Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi everyone. I have just set up my first IBC single GB system.
After a few hiccups and a couple of losses, (recycled to the chooks), my trout are now swimming and eating happily and my plants look good.
Thanks to everyone for their posts they were really helpful in ironing out the creases.
Special thanks to Faye for her willingness to share her knowledge and expertise.
I picked up my IBC for $25 from a plastics recycler and it had contained herbicide but with lots of cleaning (not near the lawn!!) it came up a treat.
My system is under shade cloth in a north facing courtyard and I have covered the base with more shade cloth which seems to have made the fish happier. I have a 3000l pump which I run continuously and 5 trout, (started with 10),which I will increase to 8 in the next couple of days.
Look forward to reading all your posts.
Cas

Good start, well done. How did you clean the herbicide out of th IBC?

If you go to members system and start your own thread would be good. Post photos every one likes photos.

We all love photos here Cas!

Welcome to the addiction.

hello everyone,my first message on this wonderful concept,only found out about AP last night at a permiculture meeting on Central Coast NSW.Have just started making wicking beds for garden,now don't know what to do,my heads spinning.We have a 20000lt pool that would look good with a lot of yellow belly swimming around in it.The wife s all for it as we dont use pool as much as we used to.Just costs a lot to upkeep[beach 10 mins away] We will probably build a small system to start with,we are doing a AP course one day next month with the guy who showed us last night.Best thing I have seen EVER.Now just have to be patient and try and learn all I can.

Welcome Cas.... yes, yes, photo's please!!

Welcome Chris, it doesnt take much to become adicted thats for sure.... What course will you be attending?

Anything they can teach you on a course is right here in this forum for free Chris!

Welcome

Plenty of people use their pools for growing fish Chris... especially during winter... when they grow trout... and then use the pool through summer....

Here's one of my clients... just down the road from you...

OK photos will come, system says they are too big. Have to wait for 'tech support' to come home!
I cleaned the tank using sand to soak up the residue, then bleach to neutralise the chemical, and lots of water, detergent and scrubbing, believe me it's clean!

Read from here Cas... viewtopic.php?p=339695#p339695

Good morning,The AP course that I[and wifey] are going to,is run bythe guy who did the talk at PERM meeting[can not remember his name.All I can remember of the night is watching these beautiful fish swimming around,making vegies burst out of thier beds.This guy has been doing AP for 2 yrs and reakons hes got it down pat.looking at your systems I think he has a lot to learn.His set up is very small,but he has thinks he has got it right,this is his 12 or 13th system.A day at his place carnt hurt.He comes from Newcastle ,I will try to find out his name today.I may have calmed down since yesterday[not by much,the pool might be safe for this summer anyway] I want toget hold of those big plastic tanks,I think you call them[going for a look]IBC?I have seen those out in bush near Cessnock for sale at $70 Is that with cage ? whould price be about right?Gota go and earn a quid see ya LATER Chris.

Doing it for 2 years and on his 12-13 system? Doesn't sound like he has down pat....

Still he'll have some experience, we have people over here that run AP courses after building only 1 system.

.... yeah I built my first system about 6 years ago.... after researching, and particpating on this forum.... and developing an understanding of the basic principles...

And it worked from day one....

I've built about six personal systems over the years since then.... and everyone of them has worked since day one....

Pity he didn't join the forum earlier.... he could have saved himself 12 mistakes....


And it's a pity people didn't join this forum rather than trotting off to courses run by such people...

They'd be much more likely to build a system... that would work from day one.....

Oh well... eventually they usually make it here....

Chris, if you want to see a system, and talk aquaponics... with a bloke next door to you..... PM me and I'll give you his details...

George hasn't been in the best of health lately.... lost some fish a while back due to pump problems.... but he restocked with 100 trout a couple of months ago...

Here's George's system...

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=5842

Thanks Rupertofoz for your reply,and others,its great that someone so close is doing AP,if you can pass his phone no ,it would be great.The guy I mentioned before, doing the AP course,is totally self taught,he stumbled on to AP by leaving a cutting of beans on his water fall ,part of his fish pond.A couple of months later he noticed beans everywhere over his waterfall[he reckons he nearly fell over when he say them [so many] so he thought Crikey WHF have I got here.After realizing that the fish poo had boosted the magic bean,he honestly thought he had discovered AP.It took a year for him to sadly find out that someone beat him to it[probobly by 1000 yrs].Anyway I have paid him my $$,not much for a day $70.I am looking forward to it,seeing my first AP in action.I wont be rushing in,I am still putting in wicking beds,finished a big one last night.Will learn more from this site and maybe George,see ya later Chris.