Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi,


many people asked me about aquaponics system sizing and possible yields. Therefore I created a spreadsheet to do some calculations on this. It is just an estimation tool of course because an exact calculation depends on an almost endless list of factors. I'd really like to hear your responds on these calculations so I can further fine tune it. Feel free to comment or send responds. Because I cannot attach .XLS files I give you a link to download the spreadsheet. http://www.locaverdi.com/aquaponics-rekenblad/locaverdi-universal-aquaponics-calculation-sheet-rev1-0/


Regards,

Arnold Boer

owner @ LocaVerdi, Sustainable Aquaponics

I think your spread sheet maths is wrong.
It seems to me that you're basing your calculations on one fish reaching full growth in one day.

You must have stumbled upon an amazing lot of people interested in aquaponics in the last 12 months since you began your aquaponic adventure...

And did you perhaps suggest to them that you only had a small "prototype" system... and couldn't really advise them???


Which basically means, even by your admissions.... that it's basically useless...

There are existing sizing tools and recommendations already available... based on reputable academic research.....

Did you think to either include the data into your model... or point people directly to them?

Heck... there even a series of spreadsheets available that were posted by a member from your own country several years ago....

I don't know what he's basing his yields on... judging from his flicker photos... he's only grown a few lettuce and peppers... and only through summer in his homeland....

Could hardly be called a "universal" calculator....

Havent even bothered to look at it

I've been looking through both spreadsheets... presumably for a "commercial" system...

They start with 50,000L.... 5 tanks.... 20 grow beds totalling 166 sq mtr...

So each system is 10,000L.. with 4 grow beds totalling 44 sq mtr.. or 11sq mtr per bed.... damn big beds...

Not specified... but elsewhere it's mentioned that they will be timed "ebb and flow"... (a mistake in itself).. so I assume they're media based...

Assuming they're a metre wide... that makes each bed 11mtr long x 1mtr wide x 0.3mtr deep... a total volume of 3,300L...

Assuming the media takes up 60% of the volume... that means about 1320L of water per bed...

4 beds filling would require about 5280L of water out of the 10,000L tank...

Each tank is stocked (by his figures) with about 600 fish.. which will be swimming around in about 5000L of water...

Even with Tilapia... 600 plate sized fish.. swimming around in 5000L... I'd like to see that... and I think he's going to use diffuser discs...

I suspect the system is probably more likely designed around DWC raft beds... it just doesn't say so any where on the website... probably because he hasn't built one...

You love this stuff don't ya Rupe!...

Nah... actually it disturbs me... greatly...

Reeks of spam.... I will be watching closely