Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all I’ve spent a lot of my Christmas leave reading and watching YouTube about aquaponics and to say I’m impressed is an understatement. I look forward to your help and suggestions and hope to be able to return the favour. I’m looking at building a 1000L FT with 2x GBs and a 4-500L sump tank. I have 1x IBC already but need another etc and pump blah blah.

welcome Liney, ask away for your questions. For many it is the start of big things.... and lots of forum hours.

#1 tip - learn what cycling is, accept that it takes time (4-6 weeks), and do it properly..... don't go ordering fish before your system is circulating and ready to receive them.

Start small, learn the basics.
Try not to take shortcuts, That's where a lot of people get caught out.
All the best

-K98

Hi Liney

Good size system to start with , only need a small low watt pump (cheap to run) can upsize later on .

Big enough to be reasonably stable with Ph and temperature

Success breeds confidence , so start with leafy greens as plants , as it takes time to build a nutrient base for fruiting crops , or simply accept that crops like tomatoes will struggle until your system matures .

Don't OVERLOAD with fish , lots better to supplement plants a little if required while learning , last thing you want is to lose fish.

Most of us have had a holy smoke moment , look out for power outages , water leaks , ammonia spikes

Have fun

And of course we love Photos

Thanks all I’m in no rush for fish- have goldfish in pond to enjoy ha. After scrolling through many posts I’d like to know if 4000L per hour is sufficient capacity from a sump tank of approximately 4-500litres and I’d like to have around 900litres in my fish tank. The 2 GBs are standard IBC chops. I need another week holiday to read all the years of posts.


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in IBC setups 4000L is about the top end - don't buy anything much more than that..
You can get away with 3000L/hr quite easily

If you are starting out Bunnings carry the Aquapro AP3000 for around $105.
Not a bad starter and leaves you open to buy something more serious later.
(while giving you a handy backup /2nd pump).
easy to remove all the filters and have a PVC inlet pipe with 19mm poly pipe.
(so saves on getting the pond pipe)

else BYAP Chiedys (here in Perth - Jandakot) carry a 60W 3000 LPH for $125.
(Aquaponics shop link at top).

Both better than something cheap of eBay IMO.
Leaves you option for Mark2 pump to look at the serious stuff.
(both above will last for years).

Thanks again dif_perth I have a bunnings 2400 for my pond (it’s overrated) size wise but buying from aquaponics shops gives a piece of mind and maybe some information on the visit etc. I’ll be using 25mm pvcpipe for the build and before I buy my next IBC I have 2x kids school fees and a laptop to start the year off lol.


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Sorry I’m also looking at small air line/stones into FT and sump but want the one with a battery back up and I think only need the model with 2x lines but want the quietest version as my setup is on my fence line about 1.5 netted from Neighbours house.


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Hi Liney, are you going to put fish in an IBC tank or are you going to use your pond? Using your pond will be more difficult as you have to cope with balancing the amount returning water So as to stop the pond level rising and falling with the grow bed flood and drain. If you are planning on using your pond I have 1000L pond supplying 2 grow beds (chopped and turned IBCs) and all the information that goes with it. I'd suggest going with the chopped IBCs and simple all one level system unless you like calculations. Good luck with whatever you choose and welcome to this forum.

There are much more efficient pumps out there. 60w to move 3000lph is attrocious these days.
Shop around.
Plenty of better pumps you can buy.

"A" holy smoke moment? You peeps are doing better than me as I've had many HSMs, and I rarely used the word smoke.

Liney, welcome and I do recommend a good water test kit like the API Pondmaster. Also. please fishless cycle using clear ammonia (or "hummonia"). Be ready for an ammonia and nitrite spikes when you introduce your fish as the system adjusts to the higher bio-load. You will need to monitor water and limit feeding during that phase.

With only two GBs (600l?) you should limit yourself to 30 fish max if you are raising to plate size, though I recommend maybe 20 to start.

Will you use any type of solids separation? I have gone both ways and I highly recommend a Radial Flow Filter (RFF) from the start. I use about a 125l drum for the RFF on my IBC system. It works well with about 45 tilapia, and I have 3 GBs (equivalent) and 4 strawberry towers using scoria for media. It's been working well for about 4 years now.

Well I'll be buying another IBC on the weekend which will be chopped for my 2nd grow bed and sump tank. I usually buy the top end or overpowered things for my hobbies and end up wasting the capacity but this time I want to buy the pump that can handle the 900L FT and 600L sump with the 2 x 300L GBs as this will be my system for a long time( space limited) but Im very happy with that. Understand the cycling to create the bacterial environment and in no rush to introduce fish unlike others out there lol, and not interested in overstocking because knowing my luck the bl@@dy things will cost money in replacing.
Was looking at using 25mm pvc pipe but have noticed a few people using larger pipe up to 90mm on their builds and if I buy my pipe in 1 go I want to make sure Im not going back and forwards changing sizes etc. Will 25mm be enough to run this system and if I introduce a radial filter do I need different pipe sizes? Have read and searched but these questions pertain to me not in general as water flows through all sizes but in understanding pipe flow restrictions I want correct pump size to correct pipe size.

thanks for your kind words thus far.

Steve

25mm is working fine for all my pressure lines. For my gravity flow and drains I use 50mm for the SLO to RFF, then the 50mm from the RFF splits into 25mm outlets for each GB, but I have 4, so you can probably just use 50mm for your SLO to GBs. For the drains if they empty independently into the sump 25mm is fine. I have several that are 20mm (3/4' US), and they connect to a 40mm lateral that drains in the sump.

Have you discovered the Uniseal yet or do you plan to purchase/make bulkhead fittings? Uniseals are relatively inexpensive and easy to work with if you know a few tricks - run the hole saw in reverse for plastics, I use cooking spray to lube the Uniseal and PVC, and push the pipe in using a T fitting or similar that gives you a good hand-hold.

Loser...it would help everyone for you to provide some names/models and your experiences with them.
we can start off by discounting the crappy ones on eBay (that has been done to death on the forum) and ones that don't have any reputable Australian warranty to speak of.?

Maybe a Jebao or Mako but in my experience these don't last very long beyond 12 months under 24/7..
and their costs are up there anyway.

Obviously a Laguna would be off the radar under that criteria on cost alone ?
Yet experienced AP'ers around here regularly use them

60W is F-All in the great scheme of things.
(unless you are running a solar powered system)