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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:
> Bev; my aquaponics system is still up and running. It's designed
> after Paula's system, but, like yours, mine pumps water to the beds,
> then drains directly back into the tank (her's drains into tubs and
> the water is pumped from the tub back to the fishtank). My growbeds
> are 4x8', 1' deep, lined with heavy plastic, filled with stone (I
> forget the grade, but it's one grade bigger than pea gravel).

I'm glad you could make sense of what I wrote.  Heavy editing made it
unclear.  I had it first set up with two barrels like Paula recommends,
but quickly went to one barrel.  I had the system running for a few days
to a week, without growing anything, just to check water levels and to
try to work out kinks.  I wish I could remember more of what made me
stop trying.  If I recall correctly, I wasn't able to time the pumps
correctly and since I was using materials onhand, my pumps were not the
same size and one pumped faster, etc.  I THINK that was the reason I
went to one barrel.

> My 'nozzles' are just holes drilled in the PVC pipe. In the beginning
> I had problems with the holes clogging, so I made them a little
> bigger.

Yes, mine were holes, too.  Probably somewhere the pipe is stored away,
but at the moment, I have no idea of where, so I will be drilling new
holes in a new pvc.  Do you position your holes top or bottom?  Seems
like we had less clogging issues with holes up.  Over time, that might
present a problem with algea.


 My beds,
> after about 8 years, are getting clogged with dead roots and dirt. It
> would help the system run better if I took all the rock out and
> cleaned everything, but that isn't going to happen soon (tons and
> tons of rock...)

So you started with just gravel, all one size, like nickel sized?

I give the most mental energy to what the growing medium should be.


> My raft system never worked well. I floated styrofoam insulation
> boards on top of the fishtank...I cut circles in the board that would
> hold the little 'net pots' that they sell for hydroponics. I never
> found a good medium to put in the pots (the same rock that is in the
> beds is the best I came up with). The biggest problem was that the
> fish ate the roots, and often pulled the whole plant though the
> bottom of the pot.

Did you ever try rafting the plants in a shallow pan of fish effluent
separate from the fish?


> The most important thing I've found with aquaponics is that the
> simpler you can make it, the better. The more complications you put
> in it, the more things can go wrong. My timer died this spring, so I
> switch the pump on by hand once a day or so. Because of all the dirt
> and decomposed roots, my beds hold too much water, so 5 minutes once
> a day is all they need.

I quickly learned that lesson, too.  KISS.

Interesting thought on the 'accidental dirt' holding water.
What kind of timer were you using? I got two of them, just cheapie
things that you plug the pump into.  I think they were like $5 each.

If my growth medium mocked nature a bit more...larger gravel in the
bottom, getting smaller towards the top(would be a nightmare to clean
tho) down to sand and aquarium gravel size....what would be the downside
to that?  I think before I just had 1/2" gravel, which is what we call
pea gravel.  Paula uses 1/8" or 1/4" creek gravel and calls that pea
gravel, if I recall.  Her nomenclature makes more sense, I think, but I
used the larger size gravel before.  Now that I only have one box to
fill instead of two, I might take the shovel and wheelbarrow down to the
creekbed, but moving all the big rocks would be a pain.  I just can't
put a lot of money into this and gravel is expensive.


--
I am having an out-of-money experience.
http://erthnsky.blogspot.com/
EarthNSky Farm, Northwest Georgia, USA