Aquaponics

[politicalcenter]

Are you running an air pump at night?

No. I am running two waterfall pumps at about 1300 gallons an hour. I have four ponds (pools) and two are 1500 gallons each and one pump pulls the water from one pool and puts it in the other. The two pools are connected by a siphon. The water is distributed at the top of the pool to break the surface because a long time ago I read that the surface area of the water is what affects gas exchange and bubbles do not force air into the water. The plant pond has no pump unless I move one of the others in to transfer water. The two pools have catfish in one and Koi, Goldfish, and bluegill in the other.

The bigger pond has cat fish and a couple of Goldfish that were used as canaries during start up.

The plant pond has Goldfish because I transferred plants from another pond and fish eggs were probably in the roots of my water Lilly.

I do have an old whole house filter with insets that will take the green out of the water but they plug up in about twenty minuets and with the pumps off during the day the water is almost clear....until I turn the pumps back on.

 

[knjinnm]

I understand air bubbles cannot be forced into the water but air bubbles will churn the water allowing gases to be exchanged at the surface.

 

[politicalcenter]

I understand air bubbles cannot be forced into the water but air bubbles will churn the water allowing gases to be exchanged at the surface.

You are absolutely right. That is basically what my pumps do...increase the surface area of the water.

I tend to think my waterfall pumps are more versatile.

 

[RichnSteph]

I run an air pump in mine for two reasons.

1) I mistakenly thought I was putting more O2 into the water with it.

2) After reading this discussion I'm leaving it in there because my beds are on a fill-n-drain cycle so that while they are in the fill stage the water surface (without the pump) is very smooth.

 

[politicalcenter]

Quote:
Running an air pump will help in the gas exchange. The bubbles disturbing the top of the water increases the surface area of the water. The more waves... the more surface area.

 

[RichnSteph]

This weekend I swapped out the above ground pump for a submerged one. I was stunned at how much noise the above ground one was making. Our pond is dead silent except for the sound of running water, it's amazingly calming.

My wife bought 50 feeder minnows to drop in the tank and they lasted about 15 minutes once they hit the water. I was unaware that tilapia were that voracious when it comes to eating other fish. No eggs in the three beds that the fish have created but we're hopeful. Anything smaller than about 2" that gets into the tank (frogs, grasshoppers, spiders, etc..) is instantly hit by the bass, he's up near a pound now and seems to be doing well. We've had a snail hatch again and the perch are enjoying them. We also have had another tadpole explosion and I look forward to them cleaning up some more algae before they are eaten.


So far so good in the tank portion of the system. We seem to have a nice little pond going with multiple organisms that are doing well with supporting aquatic life. The plants are finally starting to look better now that the fish have been in there for a while. The tomato plants are deep green and putting on flowers like crazy. Our cucumbers are the only thing really producing right now and they're making 6 or 7 mature fruit a week. The bell peppers have doubled in size and are covered in flowers. Other things are doing well also although we've seen no produce yet.


It really does irritate me that we've got a good sized garden outside and due to my lack of knowledge and planning we are still buying produce.

RichnSteph

 

[knjinnm]

Have you considered raising crickets or meal worms to feed the fish?

 

[RichnSteph]

Have you considered raising crickets or meal worms to feed the fish?

I have. In fact I was in the process of setting up a meal worm farm when the wife caught on that it was going to be in the house.

Yup she totally stopped all that.

We raise BSF larvae for the chickens and the fish get a daily snack of the juveniles. For some reason they won't eat the mature larvae but will flat demolish the younger yellow colored ones. I'd like to do meal worms this winter if I can get a new coop set up with a place for a bin and some supplemental heat for the worms.

 

[lazy gardener]

PC, your concept of switching water between a plant pond and your AP system is intriguing. I got all excited about AP last year, but after doing a lot of reading, and realizing that my northern climate and lack of a true green house stood in the way of doing any more than a little "play around with it system", using gold fish and a 10 - 20 gal. tank. But, I am retrofitting my little 8 x 8 cattle panel green house. Plan is to have it be DP for starting plants, winter sun room for the chickens, and possibly brooding chicks in the spring. If I plan it well, it would seem that I could do some whiskey barrel sized water systems, one out, one in, and stock it with local fish: thinking white perch would be a good choice. Don't know how well they'd do with the warmer water and smaller volume compared to what they are used to. So many thoughts to play with, limiting factors: time, energy, and money!

My summer squash seeds that I bought from a bin at the feed store is definitely not summer squash. Putting out vines and lots of tendrils. A ground hog has moved into my garden. I'm sure he thinks it's an all you can eat 24/7 buffet. This is the first mammal garden predator, other than coons that I've ever had to deal with. I'm having a young man come over this afternoon and set up a trap for him. I have a live trap, but, I want this critter dead, and it'll give him his "first paying trapping job!" I could wait around for him to come out, and do some target practice, but... again, I want the job done without any escape!

 

[RichnSteph]

LG you could always build a hoop green house over which ever water source you plan to use. We're planning a hoop house over the water tank and one each over the grow beds just to see what happens this winter.

First year projects are always a little bit of a pain in the rear.... well they are for me since I tend to just do a tad bit of research and then jump in with both darn feet.