Aquaponics System, Passive Solar Greenhouse build - Page 7

jeff5may · 03-31-15, 12:16 PM

Hobart and Miller are the same company. A lot of the hard parts are common between the two brands. good stuff.

Might as well spring for a leather cape or jacket.

pinballlooking · 03-31-15, 01:58 PM

I have a leather apron the leather extra sleeves and big leather gloves.
But I was only using the gloves when using the grinder.

Some of the things like the torch said miller right on the bag when I opened my Hobart welder.

My fish tank is now @500 gallons rain water. We have collected 930 gallons of rain water so far.

pinballlooking · 04-02-15, 10:46 AM

I ordered my pump it is a Danner MD 12 magnetic drive pump with a 5 year warranty. It uses more power than I wanted but my sump tank is 5’ deep and my fish tank is 4’ high that is a lot head Hight for a pump. That really limited my choices for a pump.

I ordered a cone shaped plastic tank for a radial filter tank before the grow beds. This will catch some of the big solids and left over food. It is debatable if this is needed. This will make it so I don’t have to clean out the grow beds for a very long time. Small systems don’t need this. Bigger systems all seem to go back and add it in later. I am just going to put it in from the start.
The cone shape makes it very easy to clean out. Just once every couple weeks drain out the bottom of the tank.

I will have to build a stand for the tank. Get out that welder again! Tank is pictured upside down.

The filter will be similar to this. I wanted ours to be very easy to clean out going forward.

I ordered some Uniseals that will seal the 2" PVC pipe into this tank. (ebay)

I ordered 2 ton Hydro shale. This is a little more expensive than river rock but it is much lighter and has all kinds of air pockets in it that can trap air and good bacteria. It does not break down over time like clay pellets can do.
River rock I would need 4 ton this stuff I need 2 ton. They will put it in these super sacks and ship it.

It is about a 5 hour round trip to pick this up and my trailer does not have brakes. I would have to make two trips to do it safely. I am just having it shipped LTL I will pick it up at a local transfer station.

pinballlooking · 04-04-15, 12:32 AM

I picked up my expanded shale today. I made two trips to the transfer station. It was just safer without trailer brakes. It was a job getting the first one off the trailer.

I finally went back and got my tractor to get it off the trailer. Each bag weights 2,000 lbs.
I will need to wash this before putting it in the grow beds. I got 2 ton of this rock.

They fire this in kiln to 2,000 deg to expand it and make all the good air bubbles.

I now have enough rain water collected about 1,000 gallons to get started.

pinballlooking · 04-06-15, 09:30 AM

I received my pump in the mail. It is heavy a little over 7 lbs. I bought an adapter to take it from ¾” to 1”. This will help get the right flow from it. I picked up a 1” union so I can easily take the pump out of the sump tank and clean it.
It is a completely sealed pump with a magnetic impeller that floats in there. That impeller needs cleaned every so often to keep it running good.

I had some galvanized sheet metal from a old roof over that I took down. I and going to reuse these sheets as the base support. I ran three sheets down length of it and now I and cutting the sheets to go across the beds. I will add ½” foam insulation board over the sheet metal to insulate and to protect the pond liner.

pinballlooking · 04-10-15, 11:30 AM

My tank finally came. All the pluming goes into this tank. I was sure hopping this tank would get here for the weekend.

Now I will have to weld up a stand for it and drill lots of holes in it for pipe to go into it.

I ordered my startup supplies to help jump start the system.

It was just shipped in a plastic bag I guess it is tough enough to hold up to the post office abuse.

This cap to my bell siphon is drilled threaded with a tap and ready to go to work.

pinballlooking · 04-13-15, 12:11 AM

We did lots of work this weekend. I cut the top off the fish tank. We need to be able to see the fish and feed them. I want to put a PVC pipe with holes drilled in it to add more air into the fish tank.

I started out using my 4" grinder with cutoff wheel. It is now completely dead. I switched to the 7" grinder no issues at all it cut it up fine.

My boys helped and washed one ton of expanded shale. They did it one wheelbarrow at a time. I drilled like 50 holes in the wheelbarrow so the small stuff could be washed out it does not need to be in the beds.

I built the radial flow filter and I welded up a stand for the radial flow filter. You can buy a stand but the cost is more than the tank.

Without a filter on a big system you may need to clean out the beds in maybe three years. I will have more than 2 tons of media I do not want to clean it out for years. I will add worms to the beds later this helps with solids and is good for the plants.

A radial flow filter you want to change the water direction then the solids will sink to the bottom. You do not need this filter in a small system and not all big systems need one either.

I also welded up some metal brackets to hold the PVC pipe. I ran the PVC pipe from the fish tank to the front grow bed. I am using 2” PVC pipe to the beds. It will get reduced to ¾” when it goes into the beds there will be a valve there to make sure all the bed gets equal amounts.

I now have a welding jacket that is flame resistant so no more catching on fire. It is not as hot as leather and for the work I am doing it should work fine.

Daox · 04-13-15, 08:19 AM

Great progress.

pinballlooking · 04-13-15, 10:43 AM

Thanks we are getting so close to putting the rock in the first grow beds.
We will be doing a fishless cycling.

How to cycle an aquaponics system using the fishless cycling method week 1

I bought this kit
AquaCycle Large Fish-less Cycling Kit
It has powdered ammonia and nitrifying bacteria to speed up cycling.

natethebrown · 04-13-15, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinballlooking

Thanks we are getting so close to putting the rock in the first grow beds.
We will be doing a fishless cycling.

How to cycle an aquaponics system using the fishless cycling method week 1

I bought this kit
AquaCycle Large Fish-less Cycling Kit
It has powdered ammonia and nitrifying bacteria to speed up cycling.

Well, two boys and you should produce enough ammonia pretty quick and you don't have to flush as much!

04-02-15, 10:46 AM	#63
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	I ordered my pump it is a Danner MD 12 magnetic drive pump with a 5 year warranty. It uses more power than I wanted but my sump tank is 5’ deep and my fish tank is 4’ high that is a lot head Hight for a pump. That really limited my choices for a pump. I ordered a cone shaped plastic tank for a radial filter tank before the grow beds. This will catch some of the big solids and left over food. It is debatable if this is needed. This will make it so I don’t have to clean out the grow beds for a very long time. Small systems don’t need this. Bigger systems all seem to go back and add it in later. I am just going to put it in from the start. The cone shape makes it very easy to clean out. Just once every couple weeks drain out the bottom of the tank. I will have to build a stand for the tank. Get out that welder again! Tank is pictured upside down. The filter will be similar to this. I wanted ours to be very easy to clean out going forward. I ordered some Uniseals that will seal the 2" PVC pipe into this tank. (ebay) I ordered 2 ton Hydro shale. This is a little more expensive than river rock but it is much lighter and has all kinds of air pockets in it that can trap air and good bacteria. It does not break down over time like clay pellets can do. River rock I would need 4 ton this stuff I need 2 ton. They will put it in these super sacks and ship it. It is about a 5 hour round trip to pick this up and my trailer does not have brakes. I would have to make two trips to do it safely. I am just having it shipped LTL I will pick it up at a local transfer station. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by pinballlooking; 04-02-15 at 11:23 AM..

04-04-15, 12:32 AM	#64
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	I picked up my expanded shale today. I made two trips to the transfer station. It was just safer without trailer brakes. It was a job getting the first one off the trailer. I finally went back and got my tractor to get it off the trailer. Each bag weights 2,000 lbs. I will need to wash this before putting it in the grow beds. I got 2 ton of this rock. They fire this in kiln to 2,000 deg to expand it and make all the good air bubbles. I now have enough rain water collected about 1,000 gallons to get started. Attached Thumbnails

04-06-15, 09:30 AM	#65
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	I received my pump in the mail. It is heavy a little over 7 lbs. I bought an adapter to take it from ¾” to 1”. This will help get the right flow from it. I picked up a 1” union so I can easily take the pump out of the sump tank and clean it. It is a completely sealed pump with a magnetic impeller that floats in there. That impeller needs cleaned every so often to keep it running good. I had some galvanized sheet metal from a old roof over that I took down. I and going to reuse these sheets as the base support. I ran three sheets down length of it and now I and cutting the sheets to go across the beds. I will add ½” foam insulation board over the sheet metal to insulate and to protect the pond liner. Attached Thumbnails

04-10-15, 11:30 AM	#66
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	My tank finally came. All the pluming goes into this tank. I was sure hopping this tank would get here for the weekend. Now I will have to weld up a stand for it and drill lots of holes in it for pipe to go into it. I ordered my startup supplies to help jump start the system. It was just shipped in a plastic bag I guess it is tough enough to hold up to the post office abuse. This cap to my bell siphon is drilled threaded with a tap and ready to go to work. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by pinballlooking; 04-10-15 at 12:25 PM..

04-13-15, 12:11 AM	#67
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	We did lots of work this weekend. I cut the top off the fish tank. We need to be able to see the fish and feed them. I want to put a PVC pipe with holes drilled in it to add more air into the fish tank. I started out using my 4" grinder with cutoff wheel. It is now completely dead. I switched to the 7" grinder no issues at all it cut it up fine. My boys helped and washed one ton of expanded shale. They did it one wheelbarrow at a time. I drilled like 50 holes in the wheelbarrow so the small stuff could be washed out it does not need to be in the beds. I built the radial flow filter and I welded up a stand for the radial flow filter. You can buy a stand but the cost is more than the tank. Without a filter on a big system you may need to clean out the beds in maybe three years. I will have more than 2 tons of media I do not want to clean it out for years. I will add worms to the beds later this helps with solids and is good for the plants. A radial flow filter you want to change the water direction then the solids will sink to the bottom. You do not need this filter in a small system and not all big systems need one either. I also welded up some metal brackets to hold the PVC pipe. I ran the PVC pipe from the fish tank to the front grow bed. I am using 2” PVC pipe to the beds. It will get reduced to ¾” when it goes into the beds there will be a valve there to make sure all the bed gets equal amounts. I now have a welding jacket that is flame resistant so no more catching on fire. It is not as hot as leather and for the work I am doing it should work fine. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by pinballlooking; 04-13-15 at 11:40 AM..

03-31-15, 12:16 PM	#61
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,428 Thanks: 431 Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts	Hobart and Miller are the same company. A lot of the hard parts are common between the two brands. good stuff. Might as well spring for a leather cape or jacket.

03-31-15, 01:58 PM	#62
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	I have a leather apron the leather extra sleeves and big leather gloves. But I was only using the gloves when using the grinder. Some of the things like the torch said miller right on the bag when I opened my Hobart welder. My fish tank is now @500 gallons rain water. We have collected 930 gallons of rain water so far.

04-13-15, 08:19 AM	#68
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Great progress. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

04-13-15, 10:43 AM	#69
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	Thanks we are getting so close to putting the rock in the first grow beds. We will be doing a fishless cycling. How to cycle an aquaponics system using the fishless cycling method week 1 I bought this kit AquaCycle Large Fish-less Cycling Kit It has powdered ammonia and nitrifying bacteria to speed up cycling.