Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

... yep, if you don't overstock your fish, or underfilter your system... then your water quality will remain good... and you wont have a "DOS" problem....

Seriously... this is what we've been telling people for years... and most still continue to overstock/under filter.. their systems...

I've got a spare 'wheelie bin' - i think i might get it going for a 200ltr extra filter. might try the stuff it full of stuff for a fine particle filter but not sure. Suggestions welcome. I've got ample filtration at the moment - 1250ltrs with an estimated 10kg of fish at the moment. When my Silvers start growing I dont beleive I will be overstocked, but i would prefer to be well sure. Also a fine particle filter I think would help get rid of, well, the fine particles...

Heres a quick update:
Had my first jumper through an old pipe hole. Plugged it so we are all good. It was 100grams - which is small as they would have been 75 when i put them in. Caught some and they were a mix, 100, 150, 250 and 2x 300 - so I ate the big ones! used the smoker and had 1 with bikkies- my 4yo ate the other all to himself!

Things are growing well. I have some snow peas in and am using Kale and swiss chard for lunch a few times a week. Broccoli is underpoerfoirming, cabbage still showing potential. Getting some tomatoes pretty soon!

Snowpeas will be great - 2 died- just shrank their leaves and died - 4 survive though!

Looking good Bonsai... and yep... might as well start eating those "bigger" ones...

The Swiss chard makes the bed look like Avatar. How do you eat chard and kale for lunch, raw?

Ha ha yep huge- but no matter what happens my fish raising this year has been a success.

Todays lunch; Raw chopped chard, kale and cos lettuce all from the AP, 1 boiled egg from the chickens and a few spoons of tuna. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing...

Quick update #2:
Siince I added my air pump, my build up of fish cr*p on the bottom and corners of the tank has dissapeared which is brilliant, as it used to get a bit wrong and stinky. I've never had a D.O. problem.

Had some fun getting better flow from an air lift. Made 2 like this zip tied to IBC off cuts. They are about 2cm off the floor of the bottom. I cut a bottom hole in one, and sections out of the side in the other with a angle grinder. I realise the draw under the stand can catch a fish so I will convert to side pipe access soon like the second one. Unfortunately I forgot to take pics, but they sit on the tank bottom nicely.

Drilled 3 holes in an ibc offcut and shoved this into the tube to create the air lift effect.
Sits in there nicely.

This acheives two things:
-my stones are 40cm off the bottom so the pressure is less and I get more air, therefore more flow.
-I have activated an air lift which as you all know gives better circulation. ripper.

In the vids you can see the difference between -
3 stones on the bottom vs 3 stones in the pvc tube. For the test I pushed the stones to the bottom so they are at the same height. Not breaking any news here for you all but it is a pretty obvious flow increase by sticking the air in a tube!
[youtube]watch?v=l3jXOOJs3J4[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDoaiik_RZE[/youtube]
just got a laugh by listing these under science and technology on youtube

baah-stuffed up the utube links

thats better....

Yup, just dont tell Chappo.

Looks good to me.

nice fish!

Who's Chappo?