Way back when I first started into AP I made up a charcoal filter by filling a 20 ltr plastic drum with charcoal from the hardware store.
After a few months it became really blocked with solids.
It did a super job of filtering.
I have often intended to make a very large one to add into the loop just before the water enters back into the fish tank, a kind of trickling charcoal filter, but have not got around to doing it.
Adding it to the GBs as Dave and Ian have done is something I had not considered.
I believe it would be an excellent thing to do.
Dave has clocked up a few years of operational experience using it in his beds so it a reasonable proposition that it can be used with confidence.
(soon there will be biochar manufacturing plants in backyards across the globe)
Pages
Tampilkan postingan dengan label bio. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label bio. Tampilkan semua postingan
Sabtu, 09 Juli 2016
Frogs have an anti bacterial bio film on their skin
Selasa, 14 Juni 2016
Another BIG Weekend

And because its a big one, Im going to get into it A.S.A.P.
Disney Friends for Change Takes the Initiative Worldwide
Five Projects To Receive Disney Funding Thanks To Kids Around The World
First Place, $100,000 award:
BirdLife International, Saving Spoonys Chinese Wetlands: The project contributes to the conservation of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, a unique and highly threatened migratory shorebird. The project raises awareness among
And to see the rest....Click Here
...oooOooo...
Aquaponics Home System Part 12: Plant Tank Liner
This is truly an Ultimate Aquaponics Home System Im building, like the title of the guide says, right on the dinner table ;-) :
In order to keep the liner in place before it can be secured Im using three planks resting on the bottom to make sure the liner
To see the rest....Click Here
...oooOooo...
Grow Fish and Vegetables at Home with Aquaponics
?Have you ever wished that you could produce more of your own food from home, but were discouraged because you thought the amount of time and money it would take was too much? Or maybe you thought you didnt have enough space.
All of things will no longer be an excuse once you learn about what aquaponics can do for you. Aquaponics can bring you a steady supply of fresh fish and vegetables with a minimum amount of work and space. And for less money than what you might pay for lesser quality food at the store.
To see the rest....Click Here
...oooOooo...
Aquaponics Association of Maui
A group of diversified individuals united in the promotion and development of aquaponics and sustainable living through the sharing of information and collaborative effort for the betterment of our island.
Location: Maui, Hawaii
To see the rest....Click Here
...oooOooo...

Aquaponics - GT Stewardship Initiative // GT Academy HS
by GTCD
Local water usage, water quality, aquaculture, and agriculture - Just a few things a class at the Grand Traverse Academy HS is learning about through the Grand Traverse Stewardship Initiative (GTSI). Students in the class create an aquaponic system as they learn about these important issues and...
To see the rest....Click Here
...oooOooo...
Backyard aquaponics
By Susan Kirk
G Magazine
Growing your own fruit & veg and keeping chooks has been embraced by many seeking a sustainable lifestyle, but have you ever considered harvesting your own fish? We take a look at aquaponics a potential solution to the overfishing of our oceans.
To see the rest....Click Here
...oooOooo...

Filed under Gardening, Lifestyle one comment
Share
Snacktime at the Organic Garden Club at Palmquist Elementary School
By Kerin Van Hoosear, LuxEco Editorial Assistant and author of Season Cooking with Kerin
In a country where childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the last thirty years, it is refreshing to see teachers like Mark Wagner combat that statistical nightmare.
To see the rest....Click Here
...oooOooo...
Affnans Aquaponics Amir Feeding Tilapia
Amir feeding Tilapia Temporarily I am using my Nikon D5000 for video, its good but no auto focus on video. Need to look at D7000 that have this feature.
To see the rest....Click Here
...oooOooo...
HERES A Forum (where we hopefully learn...
How much lemon juice or vinegar?
I need to lower the pH.... have a 75g tank its like at 8
or should I just leave it?
__________________
Yeppers,
Aaron
To see the rest....Click Here
...oooOooo...
Easy Aquaponics by Ethan Mills
in Home / DIY
An overview of aquaponics
Aquaponics has been around for many of years, however, many people are new to the concept. It is simply using fish waste from the fish in your tank to feed the plants you wish to grow. The nitrogen cycle takes care of the magic by filtering the dirty water in the grow bed before it
To see the rest....Click Here
...oooOooo...
Planted Tank Aquaponics
Maybe this is a long shot, but has anyone on here experimented with aquaponics?
I enjoy cooking as much as I enjoy my planted tank and was thinking the other night that its gotta be possible to grow some herbs and lettuces using aquarium water as the main nutrient source. How awesome to have the herbs grown so close to home!
In my preliminary research I came across:
To see the rest....Click Here
...oooOooo...

Hey guys and gals, Have a great weekend and be good to each other and yourself.
See you real soon....
A.U.S.S.I.E
Minggu, 05 Juni 2016
Bio Char
Jon Parr recently wrote that he was replacing his grow media with Bio-Char. This has really caught my attention.

UPDATE:
Justin sent me a link to yet ONE MORE method of creating Bio-Char.
This method may produce something different than the charcoal I used in my experiment. In the video above at 7:15 Dr. Hugh McLaughlin shows the super fragile nature of the Bio-Char made using his method. The difference I see between his system and others is the insulation from an outer barrel creates a higher temperature burn. The other videos below dont appear to show the end product as being this fragile, and Dr. McLaughlin seems to make the point about only the mere wisp of the wood remaining. I can tell you this is much different than the Lazzari Charcoal I bought. But I dont know which is better as a grow media. This looks like it would turn to dust if you tryed to plant in it.
Ditectly below is a presentation by Peter Hirst of New England Biochar, Im willing to believe he knows what hes talking about, but still wonder if this process might be too fragile for aquaponic grow media
Today (12/28/2012) I purchased 40# of 100% Natural Mesquite Charcoal, and built a small system
Below is my experiment. In the video I refer to a post on my blog. This is the post I refereed to.
The waters pH went from 6.8 to 8.0 when I added the charcoal. Ill leave the pH alone until this little system is cycled. 24 hours after adding the first dose of humonia the ammonia remains unchanged at 1.0 ppm.
After some research I found several posts and sites I would like to share with you about this ancient soil-building method .
This first video is less than 3 minutes long and describes the benefits and history
Here is a quotes from a forum on AquaponicsNet
To begin you may wish to watch this very simple demonstration before watching the next videos which take the production of Bio-Char to a higher level. Bryan McGrath offers some good advice at the end of video about adding microbes.
Byrans other videos also appear to be very interesting and worthy of the time it takes to watch them
Each of these methods differ slightly. Each video below is is just a little more complex than the last.
This video shows in good detail a more sophisticated method which uses a retort process to produce even more Bio-Char using the heat from the TLUD (Top Lift Up Draft). .
This site offers an excellent video about making Bio-Char using a rocket stove. Its called Hornito, and it has the ability to continuously make batches of Bio-Char without stoping.
Unfortunately he offers no plans and has failed to reply to many requests for more information. But putting together our knowledge of Rocket Mass Stoves I believe we have enough information to duplicate this highly efficient process.
Read More..

UPDATE:
Justin sent me a link to yet ONE MORE method of creating Bio-Char.
This method may produce something different than the charcoal I used in my experiment. In the video above at 7:15 Dr. Hugh McLaughlin shows the super fragile nature of the Bio-Char made using his method. The difference I see between his system and others is the insulation from an outer barrel creates a higher temperature burn. The other videos below dont appear to show the end product as being this fragile, and Dr. McLaughlin seems to make the point about only the mere wisp of the wood remaining. I can tell you this is much different than the Lazzari Charcoal I bought. But I dont know which is better as a grow media. This looks like it would turn to dust if you tryed to plant in it.
Ditectly below is a presentation by Peter Hirst of New England Biochar, Im willing to believe he knows what hes talking about, but still wonder if this process might be too fragile for aquaponic grow media
Today (12/28/2012) I purchased 40# of 100% Natural Mesquite Charcoal, and built a small system
Below is my experiment. In the video I refer to a post on my blog. This is the post I refereed to.
![]() |
5 days later |
The waters pH went from 6.8 to 8.0 when I added the charcoal. Ill leave the pH alone until this little system is cycled. 24 hours after adding the first dose of humonia the ammonia remains unchanged at 1.0 ppm.
After some research I found several posts and sites I would like to share with you about this ancient soil-building method .
This first video is less than 3 minutes long and describes the benefits and history
Here is a quotes from a forum on AquaponicsNet
DaveOponicI have been using charcoal in my grow beds since I started doing AP about 4 years ago. I have posted on the old forum about it. I buy cheap bags of charcoal sold for barbecue fuel. It is natural charcoal, no additives. In various sized lumps.
I decided to try it after seeing a Chinese aquarium shop using lumps of charcoal in their fish tanks and claiming it was very beneficial beyond its known role as a filter medium.
I used about half and half, charcoal and gravel (the stuff sold here to make concrete) and have also mixed it with Hydroton ( a bit scarce here )
The results have been very good. Water quality has always been good and after two years, excavated a grow bed to find everything fairly clean. There has been very little breakdown of the charcoal. I imagine that some black fine particles have made their way through to the bottom of the GB but I notice there is more sediment from the clay balls and from fish food or solid waste than there ever is from the charcoal.
So, from my experience, I would say go ahead and try charcoal. It is light and easier to clean than gravel and should be cheaper if you can find a source. Easy to find here as all the Chinese supermarkets sell huge bags of it.
Lastly, I have found that charcoal placed around the base of plants helps to keep away slugs and snails. I guess they dont like the surface, a bit like in a dirt garden you can use ash around plants to keep snails off.
I havent tried 100% charcoal as a medium, simply because the charcoal I get is very irregular in size and shape so I usually throw it into the GB first and put gravel or clay on top. Some of the charcoal tends to find its way to the surface eventually though.
I will be trying a charcoal trickle filter soon as I have a couple of spare 100 litre barrels that contained pool chlorine. I think charcoal should make an excellent filter.
PS Im not an expert on this so if anyone has good reasons why charcoal shouldnt be used or bad experiences, please post.
Dave
Murray Hallum also made this reply
Aquaponics "SECRETS" DVD available HERE
My Website
Visit My Blog
?"The greatest fine art of the future will be the making of a comfortable living from a small piece of land." Abraham Lincoln
To begin you may wish to watch this very simple demonstration before watching the next videos which take the production of Bio-Char to a higher level. Bryan McGrath offers some good advice at the end of video about adding microbes.
Byrans other videos also appear to be very interesting and worthy of the time it takes to watch them
Each of these methods differ slightly. Each video below is is just a little more complex than the last.
This video shows in good detail a more sophisticated method which uses a retort process to produce even more Bio-Char using the heat from the TLUD (Top Lift Up Draft). .
This site offers an excellent video about making Bio-Char using a rocket stove. Its called Hornito, and it has the ability to continuously make batches of Bio-Char without stoping.
Unfortunately he offers no plans and has failed to reply to many requests for more information. But putting together our knowledge of Rocket Mass Stoves I believe we have enough information to duplicate this highly efficient process.
Rabu, 11 Mei 2016
Gravel Bio Filter
Here is a concept drawing of a bio filter which filters from the bottom up
I have used this is the type of filter for many years without problems.
A spray nozzle is angled on the bottom of the power wash tube which is connected to a garden hose to stir up the waste.
The 2" inlet also serves as a waste drain.
A tee with either a diverter valve or two separate valves allows switching from normal operating to backwash mode.
---
This page continues to get a lot of Google hits, so I have added this drawing to demonstrate how the bio-filter in my pond was built.

The gravel media is suspended above an open space. I did this by building a cement block cistern on top of a 6" concrete slab. The blocks were laid dry and then filled with concrete. Inside I laid 1-1/2"x8"x16" paver bricks on edge to create a shelf for the PVC tubes to rest on.
The PVC tubes are 1" pipe and contain a piece of 5/8" rebar to give them the strength to support the gravel. The ends are capped to prevent the rebar from rusting. Yes it takes a lot of these pipes laid side by side. Over the top of these PVC tubes I placed a piece of PVC fencing material to further support the gravel.
There is a drain and an inlet pipe placed at the bottom. Both are mortared in place as is the outlet near the top. Then to prevent leaks I coated the entire inside surface with Thoroseal .
I have also built small filters inside of plastic olive barrels as depicted in the drawing at the top of this page. The gravel is supported by a PVC cage. Ill let you use your imagination rather than attempt to draw that.
---
Another idea I have is to plumb the spill tube down to the bottom and bring the inlet to the top. Dirty water is filtered down through the gravel. A mesh on top of the gravel would facilitate cleaning

This would facilitate cleaning. A mesh could be laid on top of the gravel and periodically rinsed off
SketchUp Link
Read More..
I have used this is the type of filter for many years without problems.

The 2" inlet also serves as a waste drain.
A tee with either a diverter valve or two separate valves allows switching from normal operating to backwash mode.
---
This page continues to get a lot of Google hits, so I have added this drawing to demonstrate how the bio-filter in my pond was built.

The gravel media is suspended above an open space. I did this by building a cement block cistern on top of a 6" concrete slab. The blocks were laid dry and then filled with concrete. Inside I laid 1-1/2"x8"x16" paver bricks on edge to create a shelf for the PVC tubes to rest on.
The PVC tubes are 1" pipe and contain a piece of 5/8" rebar to give them the strength to support the gravel. The ends are capped to prevent the rebar from rusting. Yes it takes a lot of these pipes laid side by side. Over the top of these PVC tubes I placed a piece of PVC fencing material to further support the gravel.
There is a drain and an inlet pipe placed at the bottom. Both are mortared in place as is the outlet near the top. Then to prevent leaks I coated the entire inside surface with Thoroseal .
I have also built small filters inside of plastic olive barrels as depicted in the drawing at the top of this page. The gravel is supported by a PVC cage. Ill let you use your imagination rather than attempt to draw that.
---
Another idea I have is to plumb the spill tube down to the bottom and bring the inlet to the top. Dirty water is filtered down through the gravel. A mesh on top of the gravel would facilitate cleaning

This would facilitate cleaning. A mesh could be laid on top of the gravel and periodically rinsed off
SketchUp Link
Sabtu, 16 April 2016
THE BIOFILTER OR BIO DIGESTER
There is some conjecture about what is the correct terminology so maybe there is a reason for this title or maybe its just not worth the effort. Maybe Id be better employed talking about other things. One thing is certain, you are now going to have at your disposal quite a few differing opinions.....
I thought Id start with a Novel and cost effective bio-filter media.
Powered by sunlight, enriched by oxygen from the waterfall, nourished by fish-waste nutrients, the pond is home for a treasure of microscopic creatures.
The solids removal tank in an aquaponics system is designed to remove solid waste from the fish tank before the water passes through the biofilter. The biofilter in a backyard or home aquaponics system is usually a gravel bed.
Again, citing Alexanders Intro to Soil Microbiology, this attribute is not rare since up to one half of soil bacterial isolates tested usually are capable of solubilizing calcium phosphates, and the counts of bacteria solubilizing insoluble inorganic forms of phosphorus may be as high as 10^7 (10 million) per gram of soil. Such bacteria are often especially abundant on root surfaces.
Integrating hydroponic and aquaculture systems (aquaponics) requires balanced pH for plants, fish, and nitrifying bacteria. Nitrification prevents accumulation of fish waste ammonia by converting it to NO3--N. The difference in optimum pH for hydroponic cucumber (Cucumis sativa) (5.5 to 6.0) and nitrification (7.5 to 9.0) requires reconciliation to improve systems integration and sustainability. The purpose of this investigation was to: 1) determine the ammonia biofiltration rate of a.....
The ancient Aztecs developed chinampas, man-made floating islands, which consisted of rectangular areas of fertile land on lake beds. Aztecs cultivated maize, squash and other plants on the chinampas and fish in the canals surrounding them. The fish waste settled on the bottom of the canals, and the Aztecs collected the waste to use as fertilizer [source: Growfish]. Additionally, countries in the Far East like Thailand and China have long used aquaponic techniques in rice paddies.
From the biofilter, water is pumped to the top of a slanted hydroponic growing area, most often constructed with PVC piping. The typical system uses an inert growing medium, such as porous clay pellets or rockwool, a spun glass wool made of volcanic rock, to hold roots in place while water moves through the system and overflows back into the fish pond.
A handfull of Video clips on the subject
Water pH Impacts Sustainability of Recirculating Aquaponic Systems
Now to other matters
Hot off the PRESS
A practical workshop on how to produce your own organic vegetables and fresh fish in one sustainable, closed-loop system, in your own backyard.
Description of Basic Aquaponics System in Australia. Single grow bed media based systems.

Of the variety of booths and displays to behold there, the aquaponics tank and the electric car getting tagged definitely drew the most attention.
Shawn Cruze, a Metro junior, answered questions about the aquaponics tank a fish tank with plants growing out of it.
Read More..
I thought Id start with a Novel and cost effective bio-filter media.
Powered by sunlight, enriched by oxygen from the waterfall, nourished by fish-waste nutrients, the pond is home for a treasure of microscopic creatures.
The solids removal tank in an aquaponics system is designed to remove solid waste from the fish tank before the water passes through the biofilter. The biofilter in a backyard or home aquaponics system is usually a gravel bed.
Again, citing Alexanders Intro to Soil Microbiology, this attribute is not rare since up to one half of soil bacterial isolates tested usually are capable of solubilizing calcium phosphates, and the counts of bacteria solubilizing insoluble inorganic forms of phosphorus may be as high as 10^7 (10 million) per gram of soil. Such bacteria are often especially abundant on root surfaces.
There are many different sizing approaches for media bed aquaponic systems, but none of them are actually based on the use of sound or established scientific or technical principles. Our new sizing model uses established and well known associations for gravel bed biofilter sizing, fish feed input to plant use ratios and gravel bed solids mineralisation ratios.
The model is provided as an excel spreadhseet for ease of use and we also provide a document that explains the model and explains how to use the model. We hope this assists you with designing your backyard or hobby scale aquaponic systems. Happy aquaponicing!
The ancient Aztecs developed chinampas, man-made floating islands, which consisted of rectangular areas of fertile land on lake beds. Aztecs cultivated maize, squash and other plants on the chinampas and fish in the canals surrounding them. The fish waste settled on the bottom of the canals, and the Aztecs collected the waste to use as fertilizer [source: Growfish]. Additionally, countries in the Far East like Thailand and China have long used aquaponic techniques in rice paddies.
From the biofilter, water is pumped to the top of a slanted hydroponic growing area, most often constructed with PVC piping. The typical system uses an inert growing medium, such as porous clay pellets or rockwool, a spun glass wool made of volcanic rock, to hold roots in place while water moves through the system and overflows back into the fish pond.
A handfull of Video clips on the subject
Water pH Impacts Sustainability of Recirculating Aquaponic Systems
Now to other matters
Hot off the PRESS
A practical workshop on how to produce your own organic vegetables and fresh fish in one sustainable, closed-loop system, in your own backyard.
- Title: Sydney Autumn Aquaponics
- When: 2 Apr 2011 - 3 Apr 2011 9:00am - 5:00pm
- Where: Alexandria Park Community Centre - Alexandria
- Category:Aquaponics Workshop
Description of Basic Aquaponics System in Australia. Single grow bed media based systems.
The Fair
Jesus Rodriguez, front, and Bimmer Torres, members of 2 Kool media, spray paint UCD professor Greg Cronins electric car Nov. 10 at the Auraria Sustainability Fair. Cornins car was painted to help promote www.350.org, a website working to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis. Photo courtesy of Photoroadies.com, special to The Metropolitan
Shawn Cruze, a Metro junior, answered questions about the aquaponics tank a fish tank with plants growing out of it.
Colorado Aquaponics Greenhouse #5 February, 2010
I hope again that I am providing the type of information you require. If not please contact me with your needs.
Untill next time
Be good to yourself
OZZIE
Selasa, 12 April 2016
Can aquaponic bioponic and hydroponic become dangerous
I wonder how dangerous aquaponic, bioponic, and hydroponic can become...
Harmful algal bloom (HAB) are capable of producing a number of toxins that may pose a risk to human and animal health. HABs occur when excess nitrogen and phosphorus are present in lakes and streams. Such nutrients can come from runoff of over-fertilized fields and lawns, from malfunctioning septic systems and from livestock pens
http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/26178506/breaking-urgent-notice
Read More..
Harmful algal bloom (HAB) are capable of producing a number of toxins that may pose a risk to human and animal health. HABs occur when excess nitrogen and phosphorus are present in lakes and streams. Such nutrients can come from runoff of over-fertilized fields and lawns, from malfunctioning septic systems and from livestock pens
http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/26178506/breaking-urgent-notice
Selasa, 05 April 2016
Sites I Want To Revisit
This first site may be local to Chico, CA, but you too probably have community gardens and garden groups in your area. I founf this with a Google search for Community Gardens CITY NAME.
http://cultivatingcommunitynv.org/community-gardens/list-of-community-gardens/
Here are a few sites with many good articles on everything from grafting to pest control
http://deepgreenpermaculture.com/
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/
http://www.permaculturenews.org/
Heres a REALLY COOL APP.
It calculates fish tank perimeters.
http://www.cnykoi.com/calculators/calcnh3c.asp
I will continue to update this post.
¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>
.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>
Read More..
http://cultivatingcommunitynv.org/community-gardens/list-of-community-gardens/
Here are a few sites with many good articles on everything from grafting to pest control
http://deepgreenpermaculture.com/
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/
http://www.permaculturenews.org/
Heres a REALLY COOL APP.
It calculates fish tank perimeters.
http://www.cnykoi.com/calculators/calcnh3c.asp
I will continue to update this post.
¸.·´¯`·.´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>
.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><(((º>