Simo's first aquaponics system; Bullsbrook WA

skipd

cheers JD.

Simo

Thanks troutman :notworthy:

I was thinking I could do with more airation, at the moment I have the twin outlet Otto and the venturi on the pump from the sump to the FT which operates on a float switch and when the system is working properly probably pumps for 2 minutes of every 10 min. Normally this would be enough exept for at the moment the fish load is higher then is has ever been, the temps have been hot and the poor design of the system means that if enough water is lost (due to transpiration in high heat) the system can go into what I call "vapour lock" where the GBs are both full but not enough to trigger the siphons, the over flow from the FT to the GB has stopped flowing and the ST level is too low to trigger the float switch. When this happens the water slowly drains from the GB to the ST via the small 8th of an inch hole drilled at the base of the stand pipe but the FT can be with out airation from the venturi for a bout an hour.

I have been aware of this design fault for the begining but it had never been a problem before. I think that lack of airation is the most likely senario as it would explain why the fish all seem so healthy while the system in running but die off in batches form time to time and why the water readings have also been all over the place.

Thanks Troutman, JD, skipd and EB for your input, off to buy and air pump and seriously think about a redesign :thumbright:

Simo

I couldn't find a large enough airpump for a good price at such late notice to fix my airation problem so I went for a pond pump spraybar

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1800L/Hr or 1600L/Hr at the 1m head I am using, 28 watts, less than $90 at City Farmers in Midland and was much, much, much cheaper than the other aquarium shops I looked in, so free plug for them.

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A few poly fittings gets you a stand alone spraybar airation unit, air pipe was to add a venturi intake but did not work due to the water pressure at 900mm deep, had to at least give it ago.

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Works well, no more fish deaths and the tank water has never been clearer. :cheers:

Simo

Also made a crowding or herding net to make selective fish harvesting easier, the two sections pivot around the central FT SLO pipe and close on the fish like scissors to concentrate them to one section of the FT.

RupertofOZ

Good to see you've got it under control... sorry I didn't see the thread earlier...

RupertofOZ

Bare in mind... if you have a power failure... you're back in the same position...

The Otto doesn't pump a lot of air even under mains power... enough for normal stocking levels with the overflow standpipe or siphons working properly... but as you've found not enough with your configuration...

And outputs substaintally less when under the D cell batteries...

Talk to EB... I think they now stock the Aquapro two outlet.. which delivers way more air... has a 6v rechargeable battery... and outputs almost as much air under battery conditions as under mains power...

Battery is good for about 10 hours... double that if you select the "intermittant" mode...

Simo

Thanks Rupe,

You are right I do need to increase my power failure oxygenation, I have been very lucky so far.

Are the new airpumps on the shop page, I had a look a few weeks back and couldn't find them?

Simo

What thunderstorm that ripped through yesterday arvo cut power to our place for 5 hours, no problem me thinks, just installed to the new BYAP dual outlet 6V battery back up air pump and I still have the otto, both fully charged, she'll be right mate. Watched the battery back up airpumps kick in and I was pleasantly surprised to see how much air the new BYAP air pump produced under battery power, feeling pretty good that the air pumps were moving enough water I just waited for the power to come back on. The fish did become a bit sluggish when I checked on them but still moving, once it got dark I could no longer see them. This morning the fish were off their food and were behaving really weird just lying on their side either on the surface of the water or on the bottom of the tank really listlessly infact not moving at all. Not knowing all that much about fish behaviour and thinking that they were depressed I decided to google "fish floating and not moving"

Got this: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 836AAeOBMV

After more exhaustive research I concluded that the fish were not in fact depressed but that they were all dead. :upset:

skipd

Oh Simo, my condolances.
Not sure what to say man, but chin up and move forward. Is it possable to get a small back up Generator in future for power failure times?
I feel for your loss, so sorry. :support:

Troutman

Bummer, just getting to a nice size too. Were the battery air pumps still going this morning??

Simo

Oh well, life goes on, infact the Chinese use the same word for crisis and opportunity... crisatunity

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p ... risatunity

For example: "All these students peacefully protesting in Tiananmen square gives us the perfect crisatunity to see how good our tanks are at squashing humans"

So I am going to use this crisatunity to improve my system by moving to a location where I have the space to expand and build a green house over it and improve the design in the process. Also I have always wanted to try trout but never had the room in the tank before so this winter I can get some off troutman, wait... did I say this winter... I meant next winter maybe, my timing is perfect as usual :roll:

.

Thanks Skip'd

The new system will definitely have a better back up power supply, generator is good but I would have to be home to start it when the power fails, battery back up is probably the go. The main problem with my system was not the back up airpumps working as they worked fine, but that the FT was overstocked for the amount of back up air I had.

Any way I'm selling SP food now, 6 bags which are all 3kg plus of Skretting Nova ME 3mm which is a sinking native fish food perfect for SP, bought less than 2 months ago and kept in the freezer $15 per bag delivered to any suburb south of Bullsbrook along Great Northern Hwy or Roe Hwy tomorrow as I am heading to Thornlie in the morning. Other wise free delivery to Ellenbrook or Midland area at my discretion

PM if interested

Simo

Troutman wrote:

Bummer, just getting to a nice size too. Were the battery air pumps still going this morning??

Power was out from 1430 to 1930 and the airpumps worked on battery back up the whole 5 hours I assume, but by the time the power came back on it was too dark to see that the fish were already dead.

I was just over stocked for the amount of back up air I had. You live and learn.

skipd

Jeez Simo, that sounds a bit drastic.
Sure it looks like you had to many fish but your plant growth always looked good to me, so why ditch a good system. Just dont put so many fish in next time.
I hope Im not out of line. :wave1:

iammr.bill

Aw Dude, that's terrible. Sorry to see you are going through this.

Crisatunity indeed...

Send the fish through a grinder - good compost material for a garden or lawn.

Drink more beer - add humonia until you can get more fish. :thumbleft:

Keep the fish food - you will get back all you had before and more. No sense in buying more food later.

Thanks for sharing - it'll help someone else, probably more than you know.

freoboy

Bugger Simmo :support:

that sucks ....

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