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Comment by DJ Wambach on April 5, 2014 at 6:39pm

http://www.theaquaponicstore.com/Aquaponics-Systems-AquaBundance-To...

Well early in the learning and planing part of this I watched the video above as well and everything Dr. Nate Story had to say on building systems. One of the big things they talked about was being able to isolate any part of they system from another and it give greater flex when you want to add. 

Comment by Jim Fisk on April 5, 2014 at 2:41pm

OK, that raises the question why? Why can't you just pump to the FTs and let that flow by gravity to the GBs and from there by gravity back to the sump? and if there is too much flow for the GBs for now, as in my case, send the excess sump water back to the sump via the "bypass". That way everything flows thru the GBs before going back to the sump and the sump stays pristine.

Also holy pipe maze there batman. Hope that is temporary. You won't find any pipes in the way in my 2000g, 5 FT and 5 GB (so far) system. My returns to the sump are all under ground before they even leave the GB bench so you never even see them until you open the sump and look in. Just a suggestion. I am in a GH with 4 walls and that divider wall between the fish room and the hot house so that does make things a bit easier I understand. I am a master electrician and I hate the look of wires and electrical components so I am anal about making sure all that crap is well hidden. Just me being me.

The dotted lines (returns) are all under ground and the feed flow lines are against the walls for a very clean look when it is all done. I have that raft bed about half built and hope to have it on line shortly. The front 30" high block wall is still under construction so I can't start that row of GBs yet. I have decided to use some barrelponics and one of those great 10' feed troughs from TSC as well. They go on sale for 99.00. Such a deal what with their tubular steel frame and all.

I also plan on a 330 cut for GB and FT (probably where the hot tub is in plan) as well as an aerated compost barrel with an IBC GB over that so I can play WITHOUT fish as well. By Fall it should all be in place. Then next year I can expand out past the wood stove wall another 16' for a large round FT for the Trout. That's the plan anyway if life doesn't get in the way.

Speaking of which one of our Nubian goats dropped 4 dynamite looking kids today. That cost us an afternoon of drying, warming (in the GH) and teaching them all how to nurse. First time mom so 4 is extraordinary. One more Nubian and one sheep to go. Have one new lamb already (brother got in with goats and perished). Spring time on the farm never gets old. What a zoo we will have this Summer.

Comment by DJ Wambach on April 5, 2014 at 12:47pm

Thanks Jim,

My typing is as bad as my spelling 

I have 4 Grow Beds! and that is a photo of the sump tank. My system pumps from the sump tank to the fish tank and the grow beds and they all flow back to the sump.  The FT is the high point even if this photo looks like the BG is higher as I am standing next to it. The smaller 15 gal is stuffed with filters for a swamp cooler was used to remove dirt from water during fish less cycle that came from rock despite how much rinse we did before hand. It will be removed latter today stop algae growth.

Comment by Jim Fisk on April 5, 2014 at 10:50am

Hey DJ,

4 BGs? OMG. Just kidding, GBs. Anyhow, is that a sump or a FT? It should be your sump. No fish. Your FTs should be the highest point in your system which can simply mean sitting on a pallet as they are about 4' deep (constantly with no variation) and then your GBs should be at about knee to hip high and those simply drain back to your sump. All that work burying that tank I suggest making it just a sump for sure (if in fact it is not) as then you have what I consider the very best layout.

One reason I say that is: when it comes time to catch the fish it is SO much easier just to drain the FT down to say a foot (ball valve already there) and then net them. BUT keep in mind netting Catfish is a dastardly deed because the whiskers get all tangled up in most nets and can even kill the fish not to mention the 10 minutes it can take to untangle each fish and the blood you may loose as well. And keep in mind there are bacteria on the fish that you do NOT want in your cut.

As to your question: For cats you may have enough air there but a small air pump can give peace of mind although at the IBC depth you need a more powerful air pump than a standard vibrator type. They simply do not produce enough power to push the air that deep. For Trout, not enough air for sure. If it is the sump and not the FT you loose a bunch of air by the time it gets to the FTs. So if that is the case I would add an air pump for sure to the FT(s). Not knowing anything more about your system this is about all I can suggest.

Here is the layout I mean:

Comment by DJ Wambach on April 5, 2014 at 9:37am

I have 4 BGs  draining into an IBC buried so the water falls about 12 inches to 36 inches depending on water level at the time so it is turbulent. I just put some goldfish into my tank and they are doing fine. Is this water fall going to put enough oxygen in the water to keep larger catfish alive?

Comment by Leo White Bear on March 11, 2014 at 12:14pm

DJ-

While A. King is correct, that bacteria need a surface to grow upon, they are also water-born to an extent.  In my glass 55-gallon aquarium indoors, there is a brownish growth on the glass.  This is the bacteria we are talking about.  If you want to use the water change to start up your outdoors system, brush the sides of your FT and suspend the "film" in the water prior to the change over.  This will introduce these bacteria into your new system.  That said in answering your question, the best way to jump start the system outdoors is to introduce some of your current media into your grow beds.  Be sure to bury the "seed" in the new grow bed media as these bacteria are susseptable to light, meaning light will harm / kill them.  I always transport my "seed" in a 5-gallon pail lined with a black plastic bag.  Don't worry too much about the bag and what it is made of as the transferrence will be brief.

Comment by Arthur King, Jr. on March 11, 2014 at 11:26am

DJ,  I don't think water alone will help with cycle time.  The bacteria live on surfaces and are not water-borne.  While cycling, you want to keep you Ammonia at around 3-4 ppm.  With that said, if you have plants in the cycling system, I'm sure they would appreciate the nitrates.

Comment by DJ Wambach on March 11, 2014 at 10:14am

I have a 50gal system in my house with Nitrate very high and was going to start doing a water change out and put it into the larger system outside to help the cycle time. At what level of ammonia would that be OK?

Comment by Jim Fisk on March 10, 2014 at 8:15am

DJ, in my 2000g system I was using 1 CAP full at a time. Patience my friend. Always favor moderation. Who ever suggested cups? OMG. 1 cap full and test the next day. Slow and steady with any ecosystem. You are dealing with microbes, not cats (9 lives and all that) and once you have fish in there all the more careful as they can be easier to kill than the microbes. And once again, the larger the system the more the leeway.

Comment by Leo White Bear on March 10, 2014 at 5:51am

DJ-

It's easy to over do the ammonia first time around, mark this as a learning experience.  Try to keep the ammonia around 3 - 5 PPM, preferred level is 3-ppm.  This gives the bacteria achance to grow slowly which you want.  These bacteria are slow growing so keep this in mind and you be doing fine.  Keep up with the water changes until your tests show the 3-ppm to 4-ppm.  Good luck and keep up the good work.

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