Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Water flows upwards through the gravel, through approximately 170 lineal metres of slotted pipe.
I use a non woven geofabric for filter bags, they work very well and are cleaned about once a week, less in winter.
A conventional pool filter is no good in this type of pool as they offer anaerobic bacteria a breeding ground.

I built the pool primarily as a completely chemical free swimming pool. No chemicals or other wiz bang things have ever been used.
However there is limited potential to utilize the pool for food grow beds also.

You just need to add a truck load of fish - then the plants will grow

Most people find that the primary deficiencies in AP are iron and potassium. There are actually fish safe pond supplements that can help with plant growth without adding any extra Nitrogen or phosphate since they are what usually cause algae blooms.

Nice pool

i think that might be better than perth drinking water :O

and like everyone keeps saying nice pool

CHeers
Pete

Aparently if I had a pool like that - I would not be allowed to have fish in it

But without fish, how would one keep the mosquitoes from growing in it since it is chemical free? I don't think you would want to swim in something with the gunky bits of mosquito dunks floating in it.

The few fish are very important! Actually, arn't there places where people pay alot of money to sit in pools where certain fish pick at their skin?

I know whenever I have to get into the ornamental pond at my grandmother's (to work on the waterfall or something) the goldfish nibbling at my legs really tickles!

Why not?

Mozzies wont breed successfuly in the pool because they would all go over the overflow edge and into the filter bags.
They may breed in the biofilter pond although I believe mozzies dont like flowing water?
I would keep a few fish at least in the filter pond.

SFC, is there a reason why you have water over your biofilter (i.e. above the gravel)? Could you not have the water level just below the top of the gravel? I would imagine this would help prevent evaporation - which must be high with a pool that size?

I did a lot of head scratching regarding the construction of the biofilter (which is why I have enough sawdust to snail proof the whole garden!)
If the biofilter gravel was exposed it would eventually fill with litter and would be difficult to clean and therefore add nutrients.
I doubt that the evaporation would be significantly less due to the wicking effect of the gravel above water.
I did consider such an option of gravel above water level with water couch growing on top to absorb nitrates however plants can expire? a lot of water.
The biofilter was designed as such to be an ornamental pond as well.
I have two dams near the pool holding approx 1.5 megalitres that are intended to be the evaporation top up source, when it rains!
I am rather annoyed to have built this prototype pool at this time, which I would like to market and build for others, as our water situation has become the unimagineable.
I determined that square metreage of biofilter was the key to providing an efficient slow flow of water past the bacteria living on the gravel.
I have about 25,000 litre rainwater capacity for the pool which, with our low rainfall, has only just made enough difference to our town water consumption.
No backwashing also saves a lot of water.

Soon I will be known as CFC Heaven forbid! (LOL)

I was meaning a lot of fish

I am already crazy enough aparently.

Crazy people rule!!
And..... we build some pretty cool things!
How is your Joi Choi??

Jc finished a while ago in the extreme heat of february. It grew really well though - very similar to silverbeet.