Algae scrubber as bio filter.

markstrimaran

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My white hdpe drum developed a 3 GPD leak at 10 psi. It was on a closed loop with my top tank.

My storm door blew of last week when it was about -20f. So I have been occupied.

Picked up two replacement drums yesterday. Then figured If I build a cradle so I can lay them on their side I can prevent them from leaking. The bottom balloons out and the whole weight of the drum rest on a very small area along the bottom seam.

With this it got me thinking, about a hydroponics garden tank on top of the 48"× 40" foot print the drums will take up.

Probably a plywood tank. About 12" deep.
 
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twentyleagues

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Flint town!
View attachment 1359158
My white hdpe drum developed a 3 GPD leak at 10 psi. It was on a closed loop with my top tank.

My storm door blew of last week when it was about -20f. So I have been occupied.

Picked up two replacement drums yesterday. Then figured If I build a cradle so I can lay them on their side I can prevent them from leaking. The bottom balloons out and the whole weight of the drum rest on a very small area along the bottom seam.

With this it got me thinking, about a hydroponics garden tank on top of the 48"× 40" foot print the drums will take up.

Probably a plywood tank. About 12" deep.
Just cut your leaker in half the long way and use that. Ive seen and plan to do a couple like that soon.
 

markstrimaran

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Just cut your leaker in half the long way and use that. Ive seen and plan to do a couple like that soon.
I need some thing big enouph to grow out catfish in also. Mostly want to grow some basic vegetables in the winter, and straw berries.

Planning on vertical towers for the berries. That I can take outside during the summer. Grow them year round.
 
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markstrimaran

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Update.
Nitrate is at 15ppm pre water change
Ammonia is barely registered. So the pumice bag is starting to hold some BB colony.

Getting underway with the horizontal 55 gallon drums, picked up some supplies today. Drilled the drums and started plumbing.
 
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markstrimaran

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20190216_073732.jpg
The drum stands.20190216_132621.jpg
The hydroponic garden, A 180 would look nice here, but the tray will suffice.20190219_161725.jpg
Only one catastrophic pvc pipe blow out. Metal nipple screwed in too deep. My basement is concrete at least.
 
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markstrimaran

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Update,
Scrubber, refugium harvest. Green pile
5 days of fresh cichlid poop. Sieve waste
14 days of post sieve refugium waste.

Nitrates 15ppm pre water change.
 
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duanes

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My sump has become an algae scrubber of sorts.
It has been placed so that it gets at least 4 hours of direct morning sun, and a couple hours of indirect sun in the late afternoon.
The 180 gal tank with 2 sump boxes was started back early January of this year first with only plants, a few weeks later with more plants a number of tiny mosquito fish to start the tank cycling, and the first week in Feb about a dozen 3" to 5" fish.
March 10th another 3-5" fish were added.
There have been no detectable nitrates the entire time (including a few moments ago) using an API kit , I attribute this to the algae. The pH has been hovering between 7.8 and 8.2, using the high pH range API test (I don't bother using the low range with my water).
1364948
beside the plants, and algae in the sumps, the astern panel of the tank has also been covered in algae, where the longest indirect sun hit, the tank is under a roof, so no direct sun.
1364949
As you can see in the sump above the pump chamber is overgrown with algae, and the in lower eastern half the biomedia is choked in algae.
The floating plant in the sump is salvinia, which is known to be a heavy feeder. It didn't do well under the roof in the tank, but is doing well in the sump.
The tanks current stock is, a dozen Andianoacara coeruleopunctatus (Panamanian Green Terrors) 3-5", two Roeboides tetras, 3", a 4" Panamanian Pleco, a 5" Goby, and four 3-5" vampire crawfish.
 
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markstrimaran

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UPDATE.
NITRATES 15PPM
PH 8.20. - 8.40
Refugium is getting very packed. I wanted to let it go for a while. To see how high of a ph level It would reach.
Did the weekly 25% WC 12 hrs ago.
20190322_172910.jpg
 
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