Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

The flow from the fish tank is by a low level 2" pipe with an isolator ball valve to a filter made out of a 50 gallon blue barrel.

We are experimenting with a home made filter which receives the fish water and swirls around the bottom of the barrel before flowing up through the first layer of japanese matting. On top of the matting is a mesh laundry bag filled with plastic media.

and on top of this another layer of japanese matting.

We have fitted a small tap at the bottom of the filter barrel to drain off solids. The water then flows from the filter through 32 mm pipe to each of 6 half barrel gb`s. The media in the gbs is a mixture of old and new hydroton with worms and worm casts already present ( Not by design but beneficial none the less)
Each growbed feed has an ball valve for isolation and for balancing the flow across the whole setup. Water is returned to the DWC by 50mm pipes.
More to follow......

You can see the system running here !

The pump in the4 bottom of the DWC is a Fishmate 3000 with a regulated flow to keep everything balanced.

Air stones are positioned in the fish tank (2)filter(1) and DWC(2)to keep everything aerated.
In the DWC are 2 sheets of 50ml polystyrene ( 4feet x4 feet) with 56 mesh pots sunk in each sheet, which will hold lettuce plants.

The system is now up and running and we will introduce common and mirror carp very slowly as weather and system permits.

The students did a good job having been hammered with theory all morning and homework on the previous evening .
There are lots of other pictures which we took but we thought we would put these upto start with ! so that you could throw your questions and criticisms our way.....

WD and OH

Way to go guys...

Nice adaption to the space, guys - great to see - thanks

Keep those students flowing.... Good to see they have projects to make them think and get their hands dirty..

Earthbound - It is the only way to learn as you say " getting your hands dirty". The theory and the classroom are very necessary but at the end of the day you learn far more by building things.
We have just been sorting out the carp ready to go into the system and they have grown really big in the 18 months since we bought them as fingerling size. Next year we should be able to offer them for sale or eat them ourselves.
We will keep this thread up to date with the veggies.

WD and OH.

Hi Phil and Rowena

Sorry it's taken me so long to get onto here, I've been super busy with the council elections, and haven't really had time to think about Aquaponics. I didn't win, so now it's onto the Aquaponics with a vengeance! I've had my recovery time, so am planning to get the bits I need to do this over the weekend.

This post is fab, I decided that I want to pretty much replicate this system in my poly tunnel, so the detail you have put in is wonderful, I just need to compile my shopping list straight from here!

Hopefully should have the system built in the next couple of weeks, weather permitting of course, and will post my pics and experience here.....

Esther x

June 2012 update:
The DWC has got lettuce ( some ready to harvest and sell), rocket and water spinach which we are trialing for our *Salad Mix*. Keep you posted if its any good.


Good root development and no signs of rot.

Nelson - our Kerry Blue (phantom water drinker) and you can see the blue half barrel growbeds in the background with watercress and cauliflowers in.

More to follow !

As this system is in a sheltered hot spot - the fish tank containing carp could get a bit too warm so we have lagged the outside with Thermawrap - an aluminium coated bubble wrap ( £14.99 a roll from Home Base) to reflect the sunlight and keep warm in winter.
The 50 gallon filter will be lagged the same.
We got this idea from an AP system set up in Palestine .
This was attached to the tank with hot glue, and fingers crossed will stay attached and do the trick..

WOW gorgeous green house. Well done.

Thank you Phil and Rowena for your super prompt email response! I have just put my order in for my pipes and fittings, need to get some timber, pump and air stones, which I am going to order through my dad, and I will get my system up and running by the weekend after next at the latest!! (I hope!)

Will post pics here when i do....

Our first system thread was http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=3528, but we thought we would continue on from this years thread.
At this time of year we try and sort out the trout and check all the fish for any obvious problems. The largest ones are culled either directly for sale or frozen for later sale or use.
This morning we only culled 5 fish at a total of 16.3lbs weight. We sell our trout at £2.75 per pound which we find acceptable to the market.


This large rainbow trout was 5.59lbs or about 2.549kg. It has been frozen with its head and tail on probably to have for a Christmas Feast

WD and OH

Wow!

awesome... make my trout look like live bait!!

OMG Fantastic sized trout WD and OH.

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