Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

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Hello All,
I have been looking at AP for a few 'weeks' - eek a newbie!!

My first AP system will be to make food to eat (yumyum) and understand the food system.

I have a $99 greenhouse new from Ebay (3.5x2x2m deal) and an old spa bath with existing and unknown holes already in it as a starting point for me. Sounds like 500L of fish friendly swirl action that I may want to jump in myself one day - no doubt :-)

I think I will start by putting the greenhouse together and put seedlings in the pots there on the weekend.

I intend to scratch my head looking at the spa bath and a fibreglass repair kit and see what happens for ideas.

More likely I will do nothing for the whole weekend except drink beer... I mean read the forum and a library book - not found yet - and continue to scratch my head at the empty greenhouse.

More later... thanks for sharing!!

Thanks
Shaun
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Shaun, Creative one (C1) may be able to give you some do's and don't of fiberglass repair

heyya shaun,

if the ebay hothouse is the same as my old one you might want to look at replacing the frame if its the one with the white powdercoated 15mm(approx) tube frame?

If you dont want to replace the frame you might want to set it up in your garage(if you have one) to stop the wind from blowing it over lol.

other than that good luck and pls take lots of pics for us

to true steve...

...anytime..
C1

Hi Shaun and welcome to the forum, we love to help newbies so throw up some pics (not a pile of the empties tho )

Gossie - is that short for Gosford

Thanks all.
Great to get feedback.

I saw some info on fibreglass and have looked at some other materials now. C1 I may get back to you though as its so easy to use with pipes but not so good with polyethylene which is what I may way to bond to as well.

The ebay greehouse was the 3.5x2x2m and yes the frame isnt totally solid but I am happy with it for the price now that lots of bessa blocks are holding it down.

I bought a new 3000L rain water tank for $600 which I will cut the top off and put the the newly ordered 200xsilver and 100xgolden perch fingerlings, some yabbies and some mussels to help clean the tank.

www.basixplastix.com.au - ask for seconds or re-grind to get cheap prices on large tanks

I will put 200xshrimp to feed the golden perch and left over mussels and yabbies in some temporary location. Cement wash tubs will do till I figure out the spa tub.

I got a bit excited and also bought some more ebay items
Fish Breeding/Hospital - $0.99
Heated grow beds - $199 (I dunno why as they are small - darn)

JIFFY COIR PELLETS - $15.99/100

With the grow pellets (bad name IMO), they are made of a coconut husk and they expand in water to add seeds. I figure that these will work in hydroponics and be non-toxic to the fish. Let me know if you like to share any comments on use of these in your system?

I want to use the heavier biomatter for breeding bugs to feed the fish.

Yup EllKayBee Gossie=Gosford.

Great stuff.


Thanks.
Rgs. Shaun

In regards to the coir thingys, isn't it important to make sure that they are non pre-fertilized ones as the fertilizer in them can be harmful to fish?? I'm sure that had been mentioned somewhere here yonks ago.
Good luck with the system ssx11
Axl

Shaun, are you using the Jiffy Pots (first pic) or the Jiffy Pellets (second pic) ???

Shaun, just reread your whole thread ..... you say



Do I read it correctly.... that you have in fact already ordered 300 fingerlings???

I'm concerned that you'd have difficulty managing that kind of stocking level even in a fully established, matured system with 2:1 growbed ratio.

What are you using for growbeds and how much capacity are you planning to have.

Seriously mate.... I think you need to cancel your order for the fish...

Build your system and cycle it....

Work out your growbed capacity and possible expansion capacity....

Then figure out your stocking level and then....

Order your fish.....

Don't mean to rain on your parade Shaun.... but from what I read I just don't think your ready for 300 fish....

I tend to agree Shaun. Would be best to at least get the biofilter established first. Your tank will sustain that number of fish provided you have enough biofilter and means for also extracting the nitrates, but you will be forced to do some serious water changes if you throw them in without first cycling and you will risk killing or permanently damaging the fish.

when are the fish expected? Rupert is right, your system will need at least four weeks to cycle, and to work out any slight bugs.

I know its exciting and we all want to get our systems built yesterday, Patience, it's hard but essential at the start of any great aquaponics system.

Mate - Murray would be really pissed if you took his fish kill record off him. It is held with pride (onya Muzz)

yep, records were made to be broke, and that is one sure way of doing it. Sorry Shaun, cancel the order while you can, unless you have some established biofiltration we don't know about, you will kill those fish in no time flat.

Get back to us on whether you can cancel the oder and we'll try to help you with a keep them alive plan.

This does not mean dont try to cancel! I agree, you're in for a rough ride, when i first got going i had around 50 - 60 SP fingerlings in 1000L uncycled that would equate to say 150 to 180 in your 3000L.............it was not pretty.

yep, if ya can't cancel, we are here, don't let it all go pear shaped then ask for help, let us try and get ya thru it from before the fish arrive.