A video update to my ever expanding aquaponic project [CLICK HERE}
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Showing posts with label system. Show all posts
Showing posts with label system. Show all posts
Aquaponics Direct composter duckweed drying
My system has only one fish, and Im getting a little worried about my growbeds worm population. Im not confident theres enough fish waste going into the system to feed them all.
What I thought I might try is creating a small compost bin directly in my growbed to make sure the worms have enough to eat.
I have a lot of duckweed growing in my system, and that one fish has to power the new bigger growbed, and the duckweed.
Duckweed uses quite a bit of useful nutrient so I thought I should remove some, and add it back into the system via the composter.
I pulled out a quarter of a bucket or so of my duckweed from the system, and dumped it on some dry, sheltered concrete to dry.
I need to dry it first to kill it, because the direct composter will be a small container full of holes, sitting directly in my growbed. That means it will be damp, and the duckweed might just stay alive.
As I understand it, worms feed on the stuff that feeds on rotting vegetation so live duckweed wouldnt work so well.
120 Things in 20 years seems to be growing plants for feed to grow other plants. I think I finally developed a way to make growing vegetables as inefficient as growing beef.
Read More..
What I thought I might try is creating a small compost bin directly in my growbed to make sure the worms have enough to eat.
I have a lot of duckweed growing in my system, and that one fish has to power the new bigger growbed, and the duckweed.
Duckweed uses quite a bit of useful nutrient so I thought I should remove some, and add it back into the system via the composter.
I need to dry it first to kill it, because the direct composter will be a small container full of holes, sitting directly in my growbed. That means it will be damp, and the duckweed might just stay alive.
As I understand it, worms feed on the stuff that feeds on rotting vegetation so live duckweed wouldnt work so well.
120 Things in 20 years seems to be growing plants for feed to grow other plants. I think I finally developed a way to make growing vegetables as inefficient as growing beef.
Aquaponics New system at two months
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In a couple of days my new system will be two months old.
I wasnt sure how it would go being on the wrong side of the house and in shade for all but a couple of hours a day, but it looks like it might be ok.
This is the original empty growbed two months ago.
And now it looks like this.
The lettuce in the foreground went in as store bought seedlings, and the rest was from seed, but I wasted a lot of time before I actually sowed them.
We have started harvesting leaves from the lettuce and within a week or two we should be picking rocket as well.
The growbed is around two metres long and a little over a metre wide, so it should keep us in salad greens with ease.
Ive also planted a few sugar snap peas at the back because I like to eat them when Im doing anything with the garden. Theres not enough to harvest but I enjoy picking something and eating it at the growbed.
Also at the back Ive planted quite a bit of basil, some coriander (cilantro), and a few other herbs.
Thats all. Just a quick update.
Read More..
I wasnt sure how it would go being on the wrong side of the house and in shade for all but a couple of hours a day, but it looks like it might be ok.
The lettuce in the foreground went in as store bought seedlings, and the rest was from seed, but I wasted a lot of time before I actually sowed them.
We have started harvesting leaves from the lettuce and within a week or two we should be picking rocket as well.
The growbed is around two metres long and a little over a metre wide, so it should keep us in salad greens with ease.
Ive also planted a few sugar snap peas at the back because I like to eat them when Im doing anything with the garden. Theres not enough to harvest but I enjoy picking something and eating it at the growbed.
Also at the back Ive planted quite a bit of basil, some coriander (cilantro), and a few other herbs.
Thats all. Just a quick update.
Low Energy System Design
...Download this Sketchup Model..
This system has two radial filters and a media bed to keep the deep water culture raft very clean, An airlift pump keeps the water moving via an air compressor; no mechanical water pumps are required
Water levels in all the tanks are the same. By not raising the water from a sump tank only a small amount of energy is required to move the water laterally.
If this entire system were buried flush with the ground the thermal mass of the earth would help regulate the temperature very well during both summer and winter
Airlifts provides both water circulation and aeration. I believe airlift pumps can be more efficient than an external pump. (Ive never understood why submersibles are always less efficient, but the specs tend to indicate this).
Airlifts can be calculated.
This article Performance Study of an Airlift Pump with Bent Riser Tube presents an interesting conclusion is that bends in the riser pipe do not effect the performace of an airlift pump.
OPTIMIZATION OF A BACKYARD AQUAPONIC FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEM
is a very good paper about aquaponics and it would be a very good source for information about airlift pumps but a critical table is missing. Id still recommend reading it for everything else it presents.
I found this calculator for airlift pumps. It is spot on against the real life experiments Ive conducted.
From my own experiments without math; I believe an airlift will provide enough water circulation. That is also what Keith Tatjana demonstrates in his paper in which he assumes a circulation rate of one fish tank volume twice per hour.
I think air blowers are more reliable than water pumps, and less expensive. Blowers do not provide the pressure like a compressor so this is a limiting factor when using a blower, but if at all possible use an air blower because air compressors like the Hydrofarm 70 and 110 lpm units tend to vibrate themselves to death.
I have not done any experimentation with how much ambient air temperature will affect the water temperature, but logically this would occur whether it be from an air stone or an airlift pump.
Other papers Ive found are
| Performance Characteristics of Airlift Pumps withVortex Induced by Tangential Fluid Injection | ||||||||||||||
| Explore the Potential of Air-Lift Pumps and Multiphase Explore the potential of air-lift pumps
This Video shows the Geyser Pump I built. http://youtu.be/ztHBHULkHNQ | ||||||||||||||
Expanding the Outdoor System
I should be getting my new AZFlo 2400 pump this week. This will be my pick up tube.
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| Slots cut in 2" PVC DWV and wrapped with cooler pad. |
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| Hopefully this will keep the mosquito fish from getting sucked up |
This is my new grow bed built from a bunk feeder and using the GW Raft system. Maybe I should have followed Giorgios design more closely, but I think this will work. I wanted to be able to lift the rafts independent of the pontoons, so I switched it up a little.
Rather than a straight tube, my pontoon is shaped like an 8 and is made of PVC DWV pipe because PVC cellular core is lighter than regular PVC pipe, but not as expensive as ABS which is also cellular and lighter than Sch 40 PVC. Actually PVC DWV is about 40 cents a foot less expensive than Sch 40 or ABS. You may have to go to a real plumbing store rather than and Big Box store to find it. Ive got hundreds of dollars in just the pipe. This is a way to save a lot of money.
The holes are cut into FRP board which will be smooth and easy to clean.
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| GW Raft System |
Link to Post
On January 17 & 18, 2012 Giorgio posted an idea for the GW Raft
Comment by Giorgio on January 17, 2012 at 5:10pm
I’ve been doing backyard aquaponics for almost 4 years now and I was doing mainly the Raft system using the styrofoam boards from HD, (I have no choice, I live in a small Island).
These board get waterlogged rather quickly and working with them is very messy and you have to do so much work with them. Finally I got tired of buying new foam and making new rafts and I figured out a way to make them last longer, I got some FOOD GRADE epoxy and painted the bottoms that touch water and they seem to be doing good so far but still you need to put some sort of aeration in the grow bed for plants to grow better which will required space, time and money (resources).
Finally I came up with a great solution which will create aeration naturally and is pretty cheap and easy to build. I teach a Aquaponics class in the backyard and many of my student were impressed with the new design and after a few crops I feel confident that is a great way to go and I want to share with the AP community.
FYI: I’ve dome my research and I’ve talked to the manufactures of some of these products that I use but you are welcome to double check and share.
I took some pics and I will try to explain how I did it.
The top is called Polywall from HD and I cut it to 2x4 pieces for easy handling u can make them bigger if you wish.
The pontoons are 2" PVC pipe with caps I dont use glue just silicone
I used 1/2 pipe for the frame, you can get all Ts and Elbows anywhere (HD) cheapest.
I used stainless 1/4" screws to sucure the Polly the the frame
and I used zip ties to secure the frame to pontoons.
You dont want to make any holes in the pontoons or it wont float.
These are so easy to make and no need for painting and no mess and the 2" net pot just barely touch the water (which is what we want)
The only thing will be to figure out some sort of clip to secure the raft to the side of the grow bed when plants get big and heavy cause it will sink a bit
Have fun
Giorgio
- Comment by Giorgio on January 18, 2012 at 2:02pm
- Aloha !Here are a couple more pics to give you better idea.The GM Raft SystemThis design is fricking awesome...Im growing lettuce almost 2x faster than regular foam rafts and cause the only part of the raft that touches water is the 2" pontoon there is lots of aeration underneath the root system (WITHOUT) the need of air stones, valves, siphoning or any other device.Is very simple concept that works great, Im sure whoever tries it will love it and is less than 1/2 the cost of the foam rafts and about 75% less work without the mess and once you get one going you can make a bunch at a time.I used 3 screw at the ends and 4 on the sides, make sure to use stainless
Have fun...
System Tours
These are some system tours I like.
Important issues such as aeration, and power consumption are discussed in this video. The FaceBook page above is alive with many more systems from around the world.
Near the end of this video the aeration system is shown. It works by creating a strong vortex which draws air down into the water as it exits into the fish tank.
Larry Reinhardt s Videos
Larry is not focused on Aquaponics and these videos could be better, but he has built two impressive aquaculture systems in his backyard. I liked these videos because he uses nothing but air to pump the water in his 3000 gallon system and has a very simple filtration system which he calls the manure chamber. It requires very little time to clean.
Read More..
Rob Torcellinis Videos
Rob is a perfectionist and an artistic builder. With 50 videos and counting he has documented one of the most beautiful garden rooms ever built. His design is well thought out and includes one of my favorite videos about the Rocket Mass Stove he built to heat his aquaponic sanctuary.Aloha Mahiai Aquaponics
Important issues such as aeration, and power consumption are discussed in this video. The FaceBook page above is alive with many more systems from around the world.
Near the end of this video the aeration system is shown. It works by creating a strong vortex which draws air down into the water as it exits into the fish tank.
Larry Reinhardt s Videos
Larry is not focused on Aquaponics and these videos could be better, but he has built two impressive aquaculture systems in his backyard. I liked these videos because he uses nothing but air to pump the water in his 3000 gallon system and has a very simple filtration system which he calls the manure chamber. It requires very little time to clean.
Larry shows his filter system
A tour of Larrys Aquaculture System
He briefly shows construction of his plywood tanks
The Perfect System
Originally I posted this to show the tank arraignment, but then added temperature control, green house design, and lighting. I feel these are the best ways to design an aquaponics system.
But aquaponics may not be the best way to grow food. Fish are, as Vlad put it, "a romantic attraction", but most will agree that it complicates the process. Raising fish does not provide fish at a lower cost than current retail grocery store prices, and conditions such as temperature, and pH in the vegetable garden are often comprised
Peeponics, or Bioponics require no food, or comprises, and allows you to concentrate your efforts on growing vegetables. Without fish poo to clog up the system, the plant roots will remain clean and healthy. Without the overhead of fish food the cost of your vegetables will be lower. Plants require less temperature control. The list goes on. We produce urine every day - sadly its a wasted resource.
I highly recommend reading this PDF about Aquaponic design. It is without a doubt one of the best papers Ive ever read. I wish I had followed the advice presented from the beginning. But the school of hard knocks is often required before we come around to a full understanding of the gems available to us . http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/Travis/Aquaponics-Design.pdf
Like I said Optimization of Backyard Aquaponics for Food Production. is one of the best documents Ive read. I read that paper carefully taking note of the calculations involved, and created a spreadsheet to help with the design of a system.
The spreadsheet is available at
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20676945/OPTIMIZATION%20OF%20A%20BACKYARD%20AQUAPONIC-v2.ods
What follows below is the best of everything Ive learned. Apply it to either Bioponics,or Aquaponics.
OPEN THIS DRAWING WITH SKETCHUP
There are no filters to clean, Passing the water through the media beds cleans the water coming from the fish tank. Vermiculture is used to keep the media clean. Using a Timed Flood and Drain system will save utility costs and avoid the problems associated with bell siphons.
Enlarging the system as shown here would require two pumps but one will be used intermittently to pump water from the sump to the fish tanks. The other will be a very small pump which will be very inexpensive to run.
Overall this system satisfies all the requirements of a reliable, low maintenance, and low energy system. Periodically the drip holes would need to be cleaned, and of course water tests and feeding. But thats about all there is once the system is established.
The drip holes are not located on the stand pipe as you might imagine, but rather on a 1" pipe connected through the side near the bottom of the media bed. This allows for easy access and periodic cleaning. It also places it where you can see the weep holes, and be aware of any developing problems. Using a Uniseal at this connection also allows the pipe to be removed easily if deeper maintenance is required.
An Aquaponic Valve is a mechanical indexing valve... there are no electrical components. While this could be used to sequence the Flood & Drain of each media bed to further prevent water fluctuations in the sump, and raft tanks, this is not required due to the total volume of the sump and raft tanks.
Heres another DIY Indexing Value built and designed by Rob Torcellini .
There has been some research with aerobic rafts the called GW Raft system. I would like to incorporate a simpler version of that by placing boards with net pot holes over the top edge of each raft. The water can be adjusted by the length of the stand pipe. .
The height of the water could be adjusted higher with the stand pipe to allow the net pot to wick. As the roots grow the level can then be adjusted lowed to provide the air space.
To gain even better flow with the air pump I have designed this system
...Download this Sketchup Model..
This system has two radial filters and a media bed to keep the deep water culture raft very clean, An air pump keeps the water moving via an air compressor; no mechanical pumps are required. Water levels in all the tanks are the same. By not raising the water from a sump tank only a small amount of energy is required.
I currently use a 6" airlift pump to circulate the water in the fish tank, but Im working on adding a 45" deep tube through the bottom, so that I can get a real good flow. Ill post pictures when that is finished.
Solar is also an option. This system was built and documented by Paul at Gardening Rhythms.
Running an aquaponic system may seem simple at first glance. Feed the fish and grow perfect vegatables. Dont be fooled by the simple appearance of these systems. Read "Integrating Fish and Plant Culture" first. Take note of the complex chemistry described in the section "Nutrient dynamics". This is one of the best and most comprehensive articles Ive ever found.
Read More..
But aquaponics may not be the best way to grow food. Fish are, as Vlad put it, "a romantic attraction", but most will agree that it complicates the process. Raising fish does not provide fish at a lower cost than current retail grocery store prices, and conditions such as temperature, and pH in the vegetable garden are often comprised
Peeponics, or Bioponics require no food, or comprises, and allows you to concentrate your efforts on growing vegetables. Without fish poo to clog up the system, the plant roots will remain clean and healthy. Without the overhead of fish food the cost of your vegetables will be lower. Plants require less temperature control. The list goes on. We produce urine every day - sadly its a wasted resource.
I highly recommend reading this PDF about Aquaponic design. It is without a doubt one of the best papers Ive ever read. I wish I had followed the advice presented from the beginning. But the school of hard knocks is often required before we come around to a full understanding of the gems available to us . http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/Travis/Aquaponics-Design.pdf
Like I said Optimization of Backyard Aquaponics for Food Production. is one of the best documents Ive read. I read that paper carefully taking note of the calculations involved, and created a spreadsheet to help with the design of a system.
The spreadsheet is available at
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20676945/OPTIMIZATION%20OF%20A%20BACKYARD%20AQUAPONIC-v2.ods
What follows below is the best of everything Ive learned. Apply it to either Bioponics,or Aquaponics.
 | |||||
| The Perfect Back Yard System combines the Sump and Raft |
Here is a link to
Murray visits the USA teaching Commercial Aquaponics
Tanks & Pumps
This system can be sized up as shown here. But if you are a beginning aquapon I suggest starting small with a system like the one Murray is standing next to. The independent media beds allow maintenance on one while the others remain undisturbed. The large sump tank prevents radical water level changes and the grow beds placed at the same level as the sump simply circulate water through a series of rafts returning water back to the sump. Only a very small 30 GPH pump is required because there is no head pressure. 30 GPH is extremely low flow, but this has proven to be all that is required, even in very large rafts. Click this link for a very interesting video! To use an airlift pump the sump tank would have to be deeper than shown here. Airlift pumps appeal to me because they aerate while moving water and blowers are far more reliable then water pumps.OPEN THIS DRAWING WITH SKETCHUP
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| A geyser pump, an improved airlift pump |
- An Airlift Pump Spreadsheet is available at airlift_basic_calculation.xls
There are no filters to clean, Passing the water through the media beds cleans the water coming from the fish tank. Vermiculture is used to keep the media clean. Using a Timed Flood and Drain system will save utility costs and avoid the problems associated with bell siphons.
Enlarging the system as shown here would require two pumps but one will be used intermittently to pump water from the sump to the fish tanks. The other will be a very small pump which will be very inexpensive to run.
Overall this system satisfies all the requirements of a reliable, low maintenance, and low energy system. Periodically the drip holes would need to be cleaned, and of course water tests and feeding. But thats about all there is once the system is established.
The drip holes are not located on the stand pipe as you might imagine, but rather on a 1" pipe connected through the side near the bottom of the media bed. This allows for easy access and periodic cleaning. It also places it where you can see the weep holes, and be aware of any developing problems. Using a Uniseal at this connection also allows the pipe to be removed easily if deeper maintenance is required.
An Aquaponic Valve is a mechanical indexing valve... there are no electrical components. While this could be used to sequence the Flood & Drain of each media bed to further prevent water fluctuations in the sump, and raft tanks, this is not required due to the total volume of the sump and raft tanks.
Heres another DIY Indexing Value built and designed by Rob Torcellini .
There has been some research with aerobic rafts the called GW Raft system. I would like to incorporate a simpler version of that by placing boards with net pot holes over the top edge of each raft. The water can be adjusted by the length of the stand pipe. .
The height of the water could be adjusted higher with the stand pipe to allow the net pot to wick. As the roots grow the level can then be adjusted lowed to provide the air space.
To gain even better flow with the air pump I have designed this system
...Download this Sketchup Model..
This system has two radial filters and a media bed to keep the deep water culture raft very clean, An air pump keeps the water moving via an air compressor; no mechanical pumps are required. Water levels in all the tanks are the same. By not raising the water from a sump tank only a small amount of energy is required.
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| This is how my system is set up. Everything in one tank. Pots are placed on the platform suspended just below the water and wick the moisture up. The fish swim underneath. |
Garden Enclosure
One additional note about making this perfect is the need for a green house. An efficient green house can be built if insulted well on three sides and glazed on the south. My experiments have shown that the Summer temperatures will not get too hot. Enclosed growing spaces require ample air exchange. Mold and insects can become a major problem over night. I highly suggest making a option to open the enclosure.Open This Drawing with SketchUp
Temperature Control
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| http://tcpermaculture.blogspot.com/2011/09/rocket-mass-heater.html |
My research into Rocket Mass Stoves has lead me to believe Winter heating can be accomplished without added utility.
Solar is also an option. This system was built and documented by Paul at Gardening Rhythms.
Lighting
Supplemental lighting will be required in the Winter only because of the short days. But Ceramic Metal Halide can provide efficient full spectrum lighting at a reasonable cost.Running an aquaponic system may seem simple at first glance. Feed the fish and grow perfect vegatables. Dont be fooled by the simple appearance of these systems. Read "Integrating Fish and Plant Culture" first. Take note of the complex chemistry described in the section "Nutrient dynamics". This is one of the best and most comprehensive articles Ive ever found.
If I could design a system from scratch
If I could design a system from scratch, and if I didnt have any constraints, I would:
- Use a bell siphon for my ebb and flow (already in heaven on this)
- Use locally sourced expanded shale aggregate for my grow medium
- Site the greenhouse in a clear area with only norther shade
- Make the walkway 36" wide and paved, so it is wheelchair accessible
- Sink the fishtank and sump so the growbeds are about 30" high
- Install a rocket mass heater under the walkway for winter
- Install a rain catchment and storage system
- Install a biosand water filter
- Install a windmill and solar panels for power
- Have a nifty greenhouse (like this Royal Victorian)
In the mean time, I have a wonderfully robust system where the plants are exploding, from which Im already been able to harvest lettuce, beans, peas, strawberries, mustard, and basil.
Last night we had homemade pizza with pesto sauce made from basil in the garden. So Im already in heaven!
Making and Installing Ollas in the Garden an Ancient Watering System
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Saving water with ollas is a great idea. This series of videos from High Desert Garden shows how to do it easily and inexpensively. High Desert Garden also created a video showing how to make your own ollas from clay, but using terracotta pots is less expensive, faster and easier.
Ollas will buffer the water needs of a garden, but realistically they are not large enough to get you through the day, so High Desert Garden uses an ingenious method of feeding the closed ollas from a larger reservoir.
Water is flowing in the IBC system Cycling and Phoshate
Close to completion. The outdoor IBC system is flowing water. Take a look at my settling tank. Its based on a wet dry filter. The cool part is if it gets clogged it will not jam up the system.
Ive begun to fill the beds with plants, but have no fish. Im cycling the system, but right now I want root growth. So I embarked on a study of Phosphate.
Here are two articles I believe are quite good although somewhat over whelming.
- Phosphate and the Reef Aquarium
- Aquarium Chemistry: Phosphate and Math
Tour my Aquaponic System
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| Nearly finished |
Please let me give you a tour of my aquaponic grow room.
Its not quite finished, but I want to show you the progress Ive made.
Click Here for a video tour
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Heavy crushed gravel is an initially cheap media, but it makes transplanting difficult, whereas a light soft media allows plants to be inserted even more easily than a Net Pot. Apparently pumice is not readily available to everyone, but my recent experience with it has changed my opinion of media beds. There are other options such as expanded shale or possibly lava rock that provide a similar benefit.
The complexity of a bell siphon can also be avoided by using an Ebb & Flow design rather than a Flood & Drain method. But it is the utility cost savings that makes this a very attractive option. Running a pump 24/7 becomes expensive and adds heavily to the cost of the product produced. $4.00 tomatoes are hard to swallow.
UPDATE 12/23/2012
The pumice has not worked out as well asI had imagined.It is prone to packing and clogging. 3/4" gravel or better yet expanded shale are my first choices. Media like Hydroton are also good choices if you can afford it.
The settling filter pictured above shows a blue filter. This worked well until the fish grew and over whelmed the filter pad which then required cleaning everyday. For a better solution please read these posts.
Filtering Poo with Continous Flow Media Bed
The Perfect System