Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi All,
Been watching for a while now and finally got some time to put the system on. As I am a learner driver with AP I decided to start with two blue barrels while I learn more about AP.

I am using Quincan - a local volcanic rock (meant to be great for orchids) as my media. Just a real bastard to wash! As can be seen by the lovely brown water in the next photo.




Currently running 7 jade perch, which may be a little over stocked for the size.... but getting ready to eat a couple as were quite big when I purchased them back in October.

Will post more piccies when I learn how to down load them from the camera! My wonderful partner drives that one! Must get her to show me one day.

Seven Jades shouldn't be a problem... although they're quite big by the sounds of it....

I take it you're just starting to cycle... watch your pH and ammonia... and don't feed the fish if the ammonia reachs 1....

you might want to put a strap over the middle of those barrels, as they will start to "spread" over time

That is some really brown water.
Welcome to the forum, and the crazy addiction

I see some serious sifting evidence too.
Hope the back's OK.

Rick
(sifting ~3 yards of it this week - Yee. Haa.)

Kids love to play with water and rocks. Recruit some local young-uns from the neighborhood. Sending them home wet and dirty at the end of the day, you may have to soothe their mamas with promise of local, fresh produce. This leads to keeping you interested in this new obsession. Then those same kids will come around again and you will have to give them more fun things to do. The "other cycle" of AP.

keep cycling that water, it'll clear up eventually. Uh-oh, i see more grow beds coming to help you clear up that water. Hey, kids!!!

Nah, been up and running since october - just really slack at posting.


Backs just starting to straigten out now.
Had the kids helping big time. The media was filthy. The guys I bought it from said it may need a bit of cleaning. Had it sitting in Tropical rain for a month before strting to sift it.


Bloody love it! Already have permission to expand

And show all the signs of a serious AP addiction.... the "next system syndrome"...

Well and truely addicted

Well Time for an update.
After cycling and a number of water changes I planted some seeds and a tomatoe cutting.
The cucumber will be renamed to a trifod!


Water is nice and clear and Jades swimming nicely


And herbs coming along nicely


All in all CRAZY FOR AP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice and a couple of those Jades look like , ummm, dinner

Won't be long until beer battered jades, pan fried jade... Just can't make up our minds on which way we want to cook them first.

Yep this one is well and truly hooked, even knows how to add proper measuring toes into picture and and everything

Another handy way to get gravel washed is a party. I did that lately, I titled it a workshop for my system expansion, people could come learn about hooking up the plumbing for an ap system and help become initiated into AP by washing some gravel. I got 300 gallons worth of growbeds filled in less than two hours. Luckily my gravel is just a bit sandy and quite easy to wash by swishing a basket in a couple bins of water.

Looking good, keep up the good work!

I see you bolted some support to one side of one of the barrels. Have any plans on more supports? Dude, hope you don't lose the contents (cringe just thinking of it).

PC crashed. Had to reboot, no time to edit the former post, sorry,
Wanted to add that you could try fastening pipes on the insides of the growbed barrels and plumb them into your filler-up tubes. These pipes could have holes in them to "spray" the fish water into the growbed, as well as stiffen up the sides of the beds.
Dunno, just a thought.

MrBill


Yeah I have more plans - but waiting till I get the chance to expand in the new year. Have a good supply of blue barrels nad hopefully a couple of IBCs heading my way inthe next few weeks.

TC

I have read the unofficial rules of this forum!
I think next time I might try a different supplier cause the stuff I bought was filthy. More dirt than rocks.