Water management and Strategies for water conservation

[Bens-Hens]

Could you run a feed and return pipe/hose and join both together so the breeder water also runs through your grow bed water?

I watched a really cool video on a bell siphon for those grow systems.

Caveat, not rain water related but is aquaponics related!

 

[niqueie]

Sorry to have side tracked the thread.

Thanks for the suggestions. I made the bell siphons that are in the video, they do work great.

I use my hose to do the water transfers and my pumps. The tanks are about a 100' from one another. So I use 2 50' hose put together for the water transfers. It's an ordeal. Hence, I was hoping to do it more like 2 times a month.

 

[niqueie]

We can go back to water keeping and management now.

 

[perchie.girl]

Deb, I have an 80 gallon aquarium with 8 tilapia breeder fish. They are mostly 4-5 inches. 1 is 6-7 inches. I am having to suction out the gravel water poo twice a week because they are so poopy. I have 2 gravel bed filters that pump water from under the gravel to the top of the tank. Then I have 2 small aquarium sized hang over edge filters with carbon filter inserts. They are rated for a total of 40 gallons. Then I added a couple weeks ago a 400 gallon pump that pumps water into a 1.5 gallon bin with a stand pipe at a 1 gallon depth. I put in gravel and a towel and some sponges into the bin to add additional filtration. I still need to do water changes 1-2 times a week. Is there something I can do to limit the water change needs to 1-2 a month. These fish seem like the elephants of the fish world. Constantly pooing. Wish I could feed them FF.

Gosh your filtration system seems more than adequate.

Your tank may be too small for that many breeders. Tilapia get a bout a foot long. Remember an inch of fish per gallon. Your water changes will allow them to grow because it removes hormones excereted into the water that limit growth. But the reason your tank is too small is Tilapia are chichlids and Chichlids are territorial when they begin to set up a nursery. They will spar and try to redecorate the tank. It is best once you identify a breeding pair and move them to their own tank Preferably around 50- 60 gallons Just for the pair. And then have a smaller tank for later on when the fry stop needing to be cared for by momma.... For those who dont know Tilapia are mouth breeders.... she lays eggs on rocks and he firtilizes them... then she scoops all the eggs up so they can hatch carefully protected... I dont know which fish does this the male or the female.

Under gravel filters "Look" dirty but it takes them approximately two weeks to start functioning properly. Try to hold back from messing with the gravel filter for at least four weeks. And see if it stabilizes. The depth of the gravel effects their capacity. you can add another inch probably with out effecting the tank at all. They make a little air bubbled powered vacuum for suctioning off the top of the gravel.

Also take a look at your feeding .... How often are you feeding your fish. Are they consuming it all when you do. I fed my fish who arent breeders once a day and skipped a day now and then. I had Angel fish that grew from fingerlings (size of a nickel not counting fins) to the size of the palm of my hand in approximately two months.... AND they paired off and laid eggs on one of the artificial plants. It was not my intention to breed them .... Unfortunately the Plecostomus and the cat fish scarfed them up.... Sigh.... but I got to watch the process...

and lastly Tliapia are mostly vegitarians and if the water looks green with algae.... thats a good thing.


deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Could you run a feed and return pipe/hose and join both together so the breeder water also runs through your grow bed water?

I watched a really cool video on a bell siphon for those grow systems.

Caveat, not rain water related but is aquaponics related!

There may be an issue of Niqueie water levels between the breeder tank in the house. and the Aquaponics system out side.

Sorry to have side tracked the thread.

Thanks for the suggestions. I made the bell siphons that are in the video, they do work great.

I use my hose to do the water transfers and my pumps. The tanks are about a 100' from one another. So I use 2 50' hose put together for the water transfers. It's an ordeal. Hence, I was hoping to do it more like 2 times a month.

How about doing a length of PVC to run from Just outside the house to your tank outside. Then just using a short hose to transfer from inside the house to the PVC. You can use a sump pump to perform the siphon start.

We can go back to water keeping and management now.

I dont think this is off topic at all. Aquaponics is part of the whole management of water resources. I have some experience with aquarium management and hope to accomplish what you have done with actual Aquaponics.

I think this falls under stategies for water conservation....

 

[niqueie]

Thanks so much!!! Maybe I'll take some of the breeders out and put them in the large system. Leaving 1 male and 2 females in the 80 gallon tank. That will definitely lessen the poo load. I have a 20 gallon set up for a nursery when I get babies.

 

[perchie.girl]

I want to say I have clarifying the original post in order to include subject matter that also falls under the Heading title....

""This also includes Grey water, Aquaponics, Drip irrigation, and Xeriscaping. Even Septic tanks and alternative toilets""

deb "Sometimes wandering off the rail leads to discoveries that you would have never seen if you hadent taken a step off the train."

 

[niqueie]

I'm part of the aquaponics society and urban homesteading in San Diego on meet-up.com. I would love to teach others what I have learned, when I feel more competent. It's always 2 steps forward one step back. Slow progress. But that's how we learn. I think we all have so much to share. I'm impressed with your many facets of understanding. We kind of just dive in head first and see if we sink or swim.

 

[Triple Willow]

I'd like to learn about aquaponics. That's on my list of things to do. Some people I know were starting tobacco plants using aquaponics back in the 80's.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I want to say I have clarifying the original post in order to include subject matter that also falls under the Heading title....

""This also includes Grey water, Aquaponics, Drip irrigation, and Xeriscaping. Even Septic tanks and alternative toilets""

deb "Sometimes wandering off the rail leads to discoveries that you would have never seen if you hadent taken a step off the train."

I'm loving this thread Deb!