Robin's system

[robinmill]

hi everyone love what you are doing
this is my system which has cost me about $80 so far
its a chops system which uses a pool pump with a float switch to return the water back into the tank, siphons in the baths

no fish yet just some yabbies out of a mates dam in the sump
getting some yellow perch after xmas, so I need to get cracking and get a few more baths happening
basically a little urine and seasol were feeding the plants until a couple of weeks ago when i put the yabbies in

one bath has river gravel from the river probably 3mm to 50mm
the other one has graded 10 mm to 50mm , just went down the river with the ute and shoveled it on
i also scored some small brown clay balls 5-10mm from someones hydroponis system which i have some of the plants growing in amongst the gravel

2 tomatoes
1 spinach
5 pumpkin seedlings, just threw the seeds in the sand
2 chillies
2 capsicums
continental parsley
2 lettuce
and heaps of rocket which went straight to seed, oh well

so I hope the photos turn out and please throw your two bobs worth in

robin

[robinmill]

hi again

got 50 rainbow trout last monday so day 6 and no deaths
cost $2 each delivered
between 10 - 15 cm

i added a small air piump into the fish tank and have surrounded the tank with shadecloth
the roof is now on the shed so the temps are staying around 15 degrees now

on thursday they got to 22 water temp with 38 air temp , pretty scary
but now with extra shade it hasn't got above 20 in the heat of the day

I added 12 strawberry plants into some 90mm pvc pipe today so see how they go

got a heap of small basil and a mix of spicy salad herbs so the baths are filling up
the tomatoes aren't looking to good , like they are not getting water in a soil garden
but the fruit is still looking great ????

i got some floating pellets and threw some grasshoppers and bugs out of the garden today

[fishfood]

Good luck I think you are very brave putting trout in your system coming on summer

[robinmill]

brave or silly

might need a little more than luck

the tank is 4000 litres which is 1.8m high so i am hoping that the large mass will keep its cool

we live on an eastern facing slope and the westerly wind blows over the top
most days of the week we get an easterly wind mid afternoon
you can see the fog on the range about 2kms away
the outside temp at the moment is about 12 degrees
i think it (the air) got in the mid twentys today the tank was 15 degrees today
the tank is also open to that easterly wind

I might be talking it up but I'll give it a go

i guy in town had some last summer and he found that lots of oxygen helped to keep them alive during the real hot times

will have to try and make some sort of air pump , I hate buying stuff

[fishfood]

Agreed if you are running trout you need extra air its hard to make an air pump for under $80 you can get a electromagnetic air pump with 6 good airstones that will last for years

[robinmill]

ta fishfood

I had a look at some elactromagnetic pumps ,
they look much better than the ones i have been looking at
would you recomend any particular brand

still got living fish
the water got to 16 today with 28 air temp

fed them some maggotts and flies out of my fly traps , they loved it
the veges are starting to change now from the fish
still a little hesitant to feed them much for the moment

robin

[fishfood]

THERES QUITE A FEW OF THESE OUT THERE THE SMALLEST ONE WOULD DO YOU
http://www.guppysaquariumproducts.co...mp/cat_75.html

[robinmill]

just looking at guppys now

I am thinking that if i get say a 80-100 litre unit it will grow with me
do you know if they are adjustable or do you just vent some of the air if you are getting to much for your tank

heres another one while I am at it

I did a bit of reading a couple of years ago on the benefits of using ozone generators
for humans to help with the healing process of various things,
similar to having bottled oxygen but somehow better like the clean air that you get in a thunderstorm from the electrical energy creating ozone

I think lightning creates o3 and these units create o4

pretty amazing
do you know of anyone who has tried one of the units with fish?

[fishfood]

I would go for the ACO-03 then later if you need it get a second one and the second one run an inverter from a battery as failsafe
looking at the size of your system one would be plenty
I run the larger one but i have 5000 litres water
Another point if possable run your air from a seperate power circuit
then you have an additional backup

[robinmill]

thanks for the advice
sounds good need to do a bit of reading on invertors
i have batteries from cars
things will have to wait till after christmas

fed them some flies and maggots again they love it

merry xmas