Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi there, just thought i might start a build thread that i will update as the build progresses. So now an intro on where i am and where i am planning to go.
I am blessed to own/be paying off a 9acre block on the G Coast, we have horses and dogs, My wife and i have 4 kids 9 and under, my wife and 9yr old are vegetarians and the rest of us cut red meat right back.
We eat organic and free range, dont support unethical farming practices and avoid chemicals and additives like they are the plague.
I gave up on chooks as the foxes and neighbours dogs won that one but this AP thing has me re motivated and so a new chook pen is in progress.
I have my own bee hives although the hive beetle has been giving me a hard time.
I no longer drink commercial alcohol but choose to make my own, great move.
I have a 9mX12m garden patch and a 20x2m raised bed both organic, they looked awesome recently until the bug plague hit and literally wiped everything out despite spending hours by torch light picking the damn things off.
I was researching building a green house when i stumbled across an article about AP's which lead to Murray Hallams web site where i got the bug.

I am currently building a DIY green house 9m X12m out of SH steel tube courtesy of my business, my intention is to have clear roof sheets on 1 side 4mx12m to cover the GB's, the other side will be 50% shade mesh 5x12m with some clear sheets spread though it. The sides will be 50% shade mesh. (50% is to screen out the bugs )

I am going to DIY an IBC system, i have ordered 4 totes due next week, i am trying to secure 100 jade fingerlings now for a pick up in 6-8 weeks, havnt had confirmation yet as to whether they will hold them or not.
I will start with 1 tote FT gravity feeding 3 GB and setting up a second tank ready to go with Red Claw later in the year where i will add another 3 GB's. I will be running sump system.

The FT's will be outside of the green house elevated about 1m above the GB's which will be inside the GH.
I will continue to grow some Veges in the dirt on the other half of the GH.

I am currently building a couple of soldier fly colonies 1 of which i intend to keep exclusively within the green house in hope of maintaining a strong colony year round. They will be to compliment the feed requirements for the Jades and the chooks. I chose Jades as they will also feed on lettuce and the red claws will feed on Lupin and vege scraps. I fill feed commercial feed but keep it to a minimum.

I am going to also establish a bee hive within the green house with their own escape hole so they can get out side. The plan is that a few will linger within to pollinate the plants and if they dont play the game i will lock them in for a few hours occasionally to force pollination.

My aim is to feed the entire family on our own veges where possible and only buy what we cannot grow.
I have a boat and luv to fish but a regular supply of fresh water fish will be welcomed and i eagerly await a regular supply of red claw.

Well hope that was not too boring for you, i will upload some pics over the coming days as the build comes together.

Please Please offer any feed back what so ever, at any time, positive or negative.

Happy Days Peeps.

Welcome mate, do not forget the photos. Cheers

Great opening thread Kitacooch. Sounds like a grand plan, welcome to the forum.

Well am hoping to pick my totes up next couple days not that my site is ready for them, this damn rain has ruined my plans this long weekend to get stuck into it.
I did knock up my SLO, a couple sample venturi's to try and a soldier fly breeding bin.
Feel free to comment if i need to change anything.

Damn this thing won't let me add more than 3 pics at a time, sorry .

And now for my Soldier Fly Breeding Bin

Hi Kitacooch,can I ask a question? What is your thinking in having the ft a meter higher than the first three growbeds, are you sitting those striaght on the ground? and if your going this way why not have a bottom drain from the fish tank ? Actually that turned into three quetions,welcome to the forum ....

Bottom drains on fish tanks can drain the fish tank dry if you have a leak.

I like your SLO however I think you need lots more holes or perhaps better yet some slits in the bottom grating. You don't want to have to be lifting the whole thing out of the tank all the time to clean it.


Good Luck on your mission to feed yourself and family good home grown food. I know the whole thing about having the bugs show up and discover your wonderful product and eat it up is horrible. It can take years to build up really good soil and learn a new site and how to produce well on it and invite enough good beneficial bugs to help deal with the pests. I went nuts last year and bought a farm (only 17 miles away from my old place but it is still starting over with new soil in a new location/micro climate.) One step at a time do what you can as you can.

Thanks guys, and yes bottom drain meant the risk of draining the entire tank unless bringing the plumbing back up but why bother, you end up with the same result but your peno is at the bottom of 1000l as opposed to close to the surface and easily accessible. Well that was my thinking anyway.
TCLynx i am hoping to get more holes in it but didnt want to put too many in at the start. I want to restrict it enough to create enough suction to suck the crap up and really dont know how many holes as is my first build. I figured easier to drill more holes than to take them back lol. I like the slots idea though but was thinking it might open it up too mucabsolutely amazing how many worms are there, but the dirt will not go to waste, i have 4 beds, 2 i am keeping and the AP's is going where the other 2 are, so i will dig out those 2 and dump them on the other 2 so i will have much higher beds which will be great as the shale bottom is a pain when your beds are only a foot deep.

Bottom drains on fish tanks can drain the fish tank dry if you have a leak.

I agree TCLnx,so can many other joints in the system,only there is no better way to get solids from the bottom of your pool or pond,successful pool and pond keepers /users have used them for years, the only reason I can think of not considering there use is if your not confident in your plumbing ability.

So how do you "clean" a bottom drain in an IBC? or similar type tank. Without going head first down into it? Or having to drain the tank? If you figure out how to easily do that (which drains need regular maintenance) then go for it.

I like the SLO drain option because you can usually actually reach down into the tank and pull up the entire drain assembly for cleaning/adjustment (just be sure to have some means of temporarily putting a grill over the drain fitting in the side of the tank so you don't have any fish go exploring while you turn your back to wash off the SLO assembly.)

As to the comment of using less/smaller holes to get more suction, I don't buy it. Those holes will clog easier and it isn't like we are talking enough head to produce much pressure to get enough suction to suck things like leaves and plugs of bio-slime or uneaten feed or fish poops through tiny holes if they are starting to clog. In general most people are only talking about several inches of head pressure to provide that suction, most likely if the holes clog up you will just overflow the tank or the water level will rise to the top of the T and water will flow in there.

One novel approach to getting solids to move to the SLO inlet is to make your inlet grate a pipe across the bottom of the tank with slots cut in the bottom 50" of the horizontal pipe and then zip tie your air stones to the top of that pipe so that the circulation caused by the bubbles will actually tend to draw the water and solids along with it to that pipe. The solids will hopefully then get sucked through the pipe. I haven't tested this myself in real life conditions but it sounds logical.

I've found the fish actually do the most to keep the solids stirred up and moving along through the system unless you have a cone bottom tank with bottom drain and a swirl action going on.

I'm going to try this thanks

I may try it as well. If you get all your flows down right you can add a piece of flexible hose onto the slow pipe and manually suck stubborn debris from the bottom. Rob Bob has a video on YouTube e from last week with such a device. Otherwise your SLO looks immaculate, just add some slits and let the forces that be do their job. You can always change it up in the future. Best of luck!

AP on my friends!
-Ryan

Mmmm thanks guys food for thought. I,ve since chopped my totes, picked up my paint, ordered my pump and aerator, made arrangements for for trade price on pipe and fittings and hoping to pick up this week, booked a dingo for this weekend, ordered the road base for my floor and knocked up my first GB stand wich i will bring home tomorrow to see how it looks before making the others. Its all happening and hoping to have water flowing in the next few weeks.

So how do you "clean" a bottom drain in an IBC? or similar type tank. Without going head first down into it? Or having to drain the tank? If you figure out how to easily do that (which drains need regular maintenance) then go for it.



You are right TClnyx,I don't have any experience with ibc systems,in my pond I have two bottom drains feeding the first settlement chamber,these do not need any effort in maintenance,but they do keep the entire area of the bottom clean,it is something I don't have to worry about,all solids are collected by the brushes. In an ibc providing adequate pipe size was utilised the results should be the same,but horses for courses and each to there own,this forum is for everyone ideals on our favourite subject.,with enough ideals thrown in we can make it easier for everyone.
The air stone ideal has been used for a while by successful Koi keepers,on there bottom drains they use a circular air curtain that causes a circular flow in that area directing solids to the drain,should do the same for a slo.