Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I've noticed lots of new people to the world of Aquaponics lately. I think we might want to start a quick list of things to note to hopefully help our new friends avoid some of the pitfalls others have experienced.
These are just some quick points and you can find the answers to the questions these will raise right here for free on the forum.

1- plan enough filtration for your fish (Get your filtration set up before actually getting fish!) This one is important. There are two types of filtration. Solids filtration and bio-filtration, both are needed for healthy fish and then the plants can use up the excess nutrients so they don't build up to dangerous levels or require water changes. There is more to an Aquaponics system that putting plants in the pipes. A flood and drain gravel bed can take care of both types of filtration as well as being a place for the plants to grow. 100 liters of flood and drain gravel bed can support up to 3 kg of grown out fish once they system is mature. Other methods can work but you need both types of filtration usually before the water goes to the plants. Gravel filled pipes don't hold much gravel and they usually get clogged up with roots as well as solids.

2- Choose food safe and fish safe materials. (some metals can kill fish or be bad for humans and even if they won't kill your fish, the water in AP can often corrode away metals and you don't really want your fish tank or grow beds rusting out on you.)

3- Fish safe pumps (ya don't want something that will fail in 6 months because the metals corrode or the seal fails and leaks oil into your fish system.)

4- take the pH of your media into account. (plants might like a lower pH but the fish and bio-filter like the pH a bit higher but avoid media that will keep the pH way too high.)

5- temperature fluctuations can be hard on plants and fish. Shade the fish tank to help this (it will also help against algae blooms) and some shade cloth or afternoon dappled shade for the grow beds in the heat of summer is usually a good idea for places with hot summers.

6- testing. Knowing water temperature, pH, Ammonia levels, Nitrite levels, and Nitrate levels are very important when diagnosing problems or monitoring the cycle up of a system. a freshwater master test kit with the test tubes and drops is usually a very good investment and not too costly anyway.

7- learn a bit about your source water. Especially if you are using city water that might have chemicals in it that need to be neutralized. This is good to check into before you actually put new fish into the water.

8- patients, when you get new fish and start cycling a system, it takes time. Resist the urge to increase the feed too quickly. Do lots of tests to track the progress and remember, fish can go hungry far better than they can survive poor water quality.

I'm sure people will add more to this list but these are the most common issues I've so far seen that give people trouble.

Great idea TCL... especially as the forum is now so vast...

I'll try and contribute a few things as I think of them

First thoughts are... take the time to read the basic info about aquaponic systems...

Browse through some of the older members systems... you'll not only find photos and ideas, but discussion about many of the things that work... and don't work.. it'll save you time, and money in the long run...

When you've got a handle on how things work, and an idea of what you might build... post your idea/design up... and people will point out any problems/shortfalls in your design...

Again... it will save you time .. and money.... and get you running with a successful and bountiful systems in half the time...

Above all else... as TCL says... patience... it will be rewarded..

9 - Learn to use the Search function. All questions have been asked and answered already. Maybe not quite but pretty much it's true. New users should have to go through a tutorial or something to make sure they know how to use it.

I agree about recommending that new people read the Basic Information section as well as the Useful Information section. Both have lots of explanations to help understanding. A lot of info there about chemistry, Nitrogen cycle, water, algae, pH, etc.

There is also a glossary or a list of terms that get thrown around a lot and reading some threads will be easier if you understand what CHIFT PIST means or RSG filter. These are terms kinda invented here to make discussion quicker in the typing but they require some explanation and those can be found.

I understand that the search function has it's limitations but do give it a try and see if you are lucky and find your answers quickly. If not, go ahead and ask the question, some one who has been around might be able to point you to some threads that discuss the topic in detail or give you a search phrase that will help you find what you are looking for. Then again, some answers are quick enough that some of us might just answer you rather than searching for a thread first.

Salt(sea salt with no additives). 1 to 2ppt = 1 to 2kgs per 1000ltrs of water. Makes the fish happy and counters the nitrite while cycling.

about system setups - it's also good idea to know how much growbed to fish tank and maybe sumptank volume you need and also the way the water gets around. There are many many ways of doing this and it would save lots of money and time and reinventing the wheel if you have a look at what layouts others have done so you don't make the same mistakes.

The system either won't work or will take a LOOOOOng time to cycle if it's very big or very small with inadequate amount of fish or plants.

I've been on a lot of internet forums (Damsel), and have often made the same plea when I was tired of repeating basics.

Many forums have lousy search features but this one has one of the most useful searches I've ever come across. With a little patience and sifting I've been able to answer 90% of the questions I've had so far -- often with the Metric to English conversions already done for me.

if you find a forums search function isnt up to scratch, you can google search a site. This allows you to do things like use quotes (exact match) or plus and minus (must have, must not have) so a search on google like this using the site: function like this...

+"Dave Donley" +"DamselandDread" +"Damsel" site:backyardaquaponics.com

gets you only the previous post (two hits for me, because it's also in trending topics when I just did it, but will probably return this post as well now)

Anyway, whatever... I might be useful.

I am looking into fish pumps for the tanks the only problem is that the currant house I am living in does not have and outdoor power supply. I was looking into the solar powered pump and need to find out if it can work for me or would I have to purchase a powered one and have the electrician to install out door power points or a separate power box for my power aquaponics system.
The other problem is we are thinking of moving from where we are and move up north to be near the boarder of Queensland and NSW. Would it be better if I set up there with a powered pumps for system I thinking of setting up.

Solar is a lot more effort and expense to set up, but you end up with a system that is arguably safer for both you and your fish, provided you don't use an inverter.

Many people just dangle an extension cord out a window. That option, although easy, isn't my idea of a well designed system...

I'll have you know... my system is well designed... and so is the extension cord I run it with...

Thankfully we have a power point in the garage so we can run an extension cord from there. When using extensions outside make sure your plugs are higher than your water level and that they have adequate water proofing. Go nuts with the waterproofing, you won't regret it.

Also some pond pumps come with a really long cord which is thinner than a normal extension. This makes it much better for putting under doorways or through window cracks without having to cut holes in your fly screen. Check out the options with the pumps that you're looking at.

If you are looking at solar, it's worth doing a forum search for "low energy" and any other words like that. There is some good information on low energy systems that run on around 5 watts. Lowering the energy use is by far the most important thing when trying to make a cost effective solar solution.

My search Fu is lacking at the moment, but no doubt someone who can think straight will post a link to some low energy stuff.

Something I don't see mentioned is Dissolved Oxygen. It's important for both fish and plant roots to have lots of O2 in the water. Plant beds will turn anaerobic (low or no )2 in them) and toxic and fish will die rapidly if the O2 is too low.

Alternatively, a high O2 level makes for healthy plants and beds and builds a high level of resilience in fish tanks. In low )2, almost any change will kill your fish - in high )2 they can survive almost anything. (anything normal, that is )

O2 can be increased by creating waterfalls - over weirs, falling from a height back into the tank - by using venturis - a method for adding air into a gravity-driven water flow, or with air pumps.

And if you are in an area where power might be dicey, having a battery-backed air pump running can save your fish. The pumps run on power until it fails then they keep working until the battery goes flat. Without such a source your fish will die rapidly - with it you get time to finish work and come home to find out what caused the outage.