Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello all,

I am a "newbie" to this site and thought I should introduce myself, since I have already been made feel welcome with the speedy answers to my first post.

I am located about 20 min from Adelaide (25 min from the end of the earth). I am an Arborist (on the rare occasion I go to work) and married to a biologist who teaches at a nearby university (the reason we are in Adelaide).

We have five acres of bush (currently being regenerated for the abundant wildlife) on the Sturt River, with a solar powered house/shed, and all the modern self sufficient bits and pieces. I have just finished construction of all the major infrastructure and have started to concentrate on the garden, now that spring has sprung. Apart from becoming self sufficient and carbon neutral, my other passion is motorbikes, of any description, I love to ride (it makes the world all blurry, and allows me to see only straight ahead)

My AP (though I call it polyculture, because most people in SA think "drug crops" when I mention hydroponics) system consists of a 1000 litre tank (recycled pallet tank) connected to two x 1m square flood drain trays and 12m of PVC tube filled with clay balls. with room for expansion when I build some skills. I have a horticulture background, but have never kept a fish before (outside of the freezer).

I look forward to learning from this site, already I can see the potential for getting quick answers to my problems. I must warn you that my computer skills are limited and my enthusiasm for sitting on my arse in front of a screen is nearly non existant, so it may be a few days or a week or two between visits (usually rainy days).

thankyou again to the people who have replied so far

homegrown

welcome Homegrown, have fun with the site and with everyone's help may we all grow fat fish and fine vegies

I feel obliged to warm you to.
I case you haven't gather yet AP or as you coined PC(polyculture)
the arse will get bigger as the addiction grows!!!!

Great to hear another passive solar user!!!
C1

Hi Homegrown!

I'm terribly jealous of you! I'd love to live in a setting like yours, all my own infrastructure, solar power etc, set up & going.. ahhhh, that's the main dream I'm living for.

I would love to see some pictures, if you have any to share... I like to live vicariously through others until I can reach each of my goals.

Looking forward to hearing more from you!

Best way to go til the bugs are ironed out. (Learn the best way to do things but don't wait too long the fun is also in the learning!!)
Enjoy what you do today then there are no regrets!!!
C1

Welcome,

Sounds like a great location and I'm looking forward to reading your posts in the future.

Hi homegrown! I'm a newbie too! nice to 'meet' you!

homegrown, may I ask.. What kind of house/abode/dwelling do you live in? (I like to hear what people are doing on their properties, if they have the opportunity to build their own structures, what they choose.. )

Welcome Homegrown!!

welcome home homegrown.

i know you will enjoy your stay here. lotsa great folks.

great to see another South Aussie on here too!

Thanks all,

To answer the question about the type of house we have. We live in the "GARAGMAHAL"

We live in a 12 x 7.5 x 3.6m zinc shed, that is half house half shed. There is are 3 x 3m sliding door on the front and side, with a glass door looking out of the NW side. We have one bed / bathroom, laundry / lounge, kitchen. There is a 3 x 12m shade cloth area on the NW side, with my polyculture plants on the northern end (outside kitchen) and the fish a few metres away down the hill. The shed is fully insulated, and lined with recycled chip board, and as much second hand materials used as possible. We cook with an electric hotplate and a LG Solardom oven (microwave/ conventional combo) as well as the gas BBQ for most of the year because it has a good wok burner. We have thin film solar panels that cover 50% of our total roof space as well as solar hot water. The panels are grid connected and act as excellent insulation in the summer. We heat with electricity. Our water is recycled through an Ozzi Clean Treatment plant, and the water is currently being used on the native regeneration and will eventually be used on the fruit trees as well (when the rain stops and I finish the retaining walls)

I originally set up the shed as temporary accomodation whilst we built a house on the block, however, once settled in the shed we weighed up the cost of building (lots of money and energy required) and the fact that Bandicoots (Endangered in SA) are living in the exact position where the house was going to go!, and decided to make the shed the house. This meant going to council for permission to live in a shed, and 9 weeks later we still don't know if they will even grant planning permission. Not that this matters to me, it's just paperwork, the shed is approved and the sewer etc, which makes it legal to be here as long as I sleep in the caravan, which is parked next to the shed. Which we do! (if you work for the council).

The reason I went for a zinc shed over say a straw bale house or mud brick etc, is because of two reasons, 1. I could build it on my own with minimum building skills ( I had the building up and concrete floor in 10 days). and 2. because of fire hazard. We are fire prone, living on the top of ridge that is forest on all sides. The shed has sliding doors and shutters over the windows. There is a copper fire sytem that has sprinklers on the roof and on the ground so I can make it rain at the pull of a cord.

I like the small footprint we are living in, and don't see us moving back to suburban living again. It is cheaper to live in a shed, and without the giant mortgage, I don't have to work as much, so overall, the benifits to the environment and our lifestyle are huge.

If you are thinking about a cheap way out of building, look at the Web for sites on "shipping container" houses. I like the idea of recycling the container and the endless prospects for design.

I will try and work out how to post photos on this site (could do with some help if anyone has time). If anyone is in adelaide, or visiting at any stage, contact me and you can come and see my place if interested.

wow homegrown sounds like a great way to go.

any more info on your thin film solar panels? what are they used to power? how much do they cost?

thanks

HG, I would love to come and visit some time. Sounds like a magic place. How far out of the city are you?

That sounds bloody fantastic Homegrown... Truly wonderful!!!

I'm exploring moving down to SA (depending on if I can wrangle more money out of the banks for another property purchase) & I keep hearing about more & more people down there who are doing great 'domestically sustainable' things! (Which just makes me want to move down there all the more! )

(I'd love to chat more with SA people about what it's like to live down there... I'm currently looking at one particular development down near Port Wilunga... Anyone willing? )