Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Aha, I am so glad about that. I do have a few pictures of the bare ground where we have cleared a space ready, but once we get the framework sorted I will start putting things on.

Thanks all

Hi Shirley

Glad to hear you're getting some answers. You can also get silver perch fingerlings from Gidgegannup (9574 6012) or larger ones from Brett O'Brien on 0428 950 950. Also trout from Pemberton and next Spring barramundi from Tony Bart at Freo TAFE (0403 524 069).

All the best.

Mary

Hi there Shirley, Welcome.

I understand your excitement but you might want to think about fishless cycling so your system bio-filter is up to full strength before you actually dump a load of fish in there. It is so difficult to resist feeding hungry fish while trying to cycle up a system's bacteria colony and such.

Most plants can be grown in AP. What are your favorites?

Sorry I won't be of much help telling you where to get fish but I'm on the wrong continent. Our standard AP fish are different over here. Channel Catfish are pretty good so far for a wide variety of climate and the tilapia are nice if you can keep your water warm enough. Too Hot where I live to really do trout I think.

Good Luck, looking forward to seeing your "system thread" over in Member Systems, as noted, you do not need to have a system to start the tread. It is a good place to start listing your ideas, questions, pictures and progress

Thanks Mary, that info is very useful

We are starting to put the framework together this weekend

It's OK, I am the sort of person who likes to have all the info before I start a project. For me it's like reading the recipe before I start to cook anything, I don't want to get to the end to find that I should have marinated the chicken for 3 days first! Or Same with this really, I don't want to get to the part where I can put in plants only to find I can only grow celery (Which I hate with a passion) and not carrots cos they are a root veg.

So you have just given me some more info there with fishless cycling, I take it you mean grow the plants without the fish. So now I will go and have a look around the forum and see what I can find that relates to that.

Thank you

Happy reading, there is plenty here to keep you busy. Many of us do wish we had known a little more before we jumped in with our systems since there are many little things that can make life easier if only I had thought of that before I loaded all those beds with gravel....etc.

Fishless cycling is a good one to look up. It usually means using some pure ammonia (no detergents or anything else), fertilizer (urea want it pretty pure), fish food, or urine to get the bacteria colony up to speed before putting fish into a system.

Another thing to look into is CHIFT PIST but that is a system design choice but you are probably best doing a search for that one and the related threads. Stands for Constant Height In Fish Tank Pump In Sump Tank and I'm wishing I had done that so I wouldn't need to worry about cleaning my pump trap every few days.

Root crops can be grown in AP though one needs to make sure the plants have space to push the media out of their way or the roots can get cramped. I've grown carrots, sweet potatoes and softball size jicama in AP.

good Luck