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Hello Guys.. http://byap.backyardmagazines.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=5535	Page 1 of 2

Author:

hazno shadow [ May 26th, '09, 19:35 ]

Post subject:

Hello Guys..

I've been reading this forum for the past 6 weeks and I'm amazed by all your achievements in home food production. This has been an interest of mine for many years although I'm new to Aquaponics. I have uploaded pictures of one of my many obsessions - the pond is currently home to Koi fish ranging from 15cm to 80cm in length, 10 silver perch around 20cm and dozens of yabbies. My filter system comprises a 230litre blue drum which I use for a spinner and 1 x 1000 litre + 1 x 800 litre IBC's which are full of agpipe; more than 500 onion bags; shade cloth and filter matting. The system is powered by a Davey XA85 pool pump. It's been running for more than 10 years non-stop! Any ideas you may have that could help incorporate Aquaponic food production to the system would be greatly appreciated.

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Author:	Dufflight [ May 26th, '09, 19:40 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
Nice setup. Koi is something on my list. If you get a couple of GB's and incorporate them into the system you should have good plant growth. I see a lot of your bio load is taken care of. Do you currently do water changes?

Author:	hazno shadow [ May 26th, '09, 20:03 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
Hi Duff the only water i add to the system is to top up after evaporation.The water is pea soup in colour during the warmer months and crystal clear in the cool weather.This is to do with amount of sunshine i think and the fact that i have a huge amount of nutrients production and as yet have nothing to feed it to.

Author:	Dufflight [ May 26th, '09, 20:10 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
Then I'd go with a couple of 500ltr gb's. Clay is a lot better to play with. Just bleed off some flow or use a smaller pond pump on a timer to water the gb's. 15min on 45 off etc.

Author:	hazno shadow [ May 26th, '09, 20:29 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
The system is approximately 12000 litres does this mean i will need a huge amount off GBs or can i build up as my cash flow allows and still maintain a balance.I dont do any water testing Ph ect, as nature seems to be doing ok so far.

Author:	janetnbruce [ May 26th, '09, 20:32 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
Hey mate Probably the simple solution is to substitute grow beds for your filters and let them take care of your fish. I see you are also in the Sydney area

Author:	Outbackozzie [ May 26th, '09, 20:40 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
Second seperate pump for sure, with a couple of BYAP growbeds, or 1/2 IBC's. The pretty side of the system looks great Ever fallen in trimming the hedge?

Author:	hazno shadow [ May 26th, '09, 20:51 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
Not yet Oz. That side was originally a path and the pond was at ground level with sandstone capping and a wharf over the top (BIG MISTAKE!!) when we had one of those huge storms that the coast is famous for and the water got underneath the liner. We lost the lot and in the rebuild we decided to add a few plants.

Author:	RupertofOZ [ May 26th, '09, 22:46 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
Welcome Hazno... nice to see a few Sydney people coming out of the woodwork... Just add some growbeds to your system.. and more later if you want... you've obviously got plenty of nutrient load there to service plant growth... At the same time... you obviously have enough bio-filtration going on... so you're sweet... Can you give us a bit more of a run down on your filtration setup?

Author:	RupertofOZ [ May 26th, '09, 22:48 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
P.S ... want any trout for winter... I'll have some next week

Author:	RupertofOZ [ May 26th, '09, 22:49 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
janetnbruce wrote: I see you are also in the Sydney area And welcome to you as well JanetnBruce... must have missed you guys somehow before...

Author:	hazno shadow [ May 27th, '09, 08:04 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
Gday Rupoz The filter system is pretty simple mate. At the bottom of the pond i have a non return foot valve the water then travels up into the shed through a skimmer basket and into the Davey XA85,from there up 6ft over the top and into the bottom of the blue barrel creating a vortex it dumps all the heavy stuff that the skimmer basket misses.This is all done through 40mm pvc pipe,at this point gravity takes over and a 90mm storm water pipe at the top of the barrel carries the water down to the bottom of IBC no1 where there is a 90mm tee with 1mtr of pipe running through it.This spreads the water evenly and it slowly travels up through the onion bags, filter matting and when it reaches the top i have a sheet of poly roofing with dozens of slots cut into it to hold everything in place and allow only the water to escape.(Great place to siphon of slugde and the yabbies are always up there for a feed,hence the shade cloth over the top as the local birds have figured this out also.)The yabbies breed prolifically as you can imagine as there are hundreds of hides for them.A 90mm pipe carries water to the bottom of IBC no2 and the process starts again this time there is agpipe at the bottom then shade cloth,oyster shells and some old coral that a mate told me helps to polish the water?! Then its back to the pond clean and full of oxygen. I move the 12000 litres through the filter every 1hour and 20mins it sounds like a lot but the blue barrel slows everything down as does the 90mm pipe.Sorry to ramble on Rupoz but i love this stuff and AP is fast becoming my new obsession.My fish growth rates are fantastic and the local Koi guy gives me free food in return for speeding up the growth of his pride and joy.

Author:	greenedo [ May 27th, '09, 20:13 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
Welcome Haz! You could keep the nice, clean look and add a few GBs really easily: option 1- elevated GBs surrounding your IBCs on a separate pump. Flood & Drain using a standpipe and timer option 2 - elevated GBs surrounding your IBCs taking some of the return flow from your main filter - I'd use a flout for the draining. Much more solid and less finicky than an autosiphon. option 3 - Same as 2, but using NFT pipes using the return flow from your main filter. option 4 - combine 1 & 3 option 5 - sink the GBs, as a rock garden, and put in a sump to drain them from, and make it CHIFT PIST. Given your current setup, I'd tend to start with 3, then as you start to see results, add either 1 or 5. Anyway you slice it, your current setup looks great!

Author:	hazno shadow [ May 29th, '09, 01:45 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
Thanks Greenedo, You have given me a lot to think about. Stay tuned as it wont be long until i have my AP system up and running.

Author:	BatonRouge Bill [ May 29th, '09, 02:27 ]
Post subject:	Re: Hello Guys..
Very nice start for an AP system. Like Rupe said get a 2nd pump, and slowly phase out your biofilter with growbeds. You may want to keep for use depending on your plant/fish stocking ratios making your system much easier to balance the nutrient loads.

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