Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I finally worked out how to resize my pics and thought It best to get my system info on the forum whilst I have time. this is the first system I set up (system 1) and has been running for about 18 months, it started out with 2 IBC GB's.

Initialy I over stocked it with 100 silver Perch fingerlings (got the 1 fish per 10 litres of water mesage from you know who's DVD )

After killing them off rather smartly last summer and learning from the experience I then added the 2 additional GB's restocked with 10 x 1 year old Silver Perch from my small back yard dam/ pond. Grow beds were filled with vegies within a few months and have produced well, even through the winter months last year we were amazed at the results in comparison to our dirt vegie beds right next to them.

After the silvers were harvested I restocked with 30 large Jade Perch fingerlings from the end of last seasons stock, some of these fish are now nearing plate size already, I think we will be harvesting from about March this year.

heres a few more picks of the original set up

Good to see BF....

About time my friend

Yes young CCBear your absolutely right mate, I did say I would do it weeks ago. Bloody visitors, camping and fishing distracted me again

I'll get a few more picks sorted and get system #2 on next.
See you soon

Thanks EB, I have thoroughly enjoyed the forum and have benifited greatly from advise given by Rupe of aus and others after a recent fungal outbreak in one system .

A few more recent picks including additional 2 x grow beds of system 2

Latest additions to system 2

I am currently trying to get the external claddings and insulation of all grow beds finnished (as scavenged building materials become available) just want to pretty the whole thing up now and make sure all is insulated before winter this year.

Next AP expansion plans are to add 2 more IBC GB's to system, 2 taking total to 5.
also want to add swirl filters to both systems so that solids can be removed and used on wicking bed tubs.

Speaking of Wicking beds we have put several new wicking beds together recently as well as converting previos raised bath tub gardens to wicking beds. I use water taken from the AP systems to top the wicking beds up. It seems to me these are a great addition the overall AP project.

And the chooks shown help to reduce our vegatable waste whilst busilly providing all the eggs we need.

woops added the wrong proof sheet, try this one

I took a few temp measurements today. We are currently experiencing some very hot days. I was curios to see how my systems were coping with the heat.

temps taken


Air temps
Out in full sun 53.4 C
Temp in full shade 38.2 C

system #1
Grow bed temps
At gravel surface (full sun) 45.5 C
30mm below surface 31.1 C
FT 28.6 C
ST 28.2

system #2
GB and FT temps very similar, temp in sump tank slightly higher @ 29 C
Temp of water returning from NFT tube 34.8 C

Both systems were running very similar temps , system 2 was being heated slightly by the return line from the NFT tube. Plants in the NFT tube were suffering from heat and looking very poor so I decided to transplant all to the GB's and turn of the flow to the pipe. This should help to keep overall temps down a little. I'll start the NFT up again at the end of summer.

Most plants are going very well now and begining to recover from the addidtion of salt a couple of months ago. both systems were salted to 6 PPT following a fungle problem and several fish deaths in system 2 and 1 death in system 1. This salting had had an impact on most plants, celery looks to be the worst affected.

Following several 10% water changes salt levels are now at 2 PPT.
All fish are feeding and growing well, they seem to like the hot weather more than we do. Then again I guess if I was in the pool all day I would be feeling a bit more confortable too.

Looking good mate!

The black tubing coiled is for winter, yeah? Been hot enough lately without some additional solar heating

[quote="sickpuppies"]

The black tubing coiled is for winter, yeah?

Hi SP yes the tubing helps keep the temps up through winter. I use a small pond pump on a float in the sump to trickle the water through the coil and then return into the FT.

I did make the mistake of mounting it a little to high though and at close too the maximum head of the small pump. it realy strugles to get started without priming.

Next winter I will use a slightly larger pump on a timer to switch on through the warmest hours of the day then off in the afternoon.

Did you get much rain last night mate, every thing is nice and wet and cool up here. Cheers