Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

It feels good to come out of the "lurker closet". Three years of following threads watching and learning from trials and tribulations of other members. Like many here I am on system number four, but who's counting. I had 100 tilapia and 200 gallons of water on my living room floor. At the request of my wife I built a greenhouse. We will just have to pick up there. Bigger does seem better in aquaponics, I'm up to about 1200 gallons of system capacity. Currently have catfish stocked. Tried last winter to heat water for tilapia survival, worked really well, tomato vines over 20 feet long, and picking strawberries at x-mas. This was not profitable, or energy conscious. This year I am going for lettuce production during winter months and letting the catfish freeze over. Looking forward to talking with you all.

How fair is it to introduce myself, without showing my system? No not a troll. Treating for ICH/White Spot right now, normally the full shade cloth is up but temperatures need to come above 86f and I have treated with 2ppm non-iodized salt. I hurt my back just after I started this system, and had to travel cross country for surgery. My point is my very supporting wife and kids that kept the fish alive for all that time. It is not easy babying a system start, I am thankful to have anything at all. The catfish should come around in a few weeks. This salting has been hard on the new transplants. Outside not pictured are DWC IBCs I halved the tanks which made them really deep, put lumber on the tops, and hole saw out openings for the plants. O.K. enough for now.

Nice System.

I'm thinking of setting up a similar (if not bigger) system at my mum's house. How do you find the pool as a FT?

Welcome to the forum. Your water quality looks great.

Hi Alton,

I notice two fans in the front of your greenhouse there and two solar panels on the ground below them... I wonder is this how they are powered? are they on all the time and just run direct 12v when there is enough sun to power them. I am thinking of doing just that and would appreciate any advice on what fan and size solar panel you are using (they look like 20 or so watt?) and if you have had them long and how reliable they have been?

Thanks and cool system

Poolswimmer, extensive research went into the pool idea. It seems that the intex pools are safe because they are cheep. Let me elaborate, they do not add the extra fungicides / algicides ? Or any other inhibitor to the liner. This is great news for aquaponics as fighting/ removing this protection can be costly and fatal to the fish. I did follow some recommendations on off-gassing filling the pool letting it sit and then empty and fill before fish. All that to say I love it, pump included and the price delivered to my door 1,100 gallons for $120. Hard to argue with that.

tom77, I have used those fans constantly for 5 years now. Yes direct power,no batteries, very simple. I was finding with my first greenhouse, in another state, that I needed ventilation particularly when the sun was shining. They were the answer, the air movement is directly related to input voltage and therefore adjusts depending on the intensity of the sun. They were bought as a package designed for venting attics. I believe about 15-20 watts panel, D.C. enclosed motors, 12 volt. I would not have paid retail for them appx $239, but I don't think anyone did, and I bought all three from the clearance bin for $40 each. I find in the winter I cover and unhook them, in the summer I leave the sliding door open anyway. During spring/fall they are great, providing just enough ventilation to pull out the extra solar gain and shut off when the sun drops.

Thanks for the feedback, I have been looking for something like that but not having much luck at the bargain end... just lots of fancy options.. I am sure I will find something if I keep looking. I will need them when summer arrives here as some of my cucumber leaves have powdery mildew on them now in winter... although it is about 25 degrees celsius at the moment! warm winter

Great idea with the pool, never thought about that. For that price, maybe some additional investment to get the ground prepared to have a deep spot in the centre with an even slope so the solids accumulate in there and using a round SLO inlet. Interesting...

Cheers

Great work. Any updated pics?

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