Aquaponics not running

Something’s wrong I don’t hear pumps.

I think a hose came apart

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Found the pump outlet disconnected.

Found a loose hose that fits it hope it’s the right one

I am covered in tilapia sewage

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Just checked. All looks good.

The rest of the floor is being put down tonight so I am moving the planter bed and sump tank today. I was looking at the accumulation of solids (tilapia sewage, lol) in the sump and grow bed. It’s a very fine black suspended muck that will settle out of the water when left undisturbed. There is no unpleasant smell, just a natural healthy pond smell. This is usually removed using a dedicated sedimentation tank which is one of the key components of an aquaponic setup that we are missing.

@Tookys James Manley added a baffle when he built the sump tank to collect suspended solids. It turns out this design is not very effective. I have been working on a conical bottom swirl separator made using a 55 gallon barrel. It will be fitted between the main tank and the sump and will catch most of the suspended solids. They may then be easily removed by flushing the bottom conical catchment. This product can then go into a mineralization tank where an air stone would oxygenate and stir the effluent to create a nice rich tea for potted plants or to be returned to the system.

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That stuff is sold as fertilizer. In the words of the Waterboy “that’s some high-quality H2O!”

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