Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

In a few months I'm going to give a talk/demo on AP for a local sustainability fair. I need to build a portable system, that one reasonably strong woman with a cart can move relatively safely. I would also like to make it attractive, so as to not turn off people. I'm not terribly into the wheelie bin systems, but I think that may be the best way to go.

Any ideas?

I've searched around here, but a lot of the pics and vids of earlier portable posts are gone.

I'm a decent scavenger, and have decent resources. Frex, I'll probably use hydroton to lessen the weight. I'd like to build it somewhat soon, so it can be cycled and producing (greens) by the time of the fair.

I know beggars can't be choosers, but I'd prefer to make it a growbed-based flood and drain (and hopefully CHIFT-PIST). Mainly, I don't want it to look like a hydroponic system. I have all the fish, seeds, plants, and starting bacteria that I need.

This is portable?




Just kidding.

I've seen that setup, and think it's pretty neat. I'm hoping to use plastic and things with lids, though.
I'll look through that thread again, thanks for the reminder!

And, your new icon is very pretty (I've been gone for awhile, if it's not 'new.')

I somehow lost my other reply.

Lowe's has 15 gallon mortar mixing tubs for about $12 (in the cement area), and 20 gallon round planters for about $20 that are very nice too. I used those in my first system and am still using them for stuff.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=p ... lpage=none

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=p ... lpage=none

They way I make simple AP systems now is have two containers equal-sized, a fish tank and a sump (the 20 gallon round planters would work well). Have the fish tank slightly higher than the sump. Put a pot or container of some sort in the sump big enough to house the pump. Fill the rest of the sump with gravel. Make a chift pist drain going from the fish tank (maybe no holes overflow?) and distributing water onto the sump gravel. Plant the sump gravel with what-have-yous. Run the pump continuously, with the water restricted with a reducer at the end of the pipe, the water should enter the fish tank above the surface, so as to force bubbles into the water. No bubblers or anything else necessary. Fill the sump halfway with water. You could probably get by with a pretty petite pump with the small volumes.

It might not be pretty as is, but my aquarium system uses 5 gallon buckets as grow beds. With different plumbing fittings, they could reasonably be dismantled enough to move and set back up. A 5 gallon bucket full of gravel is quite heavy but I can move one if I'm not having to carry it far.

Anyway, a few (between 1 and 4) 5 gallon buckets (perhaps dressed up to look pretty) and a couple 10 gallon aquarium (one as fish tank and the other as sump tank with pump) could work well as a demo system I think. The 5 gallon buckets (or perhaps 1, 2 or 3 gallon would work depending on what food buckets you can pick up free from the market or bakery) would stand up better to being moved repeatedly than most storage bins I know of.

Here is a link to my aquarium system thread
http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=3628

I do know there is another member that made a demo system with a couple 10 gallon aquarium and a goldfish. I think perhaps somewhere down that thread linked to earlier is mention and perhaps even pictures of that aquarium demo system.

(A no holes overflow may be easier than putting a hole in the side of a round fish tub)

BTW that was me, and I got the gravel-filled sump idea from TC!

I do still like flood and drain for the grow beds myself though.

As for putting a hole in the side of a round container, so long as the container isn't super thick, a uniseal will work fine, no need to worry about getting a bulkhead to seal on the curved container. Uniseals are inexpensive too. Now I do like the no holes overflows for the aquarium when one does not want to fiddle with cutting holes in glass or something. Just need to check the no holes overflows regularly to keep them properly primed. I've had one of those little suck valves (the air pump check valve) go bad not long ago causing one of my no holes overflows to stop working.

+1 for DD's.