Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Starting a system again after a hiatus, i have a new home which has limited yard but a north facing balcony.

I felt the IBC system had a few drawbacks that i wanted to eliminate ie, too tall, overflowing issues and access to the middle of the growbed etc.

So, the plan is: CHIFT PIGBANS CF Constant height in fish tank, pump in grow bed and no sump, constant flood.


The fish tank: This is a pond i have had for a while and a small hydro setup in the middle which i have converted to AP.


Growbed:
2 pine sleepers 200mm x 50mm x3m
MDF on the bottom
Pond Liner
Expanded clay 250 litres or so

10 Yabbies to start with and more to do...

After setting this up on the weekend, i discovered leaks in the pond liner so, i have removed all the gravel and begun glueing the liner inside the frame.. maybe i will just throw in another length of liner but at $40 per metre, i will test it again.


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interesting setup you have.

So... tonight i found 3 yabbies wandering around under my bbq and another has been eaten.
They are not expensive, I have had yabbies before, i know what happens but i have only had these for 2 days... Cant they just be civilized?
Anyway, i came up with an idea...
What if i build NFT style piping up and around the balcony, run it at constant flood to say 50mm deep, then seperate the yabbies and put them each in their own section of the NFT... ..

Has anyone done this before?

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I am just about to to a large crayfish grow so i'm interested on how this will work out.

Also what type of fish are in the pond?

Your yabbies seem to be a funny shape lol.

I have thought about trying to seperate my 5000 litre tank horizontal with stainless mesh an keep marron on bottom an fish on the top but it was to much effort

No fish in the pond yet. Just yabbies. I ran this system a few years ago with 1 medium sized goldfish in the tank and it powered all the herbs in the top.

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Sourced some down pipe and fittings this afternoon, have started to timker with the 'NFT' side of things while the glue dries on the GB
These channels can sit on the ledge that runs around the balcony.
$68 in parts.... not cheap but i have a few leftover bits...
Still need net pots and some gutter guard for the yabby 'hotels'

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No more leaks in the pond liner! Now waiting on delivery of net pots for the NFC.

I am thinking of getting guppies for the fish tank.


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..
I have those same stackable planters and have been generally disappointed ..
I have found that they tend to be productive on one side.. simply becase the insolation is directed..

I have threaded a stainless cable threaded through and plan to do just like you, but suspend the lot from a motor powered from pv panels.. the lot will slowely turn and expose all plants to the sun.. you could try adding mirrors in the corner to reflect even more light to the plants..

Yabbies .. they don't like being confined .. they WILL try to go walkies... :-) I find them disappointing, because you really can't grow a good meal with them, but they will eat the fill of their neighbors.
..
.

Today i added 1 small section of NFT, 750mm long with 5 net pots. Gutter guard is in place. NFT runs about 50mm deep. Kinda more DWC than NFT..
Each 150mm wide section has it's own gutter guard net inside for a single yabby.

This gives the yabby 150mm x 100mm x 50mm cage to live in.
This is as humane a system i can see working for yabbies so far. The alternative is them eating each other or getting hit with the mower.
I have added just 1 female at this stage. Seems to be eating and comfortable.
Maybe they will eat all the roots to the plants.. maybe it will get too hot for them..

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Almost completed the setup. 5 yabbies in the top so far.
Fish coming tomorrow.

Tonight - Disaster. I lifted one of the net pots up and discovered one of the yabbies had died. This means the system does not work and all my work has gone to waste.



But then.... i had a closer look and realised there was movement in the chamber. Another yabby..... well the same one. This is great!
This yabby managed to go through ecdysis without being attacked by another yabby. Also, there was sufficient room for it to shake off its tail which i had observed as a possible problem.

19 yabbies
6 Goldfish
75 Plants

Time for the next expansion.


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Hiya krozbolt, nice and neat system you've made there, well done.
Do you think that on one of our hot days the water will stay cool enough for the yabbies in the tubes?