Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

the 8' pool is one of those kiddie pools with an inflatable ring on top (intex)

the shoulder is still healing, but it's been feeling pretty good, so i got a little busy..
i set up a 55 gallon glass tank and put two crayfish that i caught breeding in the pool in it...
so i noticed the female had her tail tucked under her all the time so i pulled out the male and put him back in the pool.. i was watching the minnows and cray's in the pool when i noticed one acting just like the isolated female with it's tail tucked down under itself, so i pulled it out and it was definitely in berry! it went into the 55 gallon tank.. got a couple pic's;
here's the tank, next to it on the floor is a "yard pond" that is growing duckweed with very little light.. just a shoplight over the 55 gallon tank - shut off for the pic


here's the first female i isolated;


here's the second one i found that is further along in it's pregnancy, i could see the berries when i caught it

the barrels are still powering along, i've had to clean out a couple trial plants that didn't work out - tomatoes took over for a bit, then the cantaloupe took over.. anyways.. got some nice chard we've been eating from, carrots, basil gets used quite a bit.. oregano, and thyme doing well and just had a brocholi start.. anyways, here's few more pic's;

i cut up 3 of my 4 IBC's and have been thinking about the layout.. here's where it's at now;
here's from the west corner;

here's from the east looking to that corner.. 3 growbeds and a sump;

here's the sump, the doorway goes to a room under the porch, my store-room.. the blue barrel is my filter for the pool until the gb's are online

Looks like you have been busy Keith, good progress.

as i think about this more.. i'm thinking that moving a couple yards of gravel into the basement might be a bit difficult.. maybe only 1 tote with media, and dwc for the other 2..
maybe i can find some cheap labor..

Yep gravel is heavy, that's why I avoid using it nowadays.

When I lived up in the north country, we had a similar type of basement, whitewashed walls and all. My job was to fill the basement with cords and cords of wood for our heating system. I'd devise ways to make the job easier... slides made out of plywood or metal. Just put the chunk of wood on and let it slide to where you directed it.

Any way you could do that with your gravel using pipes or a plywood chute? In one of your pics see a window over there...

glass block window that i can't remove.. i can use a slide from the doorway on the other end of the basement, but i have to walk through the basement kinda stooped over or i hit my head every other step..
there's a kid that mows lawns in the neighborhood.. maybe i can hire him to haul it..

progress has been slow, but my rosy red's are spawning in the pool.. i put 4 clay pots in the pool, and i've been observing them in what looked like mating behaviour.. but i kept checking the pots and found nothing.. today i watched a pair for a while and pulled the pot out to check it, and found eggs!
i put the pot back, and both minnows are still using it, so i'll try to get a pic tonight when i move the pot to the glass tank

Good luck with the pictures.

yeah, i couldn't get any pic's when i moved the pot to the tank.. i didn't want to keep it out of the water too long, and the eggs are mighty small..
there are some tiny critters in the glass tank, i think i saw a couple baby crayfish..
still no gravel for the growbeds, but i think i know how i'm plumbing it..

Sleepless nights?

lol.. sleepless and penniless!

Hey, Keith, are those cutdown IBCs up on milk crates? Will that be strong enough to hold them, or is that just temporary?