it it was after I started getting
into all this that I was told I have IBS

just a red neck with a bad back and gurgling shop so bare with my goofy ways.

Anyway here is 1 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9jxHJxNYx8

And 2 of 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHgpZeImC2o

[jackalope]

Good Vids Jeff, I especially like the flexible autosiphon hose ..... I'll have to figure out a way to incorporate that into my setup ...... right now mine is rigid, and yours is adjustable I would like to have that flexibility in my setup ..... for the size of the cups, if nothing else ..... right now, I use 12 oz. cups, but if I want to, I think I could use 16 oz cups, which would be taller and bigger around - more root room before going down into the PVC system. All is good Also, I'm going to use 1" thickwall for everything but the bottle cap rings, thinwall is harder to find here, and thickwall is much cheaper (by 2/3) than thinwall. I believe I read somewheres or saw a vid somewheres, that suggested that some of that landscape stuff that prevents roots would stop the roots from getting into the pipes if it were put into the bottom of the cup to cover the holes ..... something to experiment with, I guess .......

[badflash]

Just nit-picking, but that isn't an auto-siphon, just a plain old siphon. Auto-siphons start their siphon when water reaches a certain level, then they rapidly drain to empty the bed until they lose suction. Then the cycle starts over.

Cool setup though. Nice job!