Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

So the build started in earnest when I got my hands on 3 heavy duty wooden pallets and some scrap bits of wood that were otherwise destined for the skip:



So far one has been cut down to form the base and another has been cut up to form the walls and sides of the frame. the original idea was to use the 6 containers as shown below but I will now have to rethink this idea.

Each tub was to have its own fill pipe and its own drain. This was partly due to my aim to make it as modular as possible.





The range of stuff at local stores can be limited so I am kind of making this up as I go.

Last week end, with the help of a mate, I got the base painted and moved into place and leveled. I then started building the frame.




The holes for the drain have since been expanded to 2 200mm by 200mm squares. I then set about making the sides, pre painting the timber with decking oil before attaching it. This is where I got to by Sunday night.



Th front is done but the sides and back are still to be finished. I am trying to get the project done with a budget in mind but I will spend the money where necessary to make sure it works. I am also trying to achieve my goal by reusing second hand material where possible.

I am open to comments advice and even constructive criticism as I have the wife's permission and blessing to scale up if this test system works.

Now I just need to figure out what I can use as grow beds. The frame is about 1500mm by 1500mm by 25mm in the inside. I could brace the walls a lot more and line the whole thing but mu preference is to experiment with modular beds that can be scaled up or down.

Cheers all.

Nice looking system evolving there Dauntless.



Sorry might be a bit late off the bat on this one, but what decking oil did you end up running with?

In the past, for timber which overhangs my growbeds, I've used Intergrain's "Nature's Timber Oil". Contains Tung Oil, a natural wood oil. http://intergrain.com.au/naturestimberoil.html
Bunnings sell it.

I just wouldn't trust the cheaper turps based timber stains. I figure it it stinks to high heaven of chemicals (high VOC's) when applying it, who knows what nasties may be in it.. personally I don't trust that stuff near my food.

Hope this helps

Just spinning an idea in my head... If you get some 55 gallon drums, the specs i found on the internet say the diameter is roughly 600mm, that gives the drum a circumference of 1900mm, if you try to get that circel into a more "squarish" form, it would have sides of approx. 500mm.

If you divide your framework into 9 squares with some flat steel maybe you could fit 9 half drums in.

That is what i will try with one drum for a citrus tree, make a square frame and mount it to the side of a shipping container, so i can weld some chain links to the shipping container and support the tree with straps to the wall.

Regarding your tubs:



Do you know what type of plastic they are made of? If they are HDPE they should be ok

Thanks for the tip on the decking oil and the tubs Jono81.

I am using Cabbots Aquadec decking oil on the frame and sides but all of the timber coated so far is below the top level of the tubs. Given my possible need for a redesign I can make sure that any treated timber that might drip water into the system is coated with your more natural suggestion or even leave untreated and replace as they break down.

As for the tubs, I will try and have a look around on the weekend including Gwydions idea for drums.

If all else fails I will use this frame for pot plants and go back to the drawing board. I'm still having fun with the design process.

Hi Gwydion, Myst, DauntlessNT

Food cost seems a little problem, but I just got a quote from Elders (De Caen Close, Virginia) for Marine Float 4mm @ $79.11 per 25kg bag, 8mm @ $75.64 per 25kg bag. Min order of 4 bags. Seems reasonable but would need to store for a while unless we get together on this. Anyone interested? That's delivered...

KAJAYR

Thanks, but I just got 100kg skretting Nova ff delivered for roughly the same price. That will bring me through the first barramundi season.

Cheers

You could also check with Stock Feed in coolalinga, they sell ridley agriproducts maybe they have Barra feed.

Ridley salt water pellets are suitable for Barra. Chainsaw was using 4 and 6 mm. Worked well for him

Just went to look at these and they look too weak and they also have a sticker saying made from recycled materials, do not use in food preparation. So much for the advice form the sales department.

Still on the lookout for an alternative. There is still the option of pond liner inside the frame but I am worried that would be too much weight and pressure on the sides. total interior volume is 470L (1370x1370x270mm)

Just get one ibc and make one big grow bed and cut your frame back to 1200 x 1000 mm. And keep the base so you have another grow bed for the future.

That's kind of modular as well.

Thanks for all the good advice mate.

I guess I am probably putting too many constraints on myself. Also I am trying to re-invent the wheel regarding modular systems. After all, people have been using IBC's and blue barrels for how long?

I went to the second hand building place today and they have plenty of IBC's and barrels but I didn't ask how much the wanted. I still have your idea for lining the frame with pond liner. will probably need to add more bracing and then line with some thin marine ply first.

In the mean time I have put 3 sides on the frame and will post some more pics in a few days. I will fill the pond and get the water settling while I run thing around in my head for a while.

They want $100 per ibc and $30 per blue barrel. The blue barrel they sell are from ecolab in yarrawonga. If you go there and they give you free ones or very cheap ones (like 10 bucks)... Grab two for me...

Still on the hunt for something to use as grow beds. I have a couple of fall back ideas but at the moment these look to be about the right size for the frame I already built and look to be fit for purpose.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_product_aquapro-1200-x-600mm-rectangle-preformed-pond_P2813392.aspx?search=aquapro&searchType=any&searchSubType=products&page=3

More volume than the bases of two blue barrels but more expensive as well. This will give me about 400L of grow bed to go with my 600ish L pond. My plan is to learn what not to do with the first set of growbeds and then eventually expand to the 2:1 ratio.

If I do go ahead and get two of these, approx. what diameter outflow pipe will I need from each if my pump is supplying about 1200L per hour? Currently I have 3/4" riser that I plan to connect to 19mm poly pipe. One outflow in each growbed and approx 600L inflow per bed. I plan to run this CF.

I am worried that I will be trying to turn over the water in the beds too fast and I plan to build a speed controller for my pump in the near future. I guess I can restict the pump flow or divert some flow to the waterfall in the pond to reduce flow through the beds to more like 600L per hour.