I’m a few months into my first aquaponics set up, and I’ve learned a lot reading around this sub – it’s been a great resource! I’m trying to consider the next guy when I write this post, so forgive me if I’m too long-winded or provide what seems like unnecessary information.
I have about 40 tilapia going strong, averaging about 5″ long already, I have been harvesting tomatoes and some strawberries this week, and I think I have about 100 baby cucumbers on the vine. The video I included is a little old, but it accurately depicts the current construction.
I recently upgraded my IBC “chop and flip” to convert the lower 150-gallon section into a sump, and I am now housing the tilapia in a larger 260-gallon IBC. I recently added a 25-gallon radial flow settler (RFS) between the tilapia tank and the sump, which effectively collects larger waste, and increased the total water in circulation to 435 gallons. I recently also added some NFT tubes over the tank to make the most of the water being circulated back to the fish.
Summarily, water is pumped from the sump (via submersible pump with a sponge filter) and is split between the DMB and the tilapia tank, and both the DMB and the tilapia tank flow back to the sump (however, the tilapia water passes through the RFS on the way).
Draining the waste from the bottom few inches of the RFS is something I do weekly to prevent it from oversaturating with waste or losing efficiency.
I can see fine particles starting to accumulate on the bottom in the sump (meaning they’re making it through the RFS), so I’m looking for advice on the best way to prevent that. It looks like silt, and I’m guessing it’s mostly fish waste and algae. It eventually clogs the sponge filter enough to impact water flow periodically at an increasing rate (maybe weekly now?). I’ve been doing my best to clean it with an aquarium gravel vacuum, but it barely seems to work, and it’s doesn’t seem like the sustainable solution.
Is it necessary or warranted to evaluate adding a filter that integrates a UV bulb? I understand my nitrifying bacteria colonize surfaces, so I don’t know that it would harm that, but it wanted to ask since I hadn’t seen anything on it previously, and if nothing else, maybe it would help keep algae growth down?
Please feel free to share any products or construction you’d advise I evaluate or consider as I develop and streamline my system! submitted by /u/horridtragedy
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http://dlvr.it/TQCpK6