Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

They are flowing thick and fast... This is a real DIY type..

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/252 ... m?ref=live

Media in the fish tank is a sensational idea too...

Probably needs it for stability.

Hmmm, and clear irrigation tubing. I wish people wanting to sell systems and instruction manuals would at least get past the silly nube mistakes.. It just ends up giving AP a bad name when it fails for people..

I asked those guys about algae when it first came out, they will be using opaque boxes in future for what it is worth!

Go to www.whatdoestheinternetthink.net for reassurance/confirmed doom.

a search for "Aquaponics", sees...



Positive 74%,

Negative 26%

"Bullwinkle" returns an error. Hmm. The jury's still out on that one.

Yeah, I deleted the bits of the internet that were about me

Bullwinkle, I think it is safe to say that 74% of aqauaponics people are on the BYAP forum then.
Everyone else has yet to find it

HA, searching Telstra brings back 97% negative!
Reminds me of something Carl Baron said at one of his gigs.

He reckons Telstra should change their name to Fkn Telstra. Its what everyone calls them anyway.
Then when you call them they should pick up with:
"Hello this is Fkn Telstra, how can we piss you off today?"

I love telstra.

I got two years of free phone calls and free Internet because of their incompetence.

I'll never use them again, but I love them.

If there are any fresh lawyers out there that want to make a name for themselves with a class action, I still have all the notes*

Sue me Telstra. I double dare you.



*including their internal name for the problem I was always banging on about, but that they tended to deny.

So, I was an early subscriber to the Kickstarter campaign and only after pledging did I find this forum. I will definitely say, the "toy" system has piqued my interest and I have plans to go legit. As a total noob, I will give a report on how the product works once I receive it in February.

Meanwhile, are there any decent smaller scale "kit" systems out there for me to cut my teeth on or is it better to go DIY?

The BYAP shop has some.

http://backyardaquaponicsshop.com/produ ... c-systems/

Hi bajas:

You can get a lot more from doing a little research and then putting together your own system.

Go here and read this for a start:
http://ibcofaquaponics.com

My advice is to start small, start now, don't spend too much. There is a minimum amount of $ you will need to spend to make a viable system from bought parts but there are so many ways to put something together. Look around this forum for ideas and inspiration and ask questions. Lots of options for fish tanks and grow beds - basically any container that is not toxic to fish or people or plants or bacteria and can hold water. You might look at the small/medium/large systems but those are not maintained as much as peoples' own member threads: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1617

FWIW I've used aquariums, Sterilite storage tubs, Rubbermaid storage tubs, Tuff Stuff stock tanks (form Tractor Supply), Rubbermaid stock tanks, pond liner and wood for fish tanks and grow beds, also plastic flower boxes, 5 gallon buckets, Rubbermaid Brute trash cans, and plastic flower pots. Just today I hooked up a 70 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank to a 31 gallon Rubbermaid storage tub to get a new system going. Using a tiny 140 gallon per hour pump to circulate between the two containers.

I think my first system cost probably $150 for a Tuff Stuff 110 gallon stock tank, two Plantainers from Lowe's, another mortar tub from Lowe's, and a $100 sump pump from Sears (could have used probably a $50 pump from Lowe's instead of that). Second system was like $900 total in the basement with a grow light and more containers, etc. You should be able to make a medium system from scratch for say $500 without buying the fish and seeds. I was getting gravel from a local sand and gravel place for $2 for about 50 gallons at a time. I like to use a rule where I don't buy a container for fish tank or grow bed unless it is at least 1 gallon per $ in cost. This eliminates some items you might use but there are definitely fish tanks and grow beds you can get that fit this criterion.

Sorry so long winded, HTH

FYI I used $12 25 gallon Sterilite clear storage tubs for gravel beds, these are similar to the one DIY-looking Kickstarter system. The fish tank part might be a little more because the 25 gallon ones are long and narrow. So I would estimate you could build the DIY-looking Kickstarter system for probably less than $150 without gravel and fish.

Aloha, we are a young group of 9th graders from Mid-Pacific Institute which is located in Honolulu Hawaii. We are also making an Aquaponics kit and we would like your support on our endeavors to be successful entrepreneurs. Our goal for this kit is to be able to educate people about sustainability, so instead of a big high scale model, it is just a small table that you place on top of your aquarium. Then watch the system run! Through collaboration we decided that an Aquaponics kit would be the most beneficial way to help raise awareness about the issue of sustainability. Our ultimate goal is to put our idea on Kickstarter and get funded! Thank you for taking time to read this and please get back to us.

Well since this was brought back from the dead...

http://store.backtotheroots.com/AquaFarm_p/aquafarm.htm

At the very bottom it says:

"Shout-Out

Thank you to Doug and Brian from Inka Biospheric Systems for all their support throughout this project!"

I am guessing that Inka Biospheric Systems were the aquaponic "experts" helping out on this.