Swimming Pool System

[Pat James]

I have finally got around to start to work building my AP system. I bought two 55 gal barrels and eight 275 gal IBC totes a few weeks ago and then the weather got cold and wet- progress stalled. At least we have had a few days

The system I now plan to build is quite a bit different than the one I originally planned. That is due to the help and advice of some of the people here.. Thank you.

I will buy the piping itself at one of the big box stores, but I can save a bundle by buying the fittings online.

Today I will begin cutting the IBC's.

[Jim Troyer]

[Pat James]

On another note, I am up to my butt in minnows. My Dad came pver the other day and made the comment I should go catch a small bass or something eat them. I pointed out a tiny  bass or even a perch would nail not only all my minnows but every tilapia fry I might produce. Those minnows are eating some of the algae as it forms but not enough to be effiecient.

[Pat James]

I made a few changes today.  I had been using a fountain pump to squirt water straight up into the air off the top step of the pool (depth 4 inches). This was a simple way to splash water into the pool for oxygenation.  Well, at work today I obtained a length of 1/2 inch polycarbonate tubing so I brought it home. I stuck the casing of a chest tube through a styrofoam box that I had kept from a lab test series and made a fountain. I basically turned water entry from 4 inch down to 4 feet down to hit the surface with enough velocity to aerate the water.  All this from from hospital waste that would have wound up in the local dump. THANK YOU GREENPIECE...

[Pat James]

Today was another busy day with the fish. I drained 2 of the grow beds where I have fish. The first is one of the minnow beds where I let the flatheads hatch out. The second was a Tank where I have 5 fish of nebulous origin. I call them my illegal aliens.

I wanted to see what was going on in both. Those beds as each one had little algae growing on the walls of the IBC.

My pool is filled with algae which I am removing a little at a time with sponges that I can squeeze as the water flows across and they collect crap. I know what would be the greatest thing for this but it is way outside my ability to manufacture or purchase. That would be a centrifuge type separator that would continuously skim off solids while returning the water to the fish tank. Anyway, while I sit here and contemplate what would work I am left with the reality of cleaning a series of small sponges to remove algae.

At least I am decanting the water off the top of the buckets of "squeezings" and adding the concentrated algae to what I feed my worm bins.

[Pat James]

Ok, way past time for me to do an update. After that first 24 hours when I lost 30 of the new catfish delivery, I have not seen any other dead bodies. I have seen some bones in the filter basket just before the pump. I'm guessing those fish had been picked clean in the pool and the bones finally made their way to the deep end and pool outlet.

The catfish are coming up to vigorously feed in the morning and evenings. I have been pleasantly surprised by their growth. I am also seeing an increase in the number of juvenile minnows. I have refrained from trying to save their eggs.

Watèr tests earlier were all 0. Even the nitrate, which accounts for the poor plant growth. Even the basil is staying small and growing slowly.

I did add a glob of red worms to each growbed, even though I have some larger fish in several that will make quick work of them.

[Pat James]

Jim, I have a cover over that drain that is supposed to be tight enough to keep a swimmer from getting his fingers stuck. But those minnows are smaller and softer than a finger and the water pressure is pretty strong.

I added 200 new channel cat fingerlings friday morning. I must have stressed them when processing because they looked good coming off the truck but were sluggish when released. I did not have time to look yesterday morning but when i got home from doing a heart, I had 30 of them floating.

I removed them and just knew my ammonia would be off the charts, but it was 0 as was nitrite. No dead this morning so I fed. Feeding was lively with catfish rolling on the surface. Food was gone within 5 minutes.

[Jim Troyer]

Hi Pat

It would seem that you will need to create a drain cover to keep the fish well away from it.  The link is to a ready made device that fits in the existing drain cover hole.  Should do the the trick.

That trap looks like a pretty good way to bring in fish in your situation.  I use a similar method to capture egg holding tilapia.  I use a large clear bucket I get with pretzels from my favorite warehouse club.  I lay it on its side in the fish tank and watch for the momma fish to swim in.  I flip the bucket up so she can't swim out. After a few minutes she settles down and I reach in move the bucket from the tank and then pull the fry from her mouth so she won't swallow them.  If I leave her alone, the other residents decimate the batch in a few minutes.

Good luck with the over population of your pool.  Remember they will grow exponentially from the first few months before a linear stage in adolescence.  Striking the balance between the fish load and plant load is the hardest part of this AP business. 

[Pat James]

If I decide to net the fish again, it will be a terminal harvest. nd if I want fewer numbers or want to release afterward, I will go with the trap idea...

The past few days I have seen some problems. 2 days ago I lost 2 catfish and yesterday 1. Now both days I have lost 4 or so minnows. I think the problem is that for so ereason these fish are swimming to thE deepest part of the pool. The minnows are getting sucked through the system, the catfish are getting caught against the drain, even though I do not see any damage to the body.

I tested ammonia yesterday and it was elevated to .5 ppm. Today it tested 0 as did nitrite. But then again I removed all the dead fish.

The dead catfish were a full 6 to 7 inches long and fat.
I hope the problem does not continue as I have another 200 on order for delivery. Friday morning.

[Jon Parr]

Try a fish trap. 

http://www.memphisnet.net/category/traps_fish_wood

[Jim Fisk]

Morning Pat,

One big problem with cats is their uncanny ability to get so tangled in a standard fish net that they will actually succumb to their wounds. Have you come up with a catfish net design. I avoid netting them and plan on making a hardware cloth net or something to that effect. Any ideas would be appreciated as I want to move the last few to another FT and I would rather not reinvent the wheel or in this case net?