Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey all. I currently have what would probably be called a barrelponics system I guess. I get them for free so it was an easy choice. Its been up and running for a few months now and I'm starting to harvest. I have around 15 tilapia, haven't noticed any breeding yet but I'm still hoping. Due to the small greenhouse this is currently in I'm in the process of building another system outside probably using more barrels but with a hot tub for a fish tank.

welcome......

good to see your doing good with AP

post some pics so we all can enjoy

jT

I meant to add some in my first post but I had to re-size them, Let me try this again. I basically copied a friends design so there wasn't a whole lot of issues getting it setup and running. Although it wasn't perfect so I will implement all the lessons learned in the bigger system. This picture is a couple weeks old. My futile attempt to contain the cucumbers in the back failed lol.




This will be the fish tank for the outside system. I haven't gotten any further than the tank yet.

Great welcome from east Texas.

That looks great Onetype, welcome to the forum.

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Spa's are handy fish tanks...

Im trying to do this outside system on an extremely limited budget. I've heard people using the plastic kid pools as grow beds. Is this a viable option?

Welcome aboard.... and welcome to the addiction.

Yep, its possible. Try to remember to cover it up with shade cloth, screen, a tarp, or something to keep alot of the sun from hitting the water. It'll cause an algea bloom which tends to clog things up. Sometimes the kiddie pools can be found at garage sales for cheap. For the kids, not the AP system, we put a good one inside of one that had a hole in the bottom to keep the new one from dragging the ground or getting a hole in it when the kids were using it.

I too am on a budget, so understand where you are coming from. If you have kids that will possibly get into your spa/tank, might be a good idea to make the cover good and strong. Or tie it down to heavy blocks, heck I don't know, just tossing ideas out. We have a neighbor kid that likes to wander over and get into stuff. Dennis the Menace.

Get the word out that you are looking for fish tanks, stock tanks, barrels, tubs, etc... You might be surprised to find that you soon have an access of stuff to use.

Cool, I went ahead and grabbed one to test out. I might have some access to some bathtubs as well. I have access to barrels but they are used for muriatic acid so its a pain cleaning them out, plus I can only get them every now and then. Its weird, ever since getting into aquaponics I'm always looking at ways to either to fill things up with water or plants haha.

Made a base for the grow bed and cut all the pvc to length. Just waiting for the silicon to dry around the stand pipe and I should be able to test it all out tomorrow.

My apoligies, I read that wrong. Using the kiddie pool as a fish tank would require a cover to keep out algae. Using one as a growbed might be a bit more difficult. Not sure how they would stand up to the media that you will be putting in. is there a way to put something around it to keep it from blowing out the side?
And whatever media you put in there, try to keep the water level an inch or two below the media surface. That will assist in keeping the algea out.
Does that spa cover completely seal the top of the spa? The fish need air, so not sure what you have in mind for that part of the system setup.

I saw a youtube video where someone had a few kiddie pools as grow beds. They had it full of pea gravel and the sides weren't supported, didn't seem to affect the pool much. Although I have no idea how long it lasted either. I have a few different ideas on what to do if the sides start to buckle. The spa cover folds in half, more than likely I will just always leave half of it folded open.

Lol, yeah well, the thing is with You Tube videos, they start off great, the system works, drains and grows plants just fine. But they don't show the future, and show if the fish tank or growbed actually holds up.

If you have it in mind to watch for any issues, you'll be fine with it. Gotta start somewhere, and most people have problems just starting anything. So you should be good.

Check out the local farmers, car washes, truck stops, irrigation businesses, places that might have stuff laying around. I have about 18 blue barrels waiting for my expanded system to be ready. Just from putting the word out that I was looking for anything that would hold water. Four 150 gallon stock tanks, an IBC tank, and some small pumps and such were given to me just because I asked.

The AP addiction: Everything is a fish tank or a growbed.

The plastic on those kiddie pools is a bit flimzy so keep a close eye on it for cracks over that stand. I tested out kiddie pools for m duck beds one year, they didn't even last a year sitting on wood pallets, the termites got to most of them. So long as you are prepared to deal with it if it does leak, then it is a cheap way to get started.