Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Since this sites been such a valuable source of info decided to record my own work in progress.
Remember way back reading Fayes setup shortly after it went in. I now own my own house and finished the major works inside.

Started by tearing down and rebuilding a shed with rusted out roof. Relocated it at the same time to back of the block on the side with vehicle access.
Original pond and shed right outside back door. Pond/garden was done by me as soon as I moved in but cats kept killing the fish. Took a lot of sand removal and mulch replacement to get any gardens going. Water just disappears otherwise.


Left me with a slab so began with a fish pond with some brinks already on the property. Hot work since was in middle of summer. Pond was done in 3 sections but each part was done by pouring the walls then filling in the bottom as one piece.




Completed and sealed to help prevent lime leaching.


Filled and few plants thrown in. Just before I began a series of trips away for annual maintenance on sites.


After banging my head against a wall for a few months finally got approval from council for new patio/greenhouse
Now just waiting on suppliers for the materials. They took my 50% deposit and "lost" the order!

Meanwhile had some mixed luck with growbeds. No luck getting safe IBC's or bathtubs but scored a round trough very cheap with only minor damage.


One thing about sand... fast digging. Amazing the number of bottles, bricks, and toys I dug up.



Old pond against the small shed is going to be used for duckweed etc.

You're well on your way there Priv... and thanks for sharing the progress....

Posting pics of the evolution of a system often helps others who are just starting out.... welcome...

Very nice.
Yes sand is great for digging in. And sweet potatoes, little else.

Since I am on the waiting list for potential growbeds at every place I can think of I decided to buy 2 from Perth. Local hydroponics shop just looked at me strange..
Luckily I had a maintenance trip with just myself and after the flight was able to detour before starting the 3hr drive home.

Today its raining so I started on the stands. Just couldn't afford to spend 800$ for 2 galvanized ones.

$230 of steel from the local scrap/metal merchant.


Since my drop saw is not the best for accurate 45deg cuts I cut at 90deg and took a tab out of the right angle.



Didn't realize I had split some much paint just as well its a shed


Now all I can do is twiddle my thumbs until the patio materials arrive.

I can tell that you are having fun Priv with all the effort that you have gone too so far. Looks great and thankyou for sharing. Can't wait to see the progress of your system.

Got tired of walking over some old piles of grass clippings thrown behind the garden shed to get to where I have the trickle filter for the pond.
This little sod came out from the middle quite annoyed at being woken.

Guessing probably a dugite from the black head, which for the non Aussies is highly venomous. Decided to find something else to do for the day

After a long delay finally got a delivery of the materials I was waiting on for the patio/shadehouse. Over the last couple days got the frame up. Somehow they made lean-too 90mm shorter than the given measurement so there's been a little creative redesign and a new order of tin for it.
It also ended up quite a bit higher than it was supposed to be, hopefully noone complains to the council.

Looking good there, most people start off with a small sytem like yours and like them you will probably build a bigger system when you get serious about it.

Hi Privatteer,

very nice setup, fishtank looks great. The dividers in the tank are they supports or to divide the tank if you keep several fish species?

Well done and God bless, froggo.

Supports mainly cause I poured it in 3 sections and I like to over-engineer.
Also allow me to drain the tank to that level and empty out a bay for cleaning or god forbid repair while still keeping some plants or fish in other bays. They are about 300mm high out of 600mm high tank.

I do get a little buildup of crud in the 2 sections without active drain, but a quick 10min swirl with a spare pump every couple weeks sends it on its way. So far I haven't even bothered setting up the venturi cleaner and canister/pump I had for vacuuming the bottom of the old small pond.

The nurseries look at me strange.
The plumber's supply looks at me condescendingly.
The spa shop looks at me strange.
The irrigation shop looks at me like a three-headed crawdad. With polka dots.
The county extension agent looks at me like there's still hope.
The aquarium shop looks at me curiously.
The soil yard looks at me a bit impatiently.
My local hydroponics shop almost "gets it."
I finally got to the water garden place and we couldn't quite figure out exactly what each others' ultimate goal is... but they are very nice and have decent air pumps.

No one can fit Aquaponicists into their existing categories.

That's why I am 100% convinced we are on to something useful, nay indispensable. A keystone species.

And Priv, you rock!! I request that you over-photograph your overengineering details.

Rick

I had not planned on putting fish in the main pond for a few months but my parents cleaned out a few of the farm water troughs and found the mozzie control goldfish had bred like crazy.
So a lot went into their ponds and a dozen ended up in mine while I was still away.

Been 2 months or so and a number still have tails that the last half is white and sort of translucent. Does not appear to be frayed so I am just keeping an eye on it.
Water parms:
PH: 8.6
Ammonia: 0
Nitrates: 0
Phosphate: 2 was 5 originally believe from Sodium-bisulphate I used to initially drop PH after first filled (before fish). Had a few small bits of cement in drain etc.
GH : 7
KH : 6
Salinity 0.37ppt

Just been looking ove your progress Priv... nicely done mate.. going to be a good little system when it's complete....

Long weekends come in handy got a fair bit done and managed to fit in a little more after work this week.
Polycarbonate was a bit of a pain doing it as a complete roof, nowhere to stand so it took some fiddling to get everything attached. Especially the ridge-cap.
Was glad the weather decided to pretend it was spring!


Quality of photo a little average it gets dark fast atm.


Mesh is to keep those damn cats from killing fish plus provide something for the climbing plants.
Local petstore was doing a clearance as moving so picked up some 275L round tubs for 50$. Two under the 2nd growbed give me 500L for fingerlings or I will be able to isolate from main system and turn it into an hospital tank. Put the last 1 under the other growbed as couldn't fit 3 under the 1 growbed as planned.
Little bit disappointed with the growbeds they are not the BYAP ones, were supposed to be 300deep but when I did the first siphon found they are actually only 250mm .


Have not finished the sump mesh, will put an edge around it to prevent any stupid sliced shins/hands.


Waiting on a sequencing valve before I get too involved in the supply lines.

Checked out the nearest local landscape supplier. Had the choice of 15-20mm Bluemental, marble chips at $220 a load, or crushed brick. Pea gravel was more dirt than gravel.
Decided a load of bluemetal would do for starters but something lighter might be better for the top layer?
The brick was a bit random in size and had some really sharp edges.

Coming together very nicely Priv - congrats