Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

hard water for an ap system is not a bad thing since buffering is needed in any case.

If ytou are truly looking commercial , the cost savings with 3-phase electrical supply may well make the difference between profit and loss.
Also you will need to be pushing the bounderies with stocking levels ,, the limiting factor is usually oxygen.
Take a quick look at the bottom of this PDF link,, http://www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/educ ... 0453fs.pdf
Down flow reactors and U-tube. Good reading and reasonably simply but effective aeration.

Good linky Chappo

Thanks OBO ,, that SRAC has a lot of good info. Comes across as well researched , accurate and offers "real world" solutions.
They even spell aeration correctly

Can't do 3 phase, we're at the end of the line (last pole in the branch) and I have enquired several times - they can't or won't do it even if I pay. (Country Energy NSW).

"Truly" commercial - please explain? If 'truly' commercial means extracting maximum profit with externalized costs (social and environmental) as in big 'O' industrial organic, then I will never be 'truly' commercial. If you mean making a return on investment in addition to paying wages, and doing this with minimal externalized costs - OK. If the difference in costs between single and three phase will make or break the operation, then the operation, and economic system that supports it, are both fundamentally flawed.

As we will direct market all AP produce (as we do with our beef, pork, lamb, eggs and honey) there is much fat in the commercial paradigm which will absorb our inefficiencies. Eliminating wholesalers,distributors, and retailers and selling direct does this admirably; or in commercial speak, we are already vertically integrated. The vertical integration more than compensates for the small differences in efficiencies born of economies of scale and power voltages/phases. And the forgoing is assuming conventional prices, we will get a price premium for the AP produce too which will be icing on the cake.

Thanks for the link, I've bookmarked it for further study.

Perhaps it would be a worthwhile investment to contact the "Friendlies" in Hawaii and purchase their complete UVI style DWC plans... about $850, from memory...

Why re-invent the wheel... especially initially.... the UVI model, and adaptions is proven...

I plan to buy the Friendlies DIY commercial package $US895, so about $A1,300. I was actually going to fly over there and pick it up as Jetstar had $A300 return flights to Honolulu ex Sydney, but I was too slow. Still hoping the GFC and swine flu may result in more discounted flights

Am still attracted to media beds though for solids removal/use, as well as for the fruiting vegetables. It's gotta be doable and profitable in combination with UVI/friendly style rafts.

A tip i've seen elswhere on here is to put gravel around the outside of your dug in sump and a pvc pipe sticking out of that - allows you to see if your sump is leaking... can't give credit where it's due though because I can't remember who said it.


Don't forget loss of energy through pipes - the rule of thumb is to go as big as you can because you get a film buildup which reduces ID.

... agreed....