The Queenslander

[GaryD]

Hi,

I returned home tonight to find that the water in my tanks had clarified. I could say that it just happened but that wouldn't the truth. Fact is that Crusty dropped something in it.....he'll say more about that later.

I ordered a handful of stainless steel brackets this afternoon.....to enable me to secure the baffles into the tank.

While it's currently leaking through the silicon joints, the baffle tank seems to be working well otherwise. There's a marked difference in the amount of clay pebble sediment that's settled in the first couple of bays compared to the final one.

We've also come up with a better media barrier arrangement. I hope to fit that in the next day or two.

If my past system are anything to go by, this tweaking will continue for a while.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

Here's a photo of our bio-filter tank. Once the water had cleared, we discovered where all of those clay pebbles went when we were tweaking the media barrier.

Gary

[Crusty]

Looks like it has been set up as the first "CHOPNAP" or "Sleeping CHOP" or "Sneaky CHOP" system lol.

[VegiFish]

Looking good Gary thanks for your hospitality for Bigdaddy and myself the other day we are leaving Brisbane tomorrow morning. Thanks to Jan for the coffee and biscuits as well. I am worried this aquaponics stuff though it is looking really addictive LOL. I am doing my 1st wicking bed in a couple of weeks when I get a break

[bigdaddy]

Yes,

Thanks Gary and Jan,It was also good to meet Crusty as well,I learnt heaps more when I was there.

Hi Vegefish,

You'll have to post us photos of your work when you are doing your wicking bed on your wicking bed thread mate.

Cheers.

[GaryD]

Hi BD and Vegifish,

It was our pleasure to have you both here. It's always good to put a face to an avatar.

You'll love the wicking bed when you get it going. The concept is so simple and yet so effective. It's become my favourite plant growing system.....and I hope to convert our raised bed gardens to wicking beds in the coming months.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

I replaced the problematic media barriers with our new and improved design. We used the 90mm plastic mesh tube that Crusty used on the fish tanks at the school system and some adaptors......perfect solution.

The untimely end of my jade perch last night means that I had no larger fish to power the new system.....so we threw in some hydro nutrient to get the seedlings going. We might also have used Seasol (which we also had), but the "go juice" has the full spectrum of nutrients for hydroponics.....so we'll see how that goes.

Gary

[Crusty]

I replaced the problematic media barriers with our new and improved design. We used the 90mm plastic mesh tube that Crusty used on the fish tanks at the school system and some adaptors......perfect solution.

It is great to see the information I have released, such as using the mesh screen for the gravel bed outlet on the school project is being taken up. For those that would rather not drill holes in a piece of pipe this makes the job easy, not to say drilling holes is not easy. You can purchase these mesh screens from me in different diameters. Just flick me an email or PM.

Cheers
Paul

[GaryD]

Hi,

Yesterday, I pulled the sedimentation tank out of the new system so that I can bolt the baffles in more securely.

I've decided to replace the baffles while I'm about it. The current ones are 4mm polyethylene and, while they work, I've decided to use perspex about 8mm thick.

I've had the stainless steel brackets made up and now I've just got to mortgage the house so that I can afford to buy the stainless steel screws, nuts and washers to bolt the whole thing together.

Fortunately, the rain means that everything stays well-watered during the modifications. In fact, I've had to dump water out of the system several times since we started it up.

Gary

[chainsaw]

In fact, I've had to dump water out of the system several times since we started it up.

Wasn't until 75mm rain later I realised how much my Barra system was being diluted, so then put some of the water through to one of the new system IBCs well have managed to save 900 litres so far. Had I realised it earlier, probably could have got 4000 litres

Since the start of rain earlier in the week (3 - 4 days) I have had over seven inches. Hopefully tommorrow can fill another IBC.