Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi! This is my first post herre on this forum. Pretty excited! I have been interested in aquaponics for a while and have been doing some reasearch. I purchased some IBC tanks and am making two systems. One for me and one for a friend. Using 3 IBC tanks, one fish tank and 2 40" x 48" grow beds. Planning on growing indoors but considering doing an outdoor system at some point too. We can get into those details / reason later. Here is where I am at so far:



Dont have a truck right now so the Cadi will have to do.











Planning on growing your typical vegetables, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, some herbs, maybe mellons, strawberries, etc (who knows?). I understand that growing indoors is not the most efficient, but I want to do this for a few reasons. This is mostly a science project to determine if this is possible / feasable for cold weather climates during the winter, etc. I plan on growing Talapia.

Question #1: What lights should I use? I am ok with spending some money on LEDs if it makes sense to do so. Can LED lights do the job from start thru fruiting of the tomatoes and strawberries?

Question #2: How important is the size and quality of the growin medium? Any recomendations?

Question #3: I would like to maximize the amount of fish in the tank at some point. Do you think I will need a swirl filter or a bio filter?

Question #4: Do chicks dig dudes who like Aquaponics?

I am more of a do-er than a researcher some times. Lets hear what you have to say!

Welcome Mr Green

Very neat system your designing there. I like your pipework.


#1 - Ill let someone with experience answer that one.

#2 - Media options are endless. Pea gravel, blue metal, scoria, clayballs, river stone, crushed quartz etc. Weight is a consideration when choosing media. Clayballs are you lightest option but are more expensive. Look for something that fits your budget and size it to about 10-30mm.

#3 - Fish stock density must to be calculated on filtration volume, and to some degree water volume. We recommend stocking 25 fish (assuming your growing out to 500g) per 500L of grow bed. You have about 400L of grow bed so 40 fish is a good safe stock. You also dont want to exceed 1 fish per 20L of fish tank volume. If you want more fish, yes you will need more filtration.

#4 - Absolutely.

Feel free to ask as many questions as you like. Thats what we are here for.

There's just something exotically exciting... about a virgin system....

Those numbers dont add up! dudes gonna be confused.

#4. Not in my experience.

Woops, I was looking at the 2 GBs and got myself confused. Sorry, 20 fish is a safe amount for 400L. Man, Im slow today.

Oh whos victorian now then hey???

My dad is so sometimes a bit of it sneaks through...

I always thought there was a bit of mongrel in ya Charlie...

Good looking build mate!! i love new neat builds.

As for your questions...

Question #1: What lights should I use? I am ok with spending some money on LEDs if it makes sense to do so. Can LED lights do the job from start thru fruiting of the tomatoes and strawberries?
I had some bad experiences with LED growlights to the point that i cracked it and put in a 600W hydroponics growlamp and had more growth in the first week compared to the previous months. the strawberries went nuts and fruited everywhere!!!

Question #2: How important is the size and quality of the growin medium? Any recomendations?
Choosing media is hard, the lighter and cleaner it is the better in my opinion. i have used crushed riverstone (14mm i think) this new systems has scoria/lava rock (14mm) in three beds and hydroton/canna aquaclay in the other

Question #3: I would like to maximize the amount of fish in the tank at some point. Do you think I will need a swirl filter or a bio filter?
when the fish do get bigger then i'd put a swirl filter and then harvest the waste for fertilizer for dirt gardens

Question #4: Do chicks dig dudes who like Aquaponics?
My wife thinks i'm hot... well thats what i like to think anyways

Hello there Mr Green, I see your well and truly on your way to a great new system.

If I could make one comment though without wishing to cause offence.

I dont think the framing materials used will be structurally adequate enough to support the weight of the 2 GB's once full of gravell, water and produce.
I think over a period of time you may want to beef things up a bit.
Worst case scenario it might collapse and damage someone or something.

If I could offer a couple of sugestions.
* I would bolt the rear of the frame to that block wall.
* Double up the timber on the front legs.
* consider using some digonal bracing, a brace from the bottom rear corner to the front top corner on each end would add a good deal of support.
* either another brace diagonally across the front legs under the second GB, or bolt the left hand side to the other block wall.

I must admit I'm not an engineer or carpenter, just an experienced jack of all trades, from the shcool of previos stuff ups.

My thoughts exactly freddie +1

Don't we all Ice....don't we all....

Ive been thinking......... Since I havent bought any fish yet, and all I am really using them for is for their pee and poop, why dont I do the economical and enviromentally friendly thing? Why dont I just pee and poop into this thing? I could always use a garbage disposal all to chop up the solids. I eat organic so it would probably be great! I think I am on to something here.... :-)

Humonia (urine) is commonly used as an ammonia source. But human faeces would introduce all kinds of diseases like Ecoli etc.

Well, I eat organic so I think I am ecoli free. I am pretty sure I will be a good amonia source too! This is going to be great.