Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi everybody

This is my future AP pond and the slope to the east where I'll be putting the GBs. Jeez, I've got the lingo down already !!?!

My first question is; what do people recommend I line the brick pond with ?? At this point I'm thinking to paint it with a pond sealer paint and then line it with butyl rubber sheeting.

Would love to hear what you think.

Cheers

Nigel

Pond sealer paint sounds good. Or rubber linner.

Render it first then paint it with a pond sealer. Don't scrape back the render like on a wall, trowel it on and leave a smooth trowelled finish. If you want to round the corners out then cut a piece out of an icecream container and use that to trowel them smooth.

If that is an outdoor area that the pond is adjacent to I would raise the pond wall by another 6 courses, make it double brick (second course on the outside of the existing) so you can sit a nice capper on top as a top ledge, this can be used to sit on and partake in an ale and will stop people from accidentally stepping into the pond. Will give you greater flexibility with fish choice and numbers as well.

+1 ... mine is going to be 900mm above ground for just those reasons. Plus the dog wont get his nose preyed on by the fish.

Thanks Guys

The three open sides that you can see will eventually be a mixture of window, louvres, and a sliding glass door(s) as the pond is literally surrounded by the house. So, I can't make it higher/deeper but can definitely have an ale (Coopers) next to it as I watch the V8 Supercars.

Cheers

Nigel

Ha... gone are the days when people stuck a few bits for an AP system together in the backyard... and thought about covering it later....

Now everyone is incorporating their AP systems into the houses/sheds etc.... from the beginning.....

Good to see it coming along Chillie...

Looks like you have been reading lots of post from here chillidude

most impressed with the brick work this should make a great pond and an even better spot for an ale or 3

hope to see more soon

anymore progress CD

Nocky

The only progress on the system since starting the thread is that I've started using Google Sketchup to start getting an idea of layout (see below).

Our builder, while doing reasonable quality work, does not seem to be organise more than one thing at a time. Nothing happens in parallel with any other task.

The waiting is damn near killing me.

least you can use google sketch, haven't progressed that far but on the other hand I do have a working system builders seem to go like a bat out of hell for a few days, build your confidence, then disappear

Can highly recommend Google Sketchup - couldn't believe it was so easy to use - the online tutorials are short and highly useful.

Downloaded it Nigel, have played with it but would rather draw a picture in the sand and build from that, my first post in my system thread contained this line

seems to work better for me
Hope the builders get on to it, would be great to see if google sketch transforms better than Nocky Sketch

Yeah, I did see that going through your thread.

Not sure if Nocky Sketch would convey the gradient I've got to deal with or the near pinch-out that occurs as between the FT and the GBs as a result of the two buildings.

Will try and get a couple of sump tanks into the sketchup design tonight.

I'll get plenty of photos up once the builder pulls his finger out and things get a bit closer to rock 'n' rolling.

Hi all

I've added a bit more detail to what I'm planning. Mainly the addition of 500 litre sumps under the grow beds, some pipes and my cool little stove pipes I made.

Basically each GB will drain into it's own sump and the higher 2 will drain into the lower 2 which will drain back into the FT. I intend to use the sumps for crustaceans, fingerlings and duckweed. Also, I figure that the more water there is in the system the more stable it is.

Underwater pump will be in the FT. Haven't given any deep thought to which one yet, but most likely the stainless steel beauty that Joel recommends in his book.

I'd greatly appreciate feedback from anybody that cares to give it before I make a move on any of this. According to my logic and science it should work well, but I'm severely lacking in the experience arena.

Cheers

opps - thought I attached this one too