Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

We have a Community garden area not far from us in Brunswick call CERES and there they have built what Stephen is calling a Community Hub system (http://www.ceres.org.au/greentech/aquaponics).

The idea behind the project is for community to run the AP systems and to provide them with fish and veggies.

It's a pretty neat set-up they have a shipping container as the main fish tank, it houses 2 fish tanks one for each of the 2 deep water grow beds.



The right side is well stocked with Silver Perch which have been in since February last year.



The left tank has only a few SP's but will be be stocked with trout in a few weeks.

The flows via a SLO out of the FT's into an IBC settling tank then through some filtering material before entering the deep water grow beds that have foam floating rafts.

You can see the IBC's in front of the Shipping container.

Like most floating raft systems the idea it to plant from one end
and harvest from the other.

The seedling in the foreground were planted on the 11th of May.



The basil is just about finished. All produce is currently used in the CRES cafe.

nice lookng system, not much filtration going on though unless the IBCs are big biofilters

Once the was has come to the end of the GB it is pumped back up to fish tans to start all over again.



This a is a photo from the door looking back up the green house.





I would like the thank Stephen for showing us around the system. Stephen also runs an Aquaponics work shop at CERES a couple of time a year when there is enough interest, I met Stephen last year when he bought a group doing the work shop to my place to look at our system at home.

Yes you are correct I did get that wrong the IBC's are huge bio filters.

looking at the website theres gonna be 5 more units. very cool

Are you sure it's not a settling tank in the IBC? Otherwise I wonder how they get the solids out..

I hope they like eating basil.

I read about it in the papers and called for a look see and was told if i wanted to look i would have to pay
I always thought ceres was a comunity thing

I hope they keep some motivation and keep the thing going. Looks like it might already be slipping by the way side a little by the amount of plants in it..

Guess that's one of the problems with big systems, takes a lot of work to keep them going, the planting and harvesting alone is a lot of work.

The right tank has silvers and they have gone off their food due to the weather, hence the amount of veggies it can sustain has reduced. The left side only has 10kg of silver in there, but they are about put a heap of trout into that tank and ramp up the output for that side.

I'm surprised that the system isn't fully planted out and humming....

"Sort of Commercial".... Nah.... nowhere even near commercial....

I went there last year and just walked straight in.

they have big plans/ideas but are hoping the community can look after it???
Sounds a little risky If I were in simons position I'll insure that there are the right people on the job...
Not a very big sump tank??? Might overflow if the pump stops???

I love the idea

That's what I put in the heading, it was more to do with the layout and design. It was never designed as a commercial system to make money. It has always been an idea for local groups to have a way of getting fresh produce in a co-op manner.

CRES is a community based group with limited funds and one guy trying to look after it and do three other things at the same time.
They may not have it planted out and humming along but they are giving it a go and from what I have seen and heard from Stephen they happy to pass on what they learn to the rest of us.

There just doing the Aussie thing and given it a go

Stephen said if anyone wanted to come along and have a look to give him a call and would be happy to show them around.

Maybe when the whether is a bit better in spring we organise a day trip for the Vic forum members?

We didn't have long there today as the weather is filthy here today and we had our 4 month old with us she wasn't as impressed with the set-up as I was.

I like the idea, but also have concerns about it being community based..... is there one person in control of feeding the fish otherwise every man and there dog will be throwing food in!