Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Whoa! Looks real good!!

Quick quiz. How big around is the smallest fingerling I am likely to start with? That is to say, what size mesh could I use to partition my tank?

While I'm here, has anyone tried this? I'm curious if it causes fish to damage themselves on something they can't see or if it might be better to make a more solid barrier, especially if I wanted to mix fish that might not like each other. I was thinking I could overlap Barra and Trout.

I really need these GBs to rock up so I can start to answer a few of these questions myself!!

Dex.

To answer an earlier question.... blue metal gravel is probably the cheapest media... go for a size of around 20mm.... and wash it...

Yes, I thought so. There are piles, hundreds of metres long beside the highway here. I'm not sure I can order the size I want from the highways department though, so I might just have to accept what's on offer.

No thoughts on my tank partition? I had the idea that I could grow two sorts of fish for 7 months each maybe, or some combination that added up to more than 12 months, but ready to eat Barra might hurt themselves trying to get to fresh Trout fingerlings in April.

Anyway, I'm thinking too much. I need to go do some doing or it'll be next Christmas instead of this Christmas.

Dex.

a 10mm screen should be okay

I know this gets covered a lot, and I saw a quite involved discussion on here recently. And it's no doubt hard work repeating yourself to newbs so I'll rephrase the question and hope no one has anything sharp in their hand.
Most talk is centred around a 1:1 ratio of GBs (empty?) to FT volume. Given a media displacement of 50% (?), that means you need to be prepared to drop your waterlevel in your FT to half, or have another supply of water (CHIFT-PIST or return sump). I had intended to use 5 Tilkey tubs (funny that Tilkey ends up with the name here when they are just a distributor and it's a sideline at that), totaling 2500L or there abouts with about 5000L of FT. 1:2 ratio. "Lower stocking rates", is the call from the flash seats. So, could it be said that an average stocking rate of 3kg per 100L of water (?) could actually be translated to suggest 3kg per 100L GB capacity?

Dex.

I suppose... might be a better way of looking at it...

Certainly works in your case.... as 3kg/100L of fish tank, would translate to 150kg of fish in your 5000L....

But with only 2500L of growbed.... using 3kg/100L of growbed... would give you 75kg of fish...

And that's probably about right...

I'm going to call the top 400mm of my FT the sump, and the bottom 400 or so is FT. I'd better let the fish know.

Hi,

My wife is Adelaide for tomorrow and I hope she can find time to visit a retailer of any sort. I haven't started my system yet so what should I be looking to buy so I can jump straight in as soon as my GBs arrive? My only thoughts are some bacteria and a water testing kit. It'd would be ideal if there was a shop (or someone who just sells some stuff on the side) from about Parafield outwards because it would be on her way home, but wherever.

Dexter.

A test kit is a must Dexter... when first starting a system...

Bacteria in a bottle... forget it... find a friend with an aquarium, or another AP'er .... and ask for about 20L of their water... squeezings from their filters etc...

Of course you'll need a pump.... and lots of plumbing bits and pieces... if you don't already have them...

And then there's the media for your growbeds....

If you're going to use expanded clay... then you can probably get most stuff from a good hydro shop...

Or online... there's a few good online sites that can supply most of what you'd need at reasonable prices...

heheh dejavu

you are going to have trouble with your water clarity though....do not expect to keep your water crystal clear until you reach close to 1:1 ratio.

OK. Grow beds have arrived and the rusty tailgate has been chopped, welded and painted (I hate welding sheet). Now these Budget Troughs. How have people been propping them up? They look a bit flimsy on the bottom and so my idea of an angle iron frame might need some reinforcing. Timber deck under them? Some sort of reinforcing mesh welded in. Or they tougher than they look? Maybe spending millions on hydroton is the go after all. Nah! I can buy a fair bit of steel for the price of clay.

Dex.

whoops, wrong topic (edited)

Grow media? Any sort of gravel will do? As long as it's clean, right?