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Parrothead

Mistakes I made in my build.

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Parrothead

Also, take a look at how clear the water is, by comparison from today and July first. I just noticed that for the first time.

 

IMG_2486_r.jpg
 
You can see the solids (waste) on the bottom of the tank, that collected while we were modifying the SLO and then feeding the fish. (We turn off the air and water pumps during feeding times.)
IMG_2535_r.jpg
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Parrothead

Mistake 3: Due to the heat, rather than using the "see through" roofing material that will directly cover the fish tank, filters and sump, I will go with a metal roof, probably higher than the rest of the roofing as well. 

 

I will still use the "see through" roofing for the grow bed areas. But, even in rainy season, the heat is just crazy going outside to tend to the fish. Amazingly, the water doesn't get too warm, not at this point in the year anyway, for the fish. (I will have a thermometer by weeks end, or the first of next week, hopefully.)

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Oz Jon

(I will have a thermometer by weeks end, or the first of next week, hopefully.)

 

What is the optimum temperature you would like to achieve?

 

What is the acceptable range - max, min?

 

How do you plan to keep the temperature at/near optimum? 

 

Do you have some form of cooling/heating arrangement available (electrical or by turning water valves on/off, etc) to adjust the temperature?

 

I'm interested in looking into an inexpensive automation solution.

 

A permanently installed temperature sensor which lights a blue LED if it's too cold, a red LED if it's too hot (maybe an alarm buzzer too?) and a green LED if its in the OK range is probably a trivially easy/cheap thing to make.

 

Using that information to control valves, pumps, heaters, coolers, etc is a bit more complicated, but do-able.

 

Cheers!

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Parrothead

What is the optimum temperature you would like to achieve?

 

What is the acceptable range - max, min?

 

How do you plan to keep the temperature at/near optimum? 

 

Do you have some form of cooling/heating arrangement available (electrical or by turning water valves on/off, etc) to adjust the temperature?

 

I'm interested in looking into an inexpensive automation solution.

 

A permanently installed temperature sensor which lights a blue LED if it's too cold, a red LED if it's too hot (maybe an alarm buzzer too?) and a green LED if its in the OK range is probably a trivially easy/cheap thing to make.

 

Using that information to control valves, pumps, heaters, coolers, etc is a bit more complicated, but do-able.

 

Cheers!

 

 

28°C - 30°C (82°F - 86°F) would be the preferred temperature range for these fish.

 

Acceptable Range? It is my understanding that Tilapia will thrive in as low as 21°C (70°F) temperatures, probably lower. But, I wouldn't want to go into water temperatures in the "teens" raising them. They would grow much slower and ultimately stop eating, as the temperatures drop. Below 10°C (50°F) they will die.

 

During this part of the year, I don't think it will be a problem keeping the temperatures where I want them. Worst case, I will drop a larger sump into the ground to help stabilize the water temperatures. My system, after this week, will also be at 3,000 liters capacity. That will help stabilize temperatures as well. 

 

During the hotter months here, I hope to have a deep freezer - chest type, and freeze bottles of water. During the day, I can toss the frozen water bottles into the sump, which will cool down the temperatures a bit, throughout the system. I suppose, if I were a mind to, I could pipe a cooling system directly THROUGH a deep freezer, which would cool the water passing through it, and use that to cool the system water. But, that's just a passing thought, really.

 

As far as automating it, I'm sure it wouldn't be very difficult. Just have specific valves open and close, as the temperature changes - up or down. 

 

Another way is what a guy uses who lives in Thailand, and runs an 18 square meters grow area. He uses a cooling tower, or a "shower" as he calls it. I learned the actual name for it is a "bakki shower".

 

shower1.jpg

 

Shower.jpg

 

16.jpg

 

The last one is a dated photo. As you can see in the first two images, he has a structure built around this. The shower helps to cool the system water. 

Edited by Paul
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Oz Jon

That guy's cooling system is, in effect, an evaporative cooler. A neat simple solution, needing only to turn on/off a pump.

 

Looking at the annual temperature range in Cambodia

<https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Rainfall-Temperature-Sunshine,Phnom-Penh,Cambodja>

 

I note that the monthly mean low (Dec/Jan) gets down to 22C and the monthly mean High (Apr) gets up to 34C.

So it's something that needs to be looked into.

 

As you point out, having a big volume of water will tend to stabilse the temperature. Hopefully, that's enough to do the job.

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Parrothead

So it's something that needs to be looked into.

 

With this system being the size it is, I will probably be limited to the ice water bottle idea. They will not allow me the use of any further real estate. 

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syzmic

That cooling system would also put quite a bit of Oxygen in the water as a bonus...

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Parrothead

Mistake 4: Not adding ball valves between every tank / filter. 

 

While not a major issue, this would have been a much better choice. I did make a point of putting one between the fish tank and RFF / Swirl filter.

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Parrothead

Mistake 5: Not installing high pressure pumps and venturi.

 

That cooling system would also put quite a bit of Oxygen in the water as a bonus...

 

Venturi would add ample aeration to the water, if piped from high pressure, rather than high volume pumps.

 

I could then use the air pump as a reserve / back up / emergency air supply.

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Parrothead

Mistake 6: Next time, install 2" ball valves between ALL filter tanks / drums and sump(s). 

I put one on the outside of the fish tank, on the pipe going to the RFF / Swirl Filter. But, I did not put one between the RFF / Swirl Filter and the moving media bio-filter, or the bio-filter and the sump. While not a major concern, it would make water control a bit easier. 

 

I will do this on any / all future installations. 

Edited by Paul
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