Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So here we go warts and all. its our first setup and it aint pretty, but once we fully understand the process we will progress further.

full size IBC fish tank (no fish yet) gravity feeds via SLO into 3x300L approx GB's these siphon out to Sump tank under that then pumps @supposedly 1000 L/H if running full speed.

We tried this out yesterday 1st time and SWMBO was champing at the bit to get her plants in...oh well keep her happy.
The rest of it is still a mess, the 2 blue drums will be described further on.

on the first and last pics showing the timber covered IBC we want to hang from the awning rails 5 x 3m 100mm storm water pipe NFT for strawberries.
I wanted to fill this via outlet on GB's gravity pipe and drain into Blue tank with ball *butterflies* valve. This tank would have a pump that pushed upto NFT tubes
If this did work the last NFT would drain into another Blue drum (ST) then pumped back to FT

But problems are

1, Not enough fluid getting into first blue tank
2. Pump in this tank was going to be 2000 L/H that tank would be empty very quickly

Hi Tonzz, good to see the system up and running.

With the gravity feeds, duct tape isn't the best thing to use. It'll weather and fall off, and you'll end up with a gurgling pump (or a dead one). Anything that can leak, will. I'd glue them up with PVC cement when it's in it's proper place.

With the first blue tank, do you mean the olive type drum? I'd just ditch it and put a t on your return pipe, and get that going into the strawberry tower, and drain it back into the sump (or fish tank if it's not too high). More pumps gets more complicated, and you end up with problems.

And with the flow, yep, 2000Lph will drain out a 600L sump quickly enough, but if it's in a loop, it should make it's way back quickly enough. You can always put a full size IBC dug into the ground, because I don't think you'll have much of a chance to top up before it runs dry (only takes 3 beds before the siphon kicks off, and the sump won't have much in it) during our summers.

And the supports under the legs, keep a close eye on them, there is a bit of weight there, the beds might sink.

Colum i hear you and think I have answers

duct tape ... yup only tempoary, once its all working these will be glued or sealed better.

I like the idea of a T on return pipe, I have one T already for IF I need to empty can adapt a hose to that, but another T and ball valve to control flow into tubes. These tubes will need to return to ST otherwise I'll only have 2 tubes for strawbs.

Yeah forget that other blue drum.

Most of the timber is 90x45 and doubled I'll keep an eye out but put it this way I had my Falcon ute on a hoist recently and put these legs under then dropped the ute onto legs suddenly and hard to test them.

As I indicated its all a bit agricultural and heath robinson but if it works then we can progress from there.

We have been fortunate with getting equipment, load of stuff came from Gumtree $150 another load Gumtree Free, all gravel and theres still twice as much free from friends putting their AP system into storage while they rebuild and majority of plumbing bought ( about 50-70% off retail) from local family hardware store being forced to close because of the B warehouse

stuff this is addictive, cant leave it alone

So the last few days have been setting up horizontal NFT tubes.
The plan is

SLO takes out of FT, gravity into GB's Now excess will flow through 25mm pipe under middle FT and into Blue barrel, overflow being stopped by water tank ball *butterflies*. The nutrient rich (hopefully) is then pumped up to NFT and gravity takes it down 4 runs and empties back into ST.

all good

but my problem is excess fluid flowing into ST. I will put a ball valve to stop everything going into ST and not into blue barrel but once blue barrel is full everything will back up.
Or is it a case of slowly adjusting ball valves at end of GB's so that fluid runs into blue barrel and not elsewhere

the pump in ST is 3000L/H flexi pipe coming out heading to right.
pipe I am talking about comes from front left corner of pic (just above ST) and runs across to barrel. there is a T where I could put a ball valve into the ST.

I know we talked about using a T off the return pipe but I thought doing it this way would / should provide more nutrients to strawberries.

Here we go, can't leave it alone.

We now have Strawberry NFT running from own (blue) barrel and pump

We are running excess nutrients from FT/GB's via 25mm pipe back under GB's and passing blue barrel, this has its own pump, throttled back so that only a small amount of nutrient water gets through and doesn't overflow.

Yes, I know the feeling.

Looking good Tonzz.

nice, really moving along too

Test this morning.

temperature bloody cold
PH 8.2
Ammonia .25
Nitrites .0
Nitrates .2

how does that sit.

Looks good to me, plants all growing, looking rich green colour, fish alive, eating (slowly) and playing in bottom of FT

Gawed has it been that long?
anyway still struggling. over 1 week periods we have done 6 complete water changes,
added calcium filter (from Culums advice)
added extra grow beds, the PH is still over 8.2+,
gravel is fine I have tested it with water from several sources including bringing 40 lit back from Adelaide.

everything appears to be going back to water quality

so in desperation looking at a reverse osmosis filter system 7 stage.


whats your thoughts?

I will be putting frame of 50% white shade cloth up next week.

The goldfish keep being VERY happy at all levels of water, there is still approx 40 and fed a 1/4 teaspoon of pellets every two days.

Hi Tonz,i hope this isn't a stupid question but have you checked the PH of your source water ?
Ideally now you want the nitrification process to lower your PH naturally,the problem being at the feed rate your using its not likely to happen,you really need to be feeding them as much as they can eat two or three times a day.
Another way is to have top up water already treated with Hydrochloric acid,so as every time you top up your adding a PH adjusted water to your system,with a little practise of the amounts this should start going in the right direction.

The source water is calium RICH if you have any idea what the quality (?) of Adelaide water is like then multiply that by 5. Ive seen the chemical results of Lincoln water and its not pretty.

So that sort of wipes out source water, we have used hydrochloric acid but as soon as more water added up goes the PH again.

Water supply in Port Lincoln is ground water Tonzz? And a lot of limestone down that way. So the source water is 8.2+ to start with?

I guess it all comes down to cost. reverse osmosis, lots of acid, rain water? You could build a solar water distillation setup, though the amount of water you need would be an issue.

I figure a 7stage reverse osmosis thing ebay $445 this will take ph down to 7.2 and start from there, surprisinly I dumped 2 litre of fresh urine into the sump tank a week ago and the plants do look healthier but I havent had time to do tests and now away from system for a few days.