Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Have come up with a design which might interest others utilising generally wasted plastic crates by adding floatation. I am modifying them to carry growing pots specifically for lebanese cress. It is such a versatile and palatable plant to both fish and the family, I wanted to create floating production hubs that once set can be left (the longer the better). I'll first be trialling on a freshwater soak stocked with young silver perch, marron, glass shrimp, mountain minnows, pygmy perch and lots of native frogs. It should provide excellent shelter and extra breeding zones for the shrimp and native frogs, all hopefully leading to increased food for fish.

Below is the floatation interlocked in the crate matrix:



Here is a picture of the first float test in one of our concrete tanks which was a success. I am surprised at how little floatation is required to keep the crate afloat. They are reasonably heavy.



Will keep posted on progress if it interests anyone. I will definately have one of these on top of my AP system once I have settled on design.

Nice.... Should be a big floating green raft before too long..

That actually has a few other features which really help the plants that you might not have even noticed..

The area between the top and bottom section of the pallet means that the plants will be able to grow without being munched by the fish.. Growing water cress in foam doesn't work so well because the silvers keep all the roots trimmed off.. It's a bit of a shame there not a more solid bottom to it, they can still access a fair area.. Perhaps cable tie some gutter guard plastic mesh over the open sections in the base so plants will have a good area of safe root growing space..

Cool... I like it

Leb Cress transplants are in. Will launch raft in coming week and post pics as the months go by.

The crate will hopefully serve as a substrate (just as tyres have been used for artifical reefs) allowing the cress should consume it. Will be keeping a close eye on whether more floatation will be required as the cress grows. Just going to use empty 2.4L juice containers. You could use soft drink containers but the 2.4L juice containers slot perfectly inside the crate matrix.

It can get pretty hot out here in summer. Does anybody have any experience with how Leb cress performs in full sun in summer in floating pots?

earthbound I like your suggestion re: a protected root zone. I may actually turn the next crate upside down as the topside matrix is the most impermeable to larger fish.

Launched first raft today ...



Going to take a fair few rafts to establish good nitrogen eating capacity and in turn provide a cress feedlot for the silvers. Want to get the system to a point where it is self sustaining and highly productive.



You can get orchid pots from Bunnings and make your own floaters for a fraction of the price of commonly available floater pots.

very interesting! looking forward to seeing the progress

What size pipe are you using for your flotation collar

90mm stormwater pipe. A bit tricky to get the fit right because it is pretty tight. Going to play around with this design to simplify.

Very interesting. Keep us posted on the progress

OK here is the latest setting trying the crate flipped upside down. Will provide more protection for a couple of inches of root zonefrom grazing fish. I have made this a largely English Watercress raft so we will see how productivity goes over first winter and then the hot summer months.





Here is a simplified floatation system. Much easier to get a fit through the crate matrix.

Looks fantastic Santalum!

I can just imagine a whole heap of them floating around.

What was the original use of the grates and what type of business used them. Cheers

Ive seen those on the bottom of IBC's before..

They are just plastic pallets CC.. We get heaps of them here at the shop and most businesses will have them, especially those importing or exporting when wood is not suitable..