Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi everyone I'm a newbie to Aquaponics was just wondering if you can use those above ground pools with the inflatable ring for your fish tank. I have two of them and was thinking of using one for my aquaponics set up. My only worry with using it would be 1: it's hight is only 700mm 2: the plastic is probably not food grade 3: will the fish be able to puncture the side somehow? I know some fishes dorsal fins can be pretty sharp from fishing.

Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

Filip. Number 2 & 3 are bigger issues than #1. I personally would not do it because of 2 & 3. Look around and see what else you may be able to use for your first system.

I had thought along the same lines Filip, but instead of the softsided inflatable top ring type I was thinking of the ones using a frame and liner. I had the same concerns about durability and possible toxicity problems. I guess the soft sider might work for species that do not have fins, such as yabbies. The more experienced members here can probably provide better recommendations than what I can.

Kevin

i have fish in one of those right now. only i use it as a pond liner kinda. no problems that i know of.

In the aquaculture business it is used often. No problems. It will depend on just how "cheap" the material is though, as to how easily torn.

Yabbies?? Their technical name is "destructor" and wil good reason. Red claw and Maron are not supposed to be so destructive as the Yabbie.

Thanks for your comments guys I'm still not too sure. I would really like a nice brand spanking new 2000lt tank but i don't have the cash and i don't want to go the way of the ibc. Does anyone know of any cheapish tanks in victoria. I'm starting to get real worried about the leaching of toxins into the system, if only stainless steel was cheap.

Hi Filip..

Do you mean like one of these pools??

http://backyardaquaponics.com/thumbnail ... system.HTM

It was my first system.. The ring at the top got a hole and deflated but I still managed to keep it going for a year or two.. Another problem I found with them is that the fish would disapear around the sides under the lip, they were very difficult to see, and almost impossible to catch. Personally I'd keep your eyes open for a IBC or two, you should be able to get them cheap...

yeah they are the same ones. I really want a nice tank now so i think i might save us for one. A IBC would be good for the time being but would that give the fish enough room to swin around and grow good. I ask because 50 fingerlings is the minimum order of silver perch. Providing i had enough water in the system i'm sure i could handle that many fish but i feel for the little fishes with no of room. :-)

Filip - don't worry too much about that room issue. The fish tend to congerate togher in one corner of wahtever tank you put them in. 50 fish in a 1000 litre tank is not unrealistic - depending on the method you are using for feeding the grow-beds and how much this depletes the water volume in the tank.

Apparently K-Mart Australia have some pretty good deals on above ground pools at the moment.

Yes thats where i got my second one from for $100 but i took it back because i got all spooky about chemicals leaching into the water. good as a water tank though.