Azira's Butt Ugly Barrel System™

Azira

Well now I've finally had some time to actually get the barrel going, I figured I might as well start a thread, even if there isn't much of anything actually going on at the moment, lol.

It's just been plonked down in the yard for the moment, I've got to prep the area a bit better and built a more presentable shadehouse, lol.

Keep in mind I did say it was ugly, lol. The plants are just some herbs I had in pot and recycled, and I threw some pineapple sage cuttings in but as I expected they went south before they had a chance to take root.

Attachment:

barrel door.jpg [ 72.97 KiB | Viewed 6506 times ]

Attachment:

ghetto screen.jpg [ 100.57 KiB | Viewed 6506 times ]

Attachment:

plants.jpg [ 96.87 KiB | Viewed 6506 times ]

Charlie

No such thing as a butt ugly AP system, but you did make me laugh

Looks great!

Azira

I've thrown in 5 small goldfish for the moment, my girls have already named a few of them (Snowflake, Honey and Darkness, lol). I've decided I can't be bothered trying to get out the clay balls that fell in when I derped it up and half lifted the media guard out out to 'fix' it while the standpipe wasn't in, lolol.

Attachment:

fushes.jpg [ 29.95 KiB | Viewed 6506 times ]

Not much happening here, but it's just the starting point for the water. I think the ph is higher but I never tested it further.

Attachment:

base reading.jpg [ 62.71 KiB | Viewed 6506 times ]

It got a hot and I didn't have any more shadecloth (not that I had much to begin with, lol)...so an old chaff bag will have to do for now! Lol, it actually does keep it cooler though.

Attachment:

lol screen.jpg [ 64.89 KiB | Viewed 6506 times ]

Azira

Charlie wrote:

No such thing as a butt ugly AP system, but you did make me laugh

Looks great!

Lol, it got uglier!

Azira

Ok, last lot of picture spam, just some more from today.

I tested it with the higher pH test today to get a better idea of where it's actually sitting. I'm guessing I have to do something about it being that high? There appears to be some ammonia now, I guess they are pooping, lol.

Attachment:

31st Jan tests.JPG [ 61.08 KiB | Viewed 6505 times ]

I sprinkled in an assortment of seeds, some beetroot and leek and I think lettuce, I can only recognize the beetroot sprouts though. It'll be interesting to see what happens now.

Attachment:

sprouty sprouty things.jpg [ 54.3 KiB | Viewed 6505 times ]

Attachment:

sprouting things.jpg [ 85.93 KiB | Viewed 6505 times ]

Slowboat

be patient, it will take a while to get cranking.

rsevs3

I wouldnt be trying to move your pH at all. Especially with such a small system. The nitrification will eventually lower it without any input from yourself.

Also dont stop the picture spam. Its the only kind of spam we all like here

Azira

Yeah I was more thinking out loud than really planning on doing anything about the pH, I'm a bit lazy like that, lol. I did do some reading about the nitrification dropping it, which reminded me that I had actually already read that but had fallen out of my brain.

Works well with my laziness, lol.

TSalt

I like it. And I'm super glad that you trademarked it

Anything you grow, put your energy and heart & soul into is beautiful.

The beauty comes from the intent. Not the outer shell. :hippy2:

ps- I can't believe I found a hippy smilie!!! Was just re-reading my post (just in case I left a letter out and made Charlie pounce on me

) and thought it needed a hippy smilie!

rsevs3

Lazyness is going to save you a lot of stress with this hobby

One thing to do is add some shell grit. This will stop your pH falling too far. You cant be lazy when your biofilter has collapsed because you havnt check you pH

CJ-California

Looking good. I started with one barrel... Just be warned, AP gold fish can live forever and will travel from system to system if you want. LOL I started calling mine imitation Koi.

Azira

Lol TSalt, it definitely needed the hippy smilie.

rsevs3, I'll be keeping an eye on it, but much like my gardening to date it'll probably be treated with benign neglect so I don't end up causing more problems by fiddling with it too much, lol. I'll probably grab some shell grit next week and give it a go.

CJ-California, that's what I was hoping for!

rsevs3

The great thing with shell grit is that it is self regulating. Once it is in, no fiddling required

Until it runs out that is..

Azira

It's about to get a whole lot uglier today!

I'm going to wrap the outside in some sisalation to stop my poor goldfish from boiling in there, silver side out should reflect a bit of heat. Until then some frozen water bottles will have to do. Only one day of somewhat tolerable temps this week, with any luck I can get started on the proper shade house and prep the holes for the IBC's. I'm going to have to resist the urge to fill the holes with water and sit in them to cool down though.

Azira

Space Barrel! I forgot my roll of sisalation is at a friends house so I just used some offcuts I had floating around the laundry, lol. It's truly a kludged AP system, haha. Luckily I fed them before I put it on today.

Attachment:

spacebarrel.jpg [ 138.26 KiB | Viewed 6400 times ]

More sprouting.

Attachment:

more sproutliness.jpg [ 144.44 KiB | Viewed 6400 times ]

And one of our old dog sunbaking for good measure. He growled at me when I picked him up and took him back inside. Crazy loon of an animal, it's 42 degrees outside and he wants to stay in it, I went out for 5 mins and nearly died, lol.

Attachment:

hotdog.jpg [ 151.46 KiB | Viewed 6400 times ]

Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics