Jacko's new cHOP2 system

[mjacko88]

Hi folks, here is my new system, no fish yet, I have filled it with 18mm pea gravel, the syphons are working perfectly (thanks Murray) I intend to run it 24/7 without fish for the next nine weeks and hopefully by then it will be perfct for fish, currently the PH is a bit high 8.2 but I'm putting that down to the mud that has come off of the pea gravel, so if anyone can see any issues please let me know, also I intend to stock the FT with 80-100 silvers and I will add two more GB's in a couple of months, then two more in about six months, so I will end up with six GB's all 300-350mm deep one FT & one sump to start new fingerlings in, in a year or so.
So what do you think? am I on the right track? drinkanim

[Deano]

Looks great get your grow beds planted out as soon as you can and maybe put some goldfish in to help get things going before you put your silvers in.

[onehellofafisherman]

Good one Jacko
Nice tidy install job there mate. What are you going to plant it up with?

[mjacko88]

Looks great get your grow beds planted out as soon as you can and maybe put some goldfish in to help get things going before you put your silvers in.

Good idea, I've got some in the wifes bali water fature.:p

[mjacko88]

Good one Jacko
Nice tidy install job there mate. What are you going to plant it up with?

I have spent about $30 on different seeds, I thought to start with I would float some polystyrene in the sump and try some letuce, I've got several types, then in the GB's close to the edge put in some cucumbers & squash and let them hang over the side, then the standar broccoli, eggplant, capsicum, celery, chives, acouple of tomatoes etc, I've got these in little seed trays now, so as soon as they are big enough I'll transplant them.

[Drdamage]

Nice setup! I was thinking about floating some lettuce like you have mensioned but didn't really want to set up a filter so I have ended up making some NFt's instead.

[mjacko88]

Well guys as I said in about nine weeks I want to put some silvers in, so if anyone is getting some and want to share let me know, otherwise I'll post when I'm going to get some incase somone else wants to share, but if that doesn't happen I'l still take the drive out and get my own.

[mjacko88]

Good idea, I've got some in the wifes bali water fature.:p

Hmm, the wife likes her goldfish where they are, so I've cheated and pumped some of their water into my sump, same result really only quicker!:p

[Jumpstart]

hey mjacko nice looking system, only advice I could give you is stock lighter you can stock 80-100 fish in an ibc but you will have to pull fish out when they are about 300grams otherwise you'll be overstocked. I would suggest around 50 fish to start off with that way you can grow them out to about 500-600grams comfortably.

Also looking at your system it looks very simular to a lot of the low energy systems some people are taking a crack at heres a link to one http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=11703

[Jumpstart]

Also you may want to put some of your gravel in a jar with some acid and if you see bubbles coming of your rocks then you have limestone in media and if this is the case then you'll have ph issues and sorry just read your thread again I read it as your only adding and extra 2 beds you will be able to get away with more fish with more filtration.

[regal265]

Nice tidy system jacko.. :)

[mjacko88]

Thanks Regal!
I am hoping it will look a lot better with plants in it, I've got loads of seeds coming up now, so I'll post some new pics when the y get a little bigger.drinkanim

[mjacko88]

Hmm, the wife likes her goldfish where they are, so I've cheated and pumped some of their water into my sump, same result really only quicker!:p

Hmm, the water feature with all of the large fancy gold fish is looking a bit empty at the moment, I caught a big orange tom cat fishing there the other morning, looks like he's been taking at least one fish per day, now theres only three 100mm comets left!! Looks like I'll have to mesh over the top before I restock.:mad:

[mjacko88]

Purchased nother IBC today, to start making my third & fourth growbeds, the system has been running 24/7 now for about five weeks, I've got some plants in both original GB's and one strab tower, the FT is being oxygenated by the return from the sump going through my home made venturi, which seems to add loads of oxygen, now testing at PH 6.8, I'll leave it running for a few more weeks just to make sure before I get some SP for the Ft and hoefully some marron for the ST, by then I should have all four Gb's operational, Good times are coming!!drinkanim:p