Where to Buy Grow bed media?

Looee

I want to know where in the Sydney metro area to buy grow bed media, I am most interested in gravel products and would like to get some opinions on the suitability of the products found on the below link.
http://www.anlscape.com.au/page/quarry_products.html

Also any suggestions on the best gravel/pebbles would be welcome and where I am most likely to find them. Whats the cost and how is it usually calculated..

Thank you for any info

Cheers

Looee

and here also http://www.anlscape.com.au/page/decorative_gravels.html

RupertofOZ

Cost is usually based per cubic metre Loosen....

Be careful with "decorative" gravels... the may contain dyes and/or other contaminants that may be harmful to fish...

Similarly... be wary of "limestone" gravels... they'll pull your pH up too much...

Best bet is good old "blue metal".... cheap... but effective....

EllKayBee

Agree with Rope, blue metal works quite effectively and is reasonable cheap....with my GBs, I laid 20mm gravel to a depth of 50-80mm then filled to 280mm with 10mm gravel...just made it easier for water to flow on the drain cycle :wink:

TCLynx

I've heard of many people there using the blue metal and there have been talks about using scoria.

Here I support using 1/2" river pebbles.

You want to make sure that your gravel, whatever it is, has not been sprayed with anything (like if you get cheap blue metal off an active building site, make sure it doesn't have oil or anything like that spilled or sprayed on it.) Or if you get decorative pea gravel, you want to make sure it is natural and not colored with paint or dye.

And as stated above, avoid limestone and marble as they will keep the pH too high (probably trying to pull the pH to 8.) I am using lots of washed shells as media in my system and they are pulling the pH a bit higher than I like 7.6 but at least that is an almost workable number.

Gilly

I thought I bought blue metal for my system. The PH keeps going up to about 8. I use PH down which slowly brings the PH back down, but before long it is up again. Thinking it may be the blue metal, I tested the water I use in a small bucket and it had a PH of 6.8. left it for 24 hours and PH 6.8. Put a handful of blue metal in and within 24 hours PH 7.5. Appears the blue metal is the problem. But is it blue metal or limestone. I will need to check with the supplier.

What does limestone look like.

I would suggest getting a handful of what media you want to use and test it as above.
It would help to find out the ph of the media before filling all your grow beds only to have the hassle later on......

steem

http://www.oliveaustralia.com.au/Olifax ... _dust.html

Quote:

6. The high pH of crusher dust (Approx. 9.0) helps to raise the pH of the soil. As olives grow best in soil with a pH of between 7.0 and 8.0 this is also helpful.

Crusher dust is fine blue metal.

Seems pH can be quite high...use some sort of acid to keep pH under control until the fish poo etc naturally brings it back down...then you'll be wanting shellgrit or something to raise it again lol

My system has sat on about 7.2 for the last year of so. Blue metal with shellgrit buffer.

zero · **Joined:** Jun 3rd, '08, 20:23 **Posts:** 3 **Gender:**

What's recycled blue metal? Is $55 for a tonne a good price?

RupertofOZ

You'd have to ask... recycled from what/where.... maybe it's old railway track ballast...

Think you should be able to get "fresh" stuff for less than that price... or close to... :wink:

EllKayBee

That is the price for a cubic metre around here, a cubic metre weighs about 1.5 tonnes (I think the SG of blue metal is 1.5)

Looee

ALDI has pumps with float switches at the moment, for ponds.. would they be okay, I think they are $149 or something.

Thanks :flower:

RupertofOZ

Any idea what brand Looee?

Outbackozzie

Need to know brand, watts, head and Lph.

Fraggle

You can do an easy test to see if the rock you want to use will bring up the pH, just pour a little vinegar on it, if the vinegar bubbles, the rock is Alkaline and will up the pH.

(I use that to test if rock I get to put in my ornamental fish tanks are suitable.)

Vegieman

Outbackozzie wrote:

Need to know brand, watts, head and Lph.

This is the online in their cattle dog
http://www.aldi.com.au/au/html/offers/2827_7139.htm

Details listed:
Garden Pump 800W
230V/50Hz
Flow rate: 3200L/hour
Maximum pump height: 40m
Pumping pressure: 4 bar
Self priming: 8m
Aluminium motor body
Carbon steel shaft
Attachments: 2 x connectors and 1 x non-return valve

Is that the one Looee?

Cheers
VM

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