Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Pretty expensive, for that money you can go with a proper aquaponics tub from Practical Plastics or Terracorp. I will put a picture in in 5 minutes, maybe that will give you some ideas as well.

Cheers

Here are the pictures...

I built a frame for the blue barrels, 530mm by 530mm, supported through the center beam.

Are you planing on using a sump tank as well? if you have 400l GB you need approx 160l water (40%) that will lower the water level in your pond a little bit.

Cheers

Hi Dauntless, a lot of people that have too much flow from their pump send some of it back into the tank through a spray bar. This gives you two benefits: you reduce the rate of flow to what you want and your return spray aerates the tank.

Regards, Martin.

Cheers Martin,

That's what I will do then.

Mate those look awesome. Now I really wish I could weld. so does that mean the barrel bases are 530mm in diameter? if so I might be able to fit 5 in my wooden frame instead of 4.

I know I've gone down a wrong turn design wise building the frame to suit the containers I had that turned out to be unsuitable but I am already thinking about ways to use blue barrels for future beds. I'll check out your suggestions for a legit bed.

I plan to run these beds constant flood so the water level in the pond should be fairly steady.

Mate those look awesome. Now I really wish I could weld. So does that mean the barrel bases are 530mm in diameter? Iif so I might be able to fit 5 in my wooden frame instead of 4.

I know I've gone down a wrong turn design wise building the frame to suit the containers I had that turned out to be unsuitable but I am already thinking about ways to use blue barrels for future beds. I'll check out your suggestions for a legit bed.

I plan to run these beds constant flood so the water level in the pond should be fairly steady.

I take it the 530 mm is the inside measurement? Cheers

The base is actually a little bit bigger and i slid them into the frame from the bottom. I tried a 500mm by 500mm frame first but it was a little bit too hard to get them in and because i have the room why not use it.

i am going to screw the top of the barrel to the frame to make it nicer but i still have to wash them again.

And btw i am just a beginner in welding, welded my verandah last year and some small stuff since them, its kind of learning by doing (and lots of paint to close the holes in the welds).

I think its a good idea with the CF in your case (amount of water) but i think somebody said some of the plants dont like it. but i am also planting stuff which i heard is not working too good in AP, i like to make first hand experience.

If you want to have a look at my system, let me know and you are invited for a beer or two.

Yes, one of them ended up being 525mm inside but still worked fine.

So life got in the way for a while but I finally finished my garden beds a few weeks ago.

They are up and running and while I still need to do a bit to the pond, I have the water cycling and have plants in.

Here are a few shots of the finished beds





I put some chilli plants in right away as well as a bunch of different seeds.

Here are a few more picks taken about a week on.

The system is about 400L of beds 500-600L of pond.

Constant Flood with water coming in at one end only (at this stage) and draining in the middle. I am wondering if it is better to have water coming in at both ends or even all around the outside. Does anyone else who runs CF have advice on this?

The inflow is about as much as you would need to fill the beds in an hour. The pump can supply more than this but at the moment the surplus is being used to make a waterfall in the pond (looks good and helps to get oxygen in the water.)

No fish yet but the frogs have already found the pond ant its full of tadpoles. Some have even gotten into the grow beds:



Has anyone else ever use tadpoles to cycle a system?

Neat and tidy...

I'll be watching you...

I'm particularly taken by how you mix the utilitarian barrel rack/frame and the prettied up wooden clad beds.
I guess mainly the fact that I wouldn't have thought of the design of that frame and I'm a welder (and a little egotistical - I both hate and love someone showing me an elegant solution that I missed... ).

looks awesome...

i think you might profit from getting the water in from both ends. i think the water won't mix properly and will take a shortcut from inlet to outlet and the second half of the bed goes stagnant.

It is the same with cooling if you have inlet and outlet next to each other (for example a switchboard) you will get a airflow short circuit and the cooling doesn't work.

Cheers