Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Y'all

At this stage I don't have an actual AP system but I do have a 50,000 ltr pool converted to fish and a bathtub full of fish on the back patio.
The pool has a few Koi and a bunch of goldfish but at this stage no filtration due to the pool pump and filter being kaput, so stock numbers need to be kept low til I work out a cheap, effective way to run the system. The goldfish are breeding so I guess the news isn't all bad.
The bath has a 90mm pvc pipe running around the top of it which is growing some Pennywort and a couple other bits and pieces which I'm hoping will be taking some of the nutrient from the water but again it isn't ideal. Biggest problem with the bath is the lack of sunlight except about an hour a day during summer.
Hopefully I can learn from this site so that I can get both those water bodies functioning as effective AP systems.

Bob

Welcome Bob

We love pictures!!

Of course you do, How remiss of me

These are not the best I've taken, but you get the general idea

Interesting looking chook as well.....

G'day megapuddle! With a nice big pool like that there should be plenty of potential for some serious aquaponics

This weekend I decided to upgrade to something a little more like an AP system.
The bath is about 300 ltrs, and the growbed is 100 ltrs of expanded clay.
I've used an Aquapro 1050 submersible pond pump which should pump about 700 lph at about 50cm head. I wasn't game to make it too elaborate for a first go so it's set up as a full time flooded bed. The only problem I've found so far is that I haven't put a hole in the top of the input pipe, which goes up to the top of the bed then down to pump the water into the bottom of the bed thus creating an auto syphon if the pump fails.

Writing this has just given me a brainwave. If I put a timer on the pump and let the water run back through the pump, set to say, 20 min on and 20 min off I have a flood and drain bed. Is this good or would I stuff up the pump

For greenery I've put in some mint, some pennywort, and a pot of caerulia grass, plus I've sprinkled a packet of cress seed and a packet of watercress seed on top. In a couple weeks the whole growbed should be a mass of green stuff.

Very cool Megapuddle, are there any fish there yet?