Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi All,

I'm new to aquaponics ( been reaing the forum at night for a couple of weeks),
but had fish for a while & the veggie patch out the back is fairly large, the idea of not having to weed sounds good.
The wife hasn't seemed too upset on the plans of growing fish in the back yard but I think that
might change if I get the fishing rod out (lol), or when she has to clean the fish i bring in.

As an introduction to myself, I'm a software/website developer, married with 2 year old twins
(well almost 2, maybe i can get them there very own growbed for their birthday)

I've been looking around at the systems and have seen some really impressive ones, i love the design of
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6895&st=0&sk=t&sd=a but sure it will break the budget.

So for the mean time I'm looking to go with a cheap system. If it works out I can always expand/upgrade

As far as the system is concerned I'm thinking of a flood and drain media based system with
1 growbeds (~ 2000mm x 1000mm),
A FT (not sure on size) with Edible fish(bass or silver perch),
Sump tank (with yabbies)
Pumps/Air pumps to suit based on the actual configuration

I'm thinking of adding later
100-200L barrel ( or extra sump) with glass shrimp
a second grow bed. (~ 2000mm x 1000mm)

So I have a rough idea what I want to do but having troubles finding the cheap way to do it
and with that is my stumbling block.

Bunnings has 500L tanks for < $100 (not sure about the plastic) and it seems a bit small, also it's round
which is not great for the position I'm thinking of placing it, square would work better.
I thought of buying two and joining them top to top with silcone and bolts and cutting out a new roof,
at least this would be tall enough i wouldn't need to fence it off from the kids.

Can anyone advise if this will work, is it safe for the fish ?

Grow bed wise, i've seen two options which seem to match what i'm looking for,
the BYAP grow beds & some black plastic "tubs", not sure where you get the black tubs or are there other options.


Lastly can anyone fill me in on how you stock a system, If i stock the system at 3kg/100L which buying 20mm
fingerlings weighing around 4 gms then 7500 fingerlings seems a bit overstocked to me in a 1000L CHIFT.
So you have to consider growout. How much? Do you stock fingerlings at the intended harvest size ie 1000L harvest at 1kg = 30

Welcome Madjezza.... nice to see another Sydneyite on the forum...

Stock to the latter ratio... i.e ... to intended growout size.... 30kg/1000L...

If, and most people do.... you intend to eat your fish at about the 500-600gm mark... then in a 1000L... you could stock 50-60 fish...

If you really wanted to grow them to 1kg each.... then 30 fish is about your limit...

but this is a bit simplistic.... in reality.... how many fish, of any particular size... you can stock ...

Is totally dependant on how much bio-filtration, and oxygen capacity you have available... particularly when the fish get around the 500gm+ mark... and you're feeding heavily...

Their are several systems near you around the Richmond area... both BYAP kit systems and DIY systems.... which I be happy to arrange a vist to if you wish....

And you and the wife are welcome to come down to Gerringong and have a look around my systems anytime....

Don't know if it's still screening... but C31 community TV.... TVS.... "Living on the Coast" program has a 5 min segment filmed at my place..

Or you watch it on their website...(scroll down)... http://www.livingonthecoast.info/scenes.html

Hi MJ
If you want a square fish tank for around the hundred buck mark check out IBC's like this viewtopic.php?f=18&t=6923&p=219476&hilit=ibc#p219476
and lots of other threads.
they are around 1000 ltr, quite easy to dress up a bit with timber or colourbond panels to make them harder to climb and are a good height for a chift pist system.
They can also be cut down into 2 growbeds.
Usually a few advertised in the Sunday classifieds in most places.
Happy designing

John

Hi Johnh
Yeah I noticed the IBC's on a few of the threads, I even saw one on the side of the road the other day for sale. About a week before I got into AP. For the life of me I can't remember where I saw it.

What do they store in them normally? how do you tell if it's safe?

Thanks
Jeremy

They transport just about any liquid in them,
I think if you avoid any that have had herbicides, insecticides or other poisons you should be fairly safe.
I'd give them a pressure clean and then a couple of rinses - HDPE is fairly impervious so there shouldn't be much residue adsorbed into the plastic.
I've not heard of any horror stories with contamination but I'm sure others will chime in with their ideas.

Welcome aboard!


So? Give the kids rods and teach them to clean the fish. Flatten the barbs on the hooks, just in case. No worries! *grin*


You might take a look at systems using IBCs. These are fairly inexpensive and folks have cut them in half for growbeds and used them whole for fishtanks. If you painted them to protect from UV the plastic would last far longer. You could build a fairly solid lid for the fishtank that would keep the kids out (and, incidentally, shade the water).


Not sure about fish safe, but bet it would leak.


Can't go wrong with BYAP growbed. I'd be tempted to build a box as a stand for the growbed, line it with plastic, and use it as the sump.



3kg/100liter is maximum, final growout, cycled mature system: I'd say 30 to 35 fingerlings. Cycling is always interesting and a bit hairy as ammonia and nitrite levels go into dangerous territory and one tests, adds salt, and does water changes to try to keeps things going. Heck, if you don't mind taking the extra time (or haven't found your fingerlings), just add a few goldfish and let them get started on cycling rather than putting a bunch of more expensive fish into a virgin system.

By the way, with a 1meterx2meter growbed (about 600liters) you would probably not want more than about 9kg of fish.

Hey Jeremy,
The 2x1m BYAP growbed can support 20-25 (5-10cm) advanced fingerlings fish each capable of growing to 500g.
This is what we advise when we sell a 1 bed system, if the 1000l tank has 2 growbeds then it can effectively be doubled 40-50 fish. This is based on the bed being able to support the number of fish fully grown. Of course at which time you would also probably start to harvest and eat them.
Of course this is variable (given experience in fishkeeping), but to people new to aquaponics it is a guideline and we know it works.
Set up the system, plant the plants, add the fish, feed minimal amounts of food, have patience and let nature take its course.
These are the results of someone new to aquaponics and fish keeping. An abundance of vegetables. They are very happy. Out of 25 fish- 24 reached 600-800g in a 1 bed system in the first season. The other one jumped out- you gotta love trout!