Aquaponics Digest - Sun 04/18/99
Message 1: Growing bed configutation
from Adriana Gutierrez & Dennis LaGatta
Message 2: Re: Aquaponics Information
from David Beckham
Message 3: Re: Growing bed configutation
from "TGTX"
Message 4: Re: Growing bed configutation
from Adriana Gutierrez & Dennis LaGatta
Message 5: Re: Growing bed configutation
from "Dale Robinson"
Message 6: Re: Growing bed configutation
from "TGTX"
Message 7: Re: Growing bed configutation
from "vpage"
Message 8: Re: Growing bed configutation
from Adriana Gutierrez & Dennis LaGatta
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Subject: Growing bed configutation
From: Adriana Gutierrez & Dennis LaGatta
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 05:23:25 -0400
Hi Craig,
The 3" deep beds work just fine for lettuce, greens and herbs. I
wouldn't use it for tomatoes for a commercial system. In my 40 sq. ft
at home I do have some tomatoes in one tray. There is no problem with
the flow, the slope of the trays ensures good flow, about 1" for every
12 feet. In shallow systems a mat of roots forms at the bottom of the
trays. I know other people (was that you Paula?) have experienced
tomato roots traveling for 20 feet down through the drain pipes.
Adriana
How is your system working with 3" depth. Is your root system slowing
down the
> flow in the beds. Thanks for all your input.
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Subject: Re: Aquaponics Information
From: David Beckham
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 07:00:14 -0700
Try replacing the period at the end of the link with the letter "l" (as in
HTML). It worked for me.
David
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Subject: Re: Growing bed configutation
From: "TGTX"
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 10:29:53 -0500
Good Morning, all.
Howzit going out there?
Adriana, you wrote:
> The 3" deep beds work just fine for lettuce, greens and herbs.
Just wondering about the pump you chose to use. Can you tell us something
about the model, horsepower, flow rate, etc? Do you have a manifold in
which a pipe goes into each trough? Is each pipe inlet valved, or do you
just valve the main going to the manifold? How is the drain outlet
plumbed? How is it screened or grated to exclude the perlite? On the side
of the trough end or at the bottom of the trough at the end?
Thanks and Best of Good Luck to all,
Ted
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Subject: Re: Growing bed configutation
From: Adriana Gutierrez & Dennis LaGatta
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 13:03:54 -0400
OK Ted, here goes:
Q: Just wondering about the pump you chose to use.Can you tell us
something
> about the model, horsepower, flow rate, etc?
A: a shallow-well pump, 1/2 HP will supply a 3,000 sq ft greenhouse.
Use 1 HP if you want to plan for expansion. Home Depot quality/price is
just fine.
Q: Do you have a manifold in
> which a pipe goes into each trough? Is each pipe inlet valved, or do you
> just valve the main going to the manifold?
A: The trays are linked together into beds of four which is a
comfortable 4-foot width for working from both sides. Each bed is
plumbed by a T-shaped pipe with a dripper centered at the high end of
each tray. There is a shut-off valve for each 4-tray bed.
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Q: How is the drain outlet
> plumbed? How is it screened or grated to exclude the perlite? On the side
> of the trough end or at the bottom of the trough at the end?
A: You cut a threaded male adapter at an angle and screw it into a hole
in the bottom of the aluminum tray. Then you make a 4" high x 1/2" wide
roll out of nylon screen and stick the tube into the adapter. I had
good luck with a screen glued flat over the hole at home but in the
larger commercial greenhouse I had major problems with the drains
plugging so I am converting over to the screen rolls whenever I re-seed
my beds.
Adriana
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Subject: Re: Growing bed configutation
From: "Dale Robinson"
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 13:49:39 -0500
I just put together a garden of similar design except that I plan to keep
about 3/4 inch of nutrient on the bottom of perlite. The advantage of
maintaining a pool of nutrients in the bottom of the tray is to allow for
less frequent use of pumps. Filling once a day may be adequate. This
design is used in a much smaller scale in grow bags for tomatoes and such.
Fenmore Inc. put out potted house plants of similar design that only needed
to be watered every one to two weeks. I have also seen beds of about 30 sq.
ft. that have similar characteristics. I don't want the water to go much
higher for any length of time because this would invite algae to grow on the
surface and drown the roots. The deep flow keeps the water from damming so
the water is constantly being changed. I'm using hydroponics solutions
and not fish wastes so I don't know how this will effect root health. I
would suspect that such a wet environment might increase the risk of root
rot in the presents of organic matter. To make a transition between
hydroponics and aquaponics I will have to consider such issues as this. If
it's a problem I can easily modify my system to drain better.
Dale Robinson
Thinking out loud :)
> Hi Craig,
>
> The 3" deep beds work just fine for lettuce, greens and herbs. I
> wouldn't use it for tomatoes for a commercial system. In my 40 sq. ft
...........................
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Subject: Re: Growing bed configutation
From: "TGTX"
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 14:05:02 -0500
Adriana wrote:
> A: a shallow-well pump, 1/2 HP will supply a 3,000 sq ft greenhouse.
> Use 1 HP if you want to plan for expansion. Home Depot quality/price is
> just fine.
I see so 1 pump is supplying many beds.
>
> Q: Do you have a manifold in
> > which a pipe goes into each trough? Is each pipe inlet valved, or do
you
> > just valve the main going to the manifold?
>
> A: The trays are linked together into beds of four which is a
> comfortable 4-foot width for working from both sides. Each bed is
> plumbed by a T-shaped pipe with a dripper centered at the high end of
> each tray. There is a shut-off valve for each 4-tray bed.
>
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>
I see. So I guess you use the valves at each bed manifold to equalize or
balance flow from the one pump to the many beds, given the fact that the
most distant beds will need different valving due to pressure drop?
> Q: How is the drain outlet
> > plumbed? How is it screened or grated to exclude the perlite? On the
side
> > of the trough end or at the bottom of the trough at the end?
>
> A: You cut a threaded male adapter at an angle and screw it into a hole
> in the bottom of the aluminum tray. Then you make a 4" high x 1/2" wide
> roll out of nylon screen and stick the tube into the adapter. I had
> good luck with a screen glued flat over the hole at home but in the
> larger commercial greenhouse I had major problems with the drains
> plugging so I am converting over to the screen rolls whenever I re-seed
> my beds.
>
> Adriana
Thanks a lot, A.G.
Say, did you ever hear about the Ultima greenhouse in your neck of the
woods?
Have fun everybody. Have a good weekend.
Ted.
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Subject: Re: Growing bed configutation
From: "vpage"
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 17:23:22 -0600
The problem of root decay can addressed with hydrogen peroxide.It will
attack the organic matter but not the nuutrients.
VPage
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| Message 8 |
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Subject: Re: Growing bed configutation
From: Adriana Gutierrez & Dennis LaGatta
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 21:20:50 -0400
>
> I see so 1 pump is supplying many beds.
Yes, I also have a sump with a pump.
> I see. So I guess you use the valves at each bed manifold to equalize or
> balance flow from the one pump to the many beds, given the fact that the
> most distant beds will need different valving due to pressure drop?
Each individual dripper has a flow control which can go in a continuum
from off to drip to full flow. Even so, I don't see a significant
pressure drop at the furthest drippers.
> Say, did you ever hear about the Ultima greenhouse in your neck of the
> woods?
No, I've never heard about it, who makes it? I did check into the book
that you said was written by Taylor, it turns out he's from the East
Coast. One day I'm going to check the book out from the library and see
what he has to say.
Adriana
S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775 417-256-5124
Web page http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/
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