Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

donone - For the last three and a half years we have actively promoted BYAP to our visitors and students of Courses!
The BYAP Work Book and magazines are available for interested folk to have a look at and students are encouraged to join this forum and also to subscribe to the magazine.

Thank you DragonC for your comments. Do hope your property search will soon be over.

Our main aim is to light the blue touch paper and to enthuse others - as we say " If we can do it - You can do it!"
We are all learning together !

WD+OH

Just read the whole thread. WD you have a great system. I would love to be able to grow trout year round

Just read the whole thread and its fantastic and so informative on both the failures and successes. Is great to get some info on how you have done through the winters as well, the last one was terrible, we had some nights at -14. No doubt I will have lots of questions in the future but to start, did you consider catfish at all?

Update:
Just had our second check up visit of 2011 from CEFAS ( our UK regulatory body) - who came to take water temperatures of our 6 fish tanks and to check that all records of fish movements, visitors book etc were all in order and that we were complying with all the regulations.
They are very helpful at all times and seem to be interested in what we are doing!

Things otherwise are ticking over nicely - the plant growth has slowed down with the cooler weather and the new trout all appear to have settled in nicely.
WD and OH

what is the water temp in your system Paul? I'm keeping mine around 16c to keep a good enviroment for nitrification bacteria, plus the benefits of plants root area not getting cold feet! I was considering in joining the course you held in march, but i'll give you a call before to check with you on a few question I might have.

Hi Tony

Water temps for the trout tanks under cover are 11.1C. The outside trout tank half buried in the soil is 10.7C The Carp tanks under cover are 11.C. We have had a very mild autumn up to now so the water temps are OK and there is noticeable growth in the trout fingerlings. I do not think our luck will hold much longer and the temps will drop with the water temps dropping to around the 5c mark or a bit lower.
We cannot apply heat to our 850 and 1000gallon tanks without appearing before the Bankruptcy Court. We work on the basis that the trout and carp will survive very well at these temperatures in the wild so they can get on with it in our tanks.
Hope this helps.

WD and OH.

Good to hear you past the inspection WD.... and good to hear you're keeping them onside, by playing by the rules....

That sort of attitude will benefit aquaponics...

Hi Rupe.

Yes you are right. I am not the greatest lover of bureaucrats but if we do a sloppy job then it reflects badly on everyone and that is a burden we do not wish to carry. As AP is getting off the ground over here we need to keep in with the regulating authority and show them that ,in a small way, we can run a tidy little business. The other aspect is that CEFAS has a lot of very useful contacts as they go round and inspect everyone and we can tap into that.

Just finished scrubbing out one of the tanks as it was accumulating crap on the side and bottom. Only takes a couple of hours and the fish can have fresh rainwater in a nice squeaky clean tank.

WD and OH.

Whilst cleansing of tank takes place - the trout are carefully placed in an aerated tank. This also gives us a chance to check the fish for any defects etc and to make sure that they are growing.
The tanks are cleansed out just a couple of times a year or if they are getting too much gunge on the sides.
All the flushed dirty water goes into the neighbouring greenhouse for the apple mint, lemon verbena and other plants growing in the soil.

WD and OH

what a team!

Just a Question Why do you Scrub the tanks. I would of thought unless you have a HSM that the algae on the side is beneficial for the system..

Juergen

Hi SnowT

Our tanks have gazebo type covers over them so we don't get algae on the sides, what does happen is we get some fish feed residue adhere to the sides and over a period of weeks and months it builds up and cannot be healthy for the fish's environment.

We run quite a strict maintenance routine to keep on top of water quality otherwise the fish go down hill very quickly. This time of the year when the water temps drop is an ideal time to give the tanks a clear out and check the fish for defects.

Doesn't take long and it is worth the effort.

WD and OH

Hi WD

I have just read through this thread (took a while ) and I am very impressed with your set up, didn't realize you were there though. I drive through regularly as my girlfriend lives in Benllech (don't attempt the pronunciation if you don't live in Wales you will only upset the locals )
We would love to come over and have a look at the setup sometime.

By the way, have you had any more thoughts as to keeping the FT's warm this year. I notice you have quite a bit of space there, how about running a communal composting service, if you can get a large enough pile on the go it would generate plenty of heat if turned regularly...all you need is a heat exchange system. Not only do you get free heat, but you also get sell-able compost.

Daf

Good morning Plynlimon
If you wish to call by sometime then give us a ring.

As you mentioned we are not without space here but communal composting is great if you have a community with the commitment to get stuck in a "turn" the compost regularly. Our community, like so many up here, is sparse and asking people to cart their compostibles would be met with some very strange looks and as for turning - well forget it.All our neighbours are farmers and if we wanted a working compost heap I am sure they would provide more than enough to bury the place.
Heat exchangers have been researched and shelved for the time being.

As we keep trout and carp which do quite well without the benefits of heat we will stick to that option for the time being. We did research tilapia but the cost of maintaining temperatures above 60F or 15 C made the whole project unviable. Plus we would not be able to sell the fish in commercial quantities as there is no local demand. Trout we can sell by the wheel barrow load.

What is your system like? We are always interested in new ways of running an AP system.

WD and OH

Hi WD. thanks...I will let you know when I can come over, I can't drive at the mo due to an eye problem, so am having to rely on public transport and/or lifts.

I don't have a system set up as yet, but am hoping to have a small double IBC flood and drain system starting in the new year, that is if I can persuade the girlfriend to let me use her back garden. I am working on the "fresh veg and fish all year round" approach, and with the right amount of leverage I might even squeeze a small poly tunnel in there too

I agree that Tilapia are a non starter round here, far too expensive to run a system at the required temp and as you say there is the "what's that" and "ooh I don't like that" mentality here...trout and carp are definitively the way to go for me.

Pity the composting wouldn't work for you I recon it would be ok over here in Colwyn Bay but I don't have the space. I will have to have a think about some alternatives...shame the solar heating didn't work for you either!

Right, I'm off to check out some of the other members systems and to lay plans for next years adventure.

Daf

We decided to set up a system that could be accommodated in a small area of roughly 20 feet square and exposed to our temperate climate , plus it had to be easily de-constructed for the purposes of student practical exercises.
We put up a small polytunnel frame ( 10 x 15 feet) and covered it in wind break mesh.

Then we constructed a DWC bed from timbers ( 8"x2") and measuring 12 feet long and 4 foot wide.
The capacity of the DWC is 4000 litres. Before it was lined we piled up all the bits and pieces of equipment to build the system in the empty DWC - so the students could see the task in front of them!

Because the DWC was built on uneven concrete it was lined with a thick pond felt liner under a 30 year pond liner.


more to follow !