Well, we managed to do all sorts of work this weekend:
- Took down the large grow bed, cut the table legs down, and refilled it with new gravel.
- Installed a second large grow bed and changed the gravel in the bath tub grow bed.
- Dug a hole for our sump tanks. These are two interconnected "blue" barrels.
- Built a steel, lockable lid for the valuable equipment area.
- Built a swirl filter and stand.
- Reconfigured the pump to function out of the sump, from where it fills the tank and the grow beds, in a "CHOP Mark 2" setup.
In all, too much to write about, so I made a video:
The PH will probably take some time to come down. It hasn't yet. I've added lemons and will add a few a day until it does. And if this gravel turns out to also be bad, I just might put myself in the sump tank and bury myself in it! I tested it first, so this unusual AP maneuver should not be necessary.
I'll fix the problem with the overflow system next week. I'm also glad I can now route the drain pipes around the outside of the grow beds. I can walk up and down and across the greenhouse and between beds without worrying about pipes.
Farmer Brown is a bad-ass! New set-up looks fantastic. You turned your pH problem into a serious system upgrade with this super-human effort, great job buddy. What is the volume of your sump compared to your tank and growbed volumes? Can all the growbeds drain into the sump with out it overflowing? Do you have a drip-drain on the growbeds in case of a power failure?
ReplyDeleteI really like that the new design keeps the tank volume a constant, one less thing for the fish to stress about. Please talk about your vortex filter when you get the time. Does the standpipe outlet in the tank really suck-up solids from the bottom of the tank? My brother always told me that bottom drains were absolutely essential to remove solids and low O2 saturated water from the bottom of the pond (destratification). I'm interested in knowing how well the standpipe outlet works in this regard.
Sorry for all the questions, I guess I'm just a little excited to see it in action. I'm sure you just want to collapse.
Thanks....J
Hey Jeff,
ReplyDeleteYes, the sumps can handle the volume, but I'll 2 more when I add the other two grow beds.
I'll post an update when I get the drain and filter going.
The bell siphons have little holes at the bottom.
This is my second time posting this reply. Not sure why the first one didn't get published.