Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well here goes, finally I have decided to start a thread on my planned system. I have been lurking around the forum since discovering it around 12months ago trying to get ideas etc.

Firstly I will give you all a bit of a background into why and where I wish to develop my system then I will be asking for advice and help in overcoming some of my issues along the way.

My wife and I operate a Devonshire teahouse and garden wedding venue from our property just outside of Mackay. We have 43 acres of which around 9 acres is gardens and the remainder natural rainforest. A number of years ago we relocated an old (100+years) railway station and renovated it for the teahouse and 2 years ago I decided to build myself a wood fired pizza oven just because I could. Since then business has really taken off and we are now doing around 100 pizza’s every weekend. While reading an unknown book a few years back I came across an article about Joel’s Dream and was instantly hooked on the idea of growing my own vegies and fish and now that we are spending a considerable amount of our hard earned cash each week on greens etc I have convinced the other half that Aquaponics would be a great investment and it would also add another dimension to the business (she does not really need to know that we won't save money). Apart from wanting to supplement our greens supply for the teahouse I also want it to be a bit of a drawcard due to the organic aspect. People also seem to be drawn to water and fish and I am hoping that this will entice additional patronage.

Near the teahouse I have a shade house we are no longer using which is 24m x 14.4m x 3.6mhigh and I have just finished clearing out the weeds, so now I have a completely blank canvas. I hope to build a fish tank around about 20,000l but only have around 5,000l of grow beds and keep stocking levels to suit.
Below are a few photos (hopefully) and I will add more details as I progress, bearing in mind that this is a long term project as I am also in the process of owner building a new house for my wife and she just cannot see the funny side of me spending all my time on the aquaponics.


I will have to wait until my daughter gets home to attach photos as I am a little technologically challenged.

sounds very kewl

Cant wait for photos

Think I might have figured it out so here goes....

View of the Teahouse

Another shot of Teahouse

The All important Pizza Oven

The Shadehouse ready for Aquaponics

Only really have one Pizza Oven.
Here is the shadehouse

i would almost give my left nut to have that shadehouse in my backyard

Nice place, has a good feeling about it. You're really cranking out the pizza with just one oven. How long to cook a pizza?

Yeah, shadehouse been sitting idle for about 3 years waiting for me to get off my butt and do something with it. Well the time has come.

Pizza's take about 4 minutes each and I can cook 6 at a time so no real drama's. Biggest day we have had is around 140 pizza. Cooking them is the easy part, making the dough and putting them together is what takes the time.

Nice place you have there Dwayno.

With that magnificent shade house I don't think I'd bother taking on the fight of trying to get a pond inside the house.

The pond in the house wasn't my idea. Mrs Chilli and the architect pulled a swifty during the design stage and took out the large aquarium I wanted, and put the pond into the design to compensate me. That was before I had found aquaponics, so it really backfired on her in the end.

that'll teach em

And i would almost give a right one for it, so you'd have a pair

Yeah, damn nice shade house Dwayno... now get cracking and use it...

And Gnash and freoboy look willing to donate body parts if you run out of food

nut pizza ??

you know in some countries the testicles of a young bull are a delecasy, and only offered to the most important people in society

I have been working on a few design ideas in my head and have a couple of questions which some of you might be able to give your thoughts on.

I was looking at having my grow beds made by a local rainwater tank manufacture in an oblong shap 2400long x 1200w x 300d but was a little concerned they might bow at the middle with all the wait of the media and water, thoughts would be appreciated.

Don't want to get 8 of them made and find out they will be no good.


cheers