Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I acquired a tank like that and plan to cut the top off and use it as a biogas digester. I have an old fiberglass tank that will just fit inside and float when gas is present. Got to finish the green house and genny first. The last of the paint goes on the glazed wall today and the windows washed. Tomarrow install vents and operators. Move in Friday??

Im spending alot of time watching my fish eat bugs, so tonight I counted the bugs. In a half hour my fish ate 77 bugs, Im sure I prolly missed some though. The fish look fatter too. Also, they dont eat as many pellets anymore.

Hi M.C.! When I was home on leave back in 1987 from the navy my dad had finished digging his pond. We were walking around the pond (my first time seeing it finished) and he said check this out. He had a radiator fan from a car fastened to a fence post that was sunk in the pond. He hung a cars marker light below the fan (light was about 6" above the water), and had wired them together and had a car battery on the shore. We went back after dark, he hooked up the battery and the water started boiling when the first bug hit the pond. Really neat idea, the bugs go to the light and the fan pushes them into the water (feeds them to the fish)! Also, I have a neighbor that has a bug zapper hung above his pond and it works great too. I hope this gives you some ideas! Ed

"Im spending alot of time watching my fish eat bugs, so tonight I counted the bugs. In a half hour my fish ate 77 bugs, Im sure I prolly missed some though. The fish look fatter too. Also, they dont eat as many pellets anymore."

What kind of fish, MeanC? How big? How many?

Bluegill, 6", 25 or so.

Well, we have moved six drums of waste biodiesel biproduct in to lay in pallets and act as heat sink. They will also serve as grow bed stands. The beds will be about a foot wider so have cut and added some supports.
The bed is 4ft by 12 ft and the side walls are to be 11 inches high to accomadate 10 inches of gravel. When I cut the recycled table tops for the sides I found that they are made of pressboard not plywood. They will serve but will need strengthening. I will have to add 2x4's bolted to the 3/4" plywood base, on edge. that will require 5" carriage bolts and has put the work on hold untill going to town today.
Also slowing me down is the broken toe acquired by setting a drum on it. I still get around but slower. The 3 coates of sealer and 6 coats of paint on the wall board also took longer than expected. My child bride could not find a correct size squeege so the windows still are not washed. I will look today in town. She did find a lemon and lime tree, both about 2 ft high. That is a fluke because it gets far to cold to grow them here. But we cant have our fish for dinner without lemon or lime. Now that we have established the hiegth of the grow bed I will shop for a container to act as sump. The CD with photos are ready to pick up and will post some, ASAP
Tomarrow I will assemble the grow bed and cut the liner. Then move gravel in. Then it is all plumbing.

Sounds like it's time to start a thread of your own Spiritrancho...

Post your progress up... with pictures of course....

rupertofish
I have a thread going under "members systems - midsized system. Just am about to post pics.

.... sorry Spirit.... didn't spot that was yours. Look forward to the pics

just some pics of how its set up now,

the water is pumped from the tank by a timer, to water my raised bed dirt garden, this valve fills it back up,

mint growing in the tubes, i feed the mint to my rabbits,


the biofilter is a IBC filled with empty water bottles,

the timers,

the pipe on the left takes water from the tank,

and waters my dirt garden,

Nice setup there MC, onions just about ready to pop the seeds

Do you have much trouble with algae growth in the big open tank

Never have enough algae, the compost bin sits next to the tank, got a pool net and scoop it in to the bin. The water is a light green most of the time, the string algae comes and goes, but I find it very usefull when its here.

I have this light on a timer that comes on at dusk, and goes off after 4 hours, it gives the fish lots of bugs to eat,

Nice set-up congrats,.....

I'm a little worried by the mint in the tubes,,,I predict blocked pipes ..... might be worth thinking about.

Cheers

Mornin Meanie

Have you a surplus of bugs in the morning floating around? I do and rather than let them accumulate, I scoop them up and feed to the chickens. I use a UV bug light on the pond and the garden in the raised beds nearby have far less bug damage. Also we have fewer bugs getting in to bother us as we sit under a reading lamp. The bugs left floating are usually hard shell bettles that apparently the goldfish do not relish.
I use a small (30"x78") gravel grow bed as biofilter on my pond and have ordered comfrey plants for feeding rabbits and goats, perhaps chickens. How has your water lettuce worked out? I also use pond water to irrigate my raised bed dirt gardens. Everything responds well to it. I use a 6 watt fountain pump to produce a bit of air, with a tee and valves, it will pump the bottom pond water to the garden. When irrigating from the pond I open a fill float. I use a second pump to circulate to the grow bed for flood and drain with a bell syhpon back to pond.
How has your green house worked out. Mine will only get to outside temp. with all vents open.....102F highs out will give 80 deg F. water temp. I only have one tank and grow bed operating now. It is stocked with about 20 goldfish and 4 surviving catfish. The produce is going wild from them. Once the second grow bed is finished I will pump out the going fish tank and transfer the cats to the pond. The pond is 500 gallon and hopefully large enough for them to breed.