Fluidized Sand Filter using Airlift

Rob Nash asked me why I was doing this, I started to explain my reasons for looking outside of conventional aquaponic methods.  While writing I came full circle and saw that he was right.   It comes down to adding more media beds.  
Ive been saying its all about the Nitrates and began to see that as my primary goal.  I kinda got off track from the real goal which is to provide Nitrates to as much high density growing space as possible.
Ive got to quit thinking like an aquarium owner and more like a farmer.

But Ill keep this post available because the mistakes I make are something others might be able to learn from.
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Im still playing around with ideas for a fluidized sand filter.  I would really like it to run on airlift.

Heres a concept drawing.   I have done some small scale experimenting, and Im feeling like these concepts shown here may not work.  Joeys videos below demonstrate a proven system using both an air pump and a water pump.

* Further design has taken me away from Airlift Pumps and static bio filters, and into Moving Bed Filtration using an impeller pump. 

This idea may be a starting point for design, but my recent tests have shown that fluidization would be difficult to achieve as shown. 

Uaru Joey has a couple very good videos. 

Starting at 17:45 Joey talks about the amount of K-1 and other helpful specifications

Starting at 17:45 Joey talks about the amount of K-1 and other helpful specifications 

Here is a low cost filter I made as an experiment. 

Ill keep you updated.  Id like to hear suggestion.
CLICK HERE for my Moving Bed Media experiments

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Using Tilapia for Indoor Aquaponics

tilapia niloticus (tilapiasource.com) vs. image from egyptian tomb
The heart of an aquaponics system is the fish. Tilapia grow fast (fingerling to plate sized in 6-9 months), like tank culture, will eat anything, and like the kind of temperatures I like. Plus they have a white, flaky flesh I know my family likes to eat.

The folks at Tilapia Vita Farms, aka Tilapia Farming At Home, have put together a guide to legal issues relative to keeping tilapia in each state. Living in Virginia, I must obtain a permit to "import, possess, propagate, buy, and sell" tilapia, and must provide

place of origin, the name and address of the exporter and a certificate from a licensed and accredited practicing veterinarian, or certified fish pathologist, certifying that the animal to be imported is not manifesting any signs of infectious, contagious, or communicable disease.

I can use mossambique tilapia, nile tilapia, blue tilapia, and/or zanzibar tilapia. The Virginia permits ($22.50 total) expire December 31st, no matter when you obtain the permits. So I plan to wait until January to get my tilapia. With the holidays coming up, deferring fish to January isnt much of a delay.

After fondly considering the various breeds and sources, Im leaning towards nile tilapia. It sounds good to say this is because the nile tilapia is directly related to the fish of pharaohs. Alas, Im just a sucker for the pretty white variant developed by White Brook Tilapia Farm. For better or worse, nile tilapia are the slowest to reach sexual maturity (16-18 weeks compared to 11 weeks for blue tilapia).

Even better, for my penny-pinching, internet-loving soul, I can get live White Brook tilapia via eBay ($25 + $89 S&H for 25 fry (1/2"), $50 + $89 S&H for 25 fingerlings (1")). Thats $114 or $139 to you and me. Additional batches of 25 can be purchased with only a $5 increase to S&H.

Pros of other variants:

Blue tilapia can survive colder temperatures, down to 45 degrees fahrenheit. You can find these on eBay - I am impressed with White Brook Farms descriptions and pricing (same as the white niles mentioned above), but right now you can get as few as five from another source for under $35 (fish + S&H).

Female Mozambique tilapia and male Zanzibar tilapia can be interbred to produce predominantly male offspring. Since a mature female tilapia can produce 200-1000 fry every two months, this can be an important consideration. Edgar Sanchez at Tilapia Vita Farms currently offers breeder colonies for $399 + $99 S&H.

Heres hoping White Brook Farms has nile tilapia available in January 2011!

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Using Humona human urine for Fertilizer

When I read this article I felt validated.  Ive been promoting the use of urine and weed tea as a replacement for fertilizer created from petroleum.  Urine contains nitrogen and phosphorous as well as many other trace elements necessary to plants.

In order to sanitize urine, it can either be stored for 30 days in a sealed tank at room temperature, or heated for 30 minutes in a solar pasteurizer.

I work at home so I was able to save about 70% of the urine I produced, and in 2013 I easily filled a 55 gallon drum.  This will drum remained sealed for at least 3 months. 

Since the urine is added the systems water and the water wickes up through the soil I see no possibility of contamination, but others may not feel comfortable so I will let the humona (human urine) age for their peace of mind.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140202-peecycling-urine-human-waste-compost-fertilizer/.

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