Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

wow, thats a lot of digging and judging by those pickaxes not at all easy going.
Did you get a the pic of the new mountain created from the spoil?

Yep, that's a sump !!! 28500 L

Thats the way to do it!

crikey nice sump

For those of you who follow my trials and tribulations, you will know that I prefer 500mm PVC pipes as growbeds. As they say, “go BEEEG, or go home.” Problem is these pipes weigh 100’s of kg’s and present huge logistical problems to get to site and then to work with.

On Friday last week the truck with our 12 pipes (and 26 x 110mm pipes for strawberry towers) arrived. Well, not exactly arrived. We got it as far as Simola Golf Estate at 7pm and then I chickened out. There was absolutely no way that the truck would fit down the narrow pass to the Gouna site and I made a spot decision to offload just outside the main entrance. If the truck had got stuck in the pass it would have caused huge problems, not able to go forwards or backwards and effectively blocking the pass. With a payment to the security guard to keep an eye on our pipes for the night, we offloaded in pitch darkness, with the first pipe (ouch) shattering against a stone as it fell off of the truck.

The next morning we arrived with a landcruiser and a long trailer and slowly (and very carefully) transported the pipes to site over four trips, braving sheer 300m drop-off’s. hairpin bends and 6m long pipes hanging off the end of the trailer. Nerves shot, we finished at 1PM. Some action shots.

Attached some action shots.

You are collecting quite the file of crazy AP stories!!!!!!
WOW

That road looks like some stretches of road between Canberra and Tumut and by that I don't just mean the terrain but the trees as well. Am I right in thinking that the tree are Eucs all along the roadside?

Question. How is the greenhouse put together? I don't see any of the usual clamps and such?

Never a dull story from you Syno...well done on getting the pipes in okay

Yep, most of our "alien" vegetation is from Australia, eucs, bluegum, wattle etc.



I haven't got a close-up with me but attached an image of the frame. It's in kit form from a company called Ulma (Spain). We screw it together with posi-screws and it's very strong.

Some images from the days work. Cutting the BIG pipes, the result and growbed stands and strawberry tower stands.

Those end cuts look useful!

At least we gave you good stuff Synapto.... all we got from you guys was bloody Bitou bush.....

Looking impressive as always mate... kudos...

With 112 x 1.45m strawberry towers to make out of the 110mm PVC pipes, I decided to make a jig to press the slots. A few things that I have learned from my previous experiences include using as big a pipe as possible and the absolute necessity of a pre-filter. I prefer working with a thicker-walled PVC pipe as it holds it's form much better than the thinner gutter pipes that I used previously.

I will be able to plant 8 strawberry plants per tower.

Some images of my first prototype.

Love your work Synapto!

That looks cool as Synapto - I am still yet to venture down the strawberry tower path ....