Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi guys got an interesting one for you.

I'm talking to a community organisation here who are looking at promoting urban aquaculture to their local communities as a food security solution.

As a proof-of-concept they'd like a small demo system - as cheap as possible of course.

We had talked about barrelponics as an option but I thought I'd throw it open to the forum:

What is your favourite small recycled-parts system? and has anyone got good results from them?

Are we talking Barrelponics? or bathtub? or better to go with a small "proper" system?

This is a great opportunity to get Aquaponics into a county-wide organisation.

Thanks

Andrew

Favorite small recycled-parts system would depend on what recycled parts are easily/cheaply/freely available in your area.
If this small system will remain as a stand alone small system, then I suggest that the barrel ponics manual is a good way to go. Only thing I would do different to the barrel ponics system is use some other container as the fish tank since I always have difficulty seeing the fish in a barrel fish tank. However, if you have bathtubs available, they can make good systems too.

I don't know what a small "proper" system would be in your location since you don't have BYAP near by to sell you one.

I did a barrel ponics system as my initial proof of concept. It is a pretty darn good manual (especially here in the USA where you can go by the part numbers at lowes to find most all the pieces parts.) I now have my barrel system hooked up to a large lumber/pond liner tank where I have 12 adult fish living happily under a layer of duckweed and breeding countless baby tilapia.

Thanks TC - good feedback.

Did you ever get any edible fish out of the barrelponics system? Or is the fishtank just a bit too small for that?

I guess a bathtub would be larger, and more easily accessible - and there's no shortage of those.

By a "Proper" system I meant one made from decent-sized bought parts, not recycled. Unfortunately the BYAP delivery empire does not reach these shores yet so we have to make do with thea range of mis-matched bits that we can find.

You don't want to set yourself up for failure so what ever you do it has to work with or be protected from the climate. I think Charlie Price or Welsh dragon would have a lot of experience to draw from, Uk winters are a killer from what I understand. As far as cheap bits the lined cattle panel tanks with IBC sumps and lined growbeds. I'm picturing an insulated version of what TCLinx has. In double layered greenhouse and mostlikely heated greenhouse.