Growing Plants in Coal

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Tue. Sep. 05, 2017 6:18 pm

waldo lemieux wrote:That was one of my best and only one hit? :what:
Can I hit you too :lol: Good one!


 
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Pauliewog
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Post by Pauliewog » Thu. Jun. 21, 2018 11:19 pm

I finished up my aquaponic greenhouse this week and fine tuned the fill and drain timing on both zones.

Transferred the plants last week from the rock wool cubes into the grow pots filled with Reading rice coal.

Cycled the two zones with water only for a week until I got the ph adjusted and added some fish today.

Although I'm off to a late start, and it will be a few weeks before the biological filter builds up and turns the fish waste into nutrients to feed the plants, my plan is to grow year round.

Right now I'm running one pump from the fish tank up 9' to the biological filter and that gives me about 3 turnovers per hour on the fish tank. From the overflow on the biological filter it drops into the top of a 10 gallon tupperware container and aerates the water. There are two smaller pumps in this tank, both controlled by timers, that alternate to feed both zones. I originally planned to use only one pump but didn't want to drop the level in the fish tank more than 4".

Right now I'm running the pumps 15 min an hour, with a 15 minute drain time and a 30 minute rest cycle.

Next step is to install an elevated rain barrel that will tie into the automatic fill, put in an automatic fish feeder, and a few level sensors.

I may have to put in a small plc to control everything and a few cameras, before I go on vacation. :D

Paulie

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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 5:41 am

Damn P, quite the set up! Vacation huh??? Wonder what kinda riggin I could set up for the dogs & horses so I could take one!!! LOL

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 8:26 am

I dont completely understand it all, but pretty neat. I like the piping for the plants and hoses running everywhere as I operate that way when i build things. The vertical pipes with 45 degree holes with plants looks great. I think I see strawberries but what else are you growing?

 
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northernmainecoal
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Post by northernmainecoal » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 10:33 am

Do you anticipate the plants will uptake the ammonia generated from the fish waste until the beneficial bacteria build up enough to convert it to NO3?

 
KingCoal
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Post by KingCoal » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 12:28 pm

tarnation Paulie, THAT is quite the set up.

real nice but, i think you're going to have to go down to the river and get some carp to drive enough nutrients for all that, not ?

 
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Pauliewog
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Post by Pauliewog » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 1:18 pm

freetown fred wrote:
Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 5:41 am
Damn P, quite the set up! Vacation huh??? Wonder what kinda riggin I could set up for the dogs & horses so I could take one!!! LOL
Thanks Fred, I can whip you up something quick that can feed the dogs for a week or so but I'm thinking your best bet might be teaching the dogs to feed and care of the horses. :D

Then again, you can always board them at Simon's . :lol:

Carol and I are headed to the Antique Stove Association convention in a few weeks so I got to get it to run unattended while we're away.

Paulie


 
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Pauliewog
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Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 1:48 pm

warminmn wrote:
Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 8:26 am
I dont completely understand it all, but pretty neat. I like the piping for the plants and hoses running everywhere as I operate that way when i build things. The vertical pipes with 45 degree holes with plants looks great. I think I see strawberries but what else are you growing?
Not as complicated as it looks. The one zone has the two vertical towers that run into the lowest horizontal pipe that loops across the front of the greenhouse, down the side, and back to the tank.

The water is pumped up to the top, drops down the two towers and flows back to the tank. The drain end of the horizontal pipe is reduced so that the pipe is approximately 3/4 full when pumping. I drilled and tapped a 1/2" hole in the bottom of the pipe and installed a ball valve and clear hose. This is to completely drain the pipe slowly, drawing in oxygen to the roots between pump cycles.

The second zone works the same way and consists of the upper two horizontal pipe loops. The feed water comes into the top loop, gets reduced at the end, Drains down to the second shelf loop where it is again reduced before running back to the fish tank. This zone has two 1/2" valved drains , one on each shelf.

The top row is mainly leaf lettuce, and various seeds being started. The middle row are, bell peppers, sweet peppers, head lettuce. The bottom has zucchini, spaghetti squash, cucumbers, broccoli, and head lettuce.

The side has a few varieties of tomatoes, and the towers have peas, broccoli, strawberries, onions, and cucumbers.
Between the towers on the horizontal pipe are cherry tomatoes.

That's about it. :D

Paulie

 
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Pauliewog
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Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 2:01 pm

northernmainecoal wrote:
Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 10:33 am
Do you anticipate the plants will uptake the ammonia generated from the fish waste until the beneficial bacteria build up enough to convert it to NO3?
I'm hoping that will happen Rob, and I guess time will tell. For the next few days if the ammonia builds up I'll try to compensate with partial water changes. I'm trying to keep the ph about 7.5 right now to help grow the benificial bacteria.

This is my first attempt at aquaponics and appreciate any suggestions . :D

Paulie

 
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Pauliewog
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Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 2:17 pm

KingCoal wrote:
Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 12:28 pm
tarnation Paulie, THAT is quite the set up.

real nice but, i think you're going to have to go down to the river and get some carp to drive enough nutrients for all that, not ?
I like your thinking Steve!
Some of the carp I pulled out of the river wouldn't fit in my fish tank.

But that's a great idea, I would need to put them in a separate tank or drum otherwise they will eat the small goldfish and koi. I'm going to take a very serious look at that.

Did you find a date that works for you coming out?

Paulie

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 2:24 pm

I dont know how well carp would live in a small tank. Smaller suckers will, as will creek chubs. I used to keep both of those for bait reasons in a pig tank. Never fed them a thing. They just lived off the algae and maybe a little pig feed that the wind blew in. Some fresh water every day as the pigs drank it.

 
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Post by KingCoal » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 3:11 pm

yeah ya need something that's going to produce more "volume" wouldn't need to be the biggest ones you can snag you're going to have them over winter a couple times in the system till they're pushing it, then you can chop them up and put them under the yard landscaping and get fresh ones.

things are a mess here again i won't be able to get out till sometime in August at the earliest now.

 
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Pauliewog
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Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 5:56 pm

warminmn wrote:
Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 2:24 pm
I dont know how well carp would live in a small tank. Smaller suckers will, as will creek chubs. I used to keep both of those for bait reasons in a pig tank. Never fed them a thing. They just lived off the algae and maybe a little pig feed that the wind blew in. Some fresh water every day as the pigs drank it.
I wonder how catfish would do?

Paulie

 
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Pauliewog
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Baseburners & Antiques: Fame Rosemont #20, Home Stove Works #25, Glenwood #6, Happy Thought Oak, Merry Bride #214, Sunnyside, Worlds Argand #114, New Golden Sun , & About 30 others.
Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 6:09 pm

KingCoal wrote:
Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 3:11 pm
yeah ya need something that's going to produce more "volume" wouldn't need to be the biggest ones you can snag you're going to have them over winter a couple times in the system till they're pushing it, then you can chop them up and put them under the yard landscaping and get fresh ones.

things are a mess here again i won't be able to get out till sometime in August at the earliest now.
Well, I'm taking your advice and going to add another tank. Not sure where I'm putting it, or which fish to try, but I just got back from the shop and grabbed this one.
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Keep me posted, all of August is clear so far.

Paulie

 
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warminmn
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Other Heating: Wood and wear a wool shirt

Post by warminmn » Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 7:03 pm

Pauliewog wrote:
Fri. Jun. 22, 2018 5:56 pm
I wonder how catfish would do?

Paulie
I dont think I ever tried those cuz catfish are my favorite eating fish and wouldnt be good bait. Catfish were one of the fish I was fishing for. Those and northern I was fishing for. Shiners (mid sized adults) I did also keep in tanks. They were small tanks, less than 100 gallons Im sure.

If you have cats keep them away cuz they will drive themselves nuts trying to catch the fish.

If it worked with your system, turtles are fairly easy to keep in shallow water with places above water too.


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