Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi guys,
I'm thinking of starting up a new system in my above
ground pool(see pic's in link below) but not really sure about using the pool pump/filter,Or i just throw in a anthor pump in the pool.

I will put the grow bed, on the back decking. I'm Thinking of puting 4 to 5
bath tubs(will this be enough to filter the water)will be using flood and drain system.

took a reading of the water in the pool today.
PH=7.4
AMMONIA=0.25
NITRITE=0
NITRATE=10

open to any suggestions and ideas,As this will be my first aquaponics setup

Thanks.

Pics of pool

loose the sand filter, keep the strainer and pump.

what sort of grow style are you going to use?
whats sort of fish?
how many fish?
how long since the pool has been used?
how many liters?
current water temps?

Silver perch are the logical choice for the beginner, but considering its winter and my mates pool rarely gets above high teens even in summer and the fact that you have a lot of wate to play with then maybe you could give rainbow trout a go? They will certainly want to eat more than the silver perch would during winter.

Your conditions sound perfect to start nitrogen cycling. My first order of biz would be to get yourself some growbeds going...............around the outside of the pool overlapping the edge so they can drain directly back would be good. feel free to upload pics directly here.

What suburb u in?

Welcome

Steve

Trout, and solarium over the lot!

Hi Steve,
Well the grow style i was thinking of, would be placing
bath tubs along the decking.pump from the pool into the grow beds
and let gravity take care of the rest (flow straight back into the pool)If thats what you mean about "grow style".

The fish i was thinking of placing in the pool would be "Silver perch" about 500 to start with

There has been nothing put into the pool in about 3mths (chemical wise)...pool hasnt been used in about 4 mths.

not sure about water temp,as i have nothing to measure the temp with
at the moment..
And as for how many ltrs..well i will have to get my tape measure out,and let you know later how many,but at a guess,say about 18000 ltrs..

I live in Mildura,so it gets very hot here in summer..

Welcome Micmac... hope you fun

Thanks Rupert,
There is so much info here on this site,It's great..

Go the silver perch then.

I'd suggest staggering your fish purchaces to allow the rest of the system (bacteria especially) to catch up. (strongly suggest )

no more than 100 to start with, then you can judge how severe your ammonia and nitrite spikes will be and scasle up or down your next order.

Steve

Ok, thanks steve for the info

Hi micmac07

Why not consider Murray Cod in your system. Can vary temps between 9-30 degrees, are hardy, love to be close to other fish (higher stocking density) and are easy to transfer to pelleted feed (often the 3cm juv. fish are already used to crunble and 1mm pellets).

Mildura will be way too hot for trout in the late spring/summer/early autum. If you were buying advanced stockers (100g+), I would suggest getting them midway through autum and have them all harvested/transfered by mid spring.

Otherwise, stick with the advice of everyone else and purchase Silver Perch and start the system up with them.

Daniel

How deep is the pool?

BTW bath tubs around the deck sound very cool. just be sure that the decking can support the weight figure around 250kgs per bathtub (operating weight).

with the size of your pool the bathtubs are going to be the limiting factor, very very rough guide might be 6kgs of fish per bathtub fitted, though you may be able to expand on this with NFT and the like..................sorry i'm getting way ahead.....................

get your tubs, install a stand pipe and inner pipe to the drains and fill them with washed gravel and start running your pump. you have an ammonia reading so the system will start cycling. Don't wait for the fish.

keep us posted!

Steve

Ok Guy's thanks for all your replys...
Just worked the volume of water in the pool,21000 ltrs...

how i came to this was

6mtrs long
3.5 mtrs wide
1 mtr deep

is this right?

right if its rectangular, if its oval then it will be less than your calcs.

Kell, correct me if i'm wrong, but the cod either require VERY VERY high stocking density or a VERY VERY low density....... inbetween will cause major "arguements" between then

I have 4 in 180 litres, and they fight.

Hi Steve

You are right with your above description of the Murray cod. It also highly depends on the size in which you put your fish in. Bigger fish with a consistant size in most stocking densities will be fine, you experience problems when you have smaller fish at most densities. Without the ability to 'grade' your small murray cod, they will grow at different levels, and hence, predation will occur. My advice, if you wanted to stock cod, would be to buy advanced stockers (100g).

Sorry Steve, I forgot to mention:

Often during weining juv. Murray Cod onto pelleted food, a percentage of the population will always resist the pellets, become stressed and hence become predatory. As time goes on, these fish often degenerate into a poor condition due to not feeding. It then goes full circle as these fish then become the prey of the healthy fish. I have always in any canniverous species ive raised removed smaller, weaker, sick and non-weining fish. Nothing is worse than breeding fish and then having to sacrafice some, but for the benifit of the mass population, it is always best to do so.