Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ian,

Been enjoying the thread and look forward to seeing the finished product and paper. Have been thinking about making up a flier myself as visitors seem to be a regular event here. (Had a local farmer drop in yesterday and he was blown away. Asked a hundred questions and left saying he wanted to ponder a multiple GH co-op with several other farmers in the area!! He has the influence to make something happen... A flier would have helped him.)

Anyway, thanks for going to the trouble to to do this and, with your permission, I'd like to borrow and modify slightly for this region of the US... Mostly a variation on fish species and a couple minor items...

A side note, I got excited reading your thread to think part of my barrel system was pictured, but alas, those fine looking DIY barrels belong to someone else.

Thanks again for your work to promote this excellent hobby/way of life.

CB

Very nice work there Ian

hmmm
i have been thinking of dressing up my IBC to be more presentable... currently its just wrapped in reed fencing, but I recall someone building a nice wood box... perhaps I could contruct one with 2x12's or buidling a frame and using thin (5/12) mohagany plywood to make it look prettier. thanks for the ideas!

Here's the Handout as a Zipped CorelDraw10 file (CDR) You can un-zip and edit as you wish, both words and pictures.
Wouldn't mind seeing how you amend to suit your area etc.

Thanks IanK

Hi All,
Well here are the Zipped PDFs, and a Zipped DWG file for those of you with AutoCAD, of the planning and design for the DIY IBC as promised.
It is all dimensioned and planned to suit the IBC I had at Home. You can change to suit your own circumstance as required.

The basic design tenet was to have a self-contained, portable and visually appealing AP unit from a standard IBC, UV protected, but available to sit in full sun for Plant Growth.
It includes back up aeration and a sized pump and siphon for the system capacity. Pipe sizes are the minimum I would use.
There may be some changes down the track as I actually construct the unit to this design, but I will certainly document anything that needs amendment to work.
Grow bed depth was a function of where the framing was located at around the 300 deep mark, so that the Siphon had a better chance of operating correctly.
Fish Tank depth was just what was left over. No veiwing panels were incorporated because of the number and type of indentations in the IBC liner itself.
I've found that a shelf at the front helps with putting things on for water testing and for securing items for operation (relays, mini-trunking, lights etc.)

Things to buy are the Castors (work on 75Kg each) and some angle iron. I use Duragal here in Oz, readily available and easy to work with Tek Screws.(no welding)
Your choice of insulation panel; I'm using 75mm thick Solarspan because I have it on hand. 50mm would be fine but a bit costly! (Patio installers have it for sale)
Just use 50mm EPS sheeting and clad it with WP ply or any flat sheeting you like.
Some folded trims are required for the corners, top and bottom of the cladding, I use STRATCO to supply mine to a sketch of the sections required.
The pipe work is pretty standard and I have shown how to use HDPE or uPVC for the "best" arrangement providing by-pass aeration and GB supply.
The siphon design is from the proven one I use at the moment and shouldn't pose any problems in construction or operation.
I will start posting sequence photos when construction commences.

Cheers IanK

i made this from sketchup and photoshop to help illustrate how AP works for my website:
http://aquaponicsinparadise.com/APforum ... 35_18.jpeg

i dont care for how it came out and plan to redo it with actual photos and maybe better flow on the cycle.

Quick update:
Had some spare time on the w/e to do something about the spare IBC as designed.

Firstly; marked out the position of the off centre auto-siphon bulkhead fitting on the screwed IBC lid.


Next, Fitting BH and Cutting Frame.

Cheers IanK

The Final Bulk Head Fitting (25mm diameter) hole in cap,
The frame was cut to suit that which will be required for the GB support.
Frame top removed ready for cutting Liner.

Bit of straightening and welding required to repair framing.
GB liner cut, and removed for cleaning,


Even if you have to hire a geurney, it's far better than Hand Scrubbing and a damn sight quicker!!

Well, that's about all I got done yesterday.

Next Week End will be the fitting of the timber trimmers to hold the Insulation/cladding and ordering the Flashings.
A small word of warning, don't believe everything that read on product boxes!! This alloy bodied light fitting was thought to be the ideal product for lighting the Fish Tank.

But I certainly didn't want all the toxic crap it produced going into my Fish!! I don't know how they get away with marketing this sort of dangerous product, can you imagine what that stuff would be doing to your Fish if it was disolved in the FT water??

Until next week,
Cheers IanK

Looking forward to the next installment!

CB

Looks good Ian and well documented. Nice shot of the angle grinder, but I think you need a bigger drill.

At a guess that light has had a wiring fault to the body or a leak. With power on it was effectively a cathode.
Hope you still have a receipt.
B had some 12vdc 11watt 5 LED plastic body waterproof lights last time I looked. Brought 1 and its survived 6months so far.

Stucco;


Mate; that little Black and Decker 1/2" drill has been a faithful servant to me for 41 years without a hitch!!
Dad bought it for my 18th Birthday in 1968 and it hasn't missed a beat since, 1 set of brush changes in 2001 and a bit of WD40 every now and then, just keeps on keeping on. I have even put a 12" diameter fibre blade in it and used it to cut through a 44 gal drum!! (didn't have an angle grinder then.)
I've been through 6 or 7 other Drills, Angle Drills and Drivers, both 240V and Battery operated in that time (Makita, GMC, Ozito, Bosch and Maktek), but the little B&D outlasts the lot of 'em. They must have known how to make proper electric drills back then!! without the planned obsolesence they have now.

Anyway, it'll do me for a while yet. I'll use the "disposable" shit for the heavy jobs! and still have the little reliable for a while longer.

Cheers IanK

I was just razing… I had a black and Decker that looked similar with all aluminum housing. I used for mixing plaster. It was a pawn shop find that made it through being left out in the rain, dropped in the plaster, dirt and just being totally abused by my helpers for years. I replaced the cord a time or two until some lowlife needed it more than me. I miss that drill. For now, I use the Chinese crap from the box store that is the only thing available. Cheers, Jon