How are you going to hookup the duckweed tank? I've used duckweed for years in some of my planted aquarium tanks. It worked very well when I started breeding crystal red shrimp about 10 years ago. They are very sensitive and hard to breed, but duckweed and certain mineral rocks, along with some specific volcanic ash allowed me to go from 20 to about 200 before selling most of them off. Duckweed is amazing for keeping nitrates out of the water.
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LV's aquaponics
- Thread starter LordViykor
- Start date
LGHT said:
The fishtank will have an overflow to the grow beds and duckweed tank. In the duckweed tank I'll have a simple stand pipe to maintain a constant height of water. The duckweed will get harvested when it rows out and get frozen in zip lok bags for later use as fish food. The jade perch love duck weed and other greenery to munch on as well as smaller fish and commercial pellets.
That's an very interesting and impressive system you have LV.
What's the monthly operating cost?
What's the monthly operating cost?
LGHT said:
I rely on the formation of nitrates to feed the plants in the grow bed.
The fish excrete ammonia - this is converted to nitrites by bacteria (Nitrosomonas sp.) - the nitrites are converted to nitrates by more bacteria (Nitrobacter sp.) - the nitrates are then absorbed by the plants. Then the water going through the gravel medium filters out the nitrates via the plant roots with 'clean' water returning to the fish tank
Silver_Surfer said:
I calculate around $2.30 per month on my first (current) system, when I get the second one running I'll be buying a couple of Hozelock Cascade 4000 Submersible Pond Pumps for both systems. After also adding a air pump to the larger system the monthly cost should be around $5 per month.
The pumps are run on 15 minute timers and are lower wattage than what I currently use. The extra cost will be from the air pump going 24/7 I may rethink that though and run it on 2 15 minute cycles per hour.
Harvested some Bok Choi the other day, being winter it's all growing out pretty slowly.
I love your plans. I noticed you were using Google Scetchup, am I right? I just started using that to plan out the ideas I have had but Im starting to think I may have been doing some of my stuff the hard way. Slightly off topic but, if you are in fact using Scetchup how did you get the tubs and other containers formed and looking so nice? Im not sure how to make shapes like that.
I am using sketchup, the baths and IBC's were imported from the web. It's been ages since I've used it I can't remember what part of the app does the importing. It links to a library where others share what they've created, I found what I needed and downloaded them.
I did some digging and found where to do the imports. Do you recall where online you got those items or do you know where you can get plants (vegetables) for doing garden layouts and stuff in Sketchup? I have done a lot of digging and just cant seem to find what I am looking for. Not trying to get off topic here but any help would be greatly appreciated.
I had to reinstall Sketchup to remember what to do
must have missed it when I upgraded to Win7.As you most likely know you go File> 3D Warehouse> Get Models> then just type in what you are looking for.
Being winter not too much has been happening with my system, growth has slowed as expected the fish seem happy enough though.
The Bok Choi seems to like the AP system.
The Bok Choi seems to like the AP system.
My 2nd system is going rather slowly, I got the steel for the frames this week and a mate from work is going to weld them up.
All going well it'll be cycling in the next month.
All going well it'll be cycling in the next month.
My second system is starting to come together, the stands are done and the outlet fittings for the grow beds are nearly finished.
I hope to have the plumbing from the grow beds going back to the sump tank completed this week. I'll post some photos later this week.
I hope to have the plumbing from the grow beds going back to the sump tank completed this week. I'll post some photos later this week.
Fittings for the grow beds, still not sure on the set-up whether it will be siphons or stand pipes.
The barrels, these will get hydroton or similar to reduce weight.
The barrels, these will get hydroton or similar to reduce weight.
The oulet on one of the blue barrels.
Sump tank (IBC) with a blue barrel for duck weed.
Bathtubs and stands set into place.
Sump tank (IBC) with a blue barrel for duck weed.
Bathtubs and stands set into place.
Been working on my system today, the 25mm threaded fittings don't allow for a lot of leeway in the bathtubs. So I cut the bottoms out of some old pots and made a spacer to try and centre everything.
The 50mm to 24mm reducer is different from the one Affan uses, I'm going to try and find one with a taper like his.
The 50mm to 24mm reducer is different from the one Affan uses, I'm going to try and find one with a taper like his.
The bathtubs had some chips in the enamel so I smeared silicon over the area.
Well I spent a good part of the day shovelling 20mm gravel into my bathtub grow beds.
Over the last month all the plumbing has been done and the pond an air pumps have been fitted in the end I stuck with the reducer fittings I already had. I'll have to post some photos and update the blog, next step is getting all the siphons to work correctly. Then the system can be cycled and the fish added.
Over the last month all the plumbing has been done and the pond an air pumps have been fitted in the end I stuck with the reducer fittings I already had. I'll have to post some photos and update the blog, next step is getting all the siphons to work correctly. Then the system can be cycled and the fish added.
Some updates on my progress.
Nearly ready to cycle just need to make my siphons up.
Nearly ready to cycle just need to make my siphons up.