Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have been contemplating a start at my AP venture for a while and nervous to make that start without some
assurance I am on the right track, so I would like to ask help in my design before I regret making a costly mistake.
As shown in pic.1 there is a footpath leading between the GH and the shed to the clothes line, I wish to be able to still use.
Thus the need to either raise the FT in the shed on pallets and run the FT to GB piping up high or have the piping directed as shown in fig.1 ??

The maximum of local council rules to avoid requiring council approval of any GH structure is 3m (h) and 20m2 (area).
To avoid digging in 3xIBC's as sump, I have decided placing 6 x half IBC's as sumps under GB's.

GH
Paved GH with surrounding 400mm x 200mm Bessa Blocks.
Sproutwell 6mm 'Prestige' 6000 Model Greenhouse 6.25m x 3m supported by bessa blocks with paved floor.
GB
12 x half IBC GB's with blue metal (or Scoria?).
Cut IBC's support upon bessa blocks and timber sleepers.
Deciding between 300mm (h) or 500mm (h) to aid in more surface area of filtration?
Pro's vs Con's?
SUMPS
Cut IBC's joined together with 90mm piping and uni-seals.
Unsure of best height position on the IBC's for 90mm piping between GB's?
2 x 1 pump (pump size ??) / 6 GB's or 1 pump / 12 GB's???
FT
3000LT Fish Tank positioned in shed to aid temperature control, safety and security.
MEDIA
20-25mm Blue Metal or Scoria???
PIPING
90mm (SLO), 50mm (GB distribution)
FISH
Silver Perch - (75-100)
hopefully if temperatures allow without additional heating, Jade Perch in the future

Here are some diagrams I have to say I have copied and pasted

Ambitious but do-able. Some recommendations...

1) You only need one SLO from the FT to feed your GB's.
2) Use the bottom half of your IBC's for your sump tanks. You can tie them together using the drain spout and a manifold.
3) Leave plenty of room for expansion of your GB's. With a 3000lt you'll be able to supply much more grow media with adequate nutrients. I'm thinking... one additional row of GB's.
4) Given the layout of your yard.... move the cloths line and position the GH on the backside of your shed but still oriented in the same direction. It looks like there would be enough room to place the GH between the shed and the fence.

Well.... that's my $.02. Best of luck with your project and welcome to the madness! Aloha!

Hi Dangus,

That's certainly going too be some serious system, I run 2 SLO's and have found no problems whatsoever using the two, what I would suggest with your sumps is to use complete IBC's and dig them in, don't cut them down to save digging. For a system of that size it's worth the time spent digging rather than a compromise.

I cut my sump down to avoid digging and have regretted it ever since and now it's too hard to fix the problem. By using 4 complete IBC's for your sump you would have plenty of volume and have no overflow or dry pump problems.

You might need too consider summer heat problems with your FT in that small shed and sort out some way of keeping the temperature down.

I'm looking forward to watching your build.

which way is north on your plan.

Good call on the greenhouse supported on blocks - they don't make them tall enough IMO for growing plants on the sides.

Nothin wrong with 500 deep growbeds = more filtration if you've got the space - mine were slightly smaller to allow vertical growing room

I've had no issues with half sumps but do as Joe suggests if you can.

Scoria is better for filtration surface area - use flood method to plant or put river pebbles in top 1/3rd

I have a just google mapped my house and used snipping tool and paint to roughly show where the shed and GH should be, I think north is facing up in this google map

Could other members please also advise me on my design thanks.

Joblow has told me that I may have water heat issues with having the 3000ltr FT in the garden shed.
My thoughts were that with such a large body of water, it would be ok even if temps hit 40c+ and I can add
a whirlybird to the roof of the 2.1m(h) x 3.1m(w) x 3.7m(h) shed???

Should I be reconsidering my idea of GB's in the GH and FT in the shed trying to improve a more higher water temperature for winter with hope of later having Jade Perch?

And if so, not bother having the FT in the shed then I want to also ask really should I be thinking of having the GH at all????

Unfortunately I am restricted to what I can do as I don't own this property, so I think I will have to forget about digging a huge hole to accommodate 3 x IBC's sumps.

I'm trying to weigh up the expense of moving the clothesline, paving, foundations, surrounding bessa block border and the GH, versus the simple design of just having the FT outside and the IBC's GB's with ST underneath follow on that in CHIFT PIST design and just raising Silver Perch???

Ok at the risk of being shot down again?

1 if you are sinking your SLO flow pipe you will have to raise your fish tank or lower your grow beds, they wont work at the same height,

2 your piping on the exit silo will need to be lower, and your pipe twice the size off your in feed pipe under pressure, too prevent overflow,

3 your water to the fish tank under pressure should be higher than your out feed if using the SLO, if you are going to use a timer at any stage, you will need a flow back valve or a tee section pipe above water on your in feed, I also added a small piece of pipe to stop any back siphon just below my overflow pipe,

4 you haven’t included an overflow pipe Back to the sump tanks? Reason being if leafs or a dead fish block your SLO. Your pump in the sump will drain out then burn out?

I hope some of this will help?

Good luck with the build, it looks good so far,

No the shed is an excellent idea! I wish I had thought off that? I am using insulation and eventually a lid with a whirlybird, a two litre frozen milk bottle full off water will help cool your system down in the heat, but a shed will help keep your fish warm in winter!

No, it wont.

2l of ice will have an immeasurable (uness you have a very high precision thermometer) effect on 3000l of water.

25 or 30kg might drop you perhaps 1 degree (off the top of my head, without calculating it out, no time ATM)

see here: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=16345&p=412322&hilit=150kg#p412322

Hi
I can also see advantages in having the fishtank in a shed, keeps it out of the sun, stops leaves blowing in and keeps kids and birds away, as long as it is well ventilated for those real hot summer days. I doubt that a greenhouse will raise water temps to the point where you could keep jade perch in Sydney but there maybe other advantages, I'm not sure. I am sure though you would have to keep it open and ventilated in summer, probably throw shade cloth over it. Consider silver perch in summer and trout in winter, trout are a fun fish to keep.

Best of luck with it, its a good size system and will be amazingly productive after the first year.