Gravel

[Philip Altmann]

Can someone tell me how to wash the gravel. I picked it up from a garden centre and it is quite dirty, as a result it makes my fish tank really muddy looking. I hosed the gravel a few times before putting it in the grow beds but it makes the water cloudy.

I am setting up an aquaponics for the first time. 

 

What is a simple way to clean the gravel?

 

Philip

[TCLynx]

Here are some blog posts on the subject

How and why to wash gravel

 

Throw a party

 

I usually use some of those rectangular plastic plant baskets for water plants and some storage bins filled with water up on a table for platform of good working height.  I swish a basket of gravel in one bin then in the next bin and then I put it into the grow bed.

 

I'm not sure what you should do if you have already placed the gravel into the grow beds other than take it all out, wash it and place it back into the grow bed.  Simply spraying off gravel in a grow bed just washes the sand/dirt down lower into the grow bed or into the fish tank, it won't help.

[Rob Torcellini]

I usually fill up my big wheelbarrow with gravel & fill it with water, then shovel the gravel into a 3/8 strainer.  A quick shake and the smaller stuff comes out. You can squirt the material in the strainer with a hose to get some more of the silt off, but I usually don't bother.

 

Repeat above about 1000 times.  ;-)

[Allisyn Wood]

TC, I know you sell the stalite.  Have you used it? Do you find that the sizes are uniform?  I am in the middle of a yard of river rock from a local nursery and sluthing for  the right size rock 1000 times over per Rob  :)  No fun.  My arms are killing me...  How much for a yard of stalite?  We're in NEFL so drop ship or we can pick up.

TCLynx said:

Here are some blog posts on the subject

How and why to wash gravel

 

Throw a party

 

I usually use some of those rectangular plastic plant baskets for water plants and some storage bins filled with water up on a table for platform of good working height.  I swish a basket of gravel in one bin then in the next bin and then I put it into the grow bed.

 

I'm not sure what you should do if you have already placed the gravel into the grow beds other than take it all out, wash it and place it back into the grow bed.  Simply spraying off gravel in a grow bed just washes the sand/dirt down lower into the grow bed or into the fish tank, it won't help.

[TCLynx]

Hay Allisyn, I don't sift the 1/2" river rock that much, I simply get several of those baskets used for pond plants and shovel some river rock into one (bout half full) then swish it in a bin of water then swish in a cleaner bin of water then place in grow bed.  So far with timed flood and drain or even siphons that has been sufficient.  Provided it isn't in a Duck-a-ponics system or hosting a banana plant in the grow bed, I've not had problems with clogging.

 

The most important part of washing gravel is to set up ergonomic washing stations.  Make sure you can swish while standing straight up since if you are bending over while doing it you will be hurting big time.  I shovel gravel into small buckets or the baskets and take them to the washing station (hopefully set up next to the grow beds being filled.)  Wash a batch and put into the grow bed.  Remember small buckets for lifting and half full baskets for swishing.

Better yet, have a workshop and turn the gravel washing into a party!!!!  Definitely goes a lot quicker.

 

The expanded Shale (Rocks in a box) are sifted and a pretty nice size, However it is not made here in FL so the freight is going to be pretty hefty.  You can check out this link and use the contact form if you are still interested in a quote on the bulk shale.  I'll need to know your zip code and what the freight situation would be like (as in do you have access to a loading dock where they could deliver it?  Or will the truck need a lift gate to deliver to your home. etc.) in order to get a quote for shipping.

[Allisyn Wood]

Thanks, TC.  I'll try the baskets.  I knew the shipping was going to be crazy.  Shame.  Your system is so impressive!  Love the ducks.  Someday...  Hope you're getting a little sunshine today.

[TCLynx]

we usually get a little sunshine and then rain, at least that has been the pattern the past week.  I need to get rid of some ducks!!!!!

 

For the gravel washing I've found that a stack of pallets or perhaps a pallet on top of some short sawhorses makes a pretty good surface for holding the bins of rinse water.  Height will depend on the height of the bins and the person doing the washing.  The 1/2" brown river rock does contain smaller stuff but with a good double swishing enough of the sand is washed away that with twice as much gravel bed as fish tank, I'm not seeing any solids clogging even with an occasionally very heavy fish load.  If running a sane fish load and you have some composting worms things should be very good.

 

Ducks will change the ratios of everything, I'm starting to think at least 50 gallons of gravel bed per duck might not be able to handle the muck

[Harold Sukhbir]

Hi Allisyn,

In my pea gravel siphon i drilled a gazallion 1/8" holes into the housing, like a strainer, works just fine although it won't be a great idea if you're running many beds this way(labor intensive). For info on the sand media, search the site and also Kobus is our pioneer at the moment, see what he's doing here  http://aquaponicscommunity.com/group/Combination/forum/topics/sand-...

Allisyn Wood said:

Thanks, TC.  I'll try the baskets.  I knew the shipping was going to be crazy.  Shame.  Your system is so impressive!  Love the ducks.  Someday...  Hope you're getting a little sunshine today.

[Allisyn Wood]

Yeah, I hate drilling, but worse yet is sanding the inside of those things to get all the little plastic pieces out... Ugh.

Harold Sukhbir said:

Hi Allisyn,

In my pea gravel siphon i drilled a gazallion 1/8" holes into the housing, like a strainer, works just fine although it won't be a great idea if you're running many beds this way(labor intensive). For info on the sand media, search the site and also Kobus is our pioneer at the moment, see what he's doing here  http://aquaponicscommunity.com/group/Combination/forum/topics/sand-...

Allisyn Wood said:

Thanks, TC.  I'll try the baskets.  I knew the shipping was going to be crazy.  Shame.  Your system is so impressive!  Love the ducks.  Someday...  Hope you're getting a little sunshine today.

[Harold Sukhbir]

Hi Allisyn,

I pushed a wire pot scrub through the housing a couple times to remove burrs. Doesn't take long. Drilling the holes on the other hand.....................

[Rob Torcellini]

I cut a bunch of slits in my gravel guards with a table saw.  I can have one done in a couple of minutes!  Just keep an eye on your fingers!

[Allisyn Wood]

Both great ideas!  Thanks!

[George T]

 

Stalite

They have a bulk terminal in Jacksonville and you can contact them from their website - available in three sizes.

bulk material...........$62.00 per ton

freight/terminal........$31.07 per ton

total........................$93.07 per ton or  $68.23 per CY

 

How much for a yard of stalite?