Does your system ratios change with the crops you grow?

[Kobus Jooste]

I posted this in the advanced group as well but thought I should toss it in here too.  At the onset of my system, the design ratios was just within acceptable levels of component ratios according to Dr Lennard's calculator, with the suggestion that I should have a look at getting some more sump volume in there. 

 

Over time, however, I have noticed that my interest in growing permanent fruiting crops in stead of a permanent flow of leaf crops have seemed to have an adverse effect on water quality.  I think that the root mass of my permanent stock is slowly eating up the void space that the gravel beds would have employed in the past to trap solids.  I have much moresolids in my water column than before, and am actually feeding less as we reach the end of summer here.  What I am wondering, is whether the culture of fruiting crops should alter our ratios in design to include more gravel beds than required toi compensate for the permanent root mass that develop in our beds.

[Kobus Jooste]

The African night crawler is native to this general area but not my first choice and also not common in our clay soils.  Never seen one here in all my time gardening.  Also not the number 1 species recommended by the people that pioneered worms in beds if I recall the ciommunications I had with them and the publications I scanned.

 

If you look at my previous posts, you will see that I run a hybrid system with no air pumps - fast always on flood and drain does the filtration and aeration.  This allows the fines to get through and is also why I wanted the red wrigglers - more tolerant to the constant flow of water than our local night crawlers as far as I could tell.

 

Also see my research on rain water use - this has pinned me in a lower pH range that I try to work with rather than constantly having to fight with the system in order to raise the pH.  I know that much of what I do with this system is potentially outside of the real of "doing the typical" or what everybody else is doing.  I set myself some country and region specific challenges with the unit, and am operating it in that spirit.  I may not do what everyone else is doing, but then, who else is addressing the specific questions I set myself?

[Izzy]

I was just offering some specific solutions. Any worm is better than no worm, but as you said your research suggested it won't work because everyone else said so. :) Anyway, it is very hard to fight pH.

I don't see why you cant add one constant flow biofilter of just gravel amd worms (you can always remove the solids but I assume you dont want that). Anyway, sounds like you have it under control. Good luck!