Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I am with you

And I agree with the having to either shade the IBC or cover the outside somehow - I will be helping out our senior students shade their IBC
somehow - most likely with shade cloth

howed they go did they get it out !

chainsaw

Not yet - we have dug out 2 sides, 1 more to go... its a lot of work and we only have after school to do this work (I cant give them TOOOO much time as I will land in poo with the wife )

AM, during last winter did you have to heat your tanks at all? One method for keeping the ibc cool, may be to wrap the cage in dark carpet (dark side in), tie it on. If it gets wet during summer, it will help to cool the tank. The dark carpet will also calm the fish a bit. Doesn't look too pretty, but it worked here.

I have not had a winter with my IBC's yet - last winter I still had my bathtub system going... _ have a heater in one tank set at 28C... just to make sure that the temp does not drop... might neep a second this winter if things cool off here again!

Yes, Janet I have thought of the plastic stock tanks. Thanks for bringing that up because it raises another question I had I'm sure ya'll can answer. Those plastic stock tanks are made of polyethelene, do I need to worry about any contaminants in the water, fish or produce from off-gassing? Probably no more or less than from an IBC I suppose, what do ya'll say?

Also, I'm curious about water depth, is there an optimum or preferred depth for fish like perch and goldies, what about red claw?

John you advised a 2:1 GB to FT ratio and asked how many fish I would stock. I am initially going to have 6 half barrel grow beds. What density would you suggest?

TX

The water depth is partly what the fish would like, but also you need to make sure they will have enough depth once you start pumping water out to the grow beds. You don't want to leave the fish in a couple of inches of water when the tide is low.

The 2:1 ratio is I guess the standard for max fish stocking density, something I would not do unless of course the fish was a guppie, they are like rabbits!
TX understand your going to have 6 half barrel grow beds (cut length ways I'm assuming). I will just give you my limited experience and hope that helps you.
I have 300 gallons of fish tank holding mmm lets say (30) 3-4 inch fishies.
I have 2 blue barrel halves as gravel flood and drain grow beds. I'm growing aprox 10-12 lettuce and spinach plants, 10 or so onions and 8 odd pea plants as well as many various seedlings.
All but the seedlings have been growing since Sept 28, 2006 so for 5 months.
My system nitrates stay around 20-40, always. I have harvested plenty of leaves and onion greens and have many flowers on the peas but never a pea.
It is my belief I am running my system way to light for fruiting plants, with that said if I removed one grow bed maybe it would equate to doubling my nitrates maybe not.
Now a bit off track:
With six grow beds you'll need roughly 150 gallons to flood and drain them assuming you will do it at the same time and you will use pea gravel or an aprox medium. That will lower your fish tank by that amount. So to not lower your fish tank more then 1/3 during the flood cycle you would need 450 gallons of fish tank.
As I believe (30) 3-4 inch fish would support a steady nitrate reading of 40-80 with one blue barrel grow bed then (180) 3-4 inch fish should support six grow beds.
Of course with luck the fish will grow so then, ye haw more plants.
If this did not help or is just out to lunch take a look at the fish to grow bed ratio, think its in the file area.

No John, very helpful indeed (and Jaymie). It sums up what I was already thinking.............I think I'll go with 2 IBC's like Aquamads system hooked together so I can have enough water, fish density/nitrate to support my 6 half blue barrels(cut longways) and them some. I'll be digging like an Aquamadman but with the loamy soil I have it'll be an easier go then it looked like he had.

I'm planning on goldfish, which I can sell to the livebait stores near my place, and some redclaws if I can get my hands on them and Texas doesn't prohibit them like the legislature here has been considering. I would grow a more edible fish but I'm the only one in the house that will eat fish and I don't with any regularity. Mudbugs however, especially big Australian ones, I can't get enough.

TX