Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Since embarking on my aquaponics adventure earlier this year I have wanted to build a bigger and better system than the basic one i originally constructed. Building my system taught me the fundamentals, then designing and building my parent's taught me even more. Now it is time to go bigger in my Mk2 system.

I have totally dismantled my system and now have a blank canvas!!

Inside the shed will have the main Fish and Sump Tanks. Outside will have four growbeds.
The FT will feed the GBs via a SLO that will in turn siphon to the ST back inside the shed and will be pumped back up the to FT. I'll be using the ST as a floating raft as well but thats not essential.

I'm hoping to add a vertical garden of either towers or snaking 90mm stormwater pipe down the outside of the shed. BUT i'm still n the throws of designing this part. I might pump up to the top of the roof and feed both the vertical garden and also a solar heating (crude swimming pool version) but the solar heating only during daylight hours.

So... this is IceMan's AP Mk2

Here is the blank canvas... all stripped out and ready to go!!



The FT will be in the corner where the old one was but it will be a full IBC with window (i can't help myself) but raised approx 600mm to help with the SLO and flow rates to the GBs. The ST will be next to the rack (left side of pic) along the wall just before the hot water system overflow pipe.



Here are the new additions,



the IBC on its side is the old FT that will be cut down a little and will become the ST. The IBC on the far right is a very very clean food grade IBC, its basically brand new. This will become the new FT and the other IBC will be cut up for GBs. Also there are some left over cut up IBCs at Dad's that i will use for two of the GBs and i still have one base from when i made the original system.

Excited about seeing this progress, Goodluck!

Thanks, all going well IBC destruction will commence this afternoon!!

Good luck, remember to stock up on cutting discs :-)

Don't know why but when cutting up one yesterday I went through two discs on the plastic alone!

got plenty of discs but also have reciprocating saws, circular saw and jigsaw just in case...lol

Sounds excellent, be interesting to follow your progress, cheers

cut up the first GB tonight, had limited time. hopefully will get two more done as the last was cut up when i made my first system. I have worked out GB heights, sump height and FT elevation.

The FT will be raised on Bessa Blocks (i just need to locate some)
The ST will be 700 litres and won't be on a base.

The FT will have some windows... not as big as the one in Dad's system but i just have to do it...lol

I now have three grow beds all cut up, the fourth will be cut up later as its full of stones from the old grow bed.

Hopefully will get the sump cut down and FT windows cut out tomorrow after work.

Looking good Iceman!

Are you going to use the valves for draining the growbeds? Does your fishtank and sump have a valve on it as well?

Looking forward to seeing more progress pics :-)

not using the valves to drain the beds, they will all have auto siphons that will drain back to the sump.

Both the sump and fish tanks have valves and will be used to drain if needed but will be a rare event.

Very clean looking totes.
Its coming together nicely

the middle one had some soap in it... the amount of suds when i blasted it out last night was incredible. will wash it again tonight.

spent the night cutting down the sump tank (was original FT) to just over 600 litres but only plan a maximum of 400-500 litres if all four growbeds drain at the same time and the pump doesn't start which i hope doesn't happen and my backup just in case backup 12V pump also doesn't kick in... lol

also spent a fair bit of time cleaning up all the cut edges with a flap disc and angle grinder... makes buzzing off sharp edges a breeze. And this time i actually sprayed all the cut steel with gal paint

Marked up the windows for the FT, now too find some perspex to fit.

Have you allowed some extra depth in your sump to keep your pump submerged at all times?