Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yeah - I've just bought 100m of 2 inch rural pipe, 20 star pickets and a big roll of shadecloth (greeenhouse can wait till autumn!).

Only problem is the gas comes into the property somewhere, so until I can find out where, I either have to dig each star picket in OR dig the line of the gas pipe to work out where its safe to drive star pickets OR find someone to borrow a metal detector from! (I guess they pick up copper?)

I've since discovered that the bed that had the curly tom leaves had a dicky timer, so it may have been due to water stress as the timer would get stuck in the off position for a while then kick back in. Otherwise the toms are looking thick stemmed and meaty/bushy just need some fruit now

re: caterpillas - when they get really bad the only option IMO is to crack out the dipel - I try not to use it so that the beneficials get going, though sometimes its do that or loose the crop.

Dial Before You Dig???

yeah - rang them, got the diagram - shows gas line on the street and my meter box, and nothing imbetween. talk about t**s on a bull!

I don't know how it works in AU but in the US the dial before you dig guys come out, locate, and mark all lines, electrical, gas, sewer etc. You may want to call them back and see if the marking service is something they offer.

Not AP, though added a wicking papaya pot to the greenhouse system on the weekend as when I bought one for the back system it came with two in the same pot.



I used poly fittings to add the drain - I can swivel the drain height to set the level internally or drain entirely, or stick an air tube in if it gets stinky


Used sand/zeolite in the base (also from old pool filters) - gave it a good rinse first. (toe for scale!)



Added some good quality potting mix and flooded the bed entirely to saturate - was amazing how dry the soil was even after bringing the water all the way up to the top - takes a while to wet.

finished wicking papaya/pawpaw pot with mulch added:

Looking through you photos you have the old beds the current beds beige beds and green beds and almost at least one of everything else. So not fair.

Not got a RFF (yet)

Though did install a UPS backup air system yesterday - I feel much safer now

update - shade hoses (and future greenhouse frame) added. No gas pipes hit



getting a fair few cherry toms, though eggplant, caps and okra are all struggling with deficiency which I think is mostly potassium. With high ph I have not been able to add potassium bicarb, so have been adding potassium sulphate. This fixes the issue though I don't know how much is too much, so I generally add 1 tsp per 1000L and wait until the deficiency comes back. Not sure if the new mottling is a sign of mag deficiency due to too much K???

Am starting to yank plants out so that I don't have to supplement so much.

I'm wondering whether the deficiency on the newer okra leave looks more like mag, with K on the older leaves.



I think this looks like K deficiency on the chilli


beginning to worry about the galangal in the system - fibrous roots seem to be spreading thick and wide!

Shade houses look great Matt, well done.

thanks - very happy with how the shade houses came out - only took a morning per shadehouse to put up. just need to get on top of the deficiencies now. and add some extra trellis wire.

well my deficiency issues continue - I've added some potassium sulphate to the system (1tsp) 3 times in 3 months and I am still getting major intervenal chorlosis and marbling on the okra with very little to no fruit production from capsicums, cucumbers, okra and the toms have slowed right down producing any new fruit.

Its pretty frustrating! other than toms and silverbeet I am getting very little production from 8 square meters of growbed Not sure whether to take the 'do nothing, harvest nothing and hopefully wait to see if the system magically corrects itself' apporach or continue trying to supplement to address the obvious deficiencies.

Its either potassium or magnesium in my mind. I've been adding about 1 tbs of seasol to each 1500L system per week though that has not been helping. Beginning to think I'd be better off with wicking beds for fruiting plants and just use the AP for greens (and just catch more fish from the ocean!)

WHat are your fish levels like in the systems Matt? How much feed is going into them?

one system has about 25 mature SP (soon to be harvested though holding off as I don't want to drop food input to system at present) - currently eating about 50-60g per day (3-4 tbs sized scoops), the other has 47 fingerling SP and about 20 smallish SP (about 150mm), probably getting through about the same amount of food per day.

nitrates are high (touching 100ppm at times) ph about 6.9 or 7.0, 0 for ammonia and nitrates. salinity about 3ppt (last time I tested about 2 months ago) water temp in high 20's.

Harvested two perch from the system yesterday one was just under a kg the other 700g. Roasted with chili ginger tom's and chives. Very meaty and nice clean favour. Some parts were quite chewy while others tender. Is that normal?