A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

I am starting a new system, What are the best materials to use?

Hi everyone. I am setting up a new aquaponics system and need some advice.

A little about me. I have been in the nursery business here in Panama City Florida growing both retail and wholsale plants. I am not in the nursery business anymore but I have a 30' X 50' green house on my home property that I want to put an aquaponics system in. I have aquired a 15'X4' above ground pool. I am in the process of putting it in the ground 24", in the green house, leaving approximatly 24" above ground for a heat sink.

My plan is to start with Channel catfish since they are very forgiving with fluctuations in water quality and temperature.

I have enough materials on hand to make the troughs for a trough system, but, I have no experience in this feild. So I have many questions. Such as: How deep should the troughs be? What materials should be used for the rafts? Is there some reason 2" styrofoam shouldn't be used? Do I need a gravel bed to filter out the solid particulates until they break down? If so how big? Then there are the questions I can't ask because I don't know them yet.

Yes, I do want to make this a profitable venture.

I've read the discussions posted about Blue Board.

Any and All advice will be greatly appreciated.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sahib Punjabi on February 10, 2011 at 9:16am

Hello Barbara,

I suggest that you read all the Aquaponic Gardening Rules of Thumb first

http://aquaponicscommunity.com/page/aquaponic-gardening-rules-of

Join the New Members Group, and

http://aquaponicscommunity.com/group/aquaponicsforbeginners

Attend the Commercial Training being held here in Florida by Green Acre Organics on March 21st - March 24th

http://aquaponicscommunity.com/events/friendly-aquaponics-commercial

God bless

Permalink Reply by Sahib Punjabi on February 22, 2011 at 5:30pm

Hello Peter,

Mr. Cosmo had posted a link for reasonably priced Bulkhead and Uniseals on one of his posts. If you are ordering from Aquatic Ecosystems, personally I would use the 2inch Economy Bulkheads and if desired use a PVC fitting to go from 2 to 3 inch or 4 inch. I believe that you usually need to put a strainer on the bottom out drain to prevent fish being sucked down (I have actually lost a couple of Koi who went exploring when I had drilled the strained holes at 3/4 inch). Any solids should be able to flow through 1/4 to 3/8 inch holes. To help the process, for years. I have been brushing the sides and where possible, the bottom of my fish tanks although I was not practicing Aquaponics then (as also shown by Murray Hallam in his Aquaponics Secrets DVD). This is far more economic than 3 or 4inch...remember, you also need the right size drill fitting and pipe...all very expensive when you go over 2 inches.

Frankly, I believe that whenever you can use gravity to your advantage, do so. I usually end up using the sides and Uniseals and keep my bottom drain to a minimum...sometimes as low as 1/2 inch (adequate air movement and brushing will ensure that solids rarely exceed that size), although have now occasionally used 3/4 to 1inch with a gate valve to drain and feed heaver feeders like Tomatoes.

Hope this helps...just my way of doing things :-)

Good luck & God bless,

Peter Shaw said:

Hi,

I also have a question about setting up fish tanks without using really expensive bulkhead fittings.

I have 4 blue fish tanks from Aquatic Ecosystems. If it were only one tank I would not worry about it, but 4???

(Our smaller system has BHF and I hope to reduce the cost, I am going to use toilet flanges for the troughs)

If you have not priced out 4" BHF you might be get ready for sticker shock.

I have made smaller BHF (1") using male and female adapters with washers and an electrical conduit nut but using 4" PVC I dont think I can find the right washers or electrical nuts.

I am assuming you take the water from the fish tanks to the clairifier from the bottom of the tanks and not from the sides as seen in the Friendlies setup. This allows the solids that settle out to be pulled out. It also allows for a stand pipe.

So, anyone using any sort of toilet flange? The ABS ones can work, but you have to silicone pretty heavy as the toilet flange is not designed to be water tight on mounting bracket side, only inside the flange.

Also, can you make the stand pipe secure with out reefing on it and possibly ruining the seal?

Alternatively, can you reduce the diameter to 3" just for this section? I know the 4" pipe is useful for pipe runs but.....

Also, I will be using Uniseals for the clarifier sides and the sump.

cheers

peter

Permalink Reply by Harold Sukhbir on February 28, 2011 at 8:47am

Hi Peter,

Peter said; I am assuming you take the water from the fish tanks to the clairifier from the bottom of the tanks and not from the sides as seen in the Friendlies setup. This allows the solids that settle out to be pulled out. It also allows for a stand pipe.

Harold says; I was thinking of the side mount vs the bottom mount with both pressure and solids removal in mind.The bottom mount makes elevation of the tank necessary, also if you develop a leak you will have to transfer a lot of fish and water. The side mount can be done if it is piped to the bottom middle of the FT. If the water enters the tank like a swirl producing rotation, the water in flux will suction the solids.I've tried it in my swirl about 16" up the side of the tank and it siphons all but the last 1/2" of water/solids from the bottom.You can mount on the side to the expected water surface level of the FT. You can make the fittings removable for easy maintenance and you're less likely to have leaks as it is a low pressure application.
Peter Shaw said:

Hi,

I also have a question about setting up fish tanks without using really expensive bulkhead fittings.

I have 4 blue fish tanks from Aquatic Ecosystems. If it were only one tank I would not worry about it, but 4???

(Our smaller system has BHF and I hope to reduce the cost, I am going to use toilet flanges for the troughs)

If you have not priced out 4" BHF you might be get ready for sticker shock.

I have made smaller BHF (1") using male and female adapters with washers and an electrical conduit nut but using 4" PVC I dont think I can find the right washers or electrical nuts.

I am assuming you take the water from the fish tanks to the clairifier from the bottom of the tanks and not from the sides as seen in the Friendlies setup. This allows the solids that settle out to be pulled out. It also allows for a stand pipe.

So, anyone using any sort of toilet flange? The ABS ones can work, but you have to silicone pretty heavy as the toilet flange is not designed to be water tight on mounting bracket side, only inside the flange.

Also, can you make the stand pipe secure with out reefing on it and possibly ruining the seal?

Alternatively, can you reduce the diameter to 3" just for this section? I know the 4" pipe is useful for pipe runs but.....

Also, I will be using Uniseals for the clarifier sides and the sump.

cheers

peter