Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Eveyone,
I thought I would just post a few pics of my new system and tell you how much fun and exciting it has been researching, designing, pricing, locating, building, testing and just the other day commisioning my system. I have a few people to thank who have helped me no end, My molther who is the seasoned ap producer in the family, The Backyard Aquaponics Forum and all the other people who have answered all my questions. I am the keen Aquaculturilist and my Wife is the keen gardener so Aquaponics has turned out to be the perfect joint project. This Pic shows most of our system, 6 X 230ltr grow beds & one 4000ltr fish grow tank. single growbed. The main fish growout tank plus two 900ltr tanks for raising fry/other fish species while the main system is full. I currently have 129 Silver Perch@25mm and 72 FRDC Marron@ 50mm. The Growbeds have been planted out with seedlings from bunnings, next time around our seedlings will be ready and I will be able to plant out as needed. We have really enjoyed putting my system together. We are planning to travel down to Pemberton shortly to pick a few trout yearlings for the other tanks, to lift the nutrient levels for the growbeds. I would be happy to pick up a few extra trout for people if they need some, but I really need to wait for the temp to drop a few degrees first as im still getting 24 c + in the system during the day. Clint & Jaime

Welcome Nice system there. I like the cover for the tank.

Just a few construction pics Shows the outlet out of the growbeds flowing back into the main tank.Shows the stand pipe.

System statistics:
Grow beds 6 X 230ltr 900x750x300mm
Main Tank 4000ltr 2990x600mm
Pump Grundfos kp250 200ltr p/m @ 2.4m head Submersible
Pump Davey 15va Vortex Submersible 150ltr@ 2m Head

We are still commissioning the two other tanks for fry/other species, hopefully online tomorow after work.
Things we have learned about Aquaponics,
It can be as expensive or a cheap as you want it to be.
Hunt around before you buy expensive items (try Ebay)
Have fun.

Nice work Clint and Jaime,
Looks like you have been busy and what a nice neat system it is!
Love the tank cover, brings new meaning to batten down the hatches.
Look forward to watching the progress.
Have fun
Faye

Welcome Clint and Jaime!

It looks like you've put a lot of care into the construction, I like the bed plumbing picture. It looks like there is room for more worm farms or yabbie tanks or other under the bed stand. : Have fun!

Welcome to the forum!!

Your system looks very nice and clean.

Good work!!!!!

Now keep up the pictures as things grow.

Oh, and where's the toes?

I was wondering if anyone finds the vegtables in the grow beds tend to all gather in the middle during the day and come evening time I have to push the hydroton pellets back down on the sides pulling all the plants apart. I have heard that putting a 100mm of round stones in the bottom can stop this? or droping the standpipe slightly lower?
any suggestions are gratefully appreciated.
Cheers

?? ... sounds like you might be flooding too high... flood should only come to up 20-25mm below the growbed surface...

Thanks Rupert, I have lowered the standpipes on the worst of the grow beds and it's almost stopped .
But on a sad note my mother lost some of her rainbow trout today as Albany peaked at 38c around two oclock, and she came home to find a few floating (8)and the rest gasping for air, She managed to save the rest(22) with the addition of a couple bags of ice and heavy aeration. I am running silver perch in my system and Mum wants to try red fin perch, which brings me to my question: where can I catch some or buy some for her? I know that your supposed to kill them and not return them to the rivers but a few for an aquaponics system might be okay?

My system is ticking along nicely, I have used some humonia, Nitrite/Nitrate starter and seasol in the system,
Still reaching 26c+ each day
My system stats are
P.H. 7.6
Amonia: 8.0PPM
Nitrite 5.0PPM
Nitrate 10PPM

The plants in the grow beds have taken off, especially the bush cucumbers, Chilli and Snow Peas. taken 15-3-09

My wife busy mashing up the sp feed as we could only get growout pellets off the sp man@gidge
My two new Fish Tanks for others species(Barra and Possible Black Bream) and the extra off shute is for future strawberry hanging baskets above the tank.
Still looking for suitible designs for the strawberry baskets any ideas??? or links?? Cheers

Strawberries suck in AP. They cannot tolerate any salt, and one day you WILL need to add salt. Everyone except C1 anyways.

Use a blender for the fish food.

You can catch redfin and use them, but the legalities of this are up to you. I believe they are a restricted species.

Colin

I salt my system, and have enjoyed a big batch of strawbs this year...

What PPT?

NFI but when I add it, I add upwards of 5 kilos in 4kl