Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Aquaculture has always been an interest and an intention for me, and until I saw a photo of Joel's corrugated iron system, thats about as far as I got. I have a decent feed of Yabbies off our 100 acre farm from time to time though! Joel's Backyard Aquaponics book was an excellent start, followed by a visit to his shop in Jandakot. Not long after, another trip and a few grand lighter!!

A couple of months ago, by chance I purchased 3 almost new plastic tunnel house covers for a price I couldn't refuse. They each measure 13m x 7m, giving me an 8m x 7m ground area.

Anyway, here are some photos. I'm on holiday so fingers crossed for some action.

Yeah I think that every holiday too never happens.Great looking site you have there wish I had that sort of room to play with.Will look forward watching this one develop.
Welcome to the madness

Glad you got back safely,hope you are all having fun. Merry Xmas to you both.
Looks like the farm will be a hive of activity.

Hi Rick, Would love to visit next time I'm across that way.

Alright Rick... rip in there... that's a few growbeds..

Good, stable growbed stand idea as well..... welcome

Progress today with the aid of the trusty post hole digger. If I had planned exactly where to bore the holes, I could have squeezed in a couple more and made the job twice as easy! Ah well, hindsight is foresight for the next time.

My hoops for the tunnel house are too flimsy. They will definitly require a collar tie to stiffen them up. Maybe this will give me something to hang my strawberry horizontal grow tubes from.

Burying the sump?

Nice toy(s)

I like the roller. Got a closer pic of it.
Your not going to hit your head on the roof. Can't believe I didn't think of using tyres.

Very neat. You have some serious vertical space to use there. You'll have a good gravity flow to the growbeds and I assume the sump will be buried?

Well done.

Howdy neighbor, looks like more work than you first thought rick, but looking good so far, I will be going to boyup brook in a month or so mate from Highbury knows of a redfin spot full of fingerlings and also freshwater shrimp so gimme a call if you want some, don't know when your ready for fish, mine probably March, the shrimp will be great for food, they are meant to breed faster than blow flies

Yep, the sump is buried and holds 1000L, more than necessary but it was an old fibreglass tank that I cut in half and, re fibreglassed a new lip on the top.
I should have all the GB beds in by tonight and the main tank full. Maybe photos posted tonight.

Then, maybe not. The setup on the truck tyres filled with sand has not been good enough for me. They would do the job but would need extra trimmers or wedges under the edges of them, and then if they got bumped, will that stress the plumbing. The grow beds sag at the edges, despite that 70 - 80% of the GB sits directly on the tyre or sand. A bit like a bum on a bicycle seat!! Anyway, more money spent and I have made up some galvanised GB stands. Now a tractor and chain should move the tryes, but then I am the happy owner of 24 worn out truck tyres.

My new 3000L tank leaks at the 1800L level. It is easy enough to fix with slaz', but annoying being new.

Fill the tyres with soil and grow stuff in them, make a wind break for the BBQ area. Heat gun for the tank and a g clamp to help it seal.

Looking forward to seeing more pics of this system come together - looks the goods!

What sort of fish are you planning to stock?