Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Basic statistics:-

2 separate systems comprising of
1 galvanised iron FT 3kL capacity flooding and draining via standpipes to 4 x 540L oval galvanised GBs.
Pumps are Ebara Optima controlled by Sansai electronic timers.
No sump pumps as FT is dug ~850mm into ground.
32mm PVC pressure pipe feeds the four beds exiting via 25mm irrigation grid.
Drain return is 50mm DWV.
All contained within shed that will have clear Laserlite instead of metal sheets on three sides and roof.

Things I didn’t expect:-
a) A dog stealing the talcum powder I was using to mark the holes.
b) CENSORED Energy deciding their original pole-mounted installation wasn’t satisfactory anymore (amended at my expense).
c) “Special” guttering that would flood the FT hole in heavy rain.
d) On the quietest days of the year, for the wind to start up – but only when the roofer was there.

40m of hand-dug trench to get power to the shed.

Warning:- Marking circles with talcum powder can result in subsidence!

You're certainly going to be cranking out some veges there Yarra... looking good...

Solution to dog stealing talcum powder.... back-fill subsidence...

Tank stand detail.

Pump & Drain detail.

Under the purlins...

Odd/useful/annoying things:-

-150mm PVC pipe fits perfectly over the end of and Ebara Optima pump, thus making stands for the pump a breeze.

-Leaving two battens on the GB stand proud of the bed allows for fastener to be affixed (stops beds moving while filling with gravel)

-Expanding foam is a good insulator but not waterproof and quite expensive (I used it so that the beds were thermally coupled to the ground 850mm below, but not the sides). Sika-Boom is the cheapest brand I could find.

-Small expanded clay balls fit neatly into Philmac 1-way valves like a ball-bearing race, and are almost as hard to remove.

-Cheap wire waste bins dunked into a 75L garbage bin are a great way to wash scoria (75L will wash about the same amount of scoria before getting too muddy).

-Unless you like your fingers to be furry & bleached, use gloves when working with quick set cement.

-Instead of "measure twice cut once," try "measure thrice, cut nice"

-The higher up and more dangerous it is to drill through a purlin, the harder said purlin will be and the blunter your drill bit becomes.

-When cutting large diameter pipe, a bell end is useful to mark the cut. If the bell end is not square (yes, it happens), putting the pipe on flat concrete and seeing where the light shines underneath will guide you where to sand off.

Nice work UY... Very neat system...

Good work.

nice. that trench looks painful.

some serious work there mate. Have you settled on a fish once the goldies have cycled the system?

Use the talcum powder to get the dog to dig the trench next time!

Really neat set-up.

Very neat. I like it.

Looks like you'll be able to grow some tall plants (trees?) in that shed!

Very nice and I love your narrative of how things should/shouldn't be done