Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey all, Trent here. Thought ild share my system with you all, maybe get some advice!

It's a simple enough system, with a few teething problems.

2x1000L sump tanks buried and insulated, which pumps to a 1000L Ft (about to be insulated and clad) which over flows via 2x 50 mm drains to 6x 400L expanded clay grow beds. They drain via 2x 50 mm drains to the sump.
All done via bell siphon.

The fishtank and the garden beds are still to be insulated and clad, hopefully soon.

I've had 2 major lots of crops through, with heaps of leafy greens to buckets of brown onions.

Major focus for the now is 2x tomato bushes, lots of spring onions, herbs and various other things.

Once everything is clad, it will be fish time!

Photos in next post

Trent



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Not sure if I can use the tapatalk future or if I need to link my photo bucket account.. let's give it a go.

1st: building the sump (God, the digging)


2nd: 1st iteration of the fishtank with 1 drain


3rd and 4th: cleaning dang beads. After a bit of paving, pipework and cutting..



6th: First plants in, and water moving


7th: current crop going in after about 4 months of running

Also for the wise ones! Any idea what these are? On silver beet, next to tomatos...

My guess is caterpillar poo. Dipel is your friend


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My freind, you are a champion. Appreciate it, dipel it is.
Thanks!

Watch for birds pecking at the chard leaves as well. I think it's probably caterpillars but birds love this stuff as well.

Cool system

Thanks mate, appreciate it. Nothing like some of the amazing ones on here, but this one's mine so I'll take any praise happily haha.

Unfortunately I made a slight mistake in the last planting session, and a pack of cucumbers really don't look like they will survive...

Roots are getting wet, but either the heat of the diffrent enviroment seems too much for them. Wilted, limp with dry leaves

Pity, was looking forward to trying cucumbers. Maybe I should plant at night next time

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"Pity, was looking forward to trying cucumbers. Maybe I should plant at night next time"

Phases of the moon and the right time of year.

Interesting FT, GB, Sump ratio. Got to love bell syphons.

That is a very nice homemade rock washer; brilliant. The whole system looks fantastic as well.

Haha moon cycles! Yes.. I certainly have alot to learn. I thought it was an ok time to plant cucumbers from my Internet research. ... Might have to go to the library for the first time in a long time and find some gardening books

Thank you for the nice comments.

I am hoping to fill my sump up with yabbies, marron would be brilliant but from what I've heard... to much of a pain.

But oh boy! Electric shaver + tomato bushes and 100s of bees everyday... = alot of fruit! I'm a bit scared to plant any more haha

Any suggestions for improvement that you can see are more than welcome [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND TIGHTLY-CLOSED EYES]

Thank you! I also thought the washer was a brilliant idea at first... untill it started to sink into the ground haha.
I probably spent as much time standing it upright as I did washing.
But, it made it a bit easier I hope. Question is what to do with it afterwards!

Couple of photos, the FT before insulating and cladding,
The sump after the roof was installed and powerpoint run
The first broccoli that actually developed a head! (Slightly suprised from past bad luck haha)
And some lovely little tomatos that I'm just plain proud about

Trent

mr water,

Beautiful! Inspirational!

Do you have a basic time frame, from start to getting to where you are now?

As I recall you mentioned 2000L ST, 1000L FT, and 2400L GB... What kind, and how
many on the fish front?

Excellent looking work!

Thanks so much for sharing.

--
Sam

Thank you!

Time frame... hmm the system has been running for about maybe 6 months now, and it took me about 4 months to build I believe.

Wouldn't have taken so long, but work had been quite busy, so it was slow slow.

The system has a pond max... pu12000? In the sump, which is regulated by the 50 mm ball valve into the FT.

The sump itself is two ibcs connected by 2x 50 mm uniseals.

There is no fish right now, as soon after I got it started i went on holidays for 2 months! Too risky I felt.

Now i need to find a backup airator and some sort of automatic topup system with dechlorinated water, and fish can be added.
Plus of course actually finishing the cladding.

Dipel was sprayed on last night,hopefully that stops them munching on all my tasty greens

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