Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Everyone,

I have been lurking here for quite a while as I was going to go down the DIY way of things, but i recently visited Perth and found time to drop into the BYAP shop. Once we saw and talked to the staff (and joel) we decided to go for there DIY package that consists of the very basics. We are from Melbourne and are currently living in Wickham WA (50km form Karratha) while working up here. So we decided to give this Aquaponics stuff a go in the backyard and see if two average people (that can kill even the most hardy plants) can make this thing work.

Our shipment of gear should be here tomorrow (hopefully, transport up here aint the most reliable) and once we have it positioning the fish tank and grow bed in the backyard will be tricky.
If you dont know currently its 35 everyday and over late Dec - early March its 45 up here every day with very hot winds.

I have two places to setup the gear. One area gets morning sun and from about 12 onwards it starts getting shade untill 2pm its complete shade. But this is in a open area and we get very hot winds and cyclones.

The other area gets part sun all day and there is an area that does receive no sun and I suspect that is where the fish tank should go. I am able to use sail shades in both areas although this area would be easier and probably give better protection from the wind.

What are your thoughts?

Oh and due to that heat I am going to have to grow barra, what a shame.
I have contacted Broom tafe and Anthony (hatchery manager) is going to give me a call back.

Once i get the gear I will start up a members page and we can all watch the destruction together!!

Chris & Jen

Hey Neighbour....Welcome. It aint easy doing BYAP in the North, but it can work. Keep us posted.

Hi Jessy!

It was your post that made the decision to give it a go actually. Onslow is not that far away and temperatures are not that different (well a little bit).
The biggest problem is going to be cyclones, i can cover the fish tank so that it does not get too much water in (plus divert the drain from the growbed) i have ordered one of the air blubbers from BYAP and after all the reading i am thinking of another...... (battery backup and all. Plus i am looking at getting a generator. But i work at cape lambert and power does not USUALLY go down for extended periods of time.)

The grow bed is the big worry in cyclones, its not going to blow away, but i fear all the plants will! and how that will affect the fish etc i dont know. also will all that fresh water effect the bacteria in the bed?

I was actually going ask you if i could come and see the setup working, but i found time when i was in Perth. But if i ever find myself down that way.........

CH

I was looking through the smilies and found this one!

very appropriate as i just got an email that my gear has arrived!!!!!

Guess we know what you are up to this weekend, have fun
Can't wait to see photos.

Yea, lots of stuff on this weekend.

Any comment on the location?

CH

I would pick this spot, morning sun, afternoon shade is good for plant growth.

Cool, glad other people in the North are into it. A lot of station people have been here to see the concept, and its just a matter of time in helping them build a garden too



I found last year the water got too hot to hold the O2 with only one airator, so I always run 2 now......and back up spares are a must, Jandikot is too far away ina crisis. Spare pump, spare airator I believe is essentual.


Yeah for sure when every you feel like a eight hour drive , go for it

Come on Jessy, we drive 8hrs just to get milk up here in the north......



Yea, i have to agree. Wickham is not quite as bad as Onslow but its close.......
I probably still have a month of stuffen around before i get the fish but with summer coming on 35 here most days now, the quicker i can get this thing up and running the better!

regarding that area that get the afternoon shade, it quite open and i will suffer from the hot afternoon winds. I am told that other people around town have really bad problems from that wind (dirt Gardens)

Have you found that to be a problem?

CH

not really, the water cools the plant and even on a timer things are OK, some plants I grew last summer done really well. I have a big mob for scaffolding mesh if you need some to act as a wind break .

Hmmm, i was on deals direct the other day and they had 3.6x3.6 sale shades for $40 i grabbed two. I live in standard town so the wind does not really get up that much (except for cyclones ) so i guess we will have to see.

I would have thought that the midday sun (@45+) would have cooked the plants, bu if it is getting too hot i can allway position a sail shade to give some shade earlier.

Either way i cant wait to start growning my own stuff.

CH

The sun does cook the plants, but then you shade As for a cyclone taking the system away, it should all be covered under house and contents insurance, not that I think it could happen...but if it did.....I put a 40 K cover over my system , just in case something unbelievable happens !!! cost about $300 GIO

Sorry i was not clear, I dont think that the cyclone would take away the bed, (if it can remove a 200+kg growbed, the missing growbed is going to be the least of my problems!!!) it will just remove the plants. But as you said its the bactieria that cleans the the water for the fish, not the plants.
But the insurance is not a bad idea up here for other, LOCAL, reasons......

hey jessy, put up a photo of your growbeds after last years cyclone

this was after we lifted all the shade back up, everything us flat, demolished.