Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

G'day my name's Ashley and I'm thinking about setting up a aquaponics set with a couple of IBCs and a dirty water pump if I can do that? so yeah I have a few questions. If I had two 1000L IBCs could I use one dirty water pump of say 2000L/h? Also do I need to worry about Ph and chlorine from the tap water etc. Would the dirty water pump be in one and just pumps through both? Also which is better the water always going through or filling up to a certain point then draining. I live in the perth hills there are kookaburras and other birds probably looking for a free meal would they go for my fish? And lastly can i grow freshwater mussels in with the fish?

Cheers ashleys

Hi Ashley, a little more info on your plans would be nice, but essentially the answer to all of your questions is yes.

yeah I don't really have much plans just see what happens basically I want to get two IBCs and cu em so the grow beds 300L then 700L for the fish and yeah get a dirty water pump I'm just trying to get all the specific details right so i don't kill the fish and waste a lot of money.

Hey Ashleys....

Just keep reading through the forum here, you'll pick it up fairly quickly. There's a fair few different ways that you can set up 2 IBC's to make yourself a pretty good system.

cheers earthbound would something like this work?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/FULLY-SUBMERSIBL ... 20b72ee3fd

I'm sure it would work, dunno for how long, I've never tried one of those pumps. You can but try.

just chenc how high the head is on it, some fountain pumps struggle

what do you mean by the head? the top of it?

How high it will pump water:)

Ah right cheers might buy one of them and a coupla ibcs then I found an ad in the quokka that was selling them for $50 so if i get 2 and that dirty water pump should only set me back $150 plus money for the fish and veges

And gb media and plumbing and all the bits n pieces it's addicting stuff this ap

I would go for 3 ibcs and a decent pump. For a couple of hundred dollars more you could have a really good system.

I've have a few kookaburras hanging around and a blue kingfisher. Use Weldmesh or similar fencing to make covers over the fish tanks and you'll be OK. The covers will also help if you need to add shadcloth to block sunlight to shop algae growing in the fish tank.

haha true mate but still not as expensive as setting up a snake enclosure and buying the snake (I have a stimson's python).
mantis I'm a student and don't have a job atm so im thinking as long as the pump of ebay gets delivered i think it should do the job.
And ok cheers bythebrook I'll put a mesh over the top to keep the kookaburras out and to stop algae growth in it

ooh ive always wanted a pet snake
im a student too, believe me this AP can be done on a shoestring budget, just have patience, make the system with what you have, and go round all the council pick ups
i also have everyone i know looking out for tanks etc etc, keeps me on my toes