Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

We encourage people to post there result online in their thread... it helps diagnose any problems... and/or give advice reagrding cycling...

Be aware, this time of year, and with your temps... cycling could take well over a month...

P.S... if ever you're coming down Gerringong way... give me a buzz/PM... you're welcome to drop in and say hello and have a look around...

She will probably realise it once you start your AP expansion...

Thanks Rupert and Ivan, Good to know I have someone watching my progress.
I'll post my latest test results from time to time, although I must say little has changed in 3 days
Currently - and this is the base readings so I don't expect much... pH 7.8, Ammonia 1.0, Nitrite 0.0, Nitrate 20.
Remembering it's only been going for a few days and the overnight temp is about 0.

Baseline figures provide a means of tracking progress in the future... thanks for posting them...

So now we have another expression for "beer gut". A bit more up market I think

LOL! Ap expansion

If I added beer to the overheads of AP then I would have to find another hobby, pic 2 shows me even trying to breed beer

Now that's some serious work on your AP expansion

Not all mine RM

Mmmmmm Beer! Is that a case of which came first the Emus or the Egg? You'd probably want several breeding pairs just to be on the safe side Nocky!

Hey did anyone notice that Coopers Clear Beer has exactly the same colour as pH test of 7.4?

OK back to the notes... Monday - First day of holidays!
Installed small greenhouse (Bunnings $30) I was going to make something to size myself but for that kind of money I'm prepared to put up with it slightly smaller.
Plants in too... Snowpeas, Broccoli, Baby spinach and strawberries... This range should stretch the greenhouse capabilities. Threw in a handful of worms and castings - probably about 50... They immediately disappeared! Had no difficulty navigating the sharp terracotta.
Gus the Wonderdog helped out a bit.

Day 10? Hard to keep track while on holidays... so much to drink about - so little time!

Just added a nifty water level monitor to help tweak the flood level - in reality it's a plastic toothbrush holder in the GB... but it does let me see the exact level of water - so as not to flood too high (algae) and not too low (drying out roots). Also put in simple timer to turn pump off at night (so water doesn't get colder) still very cold here after about 6pm.

Still trying to clean up the murky water... now running filter screen under outlet tap (quite proud of this little gem of ingenuity) and in pump inlet... Water looks better but tea-coloured - probably more to do with worm castings and seasol than terracotta now. Visibility to 300mm - must remember FT is 600mm deep. Yet another column to add to the spreadsheet!

Terracotta observation - the more you play with it the more it makes red dust! Don't think initial washing would have helped.

Plants all looking good, greenhouse works a treat!
Counted 8 out of 10 of the test fish (comets) they have started eating.

I'm smashing the lawn with constant visits to the AP system...
Buried the power cable yesterday, and did some tidying up... Apparently my wife thinks MY vacation is HER chance to get things done around the house!!! Foolish assumption on her part I'd say

Tidying up now your showing off

I know Nocky...
Something about being on holidays VS being at work (read: sitting around all day in a conference...) but I did get this great toy...

PS: Hope my bike parts get here tomorrow... I have no transport - my ute is getting a new gearbox...

Looking good.

My only major comment when I saw the first pictures of the system were that the clear tubing is going to grow nasty green stuff that can sluff off and block holes. Protect that clear tubing from sun and you will be better off or in some cases, you might just want to swap it for non translucent tubing or just regular PVC pipe. Ah but that will probably come with the expansion as you start taking over the yard

Welcome to the addiction.

I'm sure I mentioned painting some AP inspired pics... here's a yabbie and a couple of fish... still working on adding more fish... but aren't we all!

NB: the blue AP tank inspired by Nocky's.