Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

A newey from Seymour, Vic.
I have decided to give Aquaponics a go after unsuccessfully competing with earwigs in my veggie patch. I set up a small system a couple of months ago using recycled materials.
I have a 1000ltr IBC as my fish house, and a couple of 220 ltr barrels sliced length ways as my grow beds. They are filled with basalt road gravel and growing all sorts of vegies and herbs at the moment.
Had a distaster a couple of days ago with my fish after a dear little child decided to feed the fish with some horse manure, causing all my fish to sunbake on their back. didn't take long either. They were silver perch (still are but a bit stiffer than before!!!). I have replaced the fish with yabbies until the water settles down again. They have cleaned up the tank so they can stay in there now.
Am looking forward to lots of fun with all this but am prepared for a few stuff ups along the way.

Well hopefully not many stuff ups! I guess you might need a child resistant fence around the system.
Welcome!!!!! and we love pictures!!!

I think will dig a mote around my system just like the castles of old.
Will post some pics when I work out how to transfer from camera to computer. My pinhole camera doesn't seem to have a usb plug on it!!!

A 'hot wire' would be easier, and remembered longer than a wet bum

Welcome and good luck.
Lids on fish tanks are essential for many reasons, I've just added one more to the list.

blocking children before they can do any harm. Seems perfectly reasonable to me. Wish I'd thought of it.

Great Suggestions.

Thanks for all those ideas but have found the perfect solution.
Does anyone know if crocodiles work with aquaponics?

Welcome Curlytop, heaps of helpful info here, and I'm sure most of us have had a few disasters. Our biggest one wasn't caused by a child, but by my other half, who should have known better!

Yeah... I think with crocs... it will be hard to decide on who's feeding who....

You give it a go with the crocs, Curly, and we will know one way or the other whether it will work. Nice knowing ya!!

with freshwater crocs, it would work well, I guess it'd work with salties too but hey, I like my limbs.
The only issue would be whether their faecies would be a health issue to humans. ie do they have worms or the nasty bacteria that cause us grief.
Washing your veggies should help, but in this case I'm not sure "Once bitten, twice shy" is the right approach to be having with one's kids. With burglars, yeah sure, a croc filled moat would be brillliant!