Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

By posting in here first?

Hello all btw. JUst setting up an IBC with a slight twist. I'm trying to use just one pump. An air pump powering both aeration and airlift pumps into the growbed.

I'm in Manchester UK and planning on keeping trout.

Welcome PRD.

Keep us informed of your progress. You should be able to find some info on this forum about lifting water with air.

From what I've read it seems carp are touch more forgiving as far as water quality and temp? Whats the max temp and duration your trout have had to endure OH? I've spotted your frozen GB photos! I've been monitoring the water temp for the last couple of weeks and we managed to get up to 20c for a couple of days. BUt mostly its been between 13 - 15c. Should I be worried about the upper end as far as the trout are concerned?

Theres a chap up in Clitheroe who has some fingerlings for 80p. He seems to think they'll reach 1/2kg by spring if I get them in by sept. Is this realistic? I've got my IBC up and running with tap water while I collect some rainwater in my other IBC. I'm just tweaking the plumbing and using a 75 lpm air pump to aerate and airlift to the bed. All with 45 watts. The bed flood and drains on a swivel siphon. 12 minutes to fill and 3 to drain. So I'm turning over 250 litres every 15 minutes ish.

My FT is 750 litres and the bed is 250. I'm thinking that 20 fingerlings would be a good number to start with. Hopefully this would help me cycle the system gently, initially.

Has anybody built a diy smoker? oh and why the Salt OH? (sorry for all the questions!!)

If your grow bed is only 250 liters then I would go with only 10 fingerlings for the fist season. BYAP generally recommends 20-25 fingerlings per 500 liter grow bed.

Hi PRD
IMO you have to base your operation on traditional filtering, coming autum your growbed will not preform(?) adequat, untill springtime.
Also you will be dependent on big waterchanges (close to flow-thru) is your water suply of the right quality?(pharameters) until you have a mature biofilter up and runing.
That is if you intend to feed(polute the water) and gain any growth, on the trout, thru the winter.

I think I would follow TCL's advice to reduce the numbers aswell, it will up your odds to pull it off, and give you a learning excperience.

good luck

http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/smokehouse ... sonry-5695
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f34eGi2HQto

Thanks people.

Good point there SolTun. The beds will be in my polytunnel so will be away from the worst of the weather. I may be able to steal a degree or two. I do have space and materials to add another 750 litre of growbed. Will the system cycle again if add the additional GB's at a later date? I'm aware that the 500 litre GB to 20 fingerlings is based on 500gm (?) grown out sizes. So I have a little leeway when I add the new GB's capacity?

My water is caught from the roof of my workshop. Which is a traditional slate roof. I do have the facility to run the water directly into the system and overflow to the rest of the garden. Is this a good thing if the params of the collected water are suitable? I have a 1000 litres already collected in my water change IBC, which is a bit green from the algae on the roof. I have yet to test the collected water.

What are people growing in their beds over winter in the northern hemisphere in general?

Short answer, no. They won't grow well over the winter. In fact the probably won't grow at all.

Um, in answer to the post, the first post gets moderated by the ..um... moderators, then you have free rein If you ask one of them nicely, they might move this thread , or at least rename it as your system thread. flattery and promises of Cidre normally do teh trick for Jaymie, don't know what pushes teh other mods buttons tho

Best To PM her/Them

Oh, and Welcome PRD
Axl

You old smoothie Axl...

Last first
I grow nothing(plants) in the winter(2-3 months) Kristiansand Norway, It's posible but noth worth the cost (my experience). Dec-Feb.
I do store plants in house barn cellar/green house to keep frost free / dark (4-10 deegre C).
I can start seedlings(windows) Jan - Mar in house, move out to greenhouse Feb-Mar and beds Mar-June all deepending on plant needs and weather, I'w lost crops do to to early moving, but when you seed your selfe,you learn to save some inhouse so you can restart if the weather foold you(wich it will).
Some(All actualy) years I buy plants its "easy" to sow but time consuming, and if the local producers get to know you(around here) the cost of plants are almost free.

The fish (trout(brown/rainbow),brook and charr) I'w found to be easyest to keep from aug/sep to may, good growth and low mortality.
But and thats a big but, the growbeds (filter) is no good in this climate (like your almost). Cheaper to run ordinary AQ filtration and thermostat heating in insulated tanks and The filters, thru Nov-Mar (10-40 days/nights avarege pro ano since 1979).

I have well water, and collect rainwater(don't want public (cost)) My water is fine and free so I have the advantedge to use on demand(no cost) that makes a big different compared with many, it's also minimum at 6-8 deegre C year around, so the need for heating(cost) is "low".

I'm 4th generation on my land (40acre) my grategrandpa raised fish, I'm the first generation living in my house and got it "on the grid" (1976) so when I see all the how to get off the grid? "not posible" posts, I wonder how come, we could/managed, before 76?

Salmonids is demanding on water quality, you need tap water IMO (well or public).
Rain water is posible a good suplement, but pharameters and turnover(stagnant no good) is escential. http://www.rainharvesting.co.uk/

I could rant a bit but have to go.
You can do it but have to create the right environement for the fish.

Cheers

ooo look a picture...



Did it work?

Scuse me mods but can you move this thread to Members Systems??

I enclose gifts.

Will pm you our postal address

nice

Well, the system has been going since Aug 2011 and its now middle march 2012. Everythings warming up nicely. Theres been 10 goldies in the tank and they're nice and fat even after the winter. A few tweaks and an additional 1000 litres of GB and we're off to pick up 20 Rainbow trout today.

Pics to follow shortly...