Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hmm... the guy at the aquaponics shop said I'd need 6.2 x 50l bags to fill the trough... I think I'll try to get my hands on some gravel instead. It'd end up costing $200 for the clay + postage.
Even then I'm not sure that a CF dripper system would saturate the balls enough to keep the plants happy in a hot house.
I just don't know if I'm happy to outlay that much for something that may be just as good as $50 (or even less) worth of gravel.


Here's an update...
The frame for the hot house is up.
Some veggie patches have gone into the regular veggie side (I'm so sick of picking up cow poo) and the recycled aluminium windows and door are in the hot house end (holding them up while partner screwed them in was swearing-good-fun! LOL)
We've started painting the steel frame with kill rust for the future (don't want to have to replace anything later due to rust) and the duratough hot house plastic arrives today!

I'll try and get some photos of the frame this morning... and then onto the plastic challenge!

Looking forward to the photos.
I was looking to fill a 160 ltre container for a grow bed. It was hard to justify paying $150 for clay balls when I was able to get 10mm stones for $10. But I haven't had to dig dozens of plants into the stones yet. Just planted about 10 so it didn't seem bad.

Imy,

a level switch is a better idea than putting the pump on a stand:
It will achieve the same result while protecting your pump from running dry
At the same time it can induce an ebb and flow if you would wish

Put a tee on top of the standpipe turned 90° (leg of the tee pointing sideways to the growbeds)
put a free flow return line on the open end to one of the tanks
this will allow you to trim the water flow to the growbeds to pump capacity without restricting the flow of the pump
Any excess water will enhance aeration in the tank you are leading the return line to

a 12 l drum seems small even for one yabbie

try Google Sketchup for your drawings: it is free and very intuitive:
It is in 3D, so you can watch your project from all points of view and check dimensions and setup to avoid mistakes
http://sketchup.google.com/
lots of video tutorials available (I can send you a list of links)
one warning though:
it is addictive

I take it you are a teacher
Sketchup is great fun for the kids too

greetings

frank

Thanks frank, I'll try out google but I have a feeling my partner will have started the job before I get a chance to sit down and fiddle with it.

That drum for the yabbies is 120L not 12L so hopefully I can keep a couple!

I'm the queen of typos, sorry about that!

Theres an AP shop in far east Gippsland?

Online

Do tell... got a web address...

Umm... he's on eBay... am I allowed to put a link on here?>

Stick it in the eBay thread Imy... people are always looking for hydroton suppliers...

Consider it done

Hehehe.... that's my local hydro store that I buy from here in Wollongong... not Gippsland sorry Imy..

I've PM'd you a hydro store closer to you... and will put it in the ebay thread as well

Here are some pics of the 'shed'. Its a work in progress as you can see. The left hand 2/3 will be a regular veggie patch enclosed in bird mesh and some plastic and the right hand 3rd is where the hot house will be.

I have bought some duratough plastic to cover it in... and then someone said that the plastic might only have UV protection on only side... anyone know if thats true?

The other photo is of the local gravel I can get my hands on. Its $10 to fill the troughs I'm planning to have for grow beds. Bit of a difference to the $250 or so for clay balls! Does it look suitable? Its sitting in a Hans salami tray for a size comparison

That gravel looks ok and the price is right [doesent realy matter what you use just ease of using ] clay balls are nice and light I have an experimental bed with 4 different media , scoria , clay balls ,vemiculite , and 1/4 in blue metal , all flooding all draining the same And guess what all growing the same

Awesome. Thankyou!

So, onto the next question. LOL

You can sorta see my fish trough to the right of one of the hothouse photos... which fish would suit and how many would I need?

I only have the two grow beds and the trough for the fish is kinda shallow (JUST less than 40cm) so I'm thinking that it wouldn't suit too many fish?

Gravel's fine Imy... hothouse looks like it'll be just fine also...

The fish tank/trough.... ahumm... yeah probably too shallow...

You'd have trouble keeping the fish from jumping out... birds/cats from fishing them out...

More seriously... into summer it would heat up really quickly and poch your fish I think...

Would make an alright sump though... maybe keep an eye out for a deeper tank.. or an IBC??