Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Good Morning. Thought you may be interested in the following information and perhaps offer some technical advice on my dilemma. I am well on the way to becoming a disciple of Aquaponics and at the research stage, subscribing to magazines, forums and the like. My information has turned up a unique situation here in southern Tasmania. The fish side of the cycle. Inland Fisheries tightly control any wild or captive fish activity. In aquaponics, only two licences have been issued to date and I have my application ready for No 3. By law, only Rainbow Trout may be grown, and then for a limited period of three years with maximum of six (x 100) re-stockings in that time. Fingerlings must be bought from 1 of 2 authorised hatcheries at $2.75 each, and transported by 1 of 2 authorised carriers at $75 per hour. Licences are currently $137 for three years. So with that sort of investment in the fish, I'm looking for a high probability of success first time up. The trout like 12 - 15 deg C but I understand the lettuce and greens generally rather a warmer bed of around 20+ deg C. Our Spring water temp is 9 deg and the soil 12 deg. OK for the trout, but summer may be a different story. Can anyone suggest what might do best in the grow beds at lower temps, or ideas on maintaining a constant year round temp. Thanks, Nick.

Basq

You need to check out Tony's system thread and see what he is achieving in Tassie;

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6767

Just beat me to it CD!

Wow, Tassie is a bit tough on regulations hey...

You just need lots more systems over there so they lighten up on the regulations, otherwise it's too much work for them.

Yeah and expensive fish too at $2.75 a fingerling!
I imagine this is a result of all the illegal liberations of Trout fingerlings into wilderness waters what were once Trout free.

Hi Basq welcome to the addiction
They sure make it difficult in Tas, hope it progresses without to many bureaucratic hiccups.
My only advice is build a small test system so you learn, play and experiment. When your ready to build the next system (as invariably happens with most members) try build as big as possible. The bigger the system the more stable it will be in regards to water temperature, PH etc
And lastly this forum is invaluable, there is a great deal of expert knowledge and experience that saves you from beavering away in the backyard reinventing the wheel
Look forward to watching your system come together with lots of pic of course.

Why not use aquarium fish such as goldfish to establish the system and make sure all is well before going for trout or anything, especially as its going to cost so much. Veggies won't know the difference.

+1 with the Goldfish Abdul

Yep i agree goldfish if you are in an area thats so costley and regulated trout at $40.00 ea that is taking price transport, running costs ect is no fun just buy your fish to eat and run on goldfish some of the larger goldies bring a good price when they grow

Good Afternoon All, Many thanks for those wonderful links you posted, which I have now had the opportunity to soak in. Yes gold fish are the go. By chance, Inland Fisheries Service (Tim) also suggested this before the trout; he probably got the idea from Tony!. Am very impressed with sparky Tony's installation here in Tas. Have also bought the Bio-Pod (from Circle3) in Ipswich Q, then realised I had not seen any BSF here in Tas. We had plenty in Qld. So will follow the milky bread and a warm place idea when siting the B-Pod. I agree a green/glass house is essential. For the bed and fish temperature control, am thinking of a heat exchange system. Our little farm already had a 13,000 ltr underground tank with an annual average temp of 15 deg C. What if…. I circulate this water into and around the fish tank for the trout, giving that ideal trout fish temp of 12-18 deg C. The underground tank becomes one of my heat exchangers. Next, the now aerated fish tank water is moved to a solar hot water heat exchanger, through which passes the fish water, adjusted to raise the temp to 22 deg C for the grow beds. When the bell siphon ‘rings’, the ‘warm’ water percolates over another heat exchanger, like an evaporative cooler, and returns by gravity to the underground tank for final cooling. Something else that has puzzled me. All systems I have seen to date utilise a submersible pump somewhere in the system. My local adviser at Fletcher Pumps advised against putting any pump in water unless absolutely necessary. So… In a CHOP system, why not use a good quality, single external pump in the system? Again, thank you all for your support and advice. PS BYAP – loved those magazines, they down loaded beautifully. Cheers, Nick

Hi are you into the aquaponics now and if so I would be very interested in contacting you to find out how to setup and anything else to do with it please
Bill

Pumps,I haven't had a lot of joy with submersible pumps but most of my system is run on washing machine pumps.you can buy them new for around $30 or get them from the tip when you go there and that way you will always have spares.The only thing that I have had block them up is blue metal or yabbie claws and they are so easy to pull apart and put together it's joke I have had trout go through the last two summers without much drama,I intend to post on my thread in the next few weeks how I do it.