Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello to everyone. Yes I have an AP set up that I recently completed. I am a retired American who lives in Thailand, my wife's home country. I love the weather here - two seasons - hot and hotter, at least that is what most non-Thai's say. Me, I love it because I hate being cold. And you can plant a garden year around here.

My system is an in ground cement pond 8' X 20' X 4' deep. Water is keep at a three foot depth. I stocked with Top Teem Tilapia (the pink-to-red ones). I started with 80 fingerlings and plan to add another 150 fingerlings this week - had to wait for the supplier. Mixed so I will add in about three months two predator fish to keep a good balance and not become over stocked. Two male catfish should do the trick

The planting beds are cement raised beds that drain back into the pond. They are filled with coco coir and rice hulls, half-n-half. So far I water them with a pump and hose from the pond, twice a day.

I started planting the beds on 27 November 2011. I only stocked fish on 22 November so my results might not be very good, yet, the water is not very green yet so I am low on plant food to start out.

I will provide photos as soon as I learn how to upload and that may be a long time coming since I am not computer lit and need step by step instruction for such action.

I would like to communicate with all. Especially those with the type set up that I have. I may be contacted by e-mail at: falang1900@yahoo.com.au or by pm on this forum.

John

Hi John and welcome to the forum.
I have a system in Chiang Mai, and formerly in Surin.

I know a retired American called John in Korat, coincidentally

Good luck with the system and bring on the pictures.
We all love pics

The easy way to upload pictures:
1) make sure they are 800x600 or smaller
2) In your reply scroll down and click the "Add File" button.
3) Select your file
4) Optionally add a comment
5) Click "Add the file"
6) Go back to the text of your reply, put the cursor where you want the picture to appear in the message and then click "Place Inline"

There used to be a limit of 3 pics per post, don't know if that still applies.

If you have trouble, feel free to PM me.

Welcome Johnra (cool name)

Im sure you will find a home amongst us, as Dui said, please post pics so we can see what you have been up to.

That's me - John in Korat. ceburat1 on Teakdoor. I am trying to figure out now how to upload photos and as usual I am lost.

Hi Dui, thanks for the information. Trying to learn I got up one photo. I will have more photos soon as things start to grow, I hope.

Looks you have worked it out to me...

Dam that looks great, will they be GB's in the back there? How is the water filtered at the moment or does it have no fish yet?

Charlie, hello. I will have to come back to "Charlie's system". To look it over good will take a few minutes. At a glance it looks like a very refined system and looks great.

This photo was taken just before I stocked the pond on 22 November 2011. Yes they are grown beds filled with coco coir and rice hulls, 50-50. Watering to be done by hand with a hose from the pond. Filter system - The water is pumped up into the GB's to water the plants and is filtered thru the coir and hulls and returns to the pond thru the 3/4inch pvc you see at the edge of the pond.

Hi John,

Oh my system is a baby compared to yours and you probably know more about this stuff than me.

Do you know what FT and GB volumes you have, what water pump and aeration you are using?

Sorry for Q's, just like being nosey...

Hi John,
Welcome to Thailand and this forum.
I'm Thai living in Chonburi. I'd correct your info. about weather. Thailand doesn't only 2 season.
Thailand has 3 season, Hot , Hotter and Hotest Ha Ha Ha!

My system also in the ground, at least half.
http://cid-c9e886c36a6a2547.photos.live ... .aspx/AQP2
http://cid-c9e886c36a6a2547.photos.live ... e.aspx/AQP


ChokeDee krab
o

I thought it was sawadee krab? or is that what you say to females? I cant remember the protocol with that. Been to Phuket a few times and I remember something about it.

Grown beds, over all size is, 4 foot by 20 foot by 24-30 inches deep. Both of my 20 foot grown beds are divided into five sections. Oxygen is provided by the water running continuous as shown in the photo. Also some water is used daily on other parts of my garden, plus evaporation so I top up the pond daily. So far only about 3 inches a day. Not sure about pump size but I have low pressure on my watering hose which is good so I don't wash out seeds when plants are young or before seeds sprout. I don't know if I know a lot or not. I was an organic gardener for about 40 years in the USA. I have been in Asia since the summer of 1996. I don't have the guts to go back to that cold place anymore. I have lived and worked in the cold and white stuff and I really hate it. I have been reading for about two years now on all I can find on the internet. I really get off on "Bog-Garden-Filters". I have one at each end of our koi pond which was the first pond we built. Water plants and flowers grow great in them and the water in the pond is very clear.

Great looking system John.
Very interested to see how it develops

Charlie
"Chok Dee" is "Good luck"
"Sawadee" is "Hello/Good Day"

AO

What is you name? The name everyone calls you. Your GB's looked to be filled with the same type gravel Thai's build with - Is that correct? I have always wondered about using that type of gravel because regular pee gravel or 3/8 inch gravel is very expensive. Do all of your grown beds drain back to the tank? What type of fish do you have in the tank? You write well using good English, maybe better than mine. LOL

John,
When I moved I lost a lot of my pea gravel so when I rebuilt this system I used the blue/grey stuff in the bottom and just topped off the last couple of inches with the pea gravel.
My system in Surin was completely blue/grey gravel.
It's harder to work with, sharp edges and such, probably more work to clean too.
For a big system such as your I would go for the blue stuff and possibly top it off with pea.