Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thats exactly what I do LB, wash the potting mix from seedlings before planting..... Yep, part of the reason I went for the round gravel, as opposed to the cracked gravel was because of how tough the cracked gravel was on my hands... ROund smooth medium is much nicer to work with .

Thanks for that Joel, so what would you say is a "safe" or "forgiving" stocking rate based on the 2:1 ratio ??

I ask as I intend to set up a system over the school holidays, and I've spoken to Steve about getting some fish, and I would prefer to err on the side of cation, in relation to stocking density, to begin with.

Warren

Well my large system is about 1.5:1 I think for memory, with a fish tank thats around 1500L. The most I have ever had in there so far was about 50kg.. At the moment I estimate that there's around 38-40kg in there with no problems at all and great plant and fish growth..

How big was your system going to be Warren, as in growbed to tank ratio... and/or how many litres did you think you'd have for your fish tank.?

Joel

I have 4 of the blue 200 litre drums, and another grey 200 litre one with a screw top lid and an old washing machine I got from the hard rubbish.

I was thinking of using 2 drums for the fish, 2 for the grow bed, and one cut in half, one half for a sump, and the other half for a header tank.

I'm thinking of basing it loosley on the Barrelpanics layout, but I want to maintain a constant water level in the fish tanks.

I plan to have the 2 fish tank drums connected together using one of the filler caps at the bottom (like in the drawing johnny did), with the other on at the top being plumbed to over flow into a half drum sump tank.

When this sump tank fills a float switch will start the pump filling a header tank (the other half of the grey drum) which will have a syphon loop in it, so that when the sump tank has just about emptied the syphon in the header tank will kick in sending water to the 4 half drum grow beds.

This will give me 500 litres of water, with a constant 400 in the fish drums, and another 100 cycling around the system.

And a bed to tank ratio of close to 1 to 1.

So extrapolating from your value of 3kg per 100 litres in a 1 to 1 ratio, the max would be 12 kg of mature fish.
And what was plate size ? 1 kilo ?

12 fish mmmmm

*think I might need a bigger system*

Warren

It's sounding interesting Warren.... The only thing is that to flood 4 half drums filled with gravel may take more than 200L. it will depend on ytour medium particle size, but I guess this is something you'll have to work out as you go.

Plate size is about 500 grams so you'd be looking at maybe 24 fish... Bigger is always good...

Ok, so I managed to scrounge a bath at the same time I got the washing machine, so if I make it the sump (it should hold around 200 litre) and use the full 200L drum as the header tank.

I could grow duckweed in the bath I spose but the footprint is getting bigger I have thought of terracing the beds like you have done with the lastest lot of barrels - HANG ON - what if I have 2 beds draining into the fish tanks, and two beds draining into the other two beds, using a syphon in each of them, that way they will each get a flooding, befor the water is moved on to the next stage.

Mmm more thinking required

Warren

Spend time thinking Warren, I can't stress that enough... It's so much easier to work out most problems before hand than later. I suggest best method for this is sitting in the area you plan on setting up your system, with your assorted bits that you have already. Have a beer (or favourite beverage) in one hand and fiddle with things..... Move things around, sit and think, move things some more, think about the light, etc...

Find the medium you will be using in the grow beds and get a sample of around a bucket full, take it home and find out how much water it takes to fill the air spaces in the bucket, to flood it. Then you will have a better idea how much water will be required to fill your growbeds..

Beds draining in to beds will work well, I was thinking about trying to modify my barrel ponics system to encorporate two more beds so they would flow from two beds to two more.. Keep at it... And keep us informed of your thought processes....

Yes Joel, I like to think things through, and look "outside the box" for solutions.

I'm a big believer in the "KISS" principal.

Warren

here's my miniponics system. Still have a small filter cartridge attached to the pumpshould the pot not be enough. Will add another pot soon. Any way, thought i would post this pic- could be in the running for the smallest ever aquaponics system

so small you can't see it!!!!!
how do i get a pic on?

Monya have a look at this link
http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=107
might help.
LB

Monya, Any luck with those pics?

no luck with pics yet.

Have just had 1400 ltr fish tank delivered. Just had first beer staring at it in my shed
can't believe i am actually going to do this thing
will posts picks of tank at same time. it's aripper

I seem to do much of this said "staring".........

i'm putting a system together with my cousin Al (who dropped off the tank) and we both talk and stare and talk and stare at stuff way longer than we should!!!!