Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well, its been a long time coming - but finally here.

I'm think im going to go IBC's for my first go - make sure I can do it before lashing out on some of the more advanced components out there. Mind you, everything else I do turns into something more before I know it.

I live on quite a small block and space is at a premium, so my plans are probably best described by photo's...your guidance of course greatly appreciated...planning a CHIFT PIST style...

The backyard...


Location for GB and sumps...


Looking the other way...


I will put the FT alongside the house - in the shade/sheltered...

The plan is for 2 to 4 IBC style GBs in front of the chicken coop...with a sump underneath...

Alongside the house, the FT would be a 1000ltr IBC...with room to fit a second one if (when) I get addicted.

The drop is about 40cm across the 8 mtrs from FT to GB's, so will have to allow for that when acquiring the pump.

So that's the basic plan - will this work?

I would make things simple and just have the FT buried in the ground and then have the grow beds over it.

I agree. Just stick your FT near you GBs and put some shade cloth over it. It will make maintaining your system easier as its all together. However, I would have a sump under your GBs with the FT beside the GBs gravity feeding them.

On the home page you can find the ebook IBC's of Aquaponics for free. Download that and read it for much info and help on AP. There are many other systems to look at in there also.

Welcome

Thanks for the tip on the manual - i downloaded it - started reading - then got excited - then asked the missus if we could go for a drive...

6 hours later...




I think I might struggle to fit them all in my backyard

What's worse - I can go back in 3 weeks and get another dozen if I want them?

So now to actually do some reading, and come up with a design to maximise the use of space...

How would you use 9 IBC's in my backyard???

You're obviously not married fnbroken, my wife would kill me if I trashed her garden.

I think we're all going to have to stop posting photos of our aquaponics loads... before the RTA puts out an alert...

Good looking place you have there.



And you sort of forgot that you had the trailer attached when you went for a "casual" drive? LOL

Nice score. Real nice.
Jealous. Real jealous.

OBO's thread may give you an idea or two of what you could do with all those IBC tanks.

I agree there.. That load is Huge.. Mind you it is on a Car Carrier..

Show me a Similar load on a 5x7...

Juergen

haha...thanks Bushy...I am married, but the 'outside' is mine...the boss gets the 'inside'

I sold it by saying the first batch of fish will be barra - which I think I will struggle to do in Canberra...the fingerling order might get mixed up for trout!

The only condition (so far) is - that all GB/FT/ST etc must be hidden behind the hedge (which is yet to grow) or up the side of the house (where I thought I could put the FT so I didnt have to dig holes). So I have about 60cm height (above GL) to work with.

For anyone contemplating a similar afternoon outing, it's not the weight of the IBC's that kills you, it's the wind drag at 100km/hour on the freeway that makes the drive tough - the old coon didn't like it much at all.

So I measured out the space required for 4 growbeds this afternoon (@ 1m x 1.2m ea)...



Really working on the design and i've done a lot of reading, and acknowledge points on having the FT next to the rest for maintenance etc....however, the yard isn't that big and i'm always outside twice a day feeding the chooks mash in the morning, locking the rooster away at night etc etc so a dozen steps doesn't bother me too much

What you don't see is the 30 sqm soil garden that I maintain as well. I'm hoping with these GBs is that I can reduce the size of this garden and turn it into a couple chicken tractors for raising chicks to sell/eat. That garden is shaded heavily in winter so not a good place to grow things.

So, the cons I see are cost of additional plumbing, extra exercise daily, and a slightly over-sized sump pump.

Pro's - more GBs in the sun, FT sheltered (sun and frosts) in Canberra's varied climate.

I'm also thinking two STs, joined underneath the GBs, holding 3-400 ltrs each, would be sufficient (2 instead of one - then I don't have to dig holes so deep - remember my 60cm height limit).

I cant remember the thread I borrow this image from (thanks!) but it's the design I have in my head...

Gday Fnbroken. where abouts are you in Canberra. I have a small system (1500 FT and 1 growbed) with about 20 trout left (some succesfully grown out, some successfully jumped out and some a plain mystery to me).

I can give you some Hydroton with some established bacteria on it if you need to get some started.

Like many others, I am now roaming around my small townhouse block wondering how I can utilise more space for AP and come to the conclusion, I need to buy a bigger house to fit in my new AP system (not really, actually thinking of running gutters along fences and side of house)

Good luck mate

Thanks for the offer bjs - might just take you up on that!

I've been studying The IBC manual - specifically Arkantex system and given my (over)supply of IBC's this may be an easier way for me to go. The missus asked me as I was drawing up my design... "that looks a little over-complicated doesn't it?"...grrr

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... ilit=ibc+s

Question is, with a mini-sump under each GB, is there really any need to have the additional one buried at the end?

Cheers

Greg