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Alex's rural development pilot project in India

Hi!

Ours is a test system to consider viability of aquaponics as a component of rural development projects in East India. The big concern I have is a reliable power for the pumps. This pilot project has a decent power supply, but for rural implementation, it's problematic. Solar or wind are very expensive to implement and even maintain (buying new batteries every 4 years) and I see that is the big hangup for wide-scale implementation.

We also don't get recycled plastics very easily. I used some new plastics and some recycled, but it's not cheap (by Indian standards).

System specifications:

Fish tank 1,000 liters (a 'simtex' tank)

Sump tank 500 liters

Growbeds: Approx. 624 liters (3x dissected liquid storage barrels).

I'm going to need to upgrade my pump. The current one is only 50w and I think I need to double that.

So I'm getting closer to cycling our system here in Ranchi, India. Our work has been a bit delayed due to some personnel challenges.

The two jobs I have this week are to finalize the grow media and to raise the growbeds so there's a greater distance between them and the sump for more efficient drainage.

Regarding the media, I need some advice. I've attached a pic in the image album, but it looks to be a mix of black, gray and whiteish rocks. I figured the white rocks could be limestone, so I tossed a handful into some synthetic vinegar and sure enough, there was a bit of bubbling. Any feedback if this'll definitely lead to PH levels rising too high over the long-haul? Our local water is pretty neutral, 7.1 maybe.

Here is the photo album thus far:

http://imgur.com/a/v5GEa#0

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