Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

i have probably too many plants. certainly too mant tomatoes, juicing all the nitrates. Trying to add fish slowly this time. So plant list is, corn tomatoes, basil, lettuce, ( 2 sorts) parsley, thyme, sunflowers, merigolds, peas, beans, snow peas, radishes, passionfruit, spring onions and a heap more.

The little fish eat grated squid, and the big cat fish eat 'roo, or they will eat other little fish!! They wont eat pellets , so have to ask a favour from the trawler out of here for there bi product, to grate down into food blocks for them. The food situation is a problem.

Looking good Jessy... water looks good... might be time to add a few more fish to keep those plants powering....

You've got plenty of bio-filter capacity going on there (envy)... certainly a serious system

Keep us posted....nice work

I need to add a mechanical filter then, if the term bio filter is incorrect, 'cause all this left over crap is going to cause a sludge bath in the GB.

Quote: media based systems without the use of a mechanical filter quickly build up a sludge within the grow bed. If no mechanical filteration is used in a media based system, build up of solids may EVENTUALLY become to great ot sustain aerobic conditions.........leads to plant failure.

So the quick response would be , dont feed the fish so much, lol, but my fishies arent your normal farm styled variety, so a simple but effective solution is found with bird mesh placed to catch the offal. But i still think a bio filter is the go for high density fish stocks, that this 3000lt tank can hold. And probably save a huge hassel down the track too.

Where did you get that from Jessy.... completely contrary to what most AP systems have found to be the reality... indeed we like to have the solids, they provide trace elements....

And the flood and drain nature of the growbeds ensures enough oxygenation that the beds remain aerobic rather than anerobic......

From the picture I'm wondering just what it is that's being deposited though??... and remember that you should only flood to about 25mm below the hydrotron level... that prevents algael growth and "slime".....

Oh, forgot to add.... throw a handful of composting worms into the growbeds... they'll help breakdown the solids/sludge....

I gather that you do not really mean " offal " but rather fish POO.

I had the same thoughts and worries regarding poop build up ,, but so many very experienced people here have aged systems that have not prooved to be a problem in that regard. Worms as Rupert says ,, are also great and breaking down the poop.
If your still not convinced ,, put a drain hole in the grow bed and block it off , if you ever get trouble you can open it and hose your gravel.

+1 for worms - no solids problems here

quote came from Aquaponics Australia pages 35 and 64

BLAHHHH ,, Backyard aquaponics RULES!!!!

just reading and gathering as much info as possible to arm myself for the unknown........... STILL MAKES SENCE. and so do worms, but i am not sure if they will survive up here, i have never seen a worm in this area. I would be suprised how this works comes anouther scorching summer. Have the shade ready for the hideous heat that will be only a few months off

just reading and gathering as much info as possible to arm myself for the unknown........... STILL MAKES SENCE. and so do worms, but i am not sure if they will survive up here, i have never seen a worm in this area. I would be suprised how this works comes anouther scorching summer. Have the shade ready for the hideous heat that will be only a few months off

Worms do fine in Kal

Up to 38 deg c water temp last season.

woop

have to head out to the river to get more caties, the big one eats more than my house cat. and they seem pretty cruisey. next tank is barra, no doubts. Broome tafe has barra, the closest place to here.

Once it starts to get too warm, heaps of shade, pump as little water as possible in the hot part of the day, and pump water continuously overnight to cool everything down.