Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

It took me a while to work out to what you were referring... it will be the pile of pier liners I had beside the shed, yes?

I've since sold them (to an orchid grower who is going to use them as air ducts - the world's heaviest-duty air ducts).

Our outside, conventional strawberry patch is doing fine, but it would be interesting to try; stormwater pipe is cheap...

Pier liners, eh? Ah well, they were in the background.
I am a bit smitten with strawberry towers, so everything I see that can be used as such... but then again, that would have been alot of gravel to wash.

Now, you're the fella with the very clever jig for making strawberry towers, aren't you? Clever idea.

Probably the thing I like least about my system is that I cut freehand the slots in the drain covers - and they're all over the place.

One of the things I like least is doing a heap of rework because I didn't plan properly.

Today I reran the power for the high and low GPO for each system. Why? Because I realized that having them run down the post outside of each system meant the workbench, between the two systems, didn't have a GPO within reach. So, I moved the two GPOs for the yet-to-be-built Aquaponics Flower II to the post beside the workbench; but of course, my mania for symmetry meant I then had to move the GPOs for the existing system to the equivalent position. I just had to...

Wish I could take credit for original idea on the jig, but alas, i cannot.

But I did make my own style of jig, and my own style of towers.

Keeping an eye on your system build. Waiting for the "wall" to go up.

An exciting morning today; woken at sparrow's-fart by three small children: "the electricity's off! the electricity's off!"

And I haven't yet filled the generator with oil... bugger.

So, fill the genset. But the oil filler's buried within the frame. Must find hose and funnel. Eventually, done.

Now, fuel; that's fine, I have a jerry can of petrol (and another of 2 stroke, and another of diesel) in the shed. But someone who drives a car that runs on unleaded has emptied the jerry can and not refilled it. No names, of course.

Try to siphon some out of the ride-on mower. Virtually empty.

Try to siphon some out of that someone's car. Hose too short to reach fuel level.

Give up and drive to nearest town. Their power's also off; no fuel.

Drive to next town - power's on.

Return, fill genset, hit the starter - battery's flat. Start hauling on the starter cord. Eventually... power!

So, power went off at 0530 (I have a bug zapper suspended over the fishtank, on a timer - and that's when the timer had stopped); genset started at 0715. No air pump for 1 3/4 hours. 22 ~200mm Silver Perch in ~2,500L water - will they be OK?

I would not be worried about it. Some others may chime in and say otherwise, but I believe SP are less DO hungry than trout. And even then, 2 hours without air and filtration wont kill them.

They will be ok we had power out here yesterday for 2 hrs
20 2 kg trout in 1000 litres 40 1/2 kg trout in 1000 litres and other assorted fish all ok

Wayyyy less DO hungry. As Temp goes up, saturation level of DO goes down, and SP like it up around the 30s!

everyone keeps on and on about their HSM moments. makes me want to build a backup system before I get a main pump! Hhhmmm, like FnF, I have the parts around here somewhere...
And what's up with the bug zapper? Is that for what I think it's for? Got pics?

[quote="michaelshewitt"
So, power went off at 0530 (I have a bug zapper suspended over the fishtank, on a timer - and that's when the timer had stopped); genset started at 0715. No air pump for 1 3/4 hours. 22 ~200mm Silver Perch in ~2,500L water - will they be OK?[/quote]

Yes, you're all correct; the fish are fine.

Yes, it is for what you think it's for.

It's suspended over an hinged hatch in the centre of the fishtank, and powered through a timer that turns it on at sunset and off at sunrise:


I'm not yet happy with my fishtank cover, though; I need to frame up the corrugated iron better, and conceal/cover/protect the edges.

On another subject, my broccoli, which was heading up nicely, has bolted.

I guess it could be the wild temperature swings we've been having (but it's OK, the climate's not changing, back to the footy, nothing to see here) or, it could be that whilst I was working on getting the system to fully flood and drain, I had it over-filled with water, so they had permanently wet feet.

It is now fully flooding and draining, thanks to the much-maligned water bridges. Here's the first couple, temporarily held in place with a brick; all four are now in place and properly installed with hangers:


They will eventually become obsolete, when I rework the sump waste interlink plumbing to 90mm - but for now they're doing the job.

Well, after an inexplicable little period in which, although having all the bits I needed to make a start on the Aquaponics Flower II, I instead fiddled about and did other things instead, I have today officially made that start:


Laid the plinth. Tomorrow, cap and level it, and maybe, manpower allowing, put the spa atop.

Gotta get it finished, so I can start on Wall O'Baths I & II, before the fishtanks turn into playhouses:


And of course, tomorrow, I pick up a couple of shallow beds for the NFT experiment.. stay tuned.

I agree with the aforementioned garden hose split to cover the ends of your corrugated tin cover. Could maybe possibly drill holes 1 1/2" along the edges and run wire around the hose to hold it against the tin. Like sewing with wire.