Saturday, May 4, 2013

Update of the Aquaponics Build at Sowles Well Service May 2nd 2013

The Aquaponics Build Brought to You
by
Poetry Writes & Other Stuff
from
Sinbad the Sailor Man


Published on May 2, 2013
 
Ah here we go the Garden thats what you wanted to see. I have a lot to do when I get some time. I'll be building a mound of dirt or wood chips supported with cement blocks and a couple sheets of 3/4 treated plywood top with 2 inch foam sheets which will hopefully let the tank self level. I am raising the tank so as to be able to have the ability to make it gravity fed which will limit the amount of electrical power to push the water around to the tanks and beds. Well wish us luck this is a big project and it won't take much to change it over to a commercial or small business Venture if it works out some of our youth takes an interest in it. TTFN CYA Later Taters! Thanks fer watching. Donnie/ Sinbad the Sailor Man

Here is a Hubpages.com Hub I wrote about this my New Venture or at least my try at It.

http://sinbadsailorman.hubpages.com/hub/Well-I-Am-About-to-Start-Another-Adventure-The-Aquaponics-Garden

I am steadily trying to get this up and running but I can only work on it after work  an hour here and there. So I think I got quite a bit done with very little help so far except for some heavy lifting  I have done most of what you see so far If I can do It so can you where there is a will there is a way.

P.S. The 4 inch white PVC pipes are call NFT System

Nutrient Film Technique or NFT is a hydroponic technique wherein a very shallow stream of water containing all the dissolved nutrients required for plant growth is re-circulated past the bare roots of plants in a watertight gully, also known as channels.

In an ideal system, the depth of the recirculating stream should be very shallow, little more than a film of water, hence the name 'nutrient film'.

This ensures that the thick root mat, which develops in the bottom of the channel, has an upper surface, which, although moist, is in the air. Subsequent to this, an abundant supply of oxygen is provided to the roots of the plants.

A properly designed NFT system is based on using the right channel slope, the right flow rate, and the right channel length. The main advantage of the NFT system over other forms of hydroponics is that the plant roots are exposed to adequate supplies of water, oxygen and nutrients.

In all other forms of production, there is a conflict between the supply of these requirements, since excessive or deficient amounts of one results in an imbalance of one or both of the others.

NFT, because of its design, provides a system wherein all three requirements for healthy plant growth can be met at the same time, provided that the simple concept of NFT is always remembered and practiced.

The result of these advantages is that higher yields of high-quality produce are obtained over an extended period of cropping. A downside of NFT is that it has very little buffering against interruptions in the flow, e.g., power outages, but, overall, it is one of the more productive techniques.

The same design characteristics apply to all conventional NFT systems. While slopes along channels of 1:100 have been recommended, in practice it is difficult to build a base for channels that is sufficiently true to enable nutrient films to flow without ponding in locally depressed areas.

As a consequence, it is recommended that slopes of 1:30 to 1:40 be used. This allows for minor irregularities in the surface, but, even with these slopes, ponding and water logging may occur. The slope may be provided by the floor, or benches or racks may hold the channels and provide the required slope.

Both methods are used and depend on local requirements, often determined by the site and crop requirements.

As a general guide, flow rates for each gully should be 1 litre per minute. At planting, rates may be half this, and the upper limit of 2L/min appears about the maximum. Flow rates beyond these extremes are often associated with nutritional problems.

Depressed growth rates of many crops have been observed when channels exceed 12 meters in length. On rapidly growing crops, tests have indicated that, while oxygen levels remain adequate, nitrogen may be depleted over the length of the gully. As a consequence, channel length should not exceed 10–15 meters.

In situations where this is not possible, the reductions in growth can be eliminated by placing another nutrient feed halfway along the gully and reducing flow rates to 1L/min through each outlet.[1]


Well I got to run Because I am under the gun.
TTFN
CYA Later Taters
Thanks for watching.

Donnine/ Sinbad the Sailor Man

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