Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well, friends and fellow crazies, I am plotting and planning...
but with any plan, first comes the leg work. I've been whackin down my 'fallen Mesquite' for days...


I put it in as a seedling 13 years ago... turned out to be two... and the south facing sprout went nuts. Because there was a 'north facing' sprout, the south side over grew it's root, hadn't developed balance... and fell over. It took up most half the yard. So... finally, in a week without the Grand baby, I'm taking power tools... and the matter in hand.



It is a long story, of course... but I've been avoiding getting the back yard cleared... and now, both for my AP set up, and to make it 'safe' for the grand baby... whacking the roses back is also on the list.

There are pomagranite trees back in the corner, too... and they need a severe trim.
It will open up the light, yet still provide some cover in my brutal desert sun. I hope, by the end of this week to at minimum have my space cleared... my barrels cut... and I'll go from there.

Hard work but AP is worth it, good luck with the clearing.

Great start dancinhrblady. Keep up the good work.

You go girl....

Y'all are too kind... but I thank you.

I found a local source for uniseals... a little pricey, relative to getting them online, but I'd kinda like to support local business... and then I get to see the world. I'd have to pay shipping, anyway, right?

Our local 'marine shops' are on the way to the lake... but my friend who built the fountain? He's on the way. Good excuse, eh? Not to mention, he is the benefactor of most of the mesquite... he as a lovely out-door grill that we spend a lot of time eating from come summer... so, the mesquite trim 'smokes' our meals... YUM!

It is raining today. So... while it is not a brutal rain, being out back with electric power tools... not the best idea.

You can actually see the glider, now... crushed... under the trunk parts still there. Even with the power chain saw, getting through that 'thigh thick' trunk is a bear. I have been taking it off in roughly 8" pieces, to fit in my friend mikes fire pit. By next winter, they will be well cured.

Getting to the wall is getting easier. I don't know if the cats are happier or not. The 'hidey spot' is cut away, but there will still be shade and cool earth, come hot summer days.

Out front, I got a little work done, too.
I thinned my Iris by the front walk-way to give my pine tree a 'skirt' for spring.


Vegas is weird... we landscape in alternating plans. One person goes desert, the next tries for a Chinese garden, another will try for a Mid-western lawn. My neighbor has a great specimen of Stovepipe Cactus.



My two lemon trees had survived two previous freezes. This year, they were brutalized. My son and I kinda fought over cutting them back... but he was the one with the chain saw. I will hope they recover. I plan on pulling them out and making them AP. I figure I can keep them safer, that way. One is a Meyers mini, one is Eureka. They'd just finally started producing, so I'm a little heartsick.



The bright green behind is one of the many varieties of 'feather bush' that is native. It blew in, and I left it, thinking it would provide some cover... wrong.

Now, I have some canopy... The strawberry pots will go back against the wall between the roses on the left, and rose and pomegranate on the right... but I can actually get to the wall to install the mounts, and should be able to easily keep the growth cut back.


I'd been 'digging out' a couple of holes for a pond installation before I ever heard of AP. Because of the builder's bad layout, I couldn't really 'garden' in the back. They'd pulled in fill dirt that was so full of clay, that it doesn't drain. Perfect to sink a sump tank!! Or, create a 'pond liner FT. So, once I can clear all the dead-fall, I can use what I pull out of the holes to level the spot for my barrel unit. I may be a bit longer to get my barrels cut. Drat. But... it is clear that there is more to do before I'm ready to get them in position.



I have a little step stool that doubles as a seat, and that huge pot is near full of 5" pieces that are the size of a 7mm pencil lead, to the size cut-able by me and my hand shears. I have a pair of loppers, but the stems will often strip the bark, rather than cut clean. Good for my wimpy grand-baby chasing muscles... but that is about it. Tomorrow, I'll deliver the bulk of it to my friend's house, stash what I'll use for our own barbecue against the house, and clear the rose bush cuts to the dump.

At long last... I have equipment and supply... so:




The racks have been around for years, and I finally got this one cleaned up. The barrel is not yet cut. I wanted to be sure I'd spaced the racks far enough apart that I could get to the tank for fish, feeding, etc. There's plenty of room.

What was the greatest delight? Finding I don't need materials in addition-- the 'guards' hold the barrels fine. I'll need to work on leveling, but I'm going to put this one just outside the back door... It will make it simple for keeping a close eye this winter.




Once the water goes in, I won't be wheeling it anywhere... and I've got high hopes that I can get the top three feet of pipe to separate, and do two more grow beds along side without clearing off another rack. I have four more-- but they are loaded with 'stuff' in the garage... All but one gets emptied when I go back to school- but every summer, I fill 'em again.

Got my test kit and pump for my birthday!! Thank you, Mama!!



Only a 300 gph rated pump. Running only a three barrel system, I pray it is enough. For now, I may only manage one grow bed-- still have to source my grow media. Nor do I have wigglers... no running system.
The vision is coming together... and the news of prices going through the roof for fruit and veg have the fire lit under my fanny to get it together. I've got plumbing... so, as soon as I get the fish tank and first grow beds cut, I'll be using pots with media until I can fill each bed. We have a fair long growing season... so I'll do cold weather stuff first... and tucked against the house, I can create a mini green house to keep the frost off, if I have to.

I've been lurking... man I'm jealous of all the work so many of you get done.

Well... here we go!

The starting gun has been fired....

Thanks, Rupert... yeah. I've got three avocado seeds started... a couple of rubber tree cuttings, some Shefflera cuttings... and a slew of peach seeds to start as soon as I'm cycling.

My 'siphons' are not built, yet. I need to have measurements... and I don't have any cuts done, so I haven't even started experimenting.

My friend, Mike-- with the backyard pond-- has goldfish fry. So, I'll have fish beyond my three once I've got the proper fish food-- as of yet, still using 'flake' from the pet store.

Two years later... and I'm still just runnin a box on my fish tank... money dried up, and enthusiasm for the clean up... and hittin' the books harder for a master's program. I home to be back in a classroom by fall. I've lurked, and lurked... and -
I finally have a line on a couple of IBC's... with our heat in Vegas, and the layout to run power, I'm trying to keep the system closer to the house, rather than out under the trees.

I want to thank everyone for being so very forth-coming with help and support.
I've got some plan!it expanded clay... but not enough. So, lava rock on the bottom, and dress the tops with the finger saving balls for the early beds. Got my first 960 gph pump... plus a 300 gal. back up.

Gotta get the IBC's, and I'll be rockin...
Love to all!

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How I would love to have a blank canvas and some actual ground that you can did in..
Watching folk burying their dumps and FTs makes me envious.. especially one sump buried deeply..

Oh for a blank canvas.. keep at it... :-)
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Don't you just hate stupid auto correction ... grrrrrr..

Just shows that one should wear his glasses to read the small writing. :-)
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