Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi everyone!
Wow this is exciting!

i guess i will get to know you mob as i spend time here, and anyway who really wants another newbie's slobbery intro right!!

Well, here we are and this is my system as it stands today.
the basics.
4.3m greenhouse, (auto-openers and lourves still to insert)
3.6m staging kit,
52ltr foodgrade tubs and the rest is in the picture!

I would love to hear your critizims or queries,
It will draw and return from the pond underneath, until i can afford a second pump, then i will probably run a sump tank. (my aim is to grow some carnivours(?) plants in the sump)
At this stage, i have just the right side of the green house underconstruction.
The left side will be an eventual mirror image.
I will consider using the rear shelves as seedlings to begin with.
More tubs will be here friday(ish) and i have to say, that its much more productive when drilling holes in your tubs if you own a drill! (of which i do not!) it was a real head scratch moment which earbt me an unsavory comment from the wife!
Well, thanks for your time,

Again, nice to meet you all

Kind Regards
Porter

Sounds like you need to be very nice and perhaps Santa will bring you a drill for Xmas. Everyone needs a drill, girls just need ones that weigh less.
Love the greenhouse, what a great start. I would be a little concerned with clear plastic being outside, it may easily become fragile and algae can grow.
I hope that your stand is strong enough to support the media plus water.
Can't wait to see the continued progess, 1st post and photos, love your style

Looks very good.

I think you will find you will need support around the growbeds to stop them bowing out.

Nice setup and those tubs will last ok if the greenhouse filters out the UV. My wicking tubs have some tubs like those and have been going for 4 years in the greenhouse. I put one outside and it fell to bits in less than a growing season.
Keep the pics coming , we love pics

Hi Porter, Welcome to the forum. Great start on your system.



I was thinking that you might also have troubles because the stand is directly on the ground and could sink in.

+1 on the algae growth Faye

Another consideration is the need for more growing space above the upper growbeds. If your greenhouse is designed to have a base (many are), you can raise the greenhouse so that you have more height for the plants to grow. Usually these greenhouses aren't very heavy - probably would only take a couple people to hoist the greenhouse up onto some sort of sidewall base (I used cedar). Most small greenhouses call for some frame to anchor the structure to the ground so you would kill two birds with one stone. Of course if you do this it means you have to heat the extra space.

I like the gutter drain system but I'm hoping it's not glued because you might need to clean it out.

This should keep you busy (as if putting an AP system together wouldn't do that on it's own, ha!). Cheers

Hi everyone!
thanks so much for your comments!

Ok, answering generically!
The Greenhouse is a 'sproutwell' fitted with UV protected polycarbonate panels.
Regarding the algae (which i had no idea about!!) I am now hoping that will maybe negate that?
I had a little panic and spent this morning placing a more solid base under each footing.
Your right, the GH is on a 150mm galvanised base, and its definately possible to raise it.
Will Cedar rot under the condensation inside?
The guttering system was definately a bonus and a big tick for us, save our own water for the system and stay under the 155 limit!!!

Faye, i read all 85 pages of your set up and i mean WOW!

thanks very much guys, some beginner mistakes negated there, i really appreciate it
I will keep the photos coming as i can

Regards
Porter

Cedar will eventually rot and depending on your location you might have troubles with termites. I should point out that it is rot resistant and I would expect it to last quite a few years (somewhere between 5 and 20 here, but I live in a very damp climate) before you need to replace it. I used Western Red Cedar but most cedars are rot resistant. For the area of direct contact with the ground it's best to use pressure treated lumber. You could use 4 x 4 pressure treated on the bottom with 2 x 12 cedar vertically for extra height (not sure what the equivalent is in your neck of the woods).

You need to keep the air moving even when the greenhouse is closed and this will help reduce the condensation.

There are other options, like a foundation wall of brick or concrete but many have a beam of wood running on top beneath the greenhouse frame.

OK, had a little shopping spree, 3 more growbeds to complete the right bank and the fish tank is now here!! 400ltrs.

Oh! 400ltrs, reminded me of something!
so, correct me if i am wrong.
If the ratio is 1/1, meaning 1 litre of grow bed for every litre of fish tank,
8x50ltr bins equals 400ltrs!!
meaning my system is perfectly balanced!! Ha Ha!
Believe me when i say....FLUKE!

Now, as you can see in the photos, i have the capacity for another 11 grow beds.
So, if the ratio is again 1 fish for every 10ltrs of water, my current 8 bin capacity is 40 fish.
So, when i attach the remainder of the growbeds, am i right in saying that i should then include 4 extra fish PER growbed into the tank and that SHOULD be safe?
In this instance, bringing the total fish from 40 to 95. to me this seems to many???

The fish tank.
It doesnt fit where i thought it would, so on the left bank, i am going to remove the lower rear shelves and slip the tank under against the left wall.
Not what i wanted but hey.

anyway, comments and criticisms very welcome.

Regards
Porter.

oh!and it rained the other day, and rained, and rained!

plumbing works, and the gutters work!
filled this wheelie bin from 1/4 full in just a few hours!
it just poured in!
and then poured out the back just as quick!!

Guess how i am filling my fish tank!!

Porter

Hi Porter
That's a very nice looking system.



Yes you are correct,



1 fish per 10 litres is a little bit too ambitious for your system.
generally the ratio is 30 fish/1000 litre which in your case would be 12 fish in your
400 litre system.
There are other ways of doing things but for the first year I would suggest taking it easy.




My fishtank is in my greenhouse as well, but when I reorganise it will be put outside.
Hence freeing up more valuable greenhouse space and hopefully it won't get as hot.

Also, I would consider putting down two or three layers of weed mat on the floor
of your greenhouse.

cheers Lou

Hey Lou, nice to meet you.
Thanks for you advice.



yep ok, point taken, no problems with that!

Weedmat, hey, does weedmat drain water thru it or is it a run off thing??

Yeah at the moment i only lose two GB's so at the beginning, i can live with that.
But your right, come time to expand its getting the boot to the rear of the GH.

Thanks Lou

Porter

I think the ratios are a bit misleading. We've heard things like 2:1 growbed to fishtank, we've heard 1 fish per 10litres, we've heard 30 fish for 1000 litres, we've heard 30kgs per 1000litres...etc etc

Basically, BYAP sells 500litre growbeds which have a surface area of 2 square metres. They advise 20 to 25 fish per growbed.

You should stock to your filtration capacity, not fish tank capacity.

Interesting that you seem to have a mermaid in your tank, I guess they are good for providing aeration as they are know to splash around a lot. Keeping them contained in the tank is a little more difficult as they are a bit like eels or marron and seem to want to get out and escape, ususally after the teenage years, which is a challenge in itself. The one you have there, has that look of I am a good helper and may want to hang around a bit longer, good luck anyway they are know to keep the owners on their toes. They prefer to consume the plant growth rather than to contribute to it, must be silly Friday afternoon.

Yes, she of the breed terrasauros Mermadius! the middle sized of three!!
but wouldnt change it for the world! well except for the mess, ... and the laundry .... and the noise....



wow ok, learning at a steep curve here.
Thanks vlt, appreciate it.

You will definitely be having algae issues. You really should block as much light as you can with those clear containers. Also I don't know if they have it in Australia but I have found a cheap alternative tho weed mat is road fabric. Its used in road construction so maybe some local construction types could help with that.

Love your greenhouse. Is that double wall polycarbonate panels you got going there?