Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

hi all

My fish tank 500-700 litres water. My aim is to run with 500 litres... the other 200 litre for them don’t known’s......risk management.
Worm bio filter sump +-150 litres volume filled with a media that is worm friendly...soft on the worms.
Two grow trays 6500x280x200 deep have a volume of 364 litres each and I will have these two grow trays filled with growing media for the plants.....not sure what I will use.
364+364 =728 litres volume in my grow trays.
This will give me a plant growing space of 1.82 square meters per tray.
1.8+1.8=3.6 square meters grow space.
Then using two more of these grow trays for growing duckweed to supplement my fish food cost.
The two duckweed trays will run shallow.....+- 80 mm deep.
6500x280x80 deep = +-146 litres.
Then I will use the same barrel pump sump I used with my pilot project. +- 180 litres
The total litres water in my system will be
Dam +-500 litres
Worm bio filter +- 75 litres volume
Grow trays +- 364 litres volume
Duck weed sump +- 292 litres
Barrel pump sump +- 180 litres
Total +- 1411 litres
Fish +-500 litres = Filters and grow trays +-911 litres
Grow space = 7.2 square meters

Hi all
Well my foundation has stood from sat until today Monday more than 48 hours and I started building today. When I started marking out I thought to double check my old grow tray width... and....I #@$$##%%-up with my foundation... to narrow.
I had to turn the brick in height and build 20 mm from edge on outside of foundation.
I lay the first row of bricks down the one side today and as I get time I want to complete.
Started today (afternoon) but already impatient and can’t wait to get the system up and running.

My mistake

My grow trays are wider than I thought.

Fish tank 500-700 litres water.
My aim is to run with 500 litres... the other extra 200 litre don’t known......risk management.
Worm bio filter sump +-150 litres volume filled with a media that is worm friendly...soft on the worms.

Two grow trays 6500x350x200 deep and have a volume of 4.55 litres each.
I will have these two grow trays filled with growing media for the plants.....not sure what I will use.

455+455 =901 litres volume in my grow trays.

Then using two more of these grow trays for growing duckweed to supplement my fish food cost.
The two duckweed trays will run shallow.....+- 80 mm deep.

6500x350x80 deep = +-182 litres per tray

This will give me a plant growing space of +-2.27 square meters per tray.
2.275x4 = +-9.1 square meters grow space.
2 trays for plants and the other two trays for duckweed

Then I will use the same barrel pump sump I used with my pilot project. +- 180 litres
The total litres water in my system will be
Dam +-500 litres
Worm bio filter +- 150 litres volume
Grow trays +- 901 litres volume
Duck weed sump +- 364 litres
Barrel pump sump +- 180 litres
Total +- 2095 litres

Fish 500 litres = Filters and grow trays 1595 litres volume – grow media
Grow space = 9.1 square meters

with this system I want to stock 30 kg + Tilapia per 1000 litres water.
30 fish and final weight 0.5 kg per fish
and in my trays I want to grow peppers … tom fruiting plants.
I want to feed near max per day and see what this system can handle.
I want to get figures down on paper...keep good records and push my limits...
This system i want to build and improve untill i have a good backyard system to sell/market.
me thinking

Hi all
This afternoon I finished the building of the rest of the first course.
I have picked up all the levels and squared...that takes time but from here it should go faster.
Basically the two walls parallel to each other
Hopefully by the end of the weekend I can have all my brickwork done.
Can’t wait..............to play with my new toy

I did some more building today....
Looks like another 2-3 hrs then the brickwork complete.
I am thinking of plastering these two walls now because the bricks are build on the narrow side...the plastering will help with the strength of the wall.
I also meant to leave axis holes in the wall to get to the duckweed.....
I will cut them later
Hopefully by the Monday/Tuesday I can start with the assembly of my system…
Eager beaver…..

Done...
I finished building the last few rows today.
for my first building experience it does not look to bad.
the outside of these walls I want to plaster and the inside will bag...rough finish

Between these walls my 2 grow trays top and duckweed trays bottem.

Looks like its coming together quite nicely Francois, great to see you've started up your AP again

I must have missed something. How will the duckweed get enough light? One other thing that you probably have considered is making the hoop cover hinged so that you can access the growbed plants more easily.

Morning scotty435

with my pilot project i grew all my duckweed in no sunlight and min light
my duckweed grew well under these conditions and yes
my hoop covers will open on each side...

Hi abdul
Yes.....can’t wait to get the system cycling

Thanks francois, that's pretty interesting about the duckweed.

Finished of the last....took grass out and levelled
Now to plaster the two outsides of these walls...

Started plastering today...I went to thin on the plaster
Learnt a few things today
Tomorrow should be better
I think I will paint this with white cement....rough finish

There is no doubt about you Francois, when you start something you certainly get on with in and the progress is going very, very well by the look of it!