Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I think shade helps a lot in a perth summer if the system gets full sun - think the veggies just get stressed from full summer perth sun. I plan to do shade hoop houses for my system(s) - have one as a greenhouse that I sling shadecloth over in the summer (and remove ends for ventilation) and one as a permanent shadehouse.

have you tried dipel for the CPs?

I want to avoid sprays if I can - but they are really starting to shit me off - still handpicking them off at the moment - does it (dipel) work and how often do you have to spray?

As far as I am aware Dipel is a natural bacteria. You buy it in a powder which you mix with water and spray on to the foilage of your plants. The caterpillars then eat the plants with the bacteria and then the bacteria begins to eat the caterpillars from the inside out.

It takes about 3 days to kill them.

Not sure how often you need to re-apply but if it rains it will be washed off and you will need to re-apply.

I use dipel quite regularly. I buy heaps of sachets and empty them all into an old salt shaker, then you can just re-apply whenever your walking around. It basically lasts until rain or dew washes it off.

I find it works well.

So Charlie, just to clarify mate. You dont water it down and just sprinkle it on dry??

If so I'll try that myself, would have to be a lot quicker than mixing up with water and spraying. Theres just not enough hours in the day around here at the moment. I'm trying to spray mine once a week to keep up with the CP's. They certainly like the bloody Broccoili as much as I do.

Never tried dusting dipel but it would work great me thinks. Spraying works for me but a very fine mist seems to work best to get it to stick to the leaves. Havent tried a drop of dishwashing liquid but might with the next spray

Yea thats right BF. I put it straight on dry. Saves time and is so much easier. We get cabbage moths in their bloody thousands here, I find this method just easier.


Heres a pic of my tools of trade, just snapped it a minute ago for you

How's the BFG system going tg?

Ups and Downs....

We went overseas for a couple of months and the housesitters *frack* it up right royally.

Also missed the barra season so i've only got 30 or so SP. But water is good now, pumping and siphon system is good. Hops, berries, strawberries, lettuces, rocket, aloe vera, celery, silver beet, italian parsley, garlic and onions all love the system at the moment

Have my trout ordered and hopefully the increased nutrient levels will get things going a bit quicker.

Can't seem to get tomatoes growing well and i ripped out the chives coz the black aphids liked them too much.

Well the trout are here - 150 Triploid Adv. Fingerlings - wow! they kick arse over the SP.

I've re-plumbed the marron tanks so they follow a lot better now.

Next job is to put a solids filter on the end of the siphon - reduce the amount of organic matter in the system.

Question - has any one tried fruit trees? - I'm thinking citrus

Congrats on the trout. I hear they are are more fun than my boring Murray Cod (although, I have hope for them when they get bigger).

I've got a dwarf blood orange, two passionfruit & a dwarf Banana. They seem to be powering on quite nicely. Still early days though.

I think the BFG needs some new photos!

Very nice large system. Please keep us posted on the progress and take more pics.

I would recommend the Dipel for the catapillars.

Yea - no caterpillars at the moment. :-)

I will take photos when the weather clears up - I'm in the middle of changing a whole heap of stuff

So could do with some help on the siphon issue


I have a 40mm siphon running from the 7000 litre Main tank into my 2000l Sump.

Problem is if the power goes off, or a pipe gets blocked or whatever, the tank drains and fish flap about and 5000 - 10000 litres of water ends up on the concrete.

So what I wanna do is make it so the siphon stops if it gets below a certain point (say 3000l in the main tank AND have it easy enough to start up again.

My current one is a sealed unit so if it stops I shove a pump under the bottom end until the air is pushed out. And no I won't do it by cutting the tank end off higher - as I am relying on it being fairly close to the bottom for detritus removal.

I have an overflow running into the sump set up already for if the siphon stops.

Anyone got something similar? plans?

Would be much appreciated

Hi TG, I don't understand how your system is set up so that it can drain the tank. It is the main reason people use an SLO so that no siphon effect is possible. Would you mind posting a photo or two of the siphon in your tank?
I don't know anyone that has a siphon in the tank, they put siphons in the grow beds and SLO in the fish tank to avoid exactly this problem.

Regards, Martin.

Very curious too.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk