Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So after doing some more landscaping, I dabbled in a bit of pleasure and fiddled with the positioning of the components.

I managed to be able to fit the tank and the sump against the fence, without interfering or covering the easement access port! YAY!.

I am yet to cut back both the small gum tree, and the tree above the tank, and would be putting a shade sail over the tank area anyways.

You will see in the middle of the second photo a red laser dot. This indicates the floor level of where I will have my grow beds. I am yet to dig the tanks in a little so the exit points on the grow beds should have at least 500mm fall which is heaps.

I also took a photo looking back up the property where the secondary fish tank will be located under the deck. Again its yet to be dug in a little, but at this stage I am just getting an idea of positioning. I have even considered running the growbeds inline along the right hand fence as seen in the last picture.

I am still unsure of weather to go with IBC's as growbeds, or tilkey tubs. Tilkey tubs will bow and need supports which may be difficult for me to fabricate, where as IBC's are ready to go, but dont quite look as appealing and would need covers made up. IBC's definitely offer more bang for buck as far as volume if concerned.

Wow, thats really cheap and nasty fencing! Is it a new subdidivision?

You could do cascading growbeds along that right hand fence.

Actually the fencing is great quality, however there are about 3 bad rails in the whole lot, and I happened to take a photo of 1 of them!

You should have seen the fencing before the new ones were put in! Now that was cheap and nasty, about 4.5ft hight, and about 25 years old to boot! You could have pushed it over with ease. Quite dangerous really.

Well Im trying to keep the updates coming fast and strong to help with motivation.

This morning I sketched out how much room 5 X Tikley Tubs would take up. They have 500mm gap between them, and about 1M to the fence.

Only the top two would need to be leveled as the rest are pretty much level and ready to go. I have a bunch of old sleepers laying about and making some small stands with concrete blocks might be the way to go. Just put down a few blocks, and lay the sleepers across them. Stands done. Milne suggested I then just get some 4x2 and make a frame to sit around the rim of the tubs to stop them from bowing. No pain no gain hey! Sounds like a bit of work, but could actually bang that all out in less than a day im sure! And this solution would give me more grow space area than IBC's. Whilst I appreciate the purpose of IBC's, I think the tubs might be a better option in the end for my purposes.

I am thinking of ordering 5 Tikley tubs, which will give me 3000L of grow beds which is enough to sustain my wife and I one would think!

Here are some pics for comment.

Just ordered the following from guppies.

200m Soft Silicone Air Line Hose For Air Pumps 4mm 200M2
Electromagnetic Air Pump 150L/min x 12 outputs ACO-012 ACO-12
10 X 50mm Round Air Stone ASC-020

Will also get an inverter once setup and running that runs the above air pump should power fail.

Will be ordering tubs on Monday as Simon is on leave until then.

I know i said bigger is better 150 is an overkill give them a ring and get a smaller one if they wont credit you go for 2 =70 litre ones then you have a spare

Haha....Doh! Just sent them a email asking to swap 150 for 2 X 70. See what they say.

jesus, even 1 x 70lpm is overkill lol.

Also your IBC's are too close together, they will be a major major PITA to deal with plants. You need a full IBC distance between each one.

Hah.

obo, that spacing and pink outline is for the tikley tubs not IBC's.

I think 500mm between each one should be sufficient to potter around in. Anyone care to comment?

500 is a bit tight

Hrmm... Ok, well I will have a look how much more room I can scrounge up.

Got my order corrected to 2 X 70L/Min pumps so will have one running, and the other on a ups ready in case power fails, which it does fairly often in summer at my place, but usually only for an hour or two. Still, better safe than sorry.

Also got the concrete blocks organized for pickup in about two weeks after I get back from Thailand.

All coming together. Now I just need to get these tubs organized, and then its on to plumbing!

Chok dee , Thailand Sanook maak maak.
Best wish's Thailand is very fun:)

Depends on how big your gut is Milne.
500 is the absolute minimum I would go, 600-750 would be better, espectially when plants start growing 'out' a bit.