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.

[Pat James]

In addition to the Humic acid, I decided to add some floating beds directly into the swimming pool. These are 4 full size blue Dow insulation boards. Each has been drilled to fit 120 two inch net pots. One early experiment had marginal results. I wanted to try romaine lettuce seedlings.
I did not want to use any media that could fall into the bottom of the pool and possibly plug the underground plumbing, so I kept the plugs from the hole saw when I drilled the holes. I widened the hole and then pushed the styrofoam into the net pot. I then pushed a lettuce seedling onto the hole. Most of the seedlings failed. If they fell too far into the hole, they would rot. Others just withered. I will try again with larger seedlings.

I used the same technique using tomato seedlings. Most of these survived but growth has been very slow. I think this is more a factor of my reduced nitrogen level and mineral deficiency than anything else.

[Pat James]

Past time for an update...

I am convinced that a couple things I am seeing in my system is due to it's extreme size coupled with the algae growth. My system is over a year old, yet it has not 'matured' as far as the mineral content. I am convinced that these minerals are being sequestered in the algae and sludge.
After watching the videos from Nate Storey concerning deficiencies, I bought several pounds of potassium and phosphate and have been treating. To reduce algae growth , I added Humic acid to darken the water. Algae growth seems to be reduced.
I drained a couple of the growbeds to see how the marbled crays were doing. I found a dozen that had grown almost as large as the adults. I distributed these among the growbeds, putting 4 in the bed that follows my radial filter. This bed has a massive amount of algae/sludge that probably contains pounds of minerals. I have added worms to this bed before and I hope the crays will mineralize some of that stuff.

[Pat James]

Jim, I still use the skimmer. Right now I am having to empty it a couple times a day as we are getting massive drop from those little pollen buds from the pine trees. I've only been using a pool bottom net to remove stuff there but have left the sides alone. My old brush is starting to break up and drop bristles. They only seem to last a single season at best.

Now I am seeing fathead minnow eggs on my removable nesting  beds so I do not want to brush the pool sides and disturb any sites they have put  there.

[Jim Troyer]

Hi Pat thanks for the update.

Are you brushing the walls to remove algae growth from the pool?  Do you still use the skimmer? 

I have been wondering if pool plaster was inert.  Someone suggested I use it on my pond but I declined.  I'm going to coat the cement pond with isothalmic polyester resin this summer.  It's food grade fiberglass resin, should do the trick I would think.

all the best

[Pat James]

Update: I did water tests today as i am due to receive an order for 200 catfish fingerlings in the morning.

pH remains high at 8.0 despite not adding tap water for weeks now, rather depending on rain. I suspect something in the pool (probably the plaster itself) is buffering.

Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate all test at 0 despite this system has been going uninterrupted for over a year. Alot of my growbeds have been planted and while leaf production is slow, I am getting decent root production on the new plants. I think this is still a factor of the algae consuming the nitrate as it is produced. I have alot of seedlings started that will be ready to transplant into the system in a week or 2.

To consume some of the algae growing on the walls of the growbeds (rather than the free-floating algae and phytoplankton in the main pool, I have begun to introduce some of my young marbled crayfish into some of the beds. I have released 27 so far into 3 beds.

After I did my water tests, I decided to check my fathead minnow nesting beds. These are a cluster of 4 inch PVC drain about 2 feet in length connected by garbage tie bands on a length of rope and tossed out into the pool. Of 4 of these  nesting clusters, only one had eggs. There were two distinct nests. I removed it from the pool and examined it. The eggs look fresh;none of the eggs having the dark spots inside. This nest was put into one of the growbeds.

[Jim Troyer]

Nice!

[Pat James]

I started catching my catfish to make room for more fingerlings. I have no idea how many fish are there. I had been catching them the past 2 days with a baited hook and putting them into one of my growbeds as a livewell..

Final count for the weekend was11 fish, which dressed out at 5 pounds 1 oz. The largest was heavy and about 16 inches long.

[Pat James]

Just got back inside. My lines from my pump back to the cistern were leaking.... well pouring is a better description. I found one place where the PVC lines had come loose. I dug up all the other  connections,but so far have not seen any appreciable leaking. I am letting the system run and will take note of problems.

We have so much groundwater here that I can not attribute how much of the water filling a hole I dug is from a leak or from the groundwater.

[Pat James]

Jim You are now. I had no idea it was not available to anybody who wanted to see it.

[Jim Troyer]

Tried to see the video but I'm not a "friend" ...