Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

OK everyone, I know I have been saying this for a while, but I am ready to begin the next step in the aquaponics journey! The tax man has been kinda kind which is going to allow me to expand into a more serious system. I am looking at a 4000lt system to hopefully feed the family in a self sustaining manner as possible (did that make sense? just wrote almost 200 school reports so my brain is a bit fried!).

Initially, I was going to build the tank out of treated timber sleepers lined with carpet and pond liner (I've seen a post somewhere in this mass of a forum before but can't find it to save myself), but now am heading towards 4 IBC tanks instead. This will allow separate tanks for different fish and or grading them, with my current set-up used as a nursery for fingerlings or hospital tank. The grow beds, I am hoping to get 8 of the Tilkey Budget Troughs from Ballarat if they still have them, failing that, I will be looking for fibreglass bathtubs from seconds building supplies. I saw a heap of them a few months back for $30 each (no doubt they are gone now) and thought they would be great. Just more plumbing and frame building with these.

After seeing FFs system a while ago and others on the forum, I am going to go for a CHIFT PIST system, with two sumps, one sump per 2 IBC tanks. Alternatively I could go one really big sump not too sure yet on that one. I hope to dig the sump into the ground and pretty much fully submerse it with a float operated dirty water pump.

Preferably I would like to get 2 2000lt tanks or build 2 2000lt tanks out of the pine and carpet and pond liner, but until I can find that post (any help would be greatly appreciated!) I'll have to go the IBCs. I also need to go rectangular as space is limited.

If anyone has any other ideas on affordable/cheap tanks, then please let me know! I can get fibreglass tanks (which I would love) at 2000ish lts each, but once again, they are way over my budget.

For the grow media, as much as I would love clay balls, they are way overpriced, so scoria it is. Bit hard on the hands, but I'm sure I'll live!

Spring/summer fish will be silver perch, maybe some murray cod. Winter fish will definitely be trout! If I could go trout all year round with no fear of killing them due to heat and lack of O2, then I would, but can't guarantee that unfortunately.

As for vegies, anything and everything that the family eats!

Will be working in this over my holidays which are coming up in a week, so I will be taking progress photos and updating as regularly as possible. I will take a photo of my current set up as well as an update.

If there are any suggestions and ideas, particularly about the tanks, then please please please post them!

Cheers all

Quachy

Quachy.. think it's Stewart's thread you're thinking of... viewtopic.php?t=1353

As to tanks... the BYAP 2000L is around $750.... and the 3000L around $1000...

Try your local BYAP distributor Dean (Livebeyond)... http://www.growfresh-aquaponics.com.au/

Placed 4 IBCs on order today. A company in Sydney who supplies them either new ($$$$) or re-conditioned, with a food grade guarantee. The minister for war and finance has approved use of these IBCs only if either I could get them cleansed out safely or have them pre-cleaned. Couldn't be sure of cleaning them myself safely, so went with next best option. Now to get some cheap growbeds!

What do people suggest, 3 IBCs as tanks and 1 IBC as sump or 4 as tanks and one of my 500lt tanks as a sump?

Cheers

Quachy

I would recomend order 1 more and have 2 [connected ] for sumps my 1 is just big enough

Why not cut the tops of each of the four IBC's; you'd have two tanks, two sumps with the four growbeds? You could run them as separate systems?


Scott

I was thinking that I would be cutting it fine, particularly if all the grow beds emptied at once. I might go one as a sump connected to one of my 500lt tanks. That should do the trick I think. Will probably use the sump as a yabbie tank.

The digging begins tomorrow!

Ok digging has started. Question for the experts:

3x 1000lt ft
1x 1000lt sump
3000lt of growbeds
2-3 rows of NFT with water from sump to NFT then to FTs.

Thoughts?

Quachy

Quachy,

I looked at the Tikely troughs about a month ago, Simon still can get them but you must bug him and remind him about it! He is always forgetting.

Anyway I went with the IBC with the top cut off for a grow bed.
My expansion will most likley be an IBC cut in half for 2 more grow beds. pretty cheep if you can pick them up at a good price.
regards
matt,

IBCs to be delivered by Friday. Tikely tubs on order, I have place 8 of them on order but they won't be in until mid october. Plenty of time to get things in order. Will use 6 now and will use the other two at a later date. The photos show the minimal work I have done so far. I didn't take any before photos, but along the wall of the garage were a bunch of trees and shrubs. Pain in the but to remove. The Japanese maple is kinda in the way, but too well established for me to move without killing (plus the root system will be massive). I will have to work around the tree to get my gb configuration right. I am still thinking of NFT system above the tanks and then have them drain directly into the FTs but not sure at the moment.

For the sump, I think I am going to cut one of the IBCs in half and join them (don't have to dig as deep then) and possibly one of the tikley tubs as a supplementary tank on top of the FTs, kinda like a header tank (grow duck weed in here).

I should then have 3000lts in FT, 1000lts sump and 500lt header which I will have two drains, one at the 200lt mark (so there will always be at least 200lts in this for the duckweed) and one at the 500lt mark to avoid overflow. A total of 4500lts.

Grow beds (I'm working on 60% grow media, 40% water) will have 1200lts of water if all full at once (highly unlikely, but I'm sure it could happen).

So, FTs stay constant at 3000lts, growbeds full to 1200lts, leaves sump at 100lts and header at 200lts.

Is my math right here guys? I know there will be a number of variables, but I'm working on these numbers for the moment.

Just playing around with configurations and any feedback will be helpful!

Can't wait until everything gets here!

Quachy

I can see trouble looming with an ibc cut for the sump for what its worth dont cut it you will be sorry
I will call in in the next couple of days and chat

Payed a visit to day man those new looking ibc/s look great it will turn out a nice tidy system
you know we love photos

IBCs arrived today! FF came over also very a look see and gave plenty of great advise. My tubs don't get here for a couple more weeks, so plenty of time for planning and research.

Thought you would have the hole dug by now

yeah you know, I thought I might try digging with a spoon and seeing if I can get it done faster:-)