Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

These photos show the overall mess. At the end of the pond I have the start of a cement porch which I can set equipment on or use part of it as a floor for a utility shed. If I decided on outside pumps I can build a small house/cover for them here.

Now to find the photo that did not upload. I tried to send four at a time. A no-no, live and learn. Ahh, I found it. This photo shows where I will use two 3 inch pipes to move all of the water from the back beds directly to the overflow/waterfall area. Notice the nice openings for my pipe - plenty of room to work and adjust the pipe. LOL

I almost got to say three days in a row with no dead fish and then late today I found a little one. So far I have lost 273 fish. Of those only 16 where from the first stocking 22 Nov 11, so I should have 64 left and from the stocking on 12-7-12 I should have 63 left. My wife and I both think it looks like 200 fish plus left at feeding time. Also some of those that I find floating now are as small as the last ones I stocked with on 7 December. Is it possible that they have had babies already? I seem to have three different sizes of fish in addition to the skidder fish and the little, fat boys, is what I call them. The small ones, like the one I got today are Top Teem Tilapia for sure. We are building a small five foot diameter round pond for the expendables and smallest of the Tilapia. If they are new babies they can grow up some in the small pond and then transfer to the large pond. Besides my wife don't like the idea of my two future catfish (population controls) eating her little babies. It would just make those catfish taste better down the road. LOL. But, she don't want to hear it.

This looks fantastic Johnra. I am looking forward, as I am sure you are, to seeing the end result.

Well done so far mate.

Might want to go easy on your feeding with that many fish Johnra, especially if you are losing some.

Hi Jonh,
Would you try this pump. Atman HA 20, I think this will fit your pond size.
http://www.smilepetshop.com/product-th- ... HA+20.html

Hi AO+,

Thanks for the link. Do you use a pump like this or know someone who does? My long haired interpreter is watching TV so I don't have an interpreter at the moment and I don't read much Thai. Can it be purchased locally or do I have to order it?

Got some of the drains installed today. Looking over the plan I noticed a problem. I have five rear GB's being drained by 2 three inch pipes and six GB's in the front being drained by ONLY ONE 3 inch drain pipe. I added a second one today so now the water running to the waterfall comes from 4 three inch pipes. The only overflow I want is from the waterfall. No overflowing GB's.

Duinui - what type of drain guard do you recommend to cover the drains in the lower sides of the tanks? Something down there to just keep out the gravel or a pipe running from top to bottom? I can't get my hand in a three inch pipe to clean it out maybe a four inch or larger. Please give me a detailed answer as I am lost again.

In my gravel bog-gardens the incoming water runs into a 2.5 inch pipe that runs the length of the bed under the gravel. 3/8 inch holes were drilled at a 45 degree angle to the bottom. About once a month I back flush them with a water hose. You should see the baby poop that comes out, but this method does clean the pipe nicely. I was wondering if we could try this idea in AP. I also wonder why, if worms work so well, why do we need to worry about standpipes or drains getting clogged up, other than growing live roots. How about one of your famous 101 courses for dummies on this subject. Thanks man,

Johnra

I never use the pump.
but somebody used and recommended.
The spec. is 50watt but user measure 135VA(about 100watt I guess)
But efficiency still far higher from other pump I known.

Hi Ao

Thanks for the link on pumps. We might get one of those.

Gravel - construction gravel like you use - how much should you rinse it before putting it into GB's if you already have fish in the pond? If it is not rinsed will it hurt the fish?

Johnra

I put gravel before put fish. I didn't wash the gravel, I belief the dirt will benefit the plant.
If you worry about suspension solid hurt your fish you should wash gravel, just jet water flow through the gravel pile is enough, i think.

The more heavy task is sorting the gravel. Will you sort them ?

Thanks AO+. I have no plan to sort unless I have to. Sounds like too much work for me.

Today my fish went crazy. All along they have existed with some small expendables we had in the pond to test the water before we added the Tilapia, over two months now. I have found some small Tilapia dead before with what I suspected where bite marks but was not sure. Then today the Tilapia killed nine of the small fish by biting and bumping them with their heads, but not eating them. They swam in schools and charged the small fish bouncing them around and kept it up until the fish was dead. They had five or six fights like this going at one time. After I dipped out the dead ones the Tilapia just kept swimming fast in school formation back and forth in the pond like they where making sure that there was no more small ones. Before they use to swim together and eat together and there was no problem that I knew of. I have been feeding floating catfish pellets since the beginning to all of the fish. What makes fish act crazy like that? Is it normal?

A little update. Only a little work so far. The holes made using the hammer/hatchet patched up well. You can see the 3/4 inch drain pipe hole in the side wall by the cat's head and in another photo you see the 3/4 inch pipe with elbow for the standpipes. The cat is my favorite catfish. I also have a new photo of the front where the 3 inch pipes will empty into the waterfall area. I have the holes open now for 4 pipes and will soon pour the cement base for the waterfall. Then I need to make a design for one - I'm still working on ideas for the waterfall. I need ideas - hint - hint.

Complete guess here.
Some of the females may be pregnant.
I've not seen that behaviour in Tilapia, but in Aquarium fish with a very pregnant female and lots of babies from another fish.
She spent all day chasing the other babies, highly aggressive, then gave birth shortly after that and the behaviour ceased.