Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Taz - The long axis of the tank runs N-S, pipes will be running along the E-W wal as I've tried to explain in the photo below. l haven't quite figured out what I'll do with the downpipe thats in the way, but no doubt something will come to me.

The single pipe in the corner is the overflow should too much rain get into the system. Or I do the more popular HSM and leave hose on - that could get disastrous and expensive real fast

Nocky, the FT is outside but 90% of it is surrounded by the house. It is open to the sky above it.

Heading down to BYAP this arvo to get my first 20 bags of Hydroton. Think that's about all I can fit in there - not possible to bring the trailer into work and then nip down there

Are you? Cool..... See ya later this arvo then.

20 bags might test your suspension.. Hang on, 20 bags at 20kg each is 400kg... 400kg is equivalent to 4 "fat bastards", should be easy then.

Damn.... that officially makes me a "fat bastard"....

Join the club..... The theory was based around myself and whether things could support me...

I guess that makes me just "a bastard"

Bloody Hell Can it get any hotter here ??? I've just got my SP delivered by Troutman and it's 40ºC in the shade - in the middle of March. Didn't take too long to get there either as it only plummeted down to about 26ºC last night.

I'm going to lose another 20+ yabbies out of this as it is. Frantically trying to make as much ice as I can to try and avoid losing any of the SP well.

Well the forecast for the next week is cooler than the past two days... get pass today, and the fishes and yabbies should be fine...

I guess your delivery today means you wont have time for the Freo Chilli Festival this weekend, CD. Your system is going to be very impressive when finished. Good work!

Freo Chilli Festival already, shit have to miss out, the bride has whip out (not in a kinky way either)
How did the fish sitting go CD? we have had a couple of hot nights but yabbies appear to be hanging in, SP should handle the temps ok

Well, the fish survived - all 99 SPs and 8 reddies . Lost another dozen yabbies though - know the weekend was technically cooler than Friday but I'm buggered if it felt like it I was sweating like a pig all the time I was outside.

Well the SPs went into a 500L tank on the Friday that Troutman dropped them off (Thanks Gavin) and by Saturday the Ammonia was up to 2ppt - panic - salted to 1ppt and starting working even faster/harder on getting the FT and a couple of GBs up and running. Got them into the FT by Saturday arvo and the ammonia, diluted out, went back down to 0.5ppt. Phew !

Amm: 0.5
NO2: 0.5-1.0
NO3: 5
pH: 7.6

Some photos a bit later this morning.

Nice, so you have the fish tank holding water, and some growbeds running.....?

don't *frack* with it too much Nigel, big mistake, amm and nitrite will go up when you put fish in, mine amm was at 5 when trout went in but was winter, the hot weather will make it more toxic but what I decided to do when everyone else was salting and changing water was to to leave it, if fish looked sick then I would have panicked but in a day everything evened out, sorry Ivan as using you as an example but read the begining of ivansng thread and all sorts of drama's happened with *frack* ing with things, the best thing I feel is to increase your cycles even 24/7 and salt although I never salted either, water changes are a last resort in my opinion as it just upsets the cycle

Nocky - the only water change going on was in my body - Saturday was just one big dribble of sweat and a constant water intake. Had to beers at lunchtime and actually felt pretty crappy so switched straight back to the water (but only until evening ).

The Amm was diluted out as the SPs moved from the 500L tank to the 3000L FT, nothing else. Agree with you about it upsetting the cycle and only being necessary as an emergency action.

EB, yep - two GBs running on constant flow at the moment. Will be coming to see you late this arvo for some more Hydroton.

OK - some piccies. It's all a bit rough 'n' ready at the moment as I was a bit manic about getting the SPs into the FT - not too concerned about aesthetics, though Mrs Chilli has already started the snide comments about how a few of the items currently look.

The top 2 GBs in the third photo are currently circulating constantly to try and get the system cycled as fast as possible. Third GB will come online in the next couple of days and the fourth (can't be seen in photo) is a week or two away.