CRAYFISH

Many people have expressed an interest in keeping Crayfish so I thought I would share this information from Cefas

BAQUA CONFERENCE

I had a great time at the annual BAQUA conference.

I would like to thank the organizers and speakers for all their efforts.

It was especially nice to put faces to all the people who have helped me over the last year. Thank you.

Part of the time was spent in a version of ‘speed dating’ Five minutes to chat to other people. Networking. I learnt a lot. Special thanks to Wilson Lennard PhD. After talking to him for five minutes I commented on how much I had learnt during the networking exercise. “That’s because you networked with the right people” he replied! You gotta love the Australians.  Round fish tanks was his message.

Antonio and his wife Amanda from Bioaqua Farm were an inspiration.

They use an organic food for their trout. This does not contain carotene.

The fish thus have white flesh resembling Sea Bass.

A great day.

ALL YOU CAN EAT

I thought that the new 90 L grow bed would be as rigid as my existing 40 L ones.

Unfortunately filled with clay pebbles and water it started to swell.

A bit like me after visiting an, all you can eat restaurant.

The ratchet strap helped. Today no choice but to empty all the media. Build new braces and then refill again.

I won’t make that mistake again.

UPDATE

I have been doing some tinkering with my system. The whole system occupies a foot print of approximately 3 square meters.

A 5.5k L/h pump runs 30/30.

One IBC cut BYAP style FT1

Two 225L olive barrels ( 1 vertical 1 horizontal) sumps

One 250 L (UK loft cold water tank) FT2

One 200 L GB (cut from IBC

Two 40 L GB

One 90 L GB

One 60 L GB

One water cooler RFF

One up flow static filter (K1)

One 10 L submerged horizontal bio filter(K1)

One DIY pre filter 10 L

One DIY bio filter 20L (bio balls, Rawl plugs and bottle tops.

The oblong GB 2*40 1*90 are stacked vertically above the horizontal olive barrel sump. These will be covered with a plastic greenhouse. Readily available here in the UK as Tomato houses 100 wide 50 deep 150 high.

Site conditions prevent me from sinking sumps into the ground This will be above the horizontal sump. A maximum height of 2.44 M  Yes, step ladder. Yes, warning light for low flying aircraft.

With the use of an additional pump FT2 can be isolated as a quarantine tank.

IMHO an essential in any system.

Filtered by the two DIY filters.

Fish are being introduced in batch of 15. As such the maximum at any one time will be 45. With a mean of 30.

The RFF (25L) is small. It only serves the IBC FT1

I can immediately see debris build up. I place another 25 L bottle on the outlet and drain it in less than 20 seconds. Allow to settle. Pour back 95% of the water into the GB and use the remainder on the soil garden.

In practice about once per week.

The up flow static is new so limited experience yet.

UP FLOW BIO FILTER PART TWO

A few system changes were required before I could add the new filter.

The new grow beds will sit above the second sump tank ( orange barrel) so I had to reverse it. I also wanted to bring the inlet/outlet, as close as possible to the ground. The ball valve allows me to isolate this sump. Useful when cleaning. In addition when i have to add tap water I can add it here. i can then wait 24 hours for it to off gas the chlorine before mixing it with system water.

The various heights were critical. I incorporated a non return valve in the filter outflow. This will prevent back flow when the system is filled to capacity.

The draining point will allow me to clean the submerged bio filter behind the orange barrel.

Next step is to build the ladder supports for the grow beds.

UP FLOW BIO FILTER

The planned changes to the system are quite large. So I have decided where possible to break it down into component parts.

The new bio filter is a modification rather than a completely new build.

The only parts I did not have were the 110 mm boss pipe and the 40 mm rubber bungs that connect to it. In a perfect world the drain would be at the bottom. I added a little bit of pipe to the L bend inside. No need to drill extra holes.

Gutter guard cut to shape and cable tied forms the bottom media holder.

The top is a sandwich of gutter guard and pan scourers.

The design is called an, Up flow bio filter.

Water enters at the top and falls to the bottom. Collecting  oxygen as it falls. It rises within the body of the filter through the gutter guard and into the K1 media section. This floats when new. As bio slime develops it becomes neutrally buoyant. Holding this in place is the scourer pad sandwich. It then exits through the side 40 mm pipe.

The 22 mm pipe at the bottom is for cleaning. Turn off main flow. Open 22 mm valve to waste. Drain down. Close one open the other tap.

 Once completed I put the whole filter assembly into the sump. This will start the process of conditioning. 

RAY DAVIES and I

Ray Davies of the Kinks slips into the garden. Sits down at my table and disturbs my daydream.

A warm English summer afternoon. Later there might be tea and cucumber sandwiches. Crusts cut off of course. 

 I think it was last Thursday. Summer is erratic in Wiltshire.

I am sat with a cold Mojito in reach on the table in front of me. The mint to make the Mojito is growing nearby. I think I can smell it in the air. In my daydream I am walking in Northern Spain. On my way to Santiago de La Compostela. Wild Rosemary and mint have grown over the path we are walking. Crushed under our boots their scent fills the air.

Via, Waterloo Station I am instantly back.  I forgive Ray. Like me he is just ‘Lazing on a sunny afternoon.

At that moment the pump kicks in. I hear the familiar sound of trickling water.

Except its not trickling. Its dripping. When I originally constructed this grow bed I used a 40mm stand pipe. Some time later I modified this. I ran a 32mm pipe  down through the bulk head into a T. Arms cut to fit inside the IBC terminating in contra flowing 45* beds. This rotated slowly. This reduced the height the water had to fall. Dripping not trickling. Water absorbs oxygen as it falls. The height of the fall is related to the amount it will absorb.

This prompted a complete rethink of all the component parts of my system.

The shelf system is ok but; move it out into the sunlight and I can dispense with the additional LED lighting. Cover it with a plastic green house and I can extend growing time.

The fines filter after the RFF is a pain to clean. Replace that with a MBBR and cleaning will be just turning a tap.

In quarantine mode I had to add large amounts of salt to the water in fish tank 2. With, the exception of the Samphire this devastated the plants in the associated grow beds. Alter this so only the pre and bio-filter will be operational during quarantine. Bacteria unlike most plants will acclimate to almost any increase in salinity.

The first and easiest step was to go back to the original stand pipe.

I have ordered the few additional components I require and will start construction soon.

I will be using K1 media for the filter this is already in a net bag in the sump. Bacteria takes time to grow.

I might have a ‘cherry cola’ for a change.