Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey guys!

First of all, I just wanted to say that I am very disappointed that "Negative, I am a meat popsicle" is not a valid answer to the question "Are you human?" in the forum registration (yes, I tried it).

Charl and I have been lurking around this forum for a few days, and apart from the above, this seems like a pretty cool place.

We're a pair of super-newbies to Aquaponics. We first heard about it on Better Homes and Gardens a few months ago, and have been talking and planning ever since. Now that the silly season is well and truely over, and things have settled down for us at work, we hope to have a system set up by the end of winter this year.

We're a pretty nerdy couple in our late 20's, and we're into all things arts, crafts and DIY. We bought our first home a little over a 18 months ago, and have been busily fixing, up-dating, and improving it on a shoe-string budget, and now we're ready to start on the yard

We're looking forward to picking your brains and learning alot as we set up our first system, and hopefully making a few friends along the way

-Sarah

It really does sound like you are in the right place Charl and Sarah. You won't run out of pictures and ideas here that will keep you busy, there are also a heaps of free docs on the home page under information if you get stuck. You may experience late night surfing and sleepless nights, that is just one of the side effects. We love photos so feel free to share your thought, ideas and pictures Welcome to our forum!

Hi Charl and Sarah. Welcome to the BYAP Forum.

You can change the answer to the "Are you human?" question in the User Control Panel (as I have if you look to the left).

Welcome guys

@arbe: haha! awesome!

@Faye: I didn't sleep much last night for dreaming about aquaponics actually, is why i decided to sign up

Thanks Charlie!

So, I sent Charl down to Pat the Drum Guy's yesterday to sus out some IBC's and he thinks we can probably get the gluey ones clean pretty easily.

We've got alot of space in the back-yard that's otherwise going to waste, seeing as how our lazy dog would rather be inside, sooo... decided to buy the instructions for Murray Hallum's tank, sump, and 3 bed system... and we're going to collect bits and pieces as we can over the following weeks :-)

We hope have it all up and running in time for spring, cuz the beginning of winter's probably not a great time to start planting seedlings and trying to raise baby fish, so that gives us about 6 months :-)

Hi Charlie and Sarach,

Welcome to forum!

From another South Australian.

Sejin

Winter is a great time for growing fish and food! Trout thrive in the cooler temperatures, as do many of the winter veges. Spring can be a problematic time; too hot for trout, too cold for barramundi, too late to switch over to silver perch; of course autumn is the reverse!

There are a couple of other crow-eaters setting up systems at the moment (their posts are on the forum) so you wont be alone if you decide to kick on with the project now. (Digest their posts to make sure you don't repeat some of their mistakes! )


The IBC of Aquaponics is free and available from the BYAP site (when it comes back up -- they're having some issues with mySQL atm)



Scott

Yep... why buy plans for IBC systems... when you can get them for FREE...

Welcome to the addiction!!!

Doesn't even have to be an IBC system; use your imagination to see a FT as a FT, a GB as GB regardless of whether its made from an IBC, custom concrete, fibreglass, HDPE which means the free book contains plans for hundreds of systems and layouts!


Scott

Yeah, been there done that

Hi Charl & Sarah. Welcome to aquaponics

The PVA drums from Pat Drum-man can be cleaned but it is a lot of work. It took me many hours. If you do get one, get the initial stuff off first with a wet rag. You'll need plenty of rags. After the easy stuff has come off, you need to blast it with a high water pressure device.
After that, a lot more wiping down

All the best, from Glenelg, SA

We got the IBCs of aquaponics as well, but the specific instruction set was only $12, and it saves a lot of messing around working out if this that and the other thing will work, I don't think we know enough about it to start designing our own systems yet, and we're the sort of people who learn by doing things, which can get expensive if you're going by trial and error.

We got 3 gluey Drums. there was some glue dried on the outside of one of them... me being one of those people who likes to peel things, (lables off beer bottles for example) i was peeling it off while we were taling about how to clean them... and it comes off pretty easy, so we were thinking of just opening them up, letting it dry off a bit, and peeling the glue out... will have to hose it out of the taps and whatever but i think it will work....

also, a friend of ours suggested Virginia irrigation for plumming parts, has anyone been there?

Haha, I just started reading your system thread DunderOz, and see that the glue doesn't set in the tanks, bummer....