Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So we finally got around to taking more pictures of the system now that it's closer to done. So I figured I should start a new thread instead of tacking it onto the balcony system thread.

Here the outline of the system from when we first started digging the pond.

This picture is after we finished digging, and laid out the pond liner. We were filling it with water and my fiance Josh, was enjoying having a swimming pool.

Nice pond

Strange breed of fish in them though...

Pictures from today.

Here are the growbeds with a makeshift shade cover.
The shade cover is pretty temporary till we can figure out how we really want it to be and can make it more permanent and stable. Right now it doesn't hold up to heavy winds very well.


The one growbed that has plants in it. There's a roma tomato, parsley and thyme. They got a little burnt on one of the days where the shade cover got messed up cause of wind.


Here are some pictures of the pond. I added three water lilies to help with shade, and a fountain. The only reason I added a fountain was because I was hoping the extra aeration would help cool things down. And that's me in the pond trying to clean out some dead leaves and stuff that were on the bottom.






Here's a picture of one of the lilies blooming earlier this week. The water is a lot clearer in this one because yesterday I put the lilies in bigger pots with more dirt and a couple of fertilizer tabs. I think one of the fertilizer tabs might have gotten into the water and turned everything green. I think it should clear up in a couple of days though.



I have a couple of guppies and molly's swimming around in there. I put about 15 from the aquarium system a week ago. Which was right after I'd gotten the lilies and a lot of them died the second day they were in there.

The aquarium system is in shade all day long so it usually tops out in the 80's Fahrenheit. So far the pond has been getting up to 96 or 98 at the hottest points of the day. The average temperature the last few days as been about 108. I think this is really going to limit what kind of fish I can put in it.

Nice looking system there

A few ideas:
- After the water has settled down for a few days to get rid of the chlorine and chloramines chuck in a few goldfish to cycle the system. They are tough as old boots and do the job really well.
- When it settles down and your readings are steady then its time to put in the real fish.
- Give a hoop house a thought over your growth beds. In summer I put shadecloth over mine and in winter plastic sheet. Works really well and can be made to look really neat.
- Some shade over your pond might help with water temperatures and the fish will be more relaxed without direct sunlight.

I will watch the progress of this system.

Wow very cool pond you got there Stephanie! What inspired the mushroom-like design?

Probably... a mushroom...

Sorry Steve... couldn't help myself...

puahaha no worries Rupert, I'm laughing with you

Looking good Steph, I wish i could build with wood, as it is the pesky little termites try eating the steel here...

Yeah you need some sort of cover/ leanto over the pool saves the fish getting scared when they see a shadow and it will be nice to sit under in summer sipping the cocktails in the pond

Well it's supposed to be a skull shape instead of a mushroom shape. We thought it would be cool to have some sort of wierd shape in the back yard that we could see when we look at the house from google earth.

Do gold fish really do that well in water that hot? I thought they would be screwed at 90.

Okay so the temperatures have started to cool down around here and I'm starting to think about adding more big fish now. But it seems to be a real challenge to find anyone that will sell me some blue gill or a fish farm that will actually answer their phone. So frustrating.

have you tried here:
http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/hatcheries.shtml