Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ok, my little set up isn't planned on being your typical aquaponics setup. It's more a useful tank-pond, however it does involve some of the principles of aquaponics that I can see after reading the forum and the FAQs.

Basically, I have a tank, that is 92x36x45cm. I am looking at growing some waterplants, such as watercress, kangkong, water chestnuts (maybe), and a waterlily and azolla. The first 3 are being grown for food, the latter 2 for their contributions to a healthy water environment. I'm going to stock with fish, but only to eat mosquito larvae, so I'll be looking at Pacific Blue Eyes or Firetail Gudgeons. The other reason for the "pond" is to create a little microsystem to attract more predators to my artificial outdoors environment (if you didnt catch my intro, I have no backyard as the owner put decking down over the grass).

I'd prefer to not have any pumps, as I'm hoping to get a good balance between fish and plants... I toyed with the idea of introducing beneficial microorganisms by putting in some mangrove mud from the river t=just behind us, but it was wisely pointed out to me that I might also introduce disease. I'm not sure how healthy the river is so have scrapped the idea. However if there is anyone on the Gold Coast or in Brisbane with a healthy setup who is willing to donate me some water/muck/mud etc to get my system going I'd be most grateful!

I know thisis a little different to the systems described on this forum but I figure you guys will be the most knowledgable on the subject, so any advice is appreciated.

Hi A, Friday is POETS day so give 'em a day or so and the answers will flow in, I am not sure so don't want to lead you astray (not that that has bothered me too much in the past)

Ell

Hey Anatasia. There are heaps of members here in Brisbane, and I'd give you some water but my systems not up and running yet Sounds like you've given it a bit of thought though. Have you considered how many fish you are going to stock since you aren't going to have any way of increasing DO levels?

Donarto, how embarrassing, but what is DO? *newbie alert* hehe.

Don't think i've said "Hi" yet. Hi

DO is Dissolved oxygen and is a major limiting factor to how many fiosh you can stock in a pont with no means of incresing dissolved ocygen.

A simple paddle wheel does wonders (in comparison to nothing)

Other terms oyu may encounter to do with oxygen...........BOD Biological Oxygen demand, this include fish bacteria and all the other living things in your pond down to the algae

Some light salinity mangroves and sedge grass will pull your water about for you which should provide enough movement for bare minimum of fish ie: 1 or 2 gambusia or gudgeons. These plants are magic in that they'll take in and expire large volumes of water daily through their root systems. In effect causing a mixing in their environment.

It is entirely possible for plats to recirculate their water with no input at all from anything mechanical however you need to be a bit of a clever bastard and muck around splitting plants in half at the root base to do it.

Your parameters sound entirely feasible.

you can buy bugs from an Aquarium to cycle quicker. Ask them.

the water from the HEALTHY koi pond would probably be better thoguh, more complete range of microbe eco system, what do you thibk, AA?

Also water movement can be achieved by having shallow areas and deeper areas in your pond. Shallow areas heat the water causing convection currents in the water, sucking the colder water from down low. The use this theory in many natural swimnmming pools.

I figure the waterlily, watercress and kangkong will clean and oxygenate the water, I thought however they did this through the leaves as well as the roots?

If I'm just looking at movement in the water, won't the fish move the water as well? I suppose I could rig up something, ideally I don't want to use anything electrical, rather have a self-contained unit where I don't have to worry about blackouts or anything untoward. I'll look into sedge most definitely, they are good for dams after all which generally don't have pumps or moving water. Bugs also, what about yabbies and/or snails?

Thanks for the help, much appreciated .

LOL I had the page open for a while so missed the last two posts.

I will definitely have shallow and deep areas. Kangkong and watercress don't like to be drowned so I will have to situate them closer to the surface than waterlily, creating shallows.

Don't plants oxygenate during the day, but consume O2 when there is no light? Maybe that is just algea.

yep, that's all plants. At night the plants increase the oxygen demand on the system while they transpire. Only during the daylight do they photosynthesise and produce oxygen

hold it jaymie you saying that plants need more DO during the night? is this so? dont some people turn off their systems at night?

Plants use oxygen at night, so imo night time is more important to keep up aeration

I do agree Steve. A healthy Koi pond would have excellent bacteria provided it is a biologically filtered koi pond.

Nice tip on the shallow/deep end EB. I love how shape causes dynamics in physics, it's relatively virgin territory imo.

Aero dynamics, fluid dynamics, barely touched the surface of it imo.