Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

More progress pics

Duckponds been welding hard & Ive been working hard

3 steel GB farmes done !
Theyre not quite the right length / width so Im putting old jarrah lengths across the length of the frames to make the GBs fit on top , and the length of the GB to not fall down in the gaps at the ends .
Going to cover the exposed 6cm of jarraheither end of each GB with black plastic , then eventually hardiplex or something to make decks / benches on either side of each bed

The bed on the left of the whole system is in place with the mesh at the back and one side for the chickens that are gonna be there ( thats what the green box is for ) , going to build another coop above the dodgy wobbly looking tank to block off that end , then a door along the whole front .

Still need to chock up the from legs to make the first one level , then I'll cut the other 2 frames to make them fit my dodgy brickwork BEFORE I paint them & attach mesh or whatever

This First Growbed WILL be finished and running by saturday night DAMMIT !!

( despite the sebaceous cyst in my ear , the swollen bruise on my knee , the smashed and possibly broken little toe and the wire-cutter-crushed finger , and the liver damage that came a a result of trying to dull the pain of all that )

the cream shadecloth in the pics will be removed ( and those 2 patio tube supports ) once its all built and then used to wrap around the 2nd & 3rd growbed frames to provide some protection for the tanks / fish ( once the next two are in )

Ok

Im conflicted as to how to proceed now , having a bit of a rethink

Take a look at the attached pick and let me know what you think ( really , Im looking for input from fellow APers on this one ! )

the hole is dug for the existing 2 IBC frames and the 2 that I still need . its 700 deep , Im going to have to cut the already-buried IBCs down to the level of the brickwork ( reducing water volume )
OR build frames up to surround the exposed parts with treated pine ( outside & below the skin height , sitting across the span and above the sand ) then cover it with more Batu decking ( doesnt need treating or weatherproofing , 12m needed at 4 bucks a metre )

To get this system done I ALSO need to buy 2 more 1250L IBCs ( which arent available at the moment ) . The decking around all of em will be fiddly , take a while , be built on top of treated pine and I'll constantly worry about it getting waterlogged or rotten

To complete the chicken coop section I need to slice up an old IBC frame to raise the box end ( under the GB , above the sloppy wobbly looking tank ) off the ground , as Im not sure that white ants wont attack the thick ply sheeting that Im gonna use ...

So , I need some input here - should I just concrete the whole bloody thing ?
It would mean digging out the 2 IBCs , but the sand is already there to use to mix ( plus it'll be a thick mortar mix I guess )

GOing the buried IBC route means :

-The tanks will not sit square , they'll need decking above and around to have clips / brackets behind / inside to hold the tanks in shape

-The chicken house will be raised above the end tank by sitting on a steel frame which gives space underneath for possible mold ,rats , flease whatever

-Ive got all the gear here to finish the first two tanks apart from the decking ( or the cash to buy it )

-4 IBCs will give me a depth of 50cm , 60cm , 70cm , 70cm

-able to be isolated from each other

Going the concrete lining route :
-How thick do I need to make it ?!

-I'll need to build it around , with sand spacing , the concrete block holding the power pole in - that thing moves and it WILL crack the pond

-The front and back walls of the whole old garden bed are only one brick course thick - they'll need reinforcing every 1.3m or so ( if I recall correctly )

- the whole thing if lined with cement or whatever will be alot shallower than the 70cm deep buried IBCs . max 50cm deep - that means a fair bit more evaporation

-------------------------------------------

Apart from that :
One GB is in place !
black plastic wrapped jarrah lines the frame and the GB sits on top of that , plumbing started , chicken house underway

pics later

Don't know about the concrete but if you have the FT out from under the GB's to start with you can still run the system and built the FT. Time to let the concrete age and seal it then transfer the fish and move the plastic FT or make them into GB's or added filtration.

Im not too worried about the time its gonna take for the cement to cure - the rush in this system is to have it built so I can finish off the part of the coop that hangs over it / blocks off that side of the GB frame

Chickens are on their way in a week , but Ive got no fish yet to put in this system so its really just to get the section done under the chicken house

Use pond liner boris. Its too small for a concrete tank.

I am thinking with that shape a liner might
be the best way.

..on second thoughts the power pole might present a problem

2 lined tanks, with a divider on the pole. Good eyes C1

they are big eh!
yeh 2 FTs

talked to my DAd & Uncle . both said don't bother with the concrete - reckon it'll crack

If Im going liner , I may aswell just go the IBC route , which Ive pretty much decided to do after messing with the system today anyway

The chicken house is built , just needs painting , its suspended ofer half of the last tank on a cut IBC cage

The first GB is filled with clay , plumbing done , pump running , plants in and two happy silver perch in the tank underneath

The second GB is in place , frame painted , ready for plumbing & clay

and ....
the camera batteries are flat , again

The main reasons for thinking of using a concrete tanks were to avoid having to raise up the chicken house on a frame ( Ive gone ahead and done it anyway , looks good so far )
AND to avoid having to spend another 360 bucks on 2 1250L IBCs to use for the next two tanks ( other system needs two IBC growbeds cut at 55cm , that would leave me two leftover sections to bury that are about 70cm .

Ive decided to just use 1000L IBCs as
a) Rydline hasnt got any like the great one I bought , and they said they might not have any till next year

b) the two GBs for the other ( black wall pond ) system dont realle need to be 55cm high like the existing one - if theyre shorter then they can have their own dedicated pump & leave that one with its own monster pump

c) burying two more tanks at 70cm deep would be silly - thats almost to the bottom of the brick wall at the front and back of the whole old veggie garden . Burying them at 50cm or so would leave a good amount of wall still buried with soil both sides to make sure the whole thing never collapses in a heap

so , Im gonna have to look for two cheap , clean IBCs with the nice metal frame on them , then start looking for more batu decking

update pics !

the first two tanks are clad in Batu decking thats screwed to treated pine ( which is on the outside above the maximum waterline of the tanks , but below the rim so that water cant possibly get onto the pine then leech back into the tank

just need to build a ramp for the chickens , a gate / front of cage , and fill the second GB and thats 2/3rds of the system done

the whole thing can't be plugged in to the old system until the next two tanks are buried

The two tanks already in give me 550 and 650 litres , so a total of 1200L extra so far

oops, pressed submit by accident

more :

managed to get some leftover pool cover ( its bright blue though .. ) and thats gonne be used as a lid to stop the sun getting on the IBCs till I build a shadecloth front / screen door type thing for the whole front of the tank sections

The green tin box in the 2nd pic was the first attempt at a chicken coop ( leftover pool filter cover ) , despite the fancy ornate gold framed doorway on it , it'll probably be chucked out so theres more room for them to mess around in there , now that the new coop is built - its twice as big & doesnt take up much dirt space as its suspended over the end tank

now to fix the plumbing to the first two beds , rather than that dodgy hose

Oh Boriiisss.. you've gone and spoilt it all by making it all neat and tidy.........

Nice touch mate.... looks good...

You work quick B1!