Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

All of these figures are seemingly hard and fast rules doesn't mean you have to use them with a bit of thought you can build it how you want

one of my systems has 1000 litre fish tank [16 jade perch 8 in long ]400 litre grow beds and 200 litre sump submersible pump pumping 200 litres once every 2 hrs this has been running 2 years no problem
The other system is 2 1000 fish tanks running 60 trout to [well BIG] running my version of chi ft pi-st 2 fish tanks and sump all exactly same height with an external pump 28000 litres hr running 7 min every hr to the growbeds all different hights [some 500 mm high some 2 metres above the pump this has been running over 3 years now with no problem never had a buildup in the tanks just feed the fish and pick veg

Yep, my system at home with a 2000L fish tank and about the same in growbeds, pumps for only about 7-10 minutes every hour, it only pumps about 1/4 - 1/3 of the fish tank out every hour and yet has produced numerous crops of fish up to almost 50kg at a time.

Lately I've downed the stocking levels to only about 20 odd, decent sized silvers because I want it to be very low maintenance, but it's been running for about 8 years now..

So it seems that the amount of flow is proportional to the amount of fish or KG of fish???
I guess if your water tests are good and you have plenty of air then the fish should be happy. Just got to make sure there is enough 'rates' for plant growth.


Nice thread.

regards

Matt

thats right mat, your filtration levels /flow just needs to meet the requirements of your fish

Take a look at aquarium shops, most don't have filtration running all the time, they just have air into the tanks, then they go around with canister filters hooking them into fish tanks now and then.

You don't have a relative working at Granny Smith do you Gnash? Flannel shirt, hairy goatee, everything lol, thought you had sat beside be at the wet mess lol.

Not at Granny's.......although over at sunrise I do, but he's from the "Good side" of the family so I don't speak to him

Not much done this weekend....other jobs to do unfortunatly

But I managed to find a real big pool filter ...last night I split it down and the inside is in real good condition...now the question is....Is it just normal sand, say brickies yellow sand that goes in them or something else...i.e gravel, I've never looked in them before

I need to get this filter going asap, i already have a 13000lph float switch pump to hook to it and most of the pipe just need a few elbows etc.

Dont quote me, but I think the sand is there to filter out large particles as well as a place for beneficial bacteria to grow. Bioballs, gravel or sand (any) should be ok - as long as its not going to affect your pH etc.

Go for
Bioballs I reckon. Gravel or sand would clog up

No it's a sand media. I don't much more about it though.

Arbe, in a pool filter it's not for bacteria to populate as the chlorine in the water would kill them - it is just to trap particles (and then they get backflushed out on occasion).

Sand Gnash, they are to clarify the water only, they will do a bit of nitrification, but it's not what they are best at. You wont get a hell of a lot of water flow through it, unless your using a high head pump.

No worries....I'm having a look today at filter sand from my landlords filter...I'm also grabbing a cartridge filter when I'm in Katanning from a big above ground pool.
I'm not going to get the gb's finished in time so this is my next option.....I could always fill the filter with Bio-balls or cut down the black filters and fit them in...that way I would need less pumping pressure.
All I need is a temp measure to keep the fish alive until I finish the beds etc.....thing is I will be away for a week down south around easter........Mmmm I'm kinda thinking to not worry about fish until summer again

SO...what does 2 hours bashing away with a crow bar get you.....not far I reckon I would of gotten about a wheel barrow load at the most.
I actually had a rush of s&*t to the brain last night and have decided to make the sump from brick with a cement floor and just line it with plastic sheeting as I'm never going to be able to dig deep enough or wide enough to fit an IBC in the hole.

That crowbar has a nice bend in it Gnash, not as bent as mine though, much more useful that way

As for the hole, a Kanga jack with a spade bit might help things along