Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yep still got a few marron left and silvers about 100-150 , Ive got my new tank arriving tomorrow morning, I hope to put some trout in there this winter, arrived just in time for the long weekend should give me enough time to set it up. Ive never eaten trout by itself only on pizza at the royal show... some lady doing a cooking demo, really good cook I`ll have to look through the posts for some cooking ideas

Hi Mark

Ahhh, new toy. Always fun. What better way to spend a long weekend!
How big is the tank? Is it a replacement or expansion?

Like everyone who starts out small, I have my dream of something bigger than my current 500L experiment. A 9000L system with estimated output of 360 fish a year, three harvests of 120 every 4 months, supposing 120 fully grown silvers will fit in a 5000L tank. That should hopefully provide two families with year round veggies and about 4 fish a week per family. Gunna take a bit of setting up, which is why I'm looking at yours with interest. All pics very much appreciated.

Hi Aquapete, this tank is part of the big plan to fill the green house, its a 12,500ltrs(if filled to the top). Originally i was going to do four 3000ltr tanks but i gain extra space in the green house by using the bigger tank. I have two 3000ltr already as you may have seen in some previous pics, one of those is my sump also used for some adult marron. the original plan was to have just the four 3000ltr tanks but i gain about 10,000lts to the hole finished system by going in this direction, I gain volume from the bigger tank and I gain from the extra space for more of my extendable grow beds(another four) each about 1000ltrs... all up I`m guessing about 45,000ltrs. Pics will be coming

Well tanks in place, filter stand made and filters in and working, now i`ll just run it for a day or so to degas the water (bore water) b4 running with the rest of the system. With that done i`ll have a go at making a swirl filter for the solids removal, have seen one made b4 using air to run it (no pumps)
Here are some pics of the tank

one more, sorry about the shade cloth covering the tops

Awesome tank. Looks like it only takes up half the width of the green house. Good fit. 45kL system is gunna be fun.

I take it the filters are waterfall type filters with some sort of bio-balls or something in them? I'm surprised the edges of the tank can support that sort of weight. Another nice weld job there too mate.

Great progress. Are new fish next or do you need to build and install more growbeds first?

Trout arive soon, have orded 300 carnt wait. I`ll have to keep an eye on the water temp still 23c and my silvers are still feeding well. Closing the green house up at night is keeping it nice and warm.
If you have a look back to the fist page you`ll see the inners of the filters, its lots of plastic pices, got them for $50 bucks each, they have I guess about 125-150lts inside(200ltr container) they cam from an ex barra farm unused!
The growbeds are the next things that i have to get stuck into

Nice one.... Are you just going to divert some of your flow through the filters or will you have a separate pump for them?

Hi EB, each tank with fish has its own filter system and pump with separate pumps for recirculating to the rest of the system, that way when i get new fish in or suspect disease they can be quarantined at the flick of a switch,ie. turn of the recirc pump to the rest of the system for that tank... thats the plan for now

just some update photos

Here are some comparisons from plants using Flood and Drain DWC and regular DWC

Please note I`m not trying to prove any points or get into debates of the best growing senarios these are just my own observations that i`m sharing

The testing ground is a DWC growbed with a lip on the sides to support a sheet of polystyrene, one sheet was cut thinner to fit between these lips so it would float all the time when the water level went up and down wich was 150mm (there abouts)
both plants are growen in the same growbed exept one was floating all the time(Roots submerged all the time)
The other drained like your normal flood and drain got air to the roots half the time

Now the growbeds dose have extra air lines and moving water as well I`ll show this in another post(3 pics max limit per post)

found a pic showing the lip holding sheet

I'm guessing the bigger root system is on flood/drain?

Nice system btw.

Yeah which one is which? Is privatteer right?