Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

great, thanks Dufflight

As of next week will be retired, two years earlier than anticipated but well welcomed.

My plans to do away with the sumps got already under way and already run into trouble.
The heap of dirt seems to grow exponentially to the size of the hole excavated.

Looks like my bright idea to store the dirt under the GBs for lack of other way of disposing of it will result in a split level AP.
Should have sold it on E-Bay with the provision of the buyer to dig it out himself.
Will bury the FTs deep enough to allow for a direct drain from the GBs.

Aaaah digging Its amazing how much the dirt pile exceeds the hole dimensions

Did make some progress, trying to KISS as much as feasible.

One IBC running for some time now with all the fingerlings in it while working on the rest.
Plants in the original four ½ barrel GBs were transplanted or composted before rebuilding
and expanding to six ½ barrels.

Those plants in it now were all transplanted in without loses.
Wouldn’t be so easy in a dirt garden.

Second IBC and a Tub already in place, also the IBC’s GBs and plumbing nearly finished.

Plants from the original five ½ barrel GB were transplanted to the new one
and this one rebuild and expanded to six ½ barrels.
Both GB rows were repositioned.

That pawing is temporary only, will have to redo it after I finish and know how much more dirt
I will have to dispose off.

Ever thought of replacing the barrels with 1/2 IBC's? Heaps less plumbing.

yes, I did OBO, the IBC FTs are under cover while GBs in the sun, not sure but expect
the b/barrels to be more u/violet resistant than the translucent IBCs
and I already did have the GBs, just reshuffled them.

Also the IBC cost me $200 each washed out (from recyclers),
while the b/barrels are $20 each also washed out, all used once only.

Stopped to have a look at the weeping hoses at B every time I vent there but weren't game
to use them for air bars until I noticed you were using them, works pretty well, thanks.

Twas chappo's idea that

I read it somewhere ,, can't take credit. Works well in one of my 800 square meter lakes in Thailand. Just 40 metres of that with a good pump , running 4 hours has meant near 50% increased stocking density.
But whole thing over there now is being converted to a fish farm , quite a few foreigners ( German Aus , Pommy) have moved into town and love to fish my larger ( 4,000 sq metre ) Lakes.
1,000 Barra added a few weeks back , they will fatten very fast on the baBY TILAPIA:)

Just about finished rebuilding my AP sys.
Three separate units, two IBCs and one Green Tub, each with six ½ barrel GBs.
And the little single Green Barrel sys.

Each FT have two pumps alternatively flooding three GBs on timed syphon.

Emptied, pulled apart, repositioned and rebuild all he GBs, one sys. at a time.

Still have all the fingerlings in the fist IBC, except for a dozen cats, have put six into the second IBC and six in the Tub to test the water.

Water in the first IBC is nearly crystal clear, to catch the cats, I just put the net in and they practically swam into it.
Would be very different with the SPs, they are either huddled in the corners or darting around.

Feeding them only a little every second or third day and still have to scoop most of the food from the bottom the next day
so there’s not much in the GBs to show off.

It maybe too late now but next cold season will try the trout for sure.

Still have some work to do on the site and a clean up as well but have other priorities right now so it will have to wait.

Another shot from the other end and the Tub’s still bare GBs outside the shadehouse.

Nice work Steve.
Neat plumbing

Thank scottt, and it is properly glued.

Amazing the effect a few oC warmer nite/day have on the fish, especially if you can see them.
Every one of them out and about. Not hiding in the corners.
Pic taken midmorning, water temp 14oC and rising.

A detail of the popriveted together ½ barrel GBs

And in the green ½ barrel GB have replaced the top half of the 14 mm scoria with 7 mm river gravel.
As I’m using it mostly for cuttings propagation it makes work much easier.
It is a quarantine unit if needed, with only a couple goldies in residence for now.

Have discarded all of the chunky cocopeat coir, was getting too mushy.
Takes too much work and time to sift out the dust and soak and drain it three or four times
before it can be used and still it takes ages for the water to clear.

Always were saying that their dog and two cats will be our only grandchildren.

But on mothers day they came with the news that they are expecting and that it is not another kitten.
As he already announced, my SIL KP will be a daddy
and me a granddad.


Have mentioned on another thread about my “weeping hose” air bar getting blocked, colonised by the bacteria most probably.

It is my B/Up sys. so not used normally, discovered the problem during a check up.
Will have to do the checks more often.
As OBO said, would not happen if used all the time.

Tried to flush the w/hoses but it didn’t help much so replaced each with two 10 inch PVC Encased Air Bars.

Nocky recommended boiling those hoses, thanks Nocky, will try it,
Hopefully boiling the “PVC Encased Air Bars” will help as well if / when they get blocked.

On the previous post, one of the air pumps is a “power failure” Back Up,
the other is on a timer, 15 min on twice per day to prevent the air diffusers getting blocked.

Started on another little project, my DW's Fairy Garden corner, still far from being finished.

The lemon Bacopa (caroliniana) is doing well within the moist scoria but the growth above is dying,
so will try it in this system as an aquatic together with B. monnieri.

In one “aquarium” forum came across a simple idea to suck out deposits.
A piece of tube, stopped by a finger on top, put into the aquarium's spot to be cleaned, release finger to allow deposits to be sucked in,
plug the tube on top again and pull out fast and empty.

Adapted it for my need, 65mm DWV with both ends reduced to 40mm.
Works sweet for getting the muck out from the IBC’s outlet depression.