Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

It's been almost 5 years since I joined BYAP. I haven't been super active because of .. well .. life I suppose you could say. Being a truck driver doesn't leave a lot of spare time for planning and doing much of anything other than driving! LOL'

However, things have changed during the past 5 years! Got married in 2010 and at the beginning of 2012 DH decided that it was time for me to "have some of the things you've wanted for years". That meaning ... chickens! LOL

Started off with chickens and because we had chickens (baby's at the time) "someone" had to stay home and take care of them. I've pretty much been off the road while he continued to drive. We graduated at the beginning of this year to include rabbits in our homesteading adventures.

Then, while browsing craigslist last week, DH ran across a darn good deal on blue plastic barrels, steel barrels & the ubiquitous "totes". All food grade. AND the guy would deliver for a nominal fee! So yesterday we took possession of 10 blue 55 gallon drums, 6 steel drums with gasketed lids and 4 - 265 gallon food grade totes. Actually, the guy had an extra tote on his trailer and sold it to us at 1/2 price so he didn't have to drag it home. So we ended up with 5 totes. All for just a bit over $600 delivered!

Now, I have to get plans together for making up an aquaponics system for the 5 totes we have. And while it's not something I had on my "radar" I had been browsing here on occasion. However, I didn't have any real "plan" in place. I don't want to "rush" into this because I want to make it as right as possible from the start. Not only that but I really would like to make it as pleasing to the eye as it will be to the taste buds in the future!

I'm wanting to stick to the K.I.S.S. principal. Fewer chances of things screwing up that way. One thing that has to be kept in mind is that we absolutely can NOT dig down into the ground. Go down two feet (if you're lucky) and you hit slabs of shale stone! For this reason we've been putting in raised bed gardens already, so aquaponics will help in that aspect too!

Anyway, now that the totes are here, I guess I'll be spending a bit more time here on these forums trying to figure out what it is we really want to do!

Have a read through the IBCofAquaponics. The link is up the top of this page
Welcome to the obsession

hehe read that entire website yesterday!

Truly was impressed with Arkantex's system but didn't see if it ever got finished or not. Was most interested in that one as, if I go according to the name, he lives in our "general" zone/area.

Welcome to the forum cnichols, we love photos. Before and after is good.

Welcome Back CN!

Mmm I thought the name sounded familiar.

Yep, been a member for years, and did alot of research there at the beginning but then life got the better of me (and the lack of being able to actually "do" aquaponics) but the desire never went away.

Just found out that hubby has to have a triple bi-pass done this week So not much will be happening too awful soon. I might have to be the one to go back out on the road to keep the money coming in while he recovers. We'll just have to see.

Good luck to you and hubby, take care of that first!

Welcome back!