New second system

gnoib

thsdragoon wrote:

Just got a phone call from my counselor at school, and I've been officially accepted into the paramedic program at my university!! On top of that, I managed to get a second pell grant which means that all my school is paid for for the next two years!!!

Congrats, well done.

MartinC

Well done thsdragoon, that's fantastic.

:cheers:

thsdragoon

Thanks Martin and gnoib, I'm super happy that everything is falling into place like my wife and I planned it. And to make things better, tomorrow I get paid which means that I can finally finish the building of this system, get it cycling, and get plants in (though the seedlings still have a little bit before they're ready to go in).

This is the gravel I'm going to buy, http://m.lowes.com/pd/Greensmix-0-5-cu- ... l/50125625 this is what I used in my smaller system, and it works great. I don't remember if I had said this or not, but I'm going to stick with 3/4" PVC all around, but I'm still trying to decide if I should go with a 2" siphon, or a 1 1/2" siphon. And with that, I'm also undecided on the media guard size: 3", or 4"? I know that bigger is better (sometimes), but I'm not sure here. Any advice?

MartinC

Cool thsdragoon.

Some advice: do a vinegar test on the gravel to make sure it is neutral and won't effect the pH of the system. Also do you not have access to larger gravel? The recommended size is bigger than 20mm (about an inch) in size. When it's too small it can create problems.

Bigger gravel gives more space for efficient water flow through the grow bed and has some other advantages too.

Regards, Martin.

thsdragoon

Thanks, will do. I think my parents have some vinegar I can use... As for gravel, I think i can get larger gravel, but I'm not sure. I'll have to check around the store and redo my math. Ultimately though the overall price of the final purchase will determine what size I buy. Especially since my wife determines what my budget is....

MartinC

Cool. Often the big gravel is cheaper as it is used in construction, you will probably recognise the "bluestone" type of gravel. So you can buy a bigger load for less.

Martin.

thsdragoon

Awesome, I'll have to ask about that when I go tomorrow morning. Thanks!

MartinC

nautiboi

thsdragoon wrote:

Awesome, I'll have to ask about that when I go tomorrow morning. Thanks!

Defiantly post your findings. I am looking at media options too.

skeggley

Yeah congrats on the uni program and grant, well done, paramedic, I tip my hat to you.
By the way you have a chook on your shoulder.

gnoib

Check if there is a landscaping supply in your area, they sell the stuff by the pound, often way cheaper than anybody else, get a few buckets full of the stuff

MartinC

skeggley wrote:

By the way you have a chook on your shoulder.

Thanks for clearing that up Skeg, I thought it was an unusual ear growth so I didn't say anything...

thsdragoon

skeggley wrote:

Yeah congrats on the uni program and grant, well done, paramedic, I tip my hat to you.
By the way you have a chook on your shoulder.

Thanks! My wife and I are super excited for it! And yes, I do! :headbang:

The chicken's name is Mrs. Fatty, AKA; The Mighty Falcon (or so my brother and sister like to call it.....)

nautiboi wrote:

Defiantly post your findings. I am looking at media options too.

For the gravel, I over spent my budget on the plumbing and pump, so I get to wait until next pay period sadley. But I did find red lava rock at Lowe's for $4.44 a bag (each bag will do 1 cubic foot, or 28 Liters). As for the pea gravel, it turned out to be more expensive due to the fact that each bag only does 1/2 cubic feet/14 liters, meaning I would need to purchase more bags, to cover the same volume. Then the river rock they offer covers the same as the pea gravel, and is more expensive than the pea gravel. I haven't looked much more than this, as I needed to get my homework done for tomorrow mornings anatomy class. But I do plan on investigating that bulk landscape supply, and seeing if I can find something cheaper than even Lowe's. So stay tuned!! :thumbright:

As for what I was able to get done today, it was a half-assed speed assembly as I was trying to beat the dark. but I will let the pictures tell the story, with a few captions;

A quick mock up at the hardware store to make sure I had everything (I had a bugger of a time finding it all)

I thought I would have to make some kind of MacGyver set up, but it turns out I didn't need to!

but now it means that I need to trek accross town to return three dollars worth in parts, that I should have realized I didn't need to buy in the first place

I'll post pump specs in a later post when I can get to the box again...... :think:

After the rain we got, and right as I was starting to finish up.

all mocked up, and ready for fine tuning! And the wire is being used to hold the inlet system in place (I cut off a length from the spool, and tied it in place).

The media guard is a wee-bit tight, so I'll be making some adjustments to make pulling the siphon out easier. I should have gone for the 4" pipe, not the 3" to go over a 2" siphon.......

I just barly ran out of PVC, so I stole some of my dad's that he had lying around, don't tell! :twisted:

And that is all that I was able to get done for today. The fine tuning, and testing will have to come this saturday, as I am a member of my university's emergency response team. Which means that my friday mornings are taken up until 3 pm, then I get home, get dinner, and go to work until about 11. Questions, and comments are welcome! :thumbleft:

Enjoy!

MartinC

You're on a roll man. Great stuff.

:thumbright:

skeggley

To get the most out of your pump try eliminating as many 90° elbows on the supply line. Using 2 x 45° elbows will reduce friction in the pipe.

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