Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi folks,
Just got my system up an running. Made up of one IBC FT, a 1500ltr FT, two half barrel marron tanks and three bathtubs as grow beds (one to be added). Running as a timed flood and drain 15/45 with a 10000 ltr/hr pump pulling from both tanks and pumping to the beds and marron tanks. System is well on the way to cycling thanks to a gavel donation from Wavey ( thanks mate).

Two beds will drain into 1500 tank and one bed and the marron tanks will drain to the IBC. Tanks are connected together with 40 mm pipe and everything else is 25 mm. Depending on how the system goes I may put in a bio filter as I cannot. Add anymore growbeds with it being down the side of the house.

Current readings are
PH 7.4
Ammonia 6
Nitrites 5
Nitrates 40

Ammonia trending down and nitrates and nitrites increasing

Planted corn,cucumbers,basil,dill,radish,capsicum,cress,lettuce,tomatoes and watermellon which i will run out of the beds.

Any advice on numbers of fish i can stock would be appreciated.

Bath tubs are about 250L I think so 750L GB so I reckon 20 fish, because you have maron as well producing ammonia

Nice, what is a maron?

Marron are Australia's freshwater crayfish.


These are the blue variety.



And these are a more readily available variety although they are usually more black in colour.

crayfish in the states don't get as big as those australian crays.. but you can get australian "redclaw" crayfish in the states, but don't mix native crayfish with them if you do try them, as "our" crayish carry a disease that "their" crayfish are more susceptable to

Redclaw.

Cool thanks.

I think a bio filter is needed then as I am after more than 20 fish

I like to work on grams of fish per litres of grow bed ratio rather than number of fish.

My personal ratio is 5-10g of fish for every litre of GB. So with 1000L of GB you could have around 5-10kg of fish.

Biofilter won't change a great deal in the way of stocking.. You will probably need solids removals and perhaps some water changes..

Well my first batch of 20 SP are now in residence as my system has cycled ( thanks Wavey ) . Just need to make sure they bed down OK then I can get a few marron in the marron tanks.

And ummm, where are the pics Badger?????? Lol

Where can you source these Charlie? Was thinking of getting a couple for my fish tank. would 2 go ok in a smallish tank?

Up the top faye bit I will add some more tomorrow.