Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I would like to say hello and what a wonderful forum this is.
There is so much information here it's amazing.

I am prepping to build my first aquaponics setup and have learned so much already from here.
I purchased 2 used only once IBCs from a local company that held only food grade oil for $50 each that I am planning to use for a CHIFT PIST setup.
I have found a local hydroponics shop that sells pumps and hydroton as well as beer making equipment if I decide to branch out any.

I have read most of the introduction information and searched a bit but would like to know what the recommended grow bed size for the 275 Gallon IBC CHIFT PIST setup would be?
I plan to put the fish tank on a platform since I cannot bury the sump. Maybe 1 or 2 feet off the ground if possible.
I was thinking of building a table of wood for the time being and lining it or sealing it if possible to use as my grow bed. I haven't found any reasonable grow bed analogs around but I am willing to look at my options if necessary.

I am going to try to get talapia fingerlings locally as my fish of choice but need to find a supplier close if possible.

Other than that I may put some strawberry tubes either running down each side of the bed to the sump or use towers like I have seen around the site.

I look forward to learning more from all of you.
Matt

Hey Matt,

I have an IBC fish tank elevated on concrete blocks. It has worked well, but I think having it elevated has encouraged more temperature swings then if it had just been on the ground. Something to think about anyway.

Isn't Amway based in Raleigh...maybe lots of seconds containers available from them???

Anyway - welcome and good luck!

Hi Matt, welcome to the forum.

Here is a link to get a permit to grow tilapia.
http://www.ncwildlife.org/Fishing/Fish_ ... m#instruct

Welcome to the forum......

its good to have another North Carolinian on board.....

looking forward to progress pics...

jT

Matt,

It is not the size or amount of water in the fish tank/system which dictates the size of the growbed/s, but the amount/weight of fish you wish to keep (note: weight is harvesting weight, not the weight they start off at). Put another way, the larger your growbed volume the more fish you can have.

There is a basic rule of 3kg (approx 6.6lbs) per 100 litres (approx 26.5 US gallons) of growbed volume.

Note: This is maximum stocking density and the weight of the fish is the harvesting weight. If harvesting weight is 500 grams (1.1lbs) then you can have a maximum of 12 fish per 100 litres (approx 26.5 US gallons) of growbed.

Hey Matt, I reckon your best bet is to try and get more IBCs for use as growbeds.

Thanks for the info so far. Haven't had time to work on anything until this weekend.
Got the tops cut on my FT and Sump and got the outsides of them painted.
Looking for 3 or 4 more IBCs that I am going to use the tops and bottoms for GBs.
I am thinking of doing 1 IBC for FT, 1 for Sump and then 6-8 IBC tops/bottoms 12 inches deep for GBs.
Will start a thread on the member systems forum for now so I can keep it going.