Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Has anyone here got pictures of pretty aquaponics systems?

I have been planning on how to deal with a small pond with a pea soup problem and the only way I could possibly add a growbed for biofiltration and nitrogen removal would be to make is non obvious, pleasant looking and probably only grow something ornamental.

I have considered just covering the pond but once uncovered the algae would explode again

Ideas anyone?

Got any photos of the area? Might be easier to make suggestions then.

heh Ironically no I have pictures of everything in the backyard but the pond. Going there this saturday, will make sure I take a few from different angles

Lucky for you tschad, most of the hottest systems on the block have been collected within one thread.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8924&hilit=ugly

Dont be discouraged by the thread title lol ....... Enjoy

I'm not sure I understand whether you want a growbed or not. If you don't want a growbed then just use aquatic plants to take up the nutrients and shade the algae - make sure you don't introduce something invasive unless you can keep it contained.

If you do want a growbed

1. Cover the pond to kill the algae. Once dead, algae growth will likely be inhibited for a while.
2. While the algae is being killed build a growbed. There was one using Wine or Whiskey barrels that looked good not that long ago. Making an odd shaped bed from landscape rock or pavers and then lining with pond liner would also work and look good.
3. Once the algae is dead and the growbed is ready, connect the pond and plant with flower and plant starts. These should remove enough of the nutrients that the algae isn't as much of a problem even if it does come back. Some algaes can use nitrites so this isn't a perfect plan but it should help.

Cheers

I've been told the pond is stocked quite heavily - can't confirm can't see into the water

It's only small maybe 1.5m x 2m and not sure how deep.

I think the only solution is to add some form of mechanical filtration as well as a growbed. The aquatic plants won't cut it.

The catch is I need to introduce a growbed idea into the backyard of my Wife's grandmother and do it in a way that is tasteful, within the current concept of the garden and practically 0 maintenance.

She won't want to grow veggies and she's been using all sorts of chemicals to try and kill the algae so you wouldn't want to be eating anything from the pond/water anyway.

Probably making a plant growbed along the edge of the pond, that is only slightly higher, either hilled dirt, stone or a combination lined with pond liner is the way to go. You wouldn't actually have to much if any digging. It could be made to look like a normal plant bed by disguising the plumbing. You'd make it pretty much the same way a pond is made. You'd probably need to use a backer board or plastic of some kind where the plumbing connections go through the liner. A solids filter draining to this sounds like a good idea but would require pulling solids out periodically through a faucet or ball valve (but they could be used in the rest of the garden ). Without the solids filter the bed would need cleaning if the pond is heavily stocked.

The 0 maintenance part is pretty tough to meet because at ground level you'll have more weeds, of course they'll be easier to pull.

I think what you are looking to make is what is called a Bog Filter. It is used in lots of backyard ponds. I will try to attach a few pics of the pond in my yard, it's 4' deep, 2 above ground and 2 below to regulate the HOT Texas climate. I can see if a dime is heads or tails on the bottom. I have always had large Koi and goldfish.

Can't add file?

Oh well go look up Bog Filter.

Rob C

yeah I think that might be what I'm looking for. I'd love to see your pond got pics hosted elsewhere?

Thanks Rob, that's exactly the idea I was trying to get across only better

On Saturday, I ended up using a small plastic rubbish bin, with a european pillow with polyester filling and a 6500l/hour pump pumping into the pillow. After 24 hours, I had 2" visibility and could see the tops of pots that were under the water. This progress got me permission to leave the "filter" running for a week. Before I did that, I pulled the "filter" out and washed all the gunk out of it... there was approx 5L volume of thick green gunk accumulated.

I washed all of the stuffing out and reassembled the filter again. Got a message yesterday(Tuesday) that the water was as clear as clear could be.

Apparently the pond guy was coming around monthy fleecing this lady for $120+ per visit and kept saying he couldn't understand why the pond wasn't clearing.

My guess would be incompetence running a 500l/hr fountain pump in a 2000l pond that has around 20 medium goldfish with no actual physical filter to get the suspended solids out.

I've been trying to convince them to let me have a go at this pond for around 2 years and it has never been anything but green. It took me 3 days.

Unfortunately I won't be able to leave that filter in as it's not exactly pretty, so I'll have to make something smaller... maybe downsize to something that is still some sort of closed black container but that I can put in a corner and under the water level.

Total cost was $9 for the bin and $15 for the pillow. The pump is my aquaponics spare.

Thanks to everyone for all your helpful suggestions.

I found the following link to give some good ideas in regards to pretty systems

http://www.ecolicious.com.au/