REDEYES FIRST AQUAPONICS!!!! 9/23/09

[redeyes]

ok here is my first aquaponics system..... wish me luck on this .... i had all this stuff just laying around the shop ... i did go and buy a new 110 gallon tank $85.00 for that ... everything else i had here so far ... i do have a bag and a half of rocks left.... i did all of this today ... all of this will be done indoors for now maybe in the future i will have a greenhouse to work with ... the trays are 8Lx2Wx7D.... i know they should be around 12inches deep but i am only doing leafy greens in there for now so we will see how this works .... just not sure how many fish would be good for me in this tank... i hope i got enough grow beds for this ... i will be using one 400MH, and two 250watt light for now ... i might go over two T-5 8bulb lights later but for now this is what i have ... i have a few more parts i need but i am close to being done...

 

[chilliman]

NIce start, keep us updated !
How many gallon on top ? What fish ?

 

[redeyes]

NIce start, keep us updated !
How many gallon on top ? What fish ?

thanks for the reply..... i will man for sure!!!!! i will have lots of pics... i will be finding some fish real soon... talpia fish is what i want .... i am guessing maybe 20gal of water on top... i could put in a sump also... just not sure what i need just yet...

 

[chilliman]

thanks for the reply..... i will man for sure!!!!! i will have lots of pics... i will be finding some fish real soon... talpia fish is what i want .... i am guessing maybe 20gal of water on top... i could put in a sump also... just not sure what i need just yet...

I think I may use Gold Fish for my first few months/ years. I know they can take anything form 0 - 45 + degree temp changes. And mine is an outdoor setup.
I would love to use burrumndi or prawn but too much work controlling temps in tanks.
So I will work up to those.

I dont know if Aquaponics will not have enough Phos & Potassium to sustain good pods or fruiting plant. So are you hand feeding as well ? Or transplanting ?

I think I will run a 50/50 ratio - You could have 100 gallon on top if you wanted .

 

[redeyes]

I think I may use Gold Fish for my first few months/ years. I know they can take anything form 0 - 45 + degree temp changes. And mine is an outdoor setup.
I would love to use burrumndi or prawn but too much work controlling temps in tanks.
So I will work up to those.

I dont know if Aquaponics will not have enough Phos & Potassium to sustain good pods or fruiting plant. So are you hand feeding as well ? Or transplanting ?

I think I will run a 50/50 ratio - You could have 100 gallon on top if you wanted .

well i am not sure i will be doing anything that flowers but for now just leafy greens ... and i have seen some really good systems that do corn and tomato,peppers... i am not sure if i will be doing that ... and i will hand feed the fish... i am not sure how i am starting the veggies... i dont think my temps will get that low indoors..

 

[chilliman]

I still a newbie too YOUTUBE has been great !
It should be intresting ...
I think peppers will grow well ! Just not fruit well, so i was thinking of transplanting into a pot ... drip feed from tank and hand feed nutes.
But I probably just use it to sprout and start seedlings.
Good Luck !

 

[redeyes]

I still a newbie too YOUTUBE has been great !
It should be intresting ...
I think peppers will grow well ! Just not fruit well, so i was thinking of transplanting into a pot ... drip feed from tank and hand feed nutes.
But I probably just use it to sprout and start seedlings.
Good Luck !

i here you BRO i have been doing alot of reading about this it dont seem to be to hard but we will see how things go

 

[TXCG]

Good luck to both of you this I can't wait to see how this works. Very cool idea and good execution on the build redeyes.

 

[redeyes]

Good luck to both of you this I can't wait to see how this works. Very cool idea and good execution on the build redeyes.

thanks man, this will be a ton of fun .... cant wait too!!!



i just added the water today... i lose about 15-20 gallons when i turn the pumps on so i was thinking about a small sump... here are a few pics ...

 

[redeyes]

ok i am back and i got all the rocks in the grow beds now.. i think i used 4 bags of rocks and i also got 20 gold fish ... i lost 5 so far ...3 jumped out and 1 i got stuck on the pump and 1 was floating in the water ... but they are eating like crazy now my PH is at 8.0 i want it my PH around 6.5 .... i am thinking about putting some seeds in there to see what will happen... i am also going to get T-5 lights, it will be a better way for me togo for now.... i will be using that chicken wire to put over the tank hopeing that will help keep the fish in there... just need to run up to the Home depot...

 

[ZanderSpice]

I can't wait to see this thing running! Hope you've got a fix for fish getting in the pump, that sounds horrible.

 

[redeyes]

I can't wait to see this thing running! Hope you've got a fix for fish getting in the pump, that sounds horrible.

well i dont have a fix but i think the 1 that got stuck was just small ... i have dont think it will be a big deal the fish only cost me .27 cents each so no big loss yet... i am just trying to get my PH down and keeping it down.. i think i will over time... i have fresh water in it and i need to get the bio filter thing to start working first ... and i think it is starting too..... well i put in a cell in there to see if it will root... i have done it before in a cup... i am still waiting for my new light to come in and i will hook it all up i also have 2 or 3 Caribbean Red peppers in there and 2 lemon drops also .... and i tossed in some basil seed in there and you can see 2 sprouts there and that thing next to the cell is a onion ... i found like 10 onions around my outdoor tank i will see how this 1 does and i might dig some more up and clean them off and trans plant them in... i will be moving the peppers plants around when i get all the lights up...

 

[redeyes]

and i got my screen there also so i dont have anymore jumpers... i will see how this works... you can see my 2ft T-5 light i am using right now...

 

[chilliman]

Looking good !
Whats your back up plan for lowering PH ?
I am not far off either, I look forward to seeing some of your results.
Lost anymore fish ?

 

[redeyes]

well i got a RO system going.. my water is very hard here .. i will post a pic of it soon ...



and yes i did lose like 3 more and the past few days .... i also have been adding PH down to it maybe that has something to do with the dead...

 

[redeyes]

here is a update i still dont have my light ... it came and i could here all the broken glass so i sent it back and they have another new one on the way... i got a 8bulb 4foot T-5 ..... i cant remember if i told you guys .... they peppers have grown some and the basil did also ... the cell dont look real happy but i put another 1 in also... i got like 2 lemon drops in there... no more dead fish !!!! the fish look like they are growing... well enjoy !!! you can also see my PH is coming down nice !!! i will do a water change soon...

 

[redeyes]

here is my RO system..... i got 2 55gallon drums full of water all the time .... it works like a charm nice clean water ...

 

[chilliman]

Lookin good ! Are you going to use a toilet valve for tank topping up ?
I will be purchasing some bits an pieces next week if I get time.

 

[redeyes]

Lookin good ! Are you going to use a toilet valve for tank topping up ?
I will be purchasing some bits an pieces next week if I get time.

i thought about something like that but i have been just pumping it in as i need... the drums have 2 floats that turn it off the RO system...

 

[chilliman]

It would be good for when your away. I cant run indoor systems with out float valves to top tanks. I go away to much