Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

HI Guys,
I am new to the forums here and to aquaponics, but have spend the past few weeks studying up (and trying to convince the wife it is worth a go!!) I live in the Perth metro area (West Australia)

Personally i love the idea, my young kids would love the fish and my strawberry and cherry tomato bushes never make it to harvest without being, well, thoroughly foraged before they are ready, and they take too darn long to mature.

My plan is to convert my current vegie patch ( a stone retaining wall around (internals: 120mmx400mmx40mm - depth can be whatever i did it down to though- 2000l?) that i am planning to dig up and line to make my fish tank, and build the grow beds elevated above this, probably out of 2 x halved or 2 x 1/3 IBC. Leaning towards a bell siphon flood/drain but will need to decidefor certain soon. Probably using perch or similar here, I would love barra but i hear without the current they are not as tasty os the wild ones i love. The logistics and piping/pump/need for a sump/mineral addtives/general noobie stuff i have also yet to figure out for cetain. Will finalise research in good time

The wife wants it to "look good" so will probably clad the upper and hide the piping where possible. Since i need to make it appealing to her to, i was wondering if anyone had come across a system that included a water feature of sorts?

How is the water clarity, does it stay relatively clear or more like a typical fish pond green? Would the light exposure lead to algae growth on the feature? cascade maybe used for aeration? Maybe constant flow is the only option if i was to have a water feature?

Anyway thats a bit of a ramble, but i haven't seen anything like what i am thinking.

Here is a pic of the system i as thinking without any water feature. Figuring there is a very good reason why i can find a system with a feature like this ( in addition to the obvious financial inefficiencies of having a mostly useless part to the system!)



Anyway thank in advance for any advice you can give. Dont want to bother with a water feature if it will end up a slime covered eyesore!!!
Cheers
Obe

If this is the water feature she is thinking of I can recommend it .I used this one to aerate the water and keep 50 trout alive during the long hot spell in January.the water stayed up to 6 degrees cooler in that tank than the others.

Theres no reason a water feature couldnt be incorporated, a waterfall would help aerate the water,, just remember to keep it in the shade and maybe not too big, as it will lead to more water temperature fluctuations.
The water in AP systems seems to stay pretty clear from photos i have seen on the net - mine is usually, but not right now.
Btw, pond water shouldnt be green either, i have never had a pond anything but crystal clear, you just need enough flow and plants, a UV clarifier helps too.

Is there any reason you can't shift the GB's to either side of the FT ( tastefully done of course) and run the return water along the rear of the FT to a tastefully done modern looking low chamber with nozzles returning the water the length of the FT, perhaps something a little arty behind this chamber.
I am not being sarcastic BTW as I could almost visualise something like that which could look quite pretty.

Thanks for the feedback guys.



In my head i was thinking of a larger feature, kind of a high glass splashback, or 3-4 30 degree angles chutes with waterfall at each end, each flowing into the top of the next chute with a waterfall. And yes my imagination most certainly outweighs my abilities!


Yeah i think the temp fluctuations might be a big issue position is in full sun on western side of property, not many days below 30C in summer and often up to 40C. put stainless steel chute and i might as well plug the kettle in FT and poach the fish right there and then!!!

Also the location where i have the vege patch atm is not where she wants a feature so i think i will leave the water feature to be a water feature and the AP to be AP (with a waterfall of course!! somehow dammit )


I can visualise what you are suggesting too and I think that would work. Unfortunately my shed is about half a metre to the right of the bed (and on a big concrete slab so not moving) and the house is 2 meters to the left so the bed is probably about it to still allow access around the house (750sqm block size)

So the newer plan - not sketched coz i can't figure out how to split it without redrawing in full, is to have a smaller fish tank (begin small and can always go bigger - sneak a full sized pump in from the start ) So fish tank takes up the middle half - can dig deeper is needed and grow beds either side about but not on a framework just reinforced but mostly supported by the stone wall. Rig up either a curtain flow coming out of a pipe running between the beds or multiple holes to give the waterfall.

Can I use Stainless steel tube just for this section? Or is PVC the best. And what liner/sealant do i need to use?

Also easy to erect a shade cover for summer too.

I really should reread the babble i have just written... but Meh

Cheers
Obe

Are you familiar with the flowform concept, Obelix? It may suit your situation. I am currently investigating the use of some style of flowform for use with 'the puddle', which is a small pool to AP system conversion that I am working on.

I must say it is a beautiful concept, and if do-able with say grow beds in the flow created I could see that being an amazing setup! I have concerns that the cost would be too high for my budget.
Thanks for the suggestion, I hadn't come across the concept before and could be wrong on the economics of that sort of setup.

Think I am working towards smaller feature providing some aeration with elegance and the sustainability AP is really designed for.

Been thinking overnight, lots of small holes probably equals high clog and failure risk?

Should I add a filter on the intake of the waterfall pipe? I spose that could affect my bell siphon?

Is there a size that is less likely to clog?

Or do I just try figure some sort of overflow to eliminate any immediate problems if the. Holes do clog?

Obe

Couple of thoughts - if you want the waterfall and you're concerned about the clogging, put it after the GB's - if you have the system tuned right the water coming from the GB's will be clean. Or you could add a swirl or radial solids filter to make sure it is clog-free.

Could you perhaps cover an area to the side for the feature? This would remove direct sunlight from your feature without affecting the system itself. A series of pools, perhaps with high sides and a spout and you could have a variety of habitats or materials in the bowls and a small waterfall between each bowl.

Also, you're worried about heat but you would like to run barra? I'd say you've got opportunity right there. You might need to put your feature under a glass or polycarb canopy to reduce evapouration loss but why not use the feature to warm the water for your barra?

Oversize your pump and run some of the water back to the FT to generate the current you want and you have warm, clean, running water, a feature for the missus, fresh veggies and herbs and barra.

The cover over the feature would help ensure the temps stay up a bit in winter too.

If it were me, i would get a flat rock - volcanic type - and simply place that hanging over the FT with water running over it, simple, looks nice enough, adds a little nature to what is really just an "industrial looking" thing (no AP that i have seen looks close to natural) and adds decent aeration.

I wouldnt go for holes under about 3 mm - even that would probably need cleaning a bit, not neccessarily because of fish waste, but perhaps bits of roots returning to FT or algae growth on the very edge of the holes, also when there is water and nutrients flowing through a pipe, that builds up too.

If you want to run Barra, then in the sun might be ok, just remember that to help keep temps up you would want to not run the feature at night when its cold, Also if it a feature with surface area (ie a rock) then algae will build up and take some nutrients. However ive found that a different type (?) of algae grows after a while, very dark, more like a seaweed, which if broken off fish like to eat.

i've got a waterfall....

Hmmm, I can see the water is falling, so technically a waterfall! If only the wife was happy with that.

with a bit ingenuity pretty much anything is possible with aquaponics

Ask her indoors what she regards as a water feature and then we can go from there.

I would not downsize on the FT and with the measurements you have, you will only get one GB from an IBC on the shed side and it will have to float ie three supports. There again you have room enough on the shed side to put a smallish sump under the IBC. I would go continuous flow (more water in the system) and you could possibly divert some of the water to an NFT across what is left of the back of your FT (approx 700-750mm) to grow fancy lettuce/ herbs.

maybe what you really need is a better wife?

nah, seriously, if you can think of it, you can add it to aquaponics.