Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I managed to score a free IBC today, so I've spent to morning working out how to add it to my 1 IBC chop and flip system.

I finished reading though The IBC of Aquaponics ( http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/Travis/IBCofAquaponics1.pdf ). While a great read, most of the system design are either a 1 IBC system or a 3 IBC system.

My first though was to cut the new IBC into two new 300L grow beds, however I only have a 600L tank for fish presently and many of the designs I've viewed seem to upgrade straight to a 1000L FT with a 600L ST before adding more grow beds.

for example Rob Bob's upgrade from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH0kq-Mkk20 to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaURXZqEvJc

Any advice / ideas?

Cut so that it allows a GB with gravel depth of 300mm, sitting over a tank with about a 600L water capacity.

Place it next to your existing single IBC system and plumb them together so you have the two GB's draining into one tank, which will be the fish tank, then connect this FT to the sump tank next to it via a Solids Lifting Overflow (SLO) which will help keep the FT cleaner for the fish.

Then pump from the ST up to the GB's, so the water flow through your system will basically be:

ST > GB's > FT > SLO > ST

I made a radial flow separator the other day, so I assume I could hook it up something like this:



Then if I choose to upgrade the FT, I assume I can repurpose the 600L FT as a new grow bed?

Thanks very much for your input, I've been reading a heap of your posts and they've helped me break into a slightly daunting new hobby.

Congrats on scoring a free IBC!

Using the new IBC as a sump tank and single grow bed is the way to go. Then when you get another free IBC, that’ll give you 2 more grow beds.




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That design will work fine... If you are prepared to collect the solids from the RFF and treat them in a mineralisation tank, to free up the mineral nutrients locked up within them. If you don't, you will run into nutrient imbalance and nutrient deficiency issues down the track.

For a backyard type system I'd be inclined to leave out the RFF and allow the GB's to act as your mechanical filter. Worms, bacteria, fungi, enzymes etc will break down the waste, liberating the nutrients. This way all the mineral nutrients will be retained in the system. With a well designed system, stocked sensibly and well maintained, you will get years out of the GB's before they will require cleaning out, with 3-4 years not being uncommon, and some people achieving 6-7 years.

Another option, to help ensure the cleanest possible water for the fish, but to retain as much nutrient in the system as possible, is to run the system as a CHOP 2 design, where each component has it's own flow loop, all returning to the ST, and place the RFF in the primary flow loop (ie FT loop), prior to the FT. So the flow in the primary flow loop would be:

ST > RFF > FT > SLO > ST

This way much of the fish waste can still make it's way to the GB's where natural processes can break it down, but the water is kept as clean as possible for the fish.

Indeed, I plan on adding a mineralisation tank in the next couple of months.

This is a test system in which I'd like to lay out all the components of the larger raft system I plan on building next year.

Following up on my progress since acquiring the extra IBC. I cleared out some bamboo over the weekend to make space for the extra GB & ST & laid some pavers to level the ground. I'm having some issues with the grow beds sagging under the weight so I'll add some hardwood beams lengthways under the grow beds for support.

Despite plenty of criticism for the build, I think a CHOP 2 design is the most sensible as suggested by Mr Damage above. GB will be dumping into the ST and FT will maintain a consistent water level.

Photo below, pipes are temporary until I sort out the grow bed support.

And for anyone interested, placing wooden beams lengthwise like in the below photo stopped all the sagging and seems to support the grow beds very nicely.

Nice! Your setup looks neat. Mine is more,er, rustic :-)

I had the same issue when I added a new GB but used 75% blue metal 25% hydroton to reduce cost.


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