Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello all, my wife and I have been looking into AP for a while now and we've decided to give it a go. I'm thinking about building a tank much the same as outbackozzie's, steel walled with a liner, and I got onto a company in Wingfield who can make a moulded liner from an inert material called "Geoflex". It comes in .5mm or 1mm thickness and is apparently quite strong.Has anyone heard of this stuff? The fella I spoke to reckons it would do the job no worries and said it would cost $610 for the half mm thick or $945 for the 1mm stuff to fit a tank 3x3x2m with 400mm extra to fold over, which seems pretty cheap. I'm assuming we would be better off $$ wise to build our own tank, either like OBO's or a ply and f/glass type that sits in a steel frame made of RHS to support the sides. I'm a welder and have all the gear to work with steel so would like to try and build as much of the system as I can on a budget, as tight my grip on the last tinnie!!Can anyone offer any suggestions? Thanks Jim and Ranz.

Being from One Tree Hill, and trying to decide on methods on generating enough tank space for next to no $, this sounds like an idea. let me know how it goes.

Has anyone ever thought of using Rhino Liner (the spray on ute liner?) as a tank?

That doesn't seem like too bad a price for such a big tank, but do you still have to built a frame under it? Are you planning a big system to go with such a big tank? Is there any reason why you are going with a square tank? A round rain water tank of a similar size might be cheaper, just cut some sections out of the roof for access.
Have fun
Erik XIV
(ex-Lincolnite)

Cool as

I am going to be trying the ply and paint on liner type of tank for the next lot. I have started to build the frame out of drill rods.

G'day lads, firstly, why square and not round? Simply for space saving reasons as we want to save as much of it as we can. Got to thinkin' today about it and reckon one of those liners I mentioned would be great inside a ply tank (sikaflex to round out the 90deg inside corners maybe) with a snug fitting steel frame(outside the plywood) to support the sides and prevent bowing, for an above ground tank. OBO, I reckon our climate would be very similar to yours, do ya think a tank made like this in a 100% shaded area @ say 2000 ltr cap. would remain cool enough through summer for silver perch? (insulation between steel and timber could lose some heat too I s'pose).Or do you think we would be safer going the buried/larger tank, to keep temps down through the summer? I reckon you've done the trials and will pb'ly save us a few errors having all your earlier posts to reffer to....., thanks in advance! I scored 15 blue barrels today and a 1,000 ltr IBC. The blue Barrels had a detergent used for "washdown" in THE only fish cannery still operating in Oz. So I am guessin' they will be ok but will ring tomoz and find out precise contents so we don't drive all the way and then see "S7" or such on the labels!The IBC had Phosphoric Acid in it, will that be ok to use with a good rinse, and a ph test for a fish tank? I know if I read some more, I'd find out p'bly, but I'm only allowed to study as much as I'm "allowed" to study! Yabbies and goldfish in a smaller system for us first up, to get a feel for it and have some "starter" ready to go when the big one's finished. Anyone else near Port Lincoln into AP? Thanks jimbo&ranz. Hope ya vegies get that big they make ya chooks sh....t!!

I dont think you'll have any problems being too hot for silvers. Where are you on the EP? There have been a couple of people from Pt Lincoln and surrounds say hello here but they were never very active on the forum.

In the Wudinna area, Erik. The Geoflex liners have been used by many AP enthusiasts, an adelaide AP specialist told me today, so we reckon the plywood tanks are a goer. I have a friend who has a dam which is now quite full and has heaps of yabbies in it and he has offered to let us put some fingerlings in there so they can get a head start over the next few months while I build a set-up, and trap them when we're ready to put fish in it. Is that gonna be a good idea? We plan to buy 100 SP fingerlings to release there. They'll travel 5hrs by truck from adelaide, and I wonder if they can cope that long in a plastic bag. How should they be transported? Cheers J&R.

They should travel fine for up to 12 hours if bagged and oxygenated correctly... and packed per bag to the size of the fish...

Talk to Stu (Monya) at the Fish Farm... www.thefishfarm.com.au

I brought 100 Silver Perch back from Grafton last summer... 12 hour trip...

Mind if you can get me the number/name of said firm in wingfield?

Hi Rupert, and thanks for the info, we shouldn't have any problems re: travel time if that's the case. I"ll get in touch with Stu @ the f/farm about some SP. Cheers J&R