Expanded Shale options - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-29T07:38:04Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/expanded-shale-options?feed=yes&xn_auth=noHi Rob, finally got a high sp…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-09-08:4778851:Comment:3904102012-09-08T00:53:31.655ZIan Cameronhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/IanCameron
<p>Hi Rob, finally got a high speed connection and was able to watch your video. Great Stuff!</p>
<p>Hi Rob, finally got a high speed connection and was able to watch your video. Great Stuff!</p> Ah! My ears are burning! I…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-27:4778851:Comment:3866862012-08-27T12:15:11.205ZRob Torcellinihttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/RobTorcellini
<p>Ah! My ears are burning! I'm having very good luck with the shale in the net pots. My shale is 3/4", but I ran some through a 1/2" screen so the pieces in the pots are a bit smaller. This seems to work even better than using 3/4" After I screen the 1/2". I screened it again through a 3/8" to get rid of the really small stuff since I didn't want it to fall out of the pots at all. </p>
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<p>I just keep a 5 gallon bucket about 1/2 full with media and scoop the shale right into the…</p>
<p>Ah! My ears are burning! I'm having very good luck with the shale in the net pots. My shale is 3/4", but I ran some through a 1/2" screen so the pieces in the pots are a bit smaller. This seems to work even better than using 3/4" After I screen the 1/2". I screened it again through a 3/8" to get rid of the really small stuff since I didn't want it to fall out of the pots at all. </p>
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<p>I just keep a 5 gallon bucket about 1/2 full with media and scoop the shale right into the pots....when I'm done with it, just dump it shale back in the bucket. It's nice since I don't have to by the rock wool plugs and it's 100% recycled.</p>
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<p>I think it was mentioned earlier, but you should wash your shale. I usually fill my wheelbarrow with water and dump a bunch in, shovel it out on to a screen and rinse the rest off. It's not too bad.</p>
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<p>here's a video that shows the net pots: <a href="http://youtu.be/xKZhqnGJ1a8" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/xKZhqnGJ1a8</a></p> Hang in there then Ian.
Rob T…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-27:4778851:Comment:3868792012-08-27T11:39:20.182ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Hang in there then Ian.</p>
<p>Rob Torcellini uses expanded shale in his raft net pots. He wets it down before filling the net pots so that then he adds the seed it will stick instead of falling through. His rafts are not very thick so the shale probably wicks enough mosisture to germinate things like lettuce right on the surface.</p>
<p>Hang in there then Ian.</p>
<p>Rob Torcellini uses expanded shale in his raft net pots. He wets it down before filling the net pots so that then he adds the seed it will stick instead of falling through. His rafts are not very thick so the shale probably wicks enough mosisture to germinate things like lettuce right on the surface.</p> Thanks TC. Well, it looks as…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-27:4778851:Comment:3867472012-08-27T02:19:30.024ZIan Cameronhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/IanCameron
<p>Thanks TC. Well, it looks as if I'm going to be writing about the experience. I'm picking it up next week. I've read somewhere about using volcanic cinder as a medium in net pots, I wonder if one could use shale crush instead? I plan on building a (6')short DWR and expand on the media bed system for the indoor winter season. My little community is telling me that if things go well until next February (my cycled up anniversary), then we will build a cooperative based community sized setup.…</p>
<p>Thanks TC. Well, it looks as if I'm going to be writing about the experience. I'm picking it up next week. I've read somewhere about using volcanic cinder as a medium in net pots, I wonder if one could use shale crush instead? I plan on building a (6')short DWR and expand on the media bed system for the indoor winter season. My little community is telling me that if things go well until next February (my cycled up anniversary), then we will build a cooperative based community sized setup. That's what I get for opening my mouth and promoting the heck out aquaponics....guinea pig until proven successful. Ha, Loving it! 3rd crop of Swiss chard and spinach ready to be picked. Its given away to the elders and single parents as part of our healthy community and bountiful harvest program.</p> Ian, I don't really have expe…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-24:4778851:Comment:3862222012-08-24T23:40:33.966ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Ian, I don't really have experience with the shale so much but I would probably say give it an acidic rinse perhaps for several hours or let it soak overnight and then drain to waste before re-filling with fresh water.</p>
<p>But as I said, I'm just kinda guessing here. I know there are media that are sold for hydroponics that have the same situation where you should soak it in water that has been adjusted down to a pH of 5 and they usually say soak overnight.</p>
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<p>Ian, I don't really have experience with the shale so much but I would probably say give it an acidic rinse perhaps for several hours or let it soak overnight and then drain to waste before re-filling with fresh water.</p>
<p>But as I said, I'm just kinda guessing here. I know there are media that are sold for hydroponics that have the same situation where you should soak it in water that has been adjusted down to a pH of 5 and they usually say soak overnight.</p>
<p></p> Here's a question, my prospec…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-24:4778851:Comment:3859762012-08-24T20:45:02.330ZIan Cameronhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/IanCameron
<p>Here's a question, my prospective supplier for expanded shale told me the pH is around 8.5, should I give it an acid/water soak? If so, for how long? I can get 2000lb super bags for $400 and will likely pick up a couple of them for that price. It's 1/2" down to 3/8". Kinda small, but river rock is hard to find and hydroton is non existent, and I want to build a larger project.</p>
<p>Has anyone ever used expanded shale concrete for building DWR troughs?</p>
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<p>Here's a question, my prospective supplier for expanded shale told me the pH is around 8.5, should I give it an acid/water soak? If so, for how long? I can get 2000lb super bags for $400 and will likely pick up a couple of them for that price. It's 1/2" down to 3/8". Kinda small, but river rock is hard to find and hydroton is non existent, and I want to build a larger project.</p>
<p>Has anyone ever used expanded shale concrete for building DWR troughs?</p>
<p></p> Bobby, find out how much the…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-24:4778851:Comment:3861072012-08-24T04:51:30.869ZGeorgehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Geoge
<p>Bobby, find out how much the shipping is by the ton - probably a lot and it might be a lot cheaper to rent a truck big enough to do it in one trip. </p>
<p>Bobby, find out how much the shipping is by the ton - probably a lot and it might be a lot cheaper to rent a truck big enough to do it in one trip. </p> Strange thing about my stalit…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-24:4778851:Comment:3859452012-08-24T04:45:15.499ZGeorgehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Geoge
<p>Strange thing about my stalite is the PH has been around 6.8 for months now with no adjustment whatsoever. Maybe it is because of the rainwater tank top offs but I don't know. Ammonia usually runs .25 and nitrite 0 so I'm happy with it. I'd rather have had 3/4 but the 1/2 has been no problem thus far - no clogging. However, I will add that I graded out a lot of fines from the 1/2 inch and I mean a lot. It took over 2 1/2 tons to fill six 100 gallon grow beds. I need a little more now…</p>
<p>Strange thing about my stalite is the PH has been around 6.8 for months now with no adjustment whatsoever. Maybe it is because of the rainwater tank top offs but I don't know. Ammonia usually runs .25 and nitrite 0 so I'm happy with it. I'd rather have had 3/4 but the 1/2 has been no problem thus far - no clogging. However, I will add that I graded out a lot of fines from the 1/2 inch and I mean a lot. It took over 2 1/2 tons to fill six 100 gallon grow beds. I need a little more now due to settling.</p>
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<p>With 3/4, you shouldn't have the problem with fines and you'd have a great media. </p>
<p> </p> Yes, the Stalite (expanded sl…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-24:4778851:Comment:3856872012-08-24T00:05:58.133ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Yes, the Stalite (expanded slate instead of shale) is good stuff. I've only been able to get the 1/2" stuff though I would love to try out some 3/4" but it isn't available close enough to me. I have to pick it up at a rail yard here so the total cost is a bit higher for me.</p>
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<p>I will recommend that people plan on giving a little acid rinse to the stalite after the normal washing/sifting. This is because they use hydrated lime in the kiln process and simply rinsing it probably…</p>
<p>Yes, the Stalite (expanded slate instead of shale) is good stuff. I've only been able to get the 1/2" stuff though I would love to try out some 3/4" but it isn't available close enough to me. I have to pick it up at a rail yard here so the total cost is a bit higher for me.</p>
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<p>I will recommend that people plan on giving a little acid rinse to the stalite after the normal washing/sifting. This is because they use hydrated lime in the kiln process and simply rinsing it probably won't completely neutralize the alkalinity in the dust. Once the media has settled in there isn't a problem with high pH but if you were to put brand new stalite into a bed and just hook it up to a system the pH will initially be way high. For the stuff I used at the old place I simply added muratic acid to a tub of water to get the pH down below 6 and I let the stalite soak in that for a while before hooking it up to the system. Here at the new place I'm letting the rinsed Stalite soak in rain water until I am ready to put it in the grow beds.</p> I just got off the phone with…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-08-23:4778851:Comment:3858462012-08-23T16:55:08.277ZBobby McGovernhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/BobbyMcGovern
<p>I just got off the phone with the sales rep from Stalite. Extremely nice woman named Debbie Stringer. She quoted me $62 for a ton IF I pick it up. The plant is located in North Carolina so it would be about a three hour drive each way. If I want it delivered they'd have to put it in a giant sack and the cost would then be around $150 plus shipping. She's dealt with a few of the members here and had nothing but wonderful things to say.</p>
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<p>I told her about the community…</p>
<p>I just got off the phone with the sales rep from Stalite. Extremely nice woman named Debbie Stringer. She quoted me $62 for a ton IF I pick it up. The plant is located in North Carolina so it would be about a three hour drive each way. If I want it delivered they'd have to put it in a giant sack and the cost would then be around $150 plus shipping. She's dealt with a few of the members here and had nothing but wonderful things to say.</p>
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<p>I told her about the community and she said she was going to join so we'll have a source right here.</p>
<p>If anyone wants her contact details let me know.</p>