Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Guys,

About time I started a thread about my system. My journey into Aquaponics started some time ago while working at Rio Tinto, a colleague who knew I was into growing vegies, told me about a system where you could grow vegies AND fish in your backyard. He'd just been helping his friend (who I later discovered to be Duckaponics) to setup his system. This got my interest big time and I just knew I HAD to have one of these setups.

At first I was looking at low cost setups (I dont care what it looks like) but I failed to convince the missus. That was until a trip down the BYAP store, had her convinced in about 5 minutes flat, caveat was it couldn't contain bathtubs. A few grand later and I have a 3kl FT, 1kl ST and 4 x BYAP 500L growbeds delivered.

At this point in time the AP system took a backseat as I tried to find a more economical way to support the growbeds, worked out the plumbing (had my heart set on SLO and only a single pump) and ordered the pump etc. In the end the Father-in-law knocked up some beaut steel stands for me for less than $100 a stand, I settled on a 50mm SLO and purchased a 6000L/hr Jabeo pump.

As it turns out the 50mm SLO could only handle about 2,500L/hr before the FT water level rose to the point it actually became a siphon. No good. For one, I was bleeding off too much water in the ST, a waste; two, I was using too much ST water to fill the FT to a point where I would get good flow in the GB's. I fixed this by increasing the horizontal portion of the SLO (the hole in the side of the tank) to 80mm pipe. This gives me a much greater cross-sectional area and requires less water to get a good flow compared to 50mm.

Now the SLO can take the full 4,000L (measured) coming from the ST.

GB 1 is full of 10-20mm pea gravel.
GB 2 & 3 are 20% pea gravel, 80% expanded clay
GB 4 pea gravel

My theory here is GB 1 & 4 will be used for large plants that require a good footing, corn, tommies etc. The other ones filled with expanded clay will be used to grow root crop vegetables.

I've pretty well missed the barra season, so I don't have any fish and have decided to just run this on humonia / urea until the trout season. I plan on adding yabbies to the ST that i'll get from my uncles dam soon. Inputting alot of ammonia to keep the nitrates sky high, seems to be doing the trick, for a new system the plants are going gang busters. I can't wait for the trout season though

On the to-do list is build a FT cover out of 25mm square galv tubing, bent into a circle covered in welded mesh. I will also be building a cheap deck over the ST and need to sort out a permament power box. Once all of that is done I'll cart in some more gravel and cover the remaining sand.

I think I've rambled enough, I'll post updates as they come.

Oh, and one last thing, thank you to everyone who has contributed to this fine forum.

Cheers,
James

Gah. Damn edit limit. I'll try again

Looks good a couple of points water coming back from the sump cut your pipe near the fish tank edge them put the elbow on an angle to give a swirling effect and the overflow pipe extend it to the center of the tank put a tee with an open top and extend the pipe to the bottom with 10 or 12 1/2 in holes right near the bottom and this will get the junk that swerls to the center i will find a photo af the center pipe and post it

Heres 2

Nicely done MrOrange...

Thanks F&F. I know exactly what you mean, you described it well.

I've actually implented both of your ideas already, but were removed temporarily today for modification and I hadn't returned them when I took the photos. I want to reduce the 80mm vertical riser to 50mm to get more solid lifting action. It was originally 50mm (and getting great lift) but as described above I replaced it with 80mm. Now I want to run a combination of 80mm horizontal and 50mm vertical I believe will be a good balance.

That would be ok as long as you use on 80 mm tee as a safety point

Yep - 80mm T into 50mm reducer. Might I add, DWV fittings are much uglier than pressure pipe The 80mm T is quite an eyesore!

I use 90 mm on all my pipe work now

Wise words F&F.

Having seen the difference going from 50mm to 80mm I wish I had of just gone 90mm now.

For anyone doing gravity fed, go the biggest pipe size you possibly can. Also 90mm stormwater pipe is waaay cheaper than large pressure pipe & associated fittings.

Well the system ran great on just humonia over the summer. Was putting in 0.5L/day and had the Nitrate sitting at 40+ (Am 0, Ni 0). Plants were going bezerk. Had trouble with the extreme heat and had to erect some dodgy temporary shade. For next summer I will install proper shade sails along this side of the house.

Sometime in the early months of this year I added yabbies to the sump from my uncle's dam. All are going well, only 1 death from the 20 I started with some months ago.

The summer plants were ripped out maybe 6 weeks ago and I removed the tarps covering the tank and it resulted i a HUGE algae bloom. Pumped all the water out and started again as I was getting close to wanting trout. Built a PVC tank cover that's 2 D's that pivot in the centre of the tank. Covered with 2 layers of 70% shade it works really well.

Gav delivered me 120 trout last friday and I took 4kg 3mm pellets. So far they are doing really well. I am testing water twice a day before feeding (morning and night) before deciding whether to feed or not. Keeping on top of the levels. Fluctuating between 0 and 0.25 for Am and Ni so I'm happy with that. Just some days the trout get 1 feed instead of two Soon they will enjoy a steady feeding pattern, the system is already mostly cycled this is just a small mini cycle as it re-adjusts to the bioload (alot slower in winter than this process would be in summer).

So far no deaths and I plan I hope to keep it that way. Have a large air pump (AC0-004) ready for when the water warms a little. For now I have 7 places where water is splashing and exchanging oxygen throughout the system for 30mins every hour so I'm not worried.

Will try to get some pics of the fish, hard when it's dark in the mornings and when I get home Looking forward to checking them out on Sat.

Cheers.
James

Oh yeah, this is the first time I've had fish in my system and I must say these trout are awesome! Great fun to feed

Thanks to Gav for the delivery. Rocked up when he said he would, fish are in great condition and advice is spot on. Thanks!

Nice approach to your feeding Mr. Orange... test, feed... or skip/reduce feeding accordingly... well done... and thought through...

Thanks! Testing like this means there's no surprises, if it's higher than the test before it, don't feed, if it's lower, feed. It's a super simple approach. When it gets to the stage I'm feeding the full allotment of feed each day and the Am & Ni levels are 0 for a few days in a row I will stop testing like this. Maybe every week.

I always cringe a bit when reading people's first foray into fish keeping is an AP setup and 100+ fish. Talk about jumping in the deep end!

Me too....