There a Barrel

he fish looked happy this morning, and enjoyed a small Breakfast, though a couple of them looked at me as if to say.. "That's it? You are kidding, right?" Sorry Fishies, I can't have a big ammonia spike killing you off. I didn't remember to dump and refill the barrel I'm leaching the nasties out of.

Tonight I'm going to put together an aerator "tower" for the barrel system if I can find a pvc bit that is the right size to screw into the fitting on the barrel. The idea is that Water will pump in at the top and splash down through a series of baffles tor maximum air exchange. Physically I think it's going to look like one of the "strawberry trees" folks make out of PVC, but upside down to keep the water splashing +inside+ the tube. All of that is contingent on me not thinking up something else that will require less pump head.

Does anyone else have other ideas for aeration? I've also thought about setting up a _small_ paddlewheel instead, but that would mean adding another motor and using more electricity in a wet environment.. I should mention that I'm using my fish barrel(s) vertically | instead of horizontally _ like in the barrelponics book.

The idea de jour is Tank -> FBF -> Aeration -> Tank, with the growbeds optionally inserted in the system between the Tank and FBF. That will allow me to move the fish bits into the garage and keep fish over winter. Explaining the Bulkhead fittings in the garage wall may be "interesting" if we ever sell the house.

Fish farming is fun.

-ellie

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