Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Does anyone have opinion on IBC setups v the more "nicer" looking ones.

I went up to Wood-vale other day an looked at their setups I noticed they use some sort of gravel in bottom of their Marron tanks. I dont know if what she was saying was just spin, but She told me it was an under-gravel filter, that allows for doubling of fish in tank.
Now since I am gonna be growing Blue Marron an yabbies,with maybe a Koi for looks. I am not sure if its needed or not. While it looked really nice, I noticed it wasn't cheap either

I noticed watching EVERY (lol) video on YouTube that people have things like switchers for when power goes out into Solar batteries/mains outlet. Or Sump tanks with fish in them ??... Should I be adding alot of this stuff to my system or is it really not needed?


I know you can get small units that give you a 10 hour window in case power drops. As I live in Perth, well... we all know it happens occasionally lol.

I am gonna buy something like this http://backyardaquaponicsshop.com/shop/ ... er-system/ . But I am not sure what I "need" to improve and keep it safe.

The pump on that system I linked, shouldn't that be a hell of alot stronger than it is ?. I noticed many systems on YouTube have 9-10-12000 pump/Filter setups....4k pump seems a little low.
This is where I am gonna have my system, its actually bigger than looks,I am going to remove the small garden bed on right an add a second system in a year or so. Once I have things running properly.

I Will put the main system down left hand side of fence, an have room for another square tank with 2 grow beds on right in a year or so.

On the IBC vs "nicer", I think for a lot of people it comes down to price, plus ease. IBC's at times can be picked up cheap. Albeit if doing larger beds, they might feel cheaper, but once you add plumbing can become more then imagined. I personally like them as they come with stand ahaha!

Plenty of people have made "nice" looking systems with IBC's, in fact all of my favourite systems in terms of design have been made with IBC's.

Search on this forum is your friend in this regard!


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It sounds like spin to me on the underwater gravel filter. Have seen these used in aquariums, but have only heard of dramas when having to clean.

Plus they are just somewhere for waste to accumulate.

Media beds or external (easier to clean) filtration in my opinion would be easier/better option.

I don't have battery backup, so will leave this to others!


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cheers, yer I have been doing some reading on the filter an it seems like more work to me. If I can get a bigger filter/pump, surely that should allow for more Marron.

I cant get IBC's it seems as the partner doesnt like the look of them. So that kills that idea off lol

If you are looking at serious fish production and stocking rates you will find that a larger volume round tank will be more suitable. 2000-3000L round tank is a better size for a serious food-fish system. So it really comes down to how serious you are for fish.
But keep the IBC handy because you always need something as a fingerling tank, quarantine tank or to separate.

As other posts (search marron/yabbies) identify if you are serious about marron or yabbies you will probably find that a lot of smaller tanks with ability to grade may be more suitable. In which case the IBC are fine as they line up a lot easier.
Charlie notes in various threads that growing out marron/yabbies in an AP/AQ environment is not so great compared to a farm dam.

they are effective, so you have to weigh up the cost and space-inefficiency of expensive round tanks versus some DIY. There are some good examples on the forum of how you can clad a IBC setup with either wood or something simply like colorbond fence panels with trim.

There are various places around Perth where you can get $50-$80 IBC (with suitable content histories).
Try gumtree.

Cheers lads, yer she says no an as we all know, poking the bear is one thing... Openly crossing it... very bad news . SO the Square system it is. Farm dams obviously w0ould be ideal but living in middle of Armadale nixes that idea.
I am not really looking to grow hundreds of them to sell (at least not yet). it's more for family to grow veggies/fruit, an shellfish to eat. I will prolly put a KOI in for young ones to see, but thats about it. if I can grow 40-50 Marron I'll be well happy yer.

I am gonna expand things in a year once I get settled with it all. I'll put a second tank an groew beds down right hand side where the plants are in that pic.

I think you have to seriously consider your "fish". With the space you have possibly 4 or 5 marron if they don't kill each other or escape. Also consider your plants, they like ph around 6.5 - just over 7 ish, not really happy if the water gets lower ph for the marron.
Not wanting to put a downer on your day but trout/SP ok marron I would give a miss.

I had a look at the Marron tanks at Aquaponics WA, they were going great guns. I have a lid to make to keep them in an ill drop some shade cloth in tank for em to make em happier (dammed if I know how it works, but it seems to)

None of the cherax are happy in each others company (other than I assume a brief association for sexual intercourse).
If you succeed in this, as someone new to AP (or even if you weren't), you would be a history maker and deserve a big thank you from the forum.
You know we should really have a flying pigs smile.

haha well I am always up for a challenge. So far I have been told it will work ok. The trick supposedly is the shade cloth so they can keep away form each other an have their darkness. I will be able ot do about 30 Marron per tank I think, or maybe less, not sure. Dead loss is always a thing with fish an I can accept that.
Hell on Trawlers with 130 score of Lobster we used to lsoe 40-5 fish over a week... It happens.

I am going to keep a book on everything I do each day, just to be able to go back an see what I did that did or didn't help. I may even get the 2000 ltr round tank yet. Not sure..

it will work OK. There are various threads here including one from Narrogin that did Blue Marron in a BYAP system like you mention in first post and there is also a system down in Bunbury running yabbies/marron in side tanks. Just they don't tend to grow out to desirable eating weight or in harvestable numbers that quickly - but if you are getting them for looks then that probably doesn't matter. It will all come down to numbers and at end of day they will sort it out themselves anyway.

There are various references on both raising (fish tank and small volume) and farming yabbies,
marron info much less.

In addition to Woodvale there is a Blue Marron supplier down in Nanup that you can find on web.

So your saying it isnt worth growing marron in a square tank like one im geting ? As it is for eating for family not looks.

some good info at http://www.truebluemarron.com.au/
(and Charlies posts around BYAP here explain lots - search marron and author = charlie in the advanced search next to new messages button).

Basically numbers are limited and you don't get the grow rates that they get from pond farming.
So its a long time between feeds and they will only be small ones unless you wait a long time.
basically what Sleepe was getting at with his comment previously as you simply dont get the stocking rates or the earth dam/AqC pond growth rates.

The marron are fine as pets and conversation starters.... (see truebluemarron site, they talk all about it).

Nocky is the poster for the Blue Marron (Narrogin then Marg.River) but is some time ago...
Thread is still there to read (threads = marron farming and Nocky Finally gets Serious, 6000lt System)

Basically for display and pets = yep, for food = not really viable at AP scale.
"The size of Australia Marron have been known to reach in excess of 2.0kg, however most sold within the commercial industry weigh between 150-300g. This will take approximately eighteen months to three years to reach **when optimum conditions are maintained**." [truebluemarron]
If they don't like water or they feel there are too many and they cannot escape then they simply don't grow and some stress/don't feed etc. and a few die etc....

also its in the fine print....

eg. http://www.suburbanfarmer.com.au/why-yo ... cs-system/
says you must have marron in your AP, sounds great but the fine prints says.... "Don’t have more than one marron per square metre of fish tank. Any more than that and you will run into problems."

doesn't translate to much for an IBC with 1m2 base, and not much more for most small tank systems.
though can get a few more with multi-levels/hides/shadecloth etc they eventually get at each other when one moults etc

[edit] you can get away with couple/few in a FT as long as they are introduced at same time as there is some behaviour traits where they respect each others space if they are 'equals' but cannot tolerate 'newbies'.

so your stocking rate of 30 is probably not likely. Only time they go at higher levels is when they are babies in the aquarium shop or when they get live shipped and have more to worry about....