Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Probably.... as long as the power is on....


24-30....

Lol, fair point Rupert!

Jade Pearch will tolerate between 13c to 32c with best temperature between 22c to 28c. Not much growth at 20c and stop feeding at 16c.

My fingerlings look to be about 50mm long at the moment, will net one or two tomorrow to check. Feeding early morning and sunset, only what I can see them eat. They certainly hit the food and are waiting near the surface to be sure they are first in line.

Been at 29c water temp in the afternoon with thermometer beside tank on outside registering up to 44c.

I have two thermometers hanging in the tank.

Will silvers even grow to size in a tank that small?

I wouldn't want more than a couple of plate sized fish in that size....

And water temps and DO could be an issue through summer...

Could just go gold fish till you have a bigger system set up

That's definitely the plan. Keep this one small.

Use this system as a practice run. Learn how it all goes together (the plumbing etc), and try different things along the way.

As far as the actual production of this system? Might be nice to see some good growth out of my plants, but I am not expecting to reap the benefits I have seen others achieve until I set up my proper system (which will have to be after I move, due to space constraints). I'm not looking to start feeding myself of this system.

As for the fish, well I won't be trying to grow any to eat. I'm not too sure if I will in a bigger system either. I really like the idea of growing (and/or breeding?) ornamental fish. I have only recently discovered AP myself, and no doubt have a whole lot left to learn

I'm enjoying the learning process so far, though

You might be surprised how much plant growth you can acheive.. with very few fish...

That would be cool, and that is what I am hoping to achieve with this system.

My bio film seems to have gone (I still have no fish in the system). The only thing that is slimy any more is the air hose that leads to the air stone. Is this a sign of a destroyed bacteria colony, or simply another expected step in the cycling process?

I can't recall reading anything about disappearing slime

Mr. Sickpup pardon me I like your ideas , I want the same plan with a slight differance..FT overflows to 2 GB's..GB's syphon out to sump.. pump in sump goes 2 places.. to a DW bed that is same height as other GB's...and also back to fish tank What you think? height differance was too much the other way, TB

Here are my graphs for the water tests to date;


Some notes:
29/12 Added 5g chelated iron, and 20ml Seasol
31/12 Added shell grit - 1 cup in a sock suspended under bleed off return into sump
1/1 Dosed hummonia to 1ppm
2/1 Added 50ml Seasol as plants suffering
4/1 Added 5g chelated iron as plants yellowing
5/1 Noticed all my slime is gone
5/1 Removed shell grit sock as PH is rising - it was slimy

Checked my PH this morning and I think it has risen again.

Is it possible to lose your bacterial colony if you don't give them a little ammonia to feed on? I don't have fish yet, and was waiting until my system was 'just right' for them, but have I left it too long?

I haven't added any ammonia in 5 days.

Hi TB, thank you for your kind words and hello

I like the idea but where does the water in the DWC bed go to?

If it is the same height as the other GB, which need to be lower than the FT for the overflow, then it can't overflow back to the FT.

It could overflow back to the sump, though, and the water that was overflowing the FT would keep the whole system running (theoretically )

I had another thought the other day about having;

A full IBC FT that overflows into;
A series of half IBC GB that drain into;
A full IBC sump, that also has bio-balls or something, that pumps to;
A full IBC sump/DWC raft bed that overflows to;
Another full IBC sump/DWC that overflows back to the FT.

I really like the idea of having media GB for solids filtration, and I like the idea of using the sumps for more than one purpose (bio filter, and DWC raft)

Thanks for your thoughts S.P. you are correct I was intending for the DWC to overflow back to the same sump. You have caused me to rethink that...to raise the DWC just enough to flow to FT Much better,thank you..it was said that the cleaner your returning fish water the healthier your fish. I have not yet put together a system, but I do have up a greenhouse 20x24. What a great place this is !! What a blessing the whole concept is!!! thank you everyone for sharing!! I'M GETTIN EXCITED

I think the whole aquaponics idea is very exciting!

I don't see any harm in recirculating the water from the DWC back to the sump (you would get some extra 'cleaning' going on in there), but some of the water being pumped straight back into the FT might not have gone through the DWC first.

I guess it would all average out, and the whole system should benefit from the extra cleaning?

Good luck with your system, and don't forget to start a member's system thread once you do (or even get one started now - there are a lot of people on this forum to help you with the planning).

Thinking it all out heats up my little brain a bit I will pose a couple questions here if I may. I am planning a system to fit my green house. 6 beds I will make from plywood...each bed is 3x7 3rows 2beds in each row...butted together making 3x14'....row1 and row2 are 4beds with media, which get fed 1st by F.T. overflow, theese 4 syphon to a 300gal. sump (f.t.=400gal.) from sump up to 2beds D.W.C. (theese 2beds make the 3rd row) and raised to overflow into f.t. It will be off grid, run by solar, I would need 2 pumps in case one failed. I need to size pumps, but dont know what flow rate the DWC need...also need to figure how much water needs to from F.T. to the first 4 GB's , as all water pumped goes into F.T. causing equill amount to flow out to beds I think I could put a flow controll at sump returning excess water in sump. That if the flow to DWC is the same amount needed by the 1st 4 beds. Am I missing something ? Can this work without having to run some f.t. water back to sump ? AS this water not filtered at all for DWC. THANKS FOR ANY THOUGHTS TB