Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Finally, the Mariene Studies students at Peace Lutheran College have rolled up their (now muddy) sleeves and mad a high spirited start on their own Aquaponics system.

Over the past 3 days students have worked in shifts after school to dig the hole for their tank (an IBC) and finally managed to fit their tank late this afternoon... As it has rained almost all this time they have been knee deep in thick, sticky mud (but seemed to enjoy slopping around in it most of the time) - they maintained high spirits all the way through, laughing and jokeing almost all the time

I have done little more than give technical advice and suggest possible ways of approaching this project... Unfortunately I was not on hand when they began to fill in around the IBC... the pressure of the mud being added back into the hole had pushed the walls of the IBC right in on 2 sides .
BUt we (they mostly) qickly sorted that out by filling the IBC with water, getting into the IBC and pushing the walls back with their feet (and even their bums)... by the time all daylight faded they had finished and were a sticky red from head to toe

Crikey AM, you weren't joking about the mud! What a quagmire. What a great bunch of kids, you should be proud of what you are achieving up there in the tropics.

Yeh, hats off to you and the kids mate. Give they a g'day for from us all.

Love their work jumping in..............

aaahh, the joys of Cairns mud well done to all of them, and you too AM

Nothing like seeing satisfaction on the faces of moldable young people. Good going AM

good to see! Just like anywhere else get the greatest joy from smiles and doing...Guessing you will have to feed them with the produce eh!
Just to ensure they get the full circle(cycle).

The credit goes to them and their official MS teasher... Im just excited that the students are so very motivated

pOOR POOOR STUDENTS
The MUD pushed the walls in again overnight (that stuff is heavy)... they checked this arvo and saw that 3 of the 4 walls were convexed ...
The next move is that they want to get wooden struts into the tank to keep the walls pushed out till the soil settles better - then remove them just before adding fish (although leaving them in might give the fish structure to hide under...)

Will they be able to jack the sides out again?
or do they have to dig the mud away
Either way I suppose it's a learning curve

They are toying with 'somehow' using an old car jack to push the walls out, then inserting a strut... I can think of a way or 2... but it's a case of finding an old car jack and the right materials first...
I'd hate for them to have to dig it out... the mud is still very wet, but not for tooo much longer I would guess But they will do what they gotta do - I dont want to interfear... that learning curve IS important and they need to take ownership of their system!

Is sometimes good to do hard things in order to know what the good ones are

good job to see so many interested people Advise them there is no easy remedy dig it out now and line with boards otherwise i see nothing but trouble

F&F - I agree.

I agree with ya F&F for what my opinion is worth lol....I would definitely shore it up otherwise your caved in sides will keep caving in with more rain n more mud...if your not going to take the whole IBC out...why not shore it up on the outside of the metal frame then drain the inner tank and remove then clean it all out then put the inner tank back in?

Maybe using fench pailings that are hammered down spaced then overlap with another pailing like your household fence.

Atleast with boards or pailings they will be pushed up against the IBC frame and not move any further

BK, you bloody genious!
I will suggest that approach to the students - it makes sense to me and hopefully to them! Thanks mate!