Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Folks,
This is my first AP system and I decided to run it as a PIST system. It consists of 2 IBC’s, a 105l/min pump and (at the moment) 300l of grow bed. The grow beds have a clear cover incorporated in the stand to prevent damage from wet season downpours and some reduction in UV for the plants.
Keeping things as simple as possible, I arranged a de facto SLO by just plumbing straight to the FT IBC’s factory outlet then running my plumbing vertically up till the desired height for the GB supply. It works really well and pulls out uneaten food and poo nicely. Mechanical removal of these solids is by squares of filter mat and shadecloth at the GB tap. These get cleaned in a bucket of water every 2 weeks or so and the resulting water fed to the houseplants with predictable results.
The pumps outlet into the FT has a ball valve for throttling, an elbow on it so the flow can be directed and a one way valve in the works so there is no noise at restart.
The GB is flood and drain with the pump working 15 on/ 15 off during the day then 15on/ 30off at night when transpiration and evaporation rates are lowest and electricity rates are highest. Draining is the old standpipe/ 9mm hole combo inside a 90mm guard tube. Siphons look interesting but silence was a design requirement and my girlfriend thinks theres enough farting noises going on already. (The dog- you know)
All parts of the system can be isolated by ball valves and there is provision for expansion in the plumbing and pump sizing.
Back-up is a AC/DC air pump delivering 300l/ hr. I will upgrade the battery and have a couple spare for the cyclone season.
After taking advice from forum members in the introduce yourself bit and taking heed of eathbound’s views on animal welfare in an AP system, I stocked with 10 Barramundi fingerings yeserday after an 8 week cycling period, 4 of which had plants in and thriving already. The GB looks like it can take out 0.5ppm NH4 overnight, 5ppm of NO2 in 2 days and the plants reduce NO3 by 30ppm/ 24 hours according to testing over the last 12 days. There is 2 kg of shell grit in the sump and 2 kg of salt in the whole 1300l of water. pH hovers at 6.8- 7
The next GB will be a chopped down IBC giving another 300 odd litres of filtration. Thats next weeks project...
Photos below. Growth is 4 weeks from seed (no fish till yesterday) with last 6 days having a bit of peeponics and Seasol. Half the Bok choi harvested 4 days ago. Those Nitrates had to go somewhere and that Spaghetti squash looks like a likely suspect.

Nice Fishy.... I quite like the idea of having beds out away from the fish tank so people aren;t even sure what's going on when they look at it..

Thanks. That was part of it and I am a bit too lazy to deal with algae. Nice and dark under the house.

Ive never used anything to catch the poo coming from FT to GB. I just let it all go to GB, the worms take care of the rest.

One question, does your SLO pipes run across the bottom of the IBC's? cause those drain valves arent quite at the bottom if you know what I mean. I would be interested to see if they are actually picking up from the bottom.

Hey Charlie,
I don't have worms yet but it's on the list. There is no pipe across the bottom at the outlet. It's actually a bit more than 5mm lower than the floor of the IBC in my ones (SHUTZ) because there is a sort of small molded sump leading to the outlet. I also put it on a pallet with a small fall to the outlet (close to 1:50) In the photos it may not show it, but those mats have caught a fair bit of gunk that came with the fish when I opened their travel bag. The only thing on the bottom of the tank is a bit of brown film and some terrified guppies.
Helping the collection is the way the inlet flow is directed to sweep the bottom of the FT to the outlet sump. Wish my camera could be stuck under water...

The Barra started to eat competitively this evening. I was wondering when they would kick off. I got floating pellets for them but they wouldn't look at them till I soaked and squeezed a few to make some sinkers. Thru the day they were still a bit shy so I tried on sundown and WHAMMO! I also made a few 100mm pipe hidey holes for them and most lost their forehead stripe a day later.
They were 150mm fish from Betta Barra in Yungaburra @$4/ea. I paid for larger ones that already thought that people=feeding and perhaps that eased things along. Also, Les the owner there is a very nice guy and I was happy to be giving him my money.
Is it strange to stare at plants and fish while drinking beer every afternoon? My neighbours don't understand...

Obviously they don't understand mate. Throw a stubby at em....

Don't waste the stubby.... unless it's empty of course...

Umm we understand, so you are in good company SF I think we all have friends and family, that don't quite get it.

Cool setup SF, big pipes!

Thanks everyone 'sniff' for your support 'sniff'. Now I can skip my meetings at AP-A.A.

Thanks Dave, even with the 50mm pipes to the grow bed, I have to throttle the pump outlet into the FT till I can open up plumbing to another grow bed or the FT overflows. Then she will handle the full 105l/min and the Barra will rack up nicely. Already they stack and jostle in the flow and look really happy. They're starting to look up and rise in the water when they see my head pop over which is an unexpected result (given my head...)

I really like the stand /cover.

Cheers Stucco. You can appreciate tropical downpours over there in FL. How do you go with Racoons in that sort of wonderland for them varmints?? Fish AND veggies. Probably keeps em outta the bin right?
I went and looked at your handiwork- Awesome! I cast an enthusiastic eye around the yard again but my girl started muttering something about unfinished HOUSE renovations etc etc.
I'll keep a beedy eye on progress over on your patch from now on.
P.S, Thats some avatar man, goes nicely with the signature.

I’ve only had one raccoon come around to steal fish food, take a dump and wash his butt off in my grow bed. I caught him in the trap and left him there for 18 or so hours and let him go. He or any of his kind hasn’t been back. The sad part is I have a bloodhound that laid there and watched the coon do his thing.

Hi Fishy, what do you have on your SLO inside the IBC's to stop your fish exiting or getting stuck .
Cheers JORGY