Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well I have been playing for a while now so I thought I should post the details of my first attempt at AP and seek comment, ideas, criticism etc
Due to space restrictions (and Funds) I have decided to go for a 1250L IBC and make a fill and drain system.
I cut the top off the IBC and inverted it directly above the bottom section and used the frame of the IBC (which I had not cut) to support a couple of bits of 4 x 2 timber on which the top (GB) was positioned. See pic attached)
I filled the GB with about 300mm of 10mm blue metal and bought a 20 watt 1000L /Hr pond pump from Bunning’s to pump up to the GB. Then after much indecision I decided to use an Affnan type siphon with a long horizontal 25mm section on the end of the siphon with a piece of 40mm hanging off it with about 40 holes (aiming to get good aeration). I set it up and trialled it for about a week with no glue and it went great, once glued however instant problems!! When the GB got right down the inflow and out flow got into equilibrium and the GB basically stayed empty (wasn't breaking the siphon). Back to the drawing board. Decided to add an air tube to the top of the siphon (like the bell syphons I had seen on YouTube) I fed that into the GB down a 25mm pvc tube near the edge of the GB. Instant success!
I also have the advantage of adjusting the residual water level in the GB by simply raising it up and down.
To avoid UV breakdown of the IBC I covered the out side of he entire unit in black plastic film (apart from a viewing window), with the idea it would also restrict algal growth in the FT.
I then worked out I had relatively low GB capacity for the vol. of the FT so decided to add 4m of 90mm pvc tube to the system (painted black for solar heating) with half the volume of the pump going straight to the GB and the other half going to the GB via the NFT Tube.
So in went a few seedlings and a cup of Ammonia to get things going, I also back flushed the canister filter on our aquarium into the GB
After about 10 days things were going pretty slow on the ammonia consumption front so I started to wonder if the 3 watt air pump with tiny stone was doing the job. That was swapped for a 6 Litre per min pump with a couple of tennis ball size stones. Within a couple of days ammonia was dropping well and now the other day was down to 0. Trites are still about 5 so still waiting for that part of the cycle to kick in.
Hopefully when it is fully cycled there will be some fingerlings of a suitable species available in Perth (none available as I type).

More soon


Pics

Looks pretty good so far!. I am using IBC's and I do like the quick, inexpensive volume that they provide. The siphon looks good and I like the added PVC tube for more filtering capacity. Keep cycling and good luck on the fish hunt.

I am afraid that your 90mm pipe will get blocked up very quickly.

Otherwise its all good

Bunson mentioned that to me as well, I best keep an eye on it.
I have set it up so it has an overflow above the filling point so if it does block it will do so over the GB and not on the ground.

Just got my Barra (30x 120mm) the other day (just in time for a cold snap)
FT temps have been fluctuating 20 to 23 until yesterday. i put 2x 300W heaters in and have the FT covered with an offcut from my pool blanket. thismorning it was 22 after a cold night so hope things will be ok. i am worried i may have PH shocked them! i checked the alkalinity ayesterday and it was about 0 to 40 and PH about 6.2.
I put about 50 gms of NaCo3 which i thought would get it up about 30ppm (1000L FT) ie get it up in stages while checking PH. checked this morning and Alkalinity is about 40 to 80 as i expected but PH has gone up to 7.2. ie a Full PH unit!
What to do? Do I add some acid to drop the PH a bit or leave it and hope for the best.
I asked Tony at Golden ponds what the PH was in the water they cam from and he couldnt tell me he said it was probably 6.5 to 7.0.
I had one floater yesterday (86 gms and 180mm) before the PH adjustment I am assuming it was from cold the previous night.
No more floaters this morning.