Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello Everybody,

It's very humbling to come on here with so many experts and gardeners who have been 'at it' for many years.
I thought I was a super-hero once my first ever system completed cycling last week. Haven't stopped smiling since.

I know these are really stupid questions and I know I should source the 'real' stuff, but I am in the middle of nowhere in the Philippines and it's difficult to get anywhere because of the traffic and Aquaponics is still pretty much unheard of here.

So, my novice questions are as follow:-
I have no lime to up the PH so I am using baking soda!! OK or not?
I have no potassium so am using cream of tartar! OK or not?
I have no iron so am using ferrous sulphate straight from the chemist! OK or not?

Everything else is great. An old Rosemary bush which never did anything is starting to grow quite nicely, I have yellow corgette, tomatoes, loads of herbs, cucumbers, chillies, peppers and it's very exciting.

It's only a small 80L x 2, 1 up 1 down bunk bed style system. Nothing too challenging but a good start point.
I havent added fish yet because there's a small trace of ammonia still so not 100% cycled, but almost.

I do feel that it will probably become very little very quickly once the Pak Choi and eggplants start.

Therefore I am thinking of pushing the boat out and challenging myself.
I have come up with a rough design based on the CHOPII system, but I have taken it upon myself to modify it slightly. The reason-being is that I have a small terrace where I could comfortably fit upto 6 IBC's.
Also I would like a little beginner DWC system as well so thought a hybrid-type system of sorts 'could work.

Please let me know your thoughts. I attach a picture and the system 'could' potentially run as follows:-
Venturis take water from the fish to the sump.
Sump fills 3 growbeds (plus return to fish)
Overflow in the fish feeds the DWC
Overflow in the DWC goes back to sump
(NO SWIRL/BIO FILTER)

Its all a nice simple thought process, but I don't know if the ratios work or not. I think I remember Mr Hallam saying that CHOPII could accomodate 6 growbeds. If so this could be a winner in a 3m X 3m environment, no?

Many thanks in advance

Welcome, Zak. I have the same smile on, as my first system is really starting to turn the corner. The only thing that would be better is if I were in the middle of nowhere in the Philippines! :-)

Your system looks pretty good to me, and not so simple actually. Most of the BYAP folks have a very limited system where as yours looks like you could expand to some serious volume. I have always dreamed of bringing AP to the Philippines one day, so I will live vicariously through your exploits. Please send lots of photos.

Thanks for the reply, Radish.
The diagram is not actually my functioning system. As I mentioned, my operational syatem is a simple 1 X 80L growbed and 1 X 80L fish-tank.
The diagram is what I am considering for my next project.
I am just wondering whether it's doable / viable.
I will post some pictures of my little baby system later.

I'm curious in your little system! I have a small indoor system as well and I'm currently cycling it... have you started growing anything yet??

Hello Celkins,

Yes I am already growing in my system.

I did a fishless cycle adding just industrial ammonia. It took over 4 weeks, but I started some tomatoes, eggplants, cucumber, corgette and peppers from seed in pots along with oregano, dill, basil, coriander, lemon balm and sage.

I actually put a few seeds into the growbeds too which have just started popping up. Seems they take much longer than starting in pots.

Is your system in front of the window or are you using lights?

I will post a couple of pictures after breakfast

Here's a few photos of the little system.

I have transplanted everything over the last week so the little babies are just getting established.

The rosemary, tarragon and mint were already potted so I gave them a little haircut prior to transfer.

Everything else is from seed over the last 3 weeks.

What I really want to know is whether the design picture from my first post is doable. It's more or less 30,000 pesos, which is 500 pounds or $750US and probably not an investment I want to make if I'm peeing in the wind!

Your design looks very doable to me, limited only by the stocking density of fish. You seem to have plenty of surface area in the media beds, and it's even better that you can extend your system to provide more. I'd suggest getting a handle on solids, though. It wouldn't hurt to add a radial flow filter.

My own system is somewhere between your baby system and your next generation system. It seems like I have plenty of media with just one grow bed (60 Gal LECA), but I'm adding another 20 or so gallons worth of LECA in net pots (NFT), plus some DWC.

Thanks for the feedback, Radish.

You talk about limited by the density of fish limiting the system. Do you think that the fishtank is too small or too big? Sorry, I didn't really understand the statement.

As far as the filter goes, I have read quite a lot about it and I was giving it some careful consideration but i came to the conclusion that since the feed to the DWC tank would be from an overflow system within the tank, it would probably be taking just water and no solids, right? I was even thinking of perhaps a piece of cheesecloth over the overflow outlet to prevent any muck sneaking through.

I am not doubting you in any way. You know a lot more than I, it's just since i am still wet behind the ears it may prove a little too much in the plumbing department for me at this stage.

What's LECA by the way; and what are you growing?

Thanks

Any ideas on the following question guys?

I have no lime to up the PH so I am using baking soda!! OK or not?
I have no potassium so am using cream of tartar! OK or not?
I have no iron so am using ferrous sulphate straight from the chemist! OK or not?

Many thanks in advance

The IBC seems like a great FT. Stocking density is a limiting factor only insofar as you can have only so many fish in the system before needing another IBC tank. As long as the tanks are not overstocked, and there is enough biofilter for nitrification, it should be quite the system.

Probably out of my own laziness, I am keeping solids out of the grow bed. I've seen them get clogged with detritus and don't enjoy having to dig them out and wash the media. I would have to agree with you that the overflow to the DWC should not involve too many solids. A screen of some sort should also keep little fish from escaping and traveling through the system.

Since it's still cool here in Northern California, I've been growing some colder weather vegetables such as several varieties of radish, lettuce, snow peas, and so on. I also have some table grapes and red raspberries starting up, along with a Calamansi tree in its own wicking bed.

LECA = lightweight expanded clay aggregate (hydroponic growing medium), also known as Hydroton or Hydrocorn. I inherited a sizable amount of this from another BYAP friend.

Thanks again for the heads-up, Radish.

I was having a bit of a dumb moment asking what LECA was. All these acronyms confuse me.

Would you recommend doubling the fish to 2000L, then?
I quite liked the virtually square accessable design but I can always shuffle it around a little.
I was led to believe from Murray Hallam that 1 x 1000L could cater for 6 growbeds.

I am looking to buy a grow tunnel which is just over 9m x 7m and with this design I could have incorperated 4 systems within the tunnel.
OK it would incurr 4 pumps (1 in each sump) but it seemed a lot easier and more manageable than 1 big system.
With my very limited plumbing skill I would mess-up something of such a size, royally!

Calamansi? I also have a small one I think. Although it could be lime or lemon. I will post a picture. Maybe you can tell me if it resembles yours at all.

Please feel free to post some pics of your system here. I am very interested in looking at how others have their systems set-up. That is if it's not 'classified' information.

I hear you regarding solids. I will look into the dynamics of a swirl filter of some description.

Cheers

Since my last few posts and further revision with the help of contributors on here, I am rearing to get the new 4+1 hybrid system up and running.
At the same time I am looking long term also.

I have planned on buying a 7m x 9m grow tunnel from Alibaba later in the year and I 'was' thinking that four modules of my 4+1 would fit nicely. (Each module 3m x 3m plus walking space)

However, I am now thinking that potentially, instead of having 4 modules and 24sqm of grow area, I could probably lose a few walking spaces here and there and squeeze 6 modules in. This would give me 36sqm of grow area in a footprint of 63sqm which is not too shabby, I guess.

The problem lies with the pump(s). I had originally thought of 1 mondule 1 pump, 4 modules 4 pumps.
Now, I am thinking 6 modules - 6 pumps? NOOOO

Is there any way I can link the top outer sumps to the top middle sump which will host the pump, then the same on the bottom row, so 2 pumps altogether?
Would a venturi do the job?

It would be quite nice if a venturi would work because naturally with different sized fish in each tank there's different amounts of ammonia in each system. By linking the sumps in some way I could balance the ammonia better I guess.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

So, back to the new basic system and putting the family sized hybrid on the back burner for the timebeing I have had quite a lot of wind here in Luzon over the past week.
Not personally I am happy to say, but it's been breezy to say the least.
I found that some of my plants were getting a little beaten up so I've added some larger stones to the surface of the growbed in order to try & prop the plants up a little.
It's not bad, they are quite enjoying themselves and here's a couple of photos of the latest developments.
I am not actually sure what photos 2&3 are so any ideas would be great.