Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have been lurking here for awhile but finally (almost ready) to start a system.
Thanks to everyone for such a great forum full of advice laughs diagrams and images.

I have some questions, I have looked and dont think the answers are on the forums but please redirect me if posting here is incorrect?

I have been running a small test system (flow and drain) with two 250lt tubs using one as a GB and the other as a FT. (gravity feed and pump)
Something I have found is that the pump does not suck up all the sediment from the FT and pump to the GB. Instead is seems to just accumulate on the FT floor.
Is their a method to improve the distribution/uptake of waste as I dont see the system working without the GB getting all that wastes and eventual ammonia build ups etc?
For reference I have goldfish and guppies in th FT and have a large pond which I used to kick start the system with water and sediment.
The only solution to this I have seen was a diagram of a concave FT with an underground pump/pipe which seemed to elaborate and impractical for my set up.

My second question is :
Where do I obtain fish stocks from in Perth WA?
I have been trying to source silver perch from Golden Ponds and http://www.fergusonsprings.com/Aquacult ... lture.html
but both places are out of stock?
Do I need to source from the eastern states or is their somewhere in WA that can supply 100 fingerlings or so?

Look up SLO (solids lifting overflow) for the removal of solids from your fish tank - may need a redesign of your system to implement it.

You may be able to source some fish from a place in Gidgegannup:

CM & M NAGLE MARRON AND FISH FARM
(p) 08 95746012
(f) 08 95746012
(m) 402033917
(e) gidgi_marron@yahoo.com.au
(w) Business Address

Postal Address
324 REEN Road GIDGEGANNUP

Hmm.... lots of questions....

From your description, I am led to believe that you do not have a sump. Hence your system should be gravity drain back to tank... hence the SLO will not work...

Also I just have to ask because I have come across this a number of times. Your existing pump, does it have a sponge filter in there??

I also presume that you are asking these questions for a bigger system. Note that your current setup cannot keep 100 fingerlings alive.

To somewhat resolve the problem you have in your current system, add/secure airstones in the trouble (dead) areas of the tubs... The lifting of the air bubbles will carry the lighter sediments and suspend them and hopefully move them closer to the pump for removal.

For a bigger system, I suggest getting yourself a round tank and locate the pump (sized bigger than required; will explain) in the centre of the round tank. See the photo below. I know it is not exactly centre (as there are ridges at the bottom of the tank). However the general idea is to T the outlet with one side going to the growbeds and the other side feeding back into the tank but with an elbow pointing in one direction. What this does it to great a swirl effect in the tank. Slowly most of the sediments will be swirl towards the centre of the tank where the pump is. This should remove majority of the sediments with just a monthly requirement to stir up those trapped under the pump.

Hence you require a bigger pump to provide the flow to have this swirl effect. Although I would suggest that this setup is used only for a timer flood and drain system so that fishes have a bit of downtime from the exercise...

Ivan, that is such a sweet looking FT.
Ive got FT envy.

Small pumps are never very good at moving solids, there's just not enough flow to physically move them.. Bigger pumps solve this problem to a large extent.

hey swampman, welcoime to the forum

G'day swampman

Thank you kindly for the info
SLO sounds like the way to go, at present not enough flow, but the system on the sketch pad was going to incorporate a pump devoted to flow, but SLO should refine this, cheers.

Thanks for the assistance.

Correct, no sump but the system in design will include devices of that nature.
No sponge filter in current pump, just a small 300lt p/h pump with exposed impeller.
Yep, questions were for larger system, aware of GB-FT ration and fish stocking.

My System when built (doing this on the cheap and slowly using recycled elements until I can afford durables) will consist of two component systems.
System A
and IBC/pod as a sump/overflow tank that is fed and topped up from a 5000/10000 lt pond/swamp.
The IBC will service 9/12 half drum GB's each 100lts
The purpose being to filter the pond/swamp which contains yabbies,marron silver perch, trout koi and and an assortment of smaller fish.
System B
another IBC for top up and possibly yabbies.
a 1000lt FT
x2 250 liter FT and
1200-1800lt of GB.
System B has a connection to system a for backflow/flushing into pond.

I will post some diagrams for scrutiny when i access a camera.

Based on what you are saying im tinkering with the idea of 25mm hose at the T you speak of, but instead of throwing water back in from atop. (and over working the fish)
Perhaps the 25mm hose could run down to a (3/4) circle and sit on the bottom with holes punched in at the correct angles and just agitate the water where the sediment settles constantly forcing it to move and only settle where the pump sucks?
Hopefully this would lessen the current for the fish but still agitate the sediment enough to get sucked up.