Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi All,

I've been reading Aquaponics forums for a while now and i'm super excited to get started but been some delay due to divorce and no idea who the house was going to.

Anyway divorce papers are nearly signed and settled so looking at starting.

I have a 6 person spa about 2mx2m (don't know depth atm) following is a picture of it.


This is my current plan.


As it is just a start up Aquaponics system i'm not too worried about looks. I would like to move it later once i'm happy with everything to build some nice growing beds and make it part of my garden, which needs to be cleaned up.

So this the equipment needed
1) 2 IBC for 4 growing beds - $200
2) Water pump (3000LPH with 3 meter head 45W) - $40
3) Air pump (9LPM 8W) or (45L/M 28W) $40
4) Piping $??
5) Uninterruptible power supply - UPS for when the power goes out. (Free)
6) SPA (came with the house)

In my system i'm looking at prob getting about 30 fish Silver Perch

I do have a couple of questions i hope you can answer.
1) do i need 4 growing beds or could i get away with just 2?
2) Can someone point where i can get a cheap testing kit which has everything i need in it
3) When and where can i get some Silver Perch
4) how much and what size fish food should i get?
5) when do people start add in new fish to their system?
6) 30 fish be ok? too much or need more?

i'm looking at Cycling the system for about 4-6 weeks with just seasol and then add the fish in. I'm not a big vegie eater but i do like my friut so looking at Strawberries, Tomatoes, different types of lettuce, Corn, beans, some herbs and any other fruit i can get to work in Aquaponics.

There is one issue currently which is the spa, as it sits currently, has sunk into the ground about 3cm so when it rains all the crap around the spa gets washed into it. so before i start anything i will have to dig around the spa and block off all the pipes and also raise the Spa about 10-15cm.
All the piping currently are in the garage which is where the new air pump will sit.

Another job is that i will need to make a cover for the Spa for safety. I was looking at making up a nice wooden top for summer and something else for winter.

Thanks for Reading and comments welcome
Regards OBK

1) do i need 4 growing beds or could i get away with just 2?
2) Can someone point where i can get a cheap testing kit which has everything i need in it
3) When and where can i get some Silver Perch
4) how much and what size fish food should i get?
5) when do people start add in new fish to their system?
6) 30 fish be ok? too much or need more?

My thoughts on your questions.

1) My grow beds = More filtration = more fish/veg.
2) Ebay, BYAP Store, regianal BYAP stockist.
3) He will appear here soon
4) 2x IBC's will have about a 2000L filtering capacity, divide that by 25/30 and you'll get your number for a Established system, but it may be limited to the volume of the spa as well.
5) Some start straight away but if Silver pearch are not avaliable yet, you can cycle with something else ie charlie carp, humonia etc.
6) 30 will be fine if you use the 2 IBC's as filtration, and spa volume should be fine.

Go with the larger air pump just in case you go for trout down the track.
Looks like a nice area for an AP System.

What a fantastic spot for a system and fish tank provided. So envious
Great work and keep posting pics of progress

Thanks Lyndon.
OK i guess i'm a bit worried about if all growing beds are full there will not be a lot of water left in the fish tank. For the 2nd question i sort of want an example on what one i should get, can i buy one big kit that has everything i need or will i have to buy multiple.

Thanks for answering the other questions


here are some more photos from sketchup. Please note that i have no finished this stechup model.

Holy crap thats awsome!!!!


Try this for a start.
api freshwater master test kit.

Thanks RupertofOz i thought you might be the man to talk to

I just don't want to kill the fish while i cycle . I might read a bit more on cycling with fish.

question 5. was more like, once my system is up and running for a year or so when do people restock there fish? do you clean out the system and start again? or just add more fish every year.

Just add more fish

Ok new Photos;

Covers off the spa. I have cleaned this once before. You can see around the edge the crap that gets wached in because the spa is sitting so low


Water is out and still so much to do


Ok nearly cleaned. I removed the pavers around the edge.


looks the spa not on sand so going to be hard to pull up.


Removed some of the sand. Might have to just dig down a bit and then put the pavers back. See what tomorrow brings

If you set this up for Constant Flood you can pump to fill all the growbeds until they start to overflow and then just top up the Fish Tank. This level will be maintained except for what evaporates and what is used by the plants. If the power goes out you might have some overflow from the fish tank because of water in the pipes (this depends on how you setup your piping).

Here is My update for the week. Sorry these are just photos at the end of the day.

I have put some Ag pipe at the end near the wall to get the water to run down a drain out and then covered it in blue metal gravel and lowered the soil around the spa and started laying pavers down.

It is a lot of work but little to show. I'm hoping to be finished next weekend and then i can start to cut my IBC's and get them all connected. Plus clean out the spa again due to high winds last week and blown a lot of crap back into the spa.

One of my 2 Rottie's in the background. Prob looking for more stuff to rip up

My Dogs if anyone wanted to a photo

Nice clean up job on the spa and cute dogs!

looking forward to seeing your progress!

Thanks Lonzy... a lot of people would not call them cute but they teddy bears. They look scary but more likely to slobber you to death.

Ok here is my update from the weekend.

Cut down the Palm Tree stumps to ground level I did try to burn them but didn't work. I guess i just got to wait till they rot away.




There is still some stuff that needs to be fixed up but i will do that later while the system is cycling.

Found a friend who said he has tones of goldfish so going to get some of him to start the cycling which should help.

Got a RDO (Day off) this Friday so going to start cutting up the IBC's, getting them in place and run the pipes. Also need to make a cover for the spa.... still thinking about that.

Need to make a shopping list for Friday

Looks like a great system, well done.
The best thing is you have so much space to expand if and when required. Your dogs look great but if they are anything like my inquisitive border collie they will love the fish to death if you get my drift. I have an IBC FT and he loves to stand up on it and watch the fish. If I had the spa arrangment you have I reckon he would be in there for sure.
Thanks for the pics they are great.