Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ok enough lurking, time to come out from under the plumbing fixtures and say Hi!

A bit about ourselves – Hubbie and I had a hydroponics setup in Cairns years ago and when we moved to our most recent (really this is the last move) place in the southern highlands of NSW we decided to bite the bullet, do it right and put in an aquaponics system. It really stemmed from the fact that veggies from supermarkets are rotten within a few days of purchase, and the idea of trout/perch and maybe cod made it a no brainer.

So why start small when you can stuff things up on a really big scale!

8 x 4 greenhouse




The old water tank in the background will be used as a heat sink, going to put black poly or pool heating pipe on the roof of it and circulate it through black poly pipe running through the fish tank.
As our temps get down to -4 in the winter, we are trying to insulate everything to the extreme.

Welcome Ozgal... whereabouts on the highlands are you?

The chairs are my way of checking that we have enough space to walk between the beds. Green and blue tape on the floor is the bed plan.

The IBC is sitting on a foam base and is wrapped with foil and bubble wrap to insulate it and hopefully keep the temp stable. We have also put rollers under the grow bed so it acts as a cover for the tank, although I can only slide it open or shut after the auto siphon pumps the water out of the grown bed, otherwise its too damn heavy.

We found out the hard way that using cheap clay balls is useless in a flood and drain system. The stuff floated and buried the plants, came out one morning and all that was left visible was one lettuce, so we emptied the bed retrieving the somewhat battered plants and replace the media with aqua canna. Such a nice thing when the media is not trying to digest your veg.

Ibc will be for the fingerlings (Jade Perch?) which Rupert will supply once he hopefully reads this thread.

Fish tank (insulted from ground on a bed of foam)
3600 ltrs
Grow beds
4 x 4600 x 600 x 300,
1 x 4000 x 600 x 300
Sump
6000 x 1000 x 600 (located outside but heavily insulated on all sides) yabbies to live in here.
Solids filter at exit from fish tank.
We are making the grow beds and sump out of black coated ply sheet and then lining it with rubber.
Pump is Aquaforce 8000 Max head 4m, flow at 1m 7000l and only 95watts.


Eventually want to split the return from the sump between the FT and vertical grow tubes (ie downpipes) over the bed nearest the fish tank. Vertical tubes will drain back into the sump. Still playing with how to make these – have tried (picture above) sewed fiberglass mesh tubes and filled them with clay balls but pulling them in and out of the down pipe ripped them open (fail # 1). So next I'm thinking of getting some Matala filter mat and trying this, but the price might kill this idea. If all else fails I'll just get the handy dandy heat gun out and insert net pots filled with clay balls.

So have we missed anything, completely got the wrong end of the stick? (oh I should mention before its commented on that the bar/wine fridge will be incorporated somewhere in this design)

Comments, even OMG what were you thinking type, would be greatly appreciated.

Up near Bundanoon

Few people up that way with systems... it's a dilemma when it comes to fish to stock...

Theoretically... it should be possible to run Trout all year... but winter basically requires that you have a greenhouse for plant growth...

And that just tips the temps over the edge for trout during summer.... almost got a run through summer at Holmes-A-Court's system at Aylmerton....

Trouble is.... the summer just doesn't warm early enough.. and span long enough... for Barramundi... and/or Jades...

I still believe we might be able to do Jades here on the coast... and in Sydney.... if.. and it's the big "if"... we can get stock early enough.. and/or the right size...

Sadly... this isn't usually the case for Jades.... Barra... just/maybe... as stock is more available...


But where you are... even with the greenhouse... without being prepared to heat... probably not...

Silvers... all year, no problem.... trout in winter, no problem... trout all year... maybe... but not certain...

Thanks for the feedback Rupert

Had thought about digging down a meter or so under the corrugated tank 24000Ltrs and putting in loops of poly and running this up to the tank above to act as a cooler in the summer, then through the fishtank (through poly). The swimming pool tubing ontop of it for winter heating.

Just did the underfloor of the house with Expol batts so we could use the left overs to put around the corrugated tank for more insulation.

Maybe trout would be the go. Last year we only had about a week over 30 - 35.

I have been trying to come up with a good idea for media for towers like yours (some sort of foam matric like the zipgrow towers from the states would be best) I currently have 10 PVC pipe towers filled with expanded clay for 70 strawberry plants.. although the roots really get attached... I would prefer something like the Zipgrow towers but a DIY path since the cost is a bit too high for the real deal... good luck.
your system will be great!

Thanks Tom77,

yes I too have drooled over the zipgrow towers, I think he is using something very similar to Matala Filter media, although its still expensive in Oz 60cm x 100cm x 3.8cm $50- so this would have to be doubled to fill the downpipes.

Considering how many types of foam/sponge and the commercial applications of them there must be a few cheaper options out there? I am waiting for some clever cookie to find out what that is and share it on this forum

Try looking at the various types of Matala filter media available...

Just a random thought but would brushes work? they work out at 680mm x 100mm for about $9.

Ok so my new mission is to set up a series of different media vertical grow tubes and see the pro and cons.
Will invest in some matala and japanese matt do a brush one, shadecloth one, net pot one and see how we go.

Any more suggestions?

Post pic's as I go.

Bottlecaps.

Edit

Since the above is unlikely why don't you just buy some not so fat matting, roll it round the inside of the tube leaving a gap in the middle, the roots will grow into this space and the liquid will follow them down. You only need a nifty way of providing a little plant support.

They put a lot of effort into the research for the media for the zipgrow towers. So far when I've had people decide they are going to save money by going the cheaper DIY rout, they have usually come back later to get the real deal.

Good Luck with your experiments.

Hi TCLynx,

I'm sure your 100% spot on with your comment, but they just aren't available in Oz. Otherwise think we would definitely get some.

But I also have the view that mucky about with building things is half the fun of aquaponics.