Comment

Comment by David Hart on January 4, 2012 at 7:53am

 

Lol...Thanks Sheri...now I'll be humming the theme music to Gilligan's Island all day...

....and the Skipper too....

Comment by Amanda on January 4, 2012 at 7:37am

I'm digging a pond, what is the best mil thickness? (without getting to pricey) 

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on January 4, 2012 at 6:58am

Shoot, I think I'll switch to bamboo. I think the Professor rigged something up on Gilligan's Island that we could copy... :D

Comment by Jerry Walsh on January 3, 2012 at 7:44pm

Stainless steel is very pricy and will oxidize and rust

Comment by Jerry Walsh on January 3, 2012 at 7:41pm

http://www.nsf.org/consumer/plumbing/index.asp Generaly, much of the pvc at your big box stores carry the pvc for drainage. CPVC is for potable and copper submerged in H2O does make sense to avoid in associated piping of system. With my system that circulates pond to grow bed, the drain is cpvc as well.

 

Comment by TCLynx on January 3, 2012 at 6:58pm

don't use copper in a recirculating system.  Copper can build up in the water since aquaponics is recirculating and tents to become more acidic with time which will cause the copper to leach into the water even more and can become toxic to fish.  It will be even more toxic to any shrimp or craw fish.

The zinc from galvanized metal can also become toxic to fish. 

You might get away with iron pipe but then you have the constant worry that it will corrode or rust with the aquaponic water and then fail so just don't use metal plumbing.

The only metal you should allow in water contact in an aquaponics system would be food grade stainless steel.

Comment by Michael Welber on January 3, 2012 at 6:53pm

Is it true that no copper should be used in an aquaponic system? I'm just getting ready to do my plumbing and might be using one copper fitting. 

Comment by john tramell on January 3, 2012 at 6:28pm

TC  pvc sch 40 or better  i think is the one rated for drinking water allso they do make a usda approved glue for use in restaurants may only be found at plumbing supply house,like you i have had enough primer and glue on me i should glow at night

 

Comment by TCLynx on January 3, 2012 at 6:17pm

PVC is up to code for drinking water at least in the USA.

At least around here pvc pipe is still sold as drinking water pipe so I'm not sure where you got the info that pvc is not code for potable water for human consumption.

Most of the really nasty properties of PVC really have to do with the byproducts of the manufacture or if you burn it.

As to the toxicity of the primer and cement.  Well it isn't immediately toxic to fish, I've been known to do some really wet plumbing and I've even dripped primer and cement into the fish tank with fish and no associated or non associated fish kills within months of that.  Now I don't recommend doing that but using PVC cement properly isn't going to make your system toxic to fish, using metal plumbing could.

Will PVC cement or primer cause cancer?  I don't know, check back in another 40-80 years and see if I'm still alive, I've turned my hands purple enough with the primer and I've gotten enough cement on my hands as well that if it's gonna cause cancer from handling or eating the food from the system, I should keel over from it eventually if something else doesn't get me first.

Comment by Chi Ma on January 3, 2012 at 5:27pm

Shark bites have lead, copper and pvc in them. Sometimes ya gotta take acceptable risks.

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