Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have been thoroughly intrigued by Aquaponics for a couple of years now and just put some cash towards making a system. finding IBC totes in Gainesville, FL USA is dam impossible if you don't know where to look.

I found two IBC's from a lumber yard that had dye in them for wood chips. This stuff was dried on the bottom and about 2" thick. I made the gamble and bought two of them after spotting environment friendly labeling on the sides.

both ball valves were shot so I used a couple 2" cast to cast fittings from the hardware store and connected the two to form one large tank. They are both holding water and seem to be already stable for fish. I filled them two days ago and the test strips are not showing anything but default readings. I bought a 3000 GPH pump and put it in the tanks to act as a power head and an airater which is now overkill , first hand experience and a very wet one at that.

I am still waiting for something evil to pop up out of these totes but other than a slight off color they appear to be fine. Has anyone had exp with IBC and dyes? is it safe? am I going to grow a third eye?

I am also having troubles locating pea gravel here without lime in it everything around this area is lime rock so it's in all the quarry stuff. Anyone have a cheap sub suggestion?

I was thinking of building a swirl filter and going with rafts but the trough material is putting me off on the cost at 300$ +shipping and I still need to proof these IBC's before I continue. I have some guppies in the still tank right now and they seem to love having 200+ gallons to zoom around in. Still alive in day 2 from entry to system.

After I get the basics of the cycles and fish rotations I want to build something a lot more ambitious my family is a lot bigger than most and we eat more than the house payment a month.

Welcome aboard

Ive used some fairly gnarly totes in the past, the fish are a good indication if anything nasty is leaching. I think with a good scrub with chlorine and a pressure clean they should be fine.

Im not sure what media suppliers you have around but there is heaps of other options than pea gravel like blue metal, scoria, crushed brick, river rock etc etc.

Good luck

blue metal?

CLM1981 - just put water in them and throw in a couple of cheap goldfish and see if they're OK with it. If they are, then there's a very good chance that your other fish will be

usually basalt gravel, crushed rock basically.

Well I found some good river rock and a price on some lava rock just not sure which to go with. the river rock is going to be 130$ a Cubic Yard and the lava rock is 290$ for a Cubic Yard with minimum of 5 yard delivery. So i am wondering is it going to make a whole hill a beans between the two? besides weight...

can you test the river rock to see if there's any limestone? if so, you don't want to use it.. other than that,, i use riverrock, and a little hydroton

I dropped a handful of it in some white vinegar and got no bubbles so it passes the basics from what I have read. I am trying to build this system out to get a handle on the basics for about a year and then build a "project" run of alot bigger proportions. I am leaning toward the concrete sunk in the ground the more I look at things, for raft grow-beds. have to wait for more funding to free up to continue, so beings the self control.

Eating more than a house payment a month is a good excuse to get into AP! TCLynx is from Florida, and she is using a number of medias, but the one that is intriguing is expanded shale. It seems readily available in your neck of the woods.

most of the rock yards around are selling river rock and crushed limestone. I will look for the expanded shale.

still haven't gotten the rock but I unpacked the camera. life is harsh on the shoe string budget. but here are some pictures of the works in progress.

more photos

went out and caught some red belly, blue belly brim and some guppies they are swimming in the system now they are using the whole tank and exploring it. how long until i know if it's not leaching stuff to kill them. I don't want to prep fingerlings and ruin an entire run if I can avoid it.

if you connect tanks make sure there is a pass through screen or the fish can get chewed 2" brim made it through the pipe exploring and found my rather large pump waiting for a snack....

3rd day since adding the pond fish. Green slime has shown up and I found a floater in the still tank who looks like the bigger fish were eating his tail but I'm not sure pictures below. I think the green slime is algae. The water tests are still coming up negative for nitrites and nitrates. PH in the water is not moving at all.

pictures of the tanks and the mystery fish tale.

more photos