Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Greetings everyone, I first learned of aquaponics the week before Christmas, and have put together most of a prototype from a 29 gallon aquarium, and have a basic design for an outdoor system that I wish you more experienced fish farmers would look over and point out any of my misunderstandings before I start building this spring.

I have on hand a 325 gallon (1,230 liter) white plastic tank that I think will work as the fish tank. From my reading, it is recommended to use 2x the FT size in grow media for partial filtration and bacteria growth. That would lead me to 650 gallon (2,460 liter) of GB. I think that would indicate that I need 13 of the blue barrels, cut in half. The half barrel grow beds need both an overflow drain, and a flood and drain of some sort, probably a bell siphon. Each GB needs at least 15 minutes of flood before the water is diverted to the next GB. Could I do away with the siphon if I have both a drain smaller than my inlet pipe, and an overflow drain?

I think I want to build a CHIFT PIST system, with the sump tank doing double duty as a raft bed. Should I use two stages of media filled GB before I drain into the sump tank, or will one be sufficient? From the sump tank/raft bed, my pump, of at least 325 gallon per hour, will fill a NFT pipe system on an A frame over the sump tank/raft bed that drains back into the fish tank. I will need an air pump to aerate the raft bed, and will probably put air stones in the fish tank as well. How deep would you make the sump, and should I put it in the ground to help manage temperature? Ground temperature is 68 to 72 degrees year round.

Thanks for your input,
Nathan

First off, read a bunch of member systems.

Next, I don't think you want a small drain. My sump ran dry at least once do to clogged GB drains (esp from cukes). Next year I'll check my stand pipe for roots.

You definitely want to do CHIFT PIST.

I did have an NFT set up & grew some plants in the ST. Probably a mistake to try so much on the first go round. The NFT did clog up multiple times, draining the ST but none of the fish died do to CHIFT PIST.

Lastly, I think people have regretted using the blue half barrels (cut the long way). I used 20 gal concrete mixing tubs which were inexpensive but it might have been worth it to buy the large rubbermaid troughs - especially the ones with the drains are ready set up.

Hi Nathan....

I think you need to try your hand at Google Sketchup. It's free to download and really helps you with the designing process of your system. Helkps others to understand what your plans are too.. If you search for backyard aquaponics in the 3d google warehouse, there are blue barrels and IBCs and other bits to download.

Hi, ND from FL! Welcome aboard!

I agree with the comments you've already received:
1) sketchup is very nice
2) photos really help us as well
3) many have been disappointed with half barrels, but there are ways of dealing with that....I think.
4) larger drains are important. You can always add reducers..

And to go on....
5) belt and suspenders: things will go wrong
6) go light on fish when starting out. While you CAN have up to 1lb/gallon, having .1 to .3 per gal is much safer, especially at first. I would give long odds against anyone raising fish to maturity at 1lb/gal unless they are expert, high tech, and monitored 24/7.
7) size your growbed for the amt of fish, not size of fish tank. Specs on maximum density are, I think, 1lb(mature weight) per 2 gal, but half to quarter of that would be wiser.
the earth is a great moderator, but if you bury a sump deep enough it can float out when there is a lot of rain. Just make sure the buoyancy keeps it in the ground (simple calculations)
9) uniseals are great: http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories ... /uniseal/0
10) most of this stuff is in the FAQs, probably; in the other threads, certainly. Read up! Have fun!

Yep as they all said.

I'm in Central Florida so can perhaps help with some tips for here.

To start out with a brand new system, I would probably only stock about 1 fish per ten gallons when you start up the new outdoor system. If you find you need more fish later after it is all cycled up, then that is fine but no sense in setting yourself up for disaster before you start. My 300 gallon system only has 30 fish in it and it is doing fine. (I tend to grow fish really big though.)
For some ideas on how one might manage a 300 gallon fish tank with 600 gallons of grow beds without needing a sump tank, check out the 300 gallon system thread link in my signature.

If you must go with blue barrels, you will save money by cutting them round the middle so they are round instead of long ways since if they are cut round the middle all you need is something to put them on, while if you cut them long ways, you have to build more support for them to keep em from bowing out. It is also more difficult to get siphons to work in barrels cut the long ways (can be done but it's more challenging.) Now only go with blue barrels if you are getting food grade ones for really really cheap or free. Otherwise you can probably save money on stands and plumbing by getting 100 gallon stock tanks from tractor supply. I personally rather like deep grow beds.

good Luck and pictures of the intended location and diagrams of plans are much liked here. (I've not gotten very good with sketchup and most of my diagrams are done in Paint )

Would you use the 1 1/4" connector in the stock tank side, or cut a larger one?