Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Everyone

I'm just finished to set up the IBC System. There was a bid a short cut, but.
I was not able to find 2 IBC's at the time and was eager to start up
after spending many night's reading this awesome forum,
so I found Jasons setup advertised and there we go.

I made some modification so it fit's in the backyard. I liked the idea of having
the tanks connected with the 100mm pipe to equalise the waterlevel and the fish
got the choise of 2 rooms and still having the option to accomodate differend fishes.

Future plans are to have it off the grid with solar and wind generator










I had it running for 2 days, the water is still very murky, added seasol and some seeds.
For now I sit back and wait. When should I start to analyse the water and add fish

Welcome aboard. Interesting what you have done in your grow beds, can you explain how you have set those up. Looks like you have individual pots full of media in the beds?

The main reason for having those individual pods is we're moving house sometimes next year and the gravel is heavy to lift. It would make it easier to lift the individual pots without removing the plants.

I had this containers from a previous project so I cut some in half others 3/4 to have differend depth, the shallow ones (150mm) are supported with styrofoam and adjustable in hight, the deep ones (250mm) are for veggies like carrots. Some plants like it moist others prefer semi dry, this gives me the opportunity to give the plants what they like. I can also adjust the moisture with the amount of drain holes in the pots.
Not sure if that's essential, but a nice side effect of this system anyway.

My plan is to move the individual containers to the new place, accomodate the fish temporary in a fish tank, move the ponds with as much water as possible to keep the nutrients. After setting everything up, fill the tanks up and let it running for a few days and release the fish back in there home.
Hope that works but would make the move easier.

On the other side I found it's easier to keep the drain clean, no roots are near by and the bung is cleaned in a few secs.

I'll keep you updated and I'm happy to learn from your experience and knowledge.

Good to see some growth happened. With the rain we had lately and more to come the pond starts to get full. How much do I need to keep the water level under the top so the fish don't escape, I've got small SP?

I have gone up to 100mm from the top and haven't had any of mine jump out. Mine hit the surface to get their food, but no fully airborn antics.

By the way, I like your idea with the modules. I first started with a few empty laudry baskets for the same reason. Sped up the moving process not end. Gravel is damn heavy!

Thanks dr bee, I drained it to that level, wondering for the next rain season to make an overflow with a mesh, so the fish are not flushed out. Just a thought as we are away frequently for a week or so.

Just got some pics with the progress:








Not too much to see in the pictures but almost everything is on it's way up

The water is still very murky. I had it running for 2 days constant and did not added any Seasol for a week.

Is there anything else I can do??



I'll be on the East Coast for 5 days, hope everything is going on auto pilot.

Welcome to the forum. Is that a pineapple you have in one of the growpots?

Should be very interesting - please keep the updates comming

Looks like a pineapple top to me. They actually seem to grow fairly well in aquaponics for me so far. I've got several "ornamental" ones actually fruiting. Too bad they are ornamental and not worth trying to even eat.

Good Idea, Run an overflow and collect the water for next years top ups. My system is just about full up to the bottom of the discharge from the grow beds. More rain this morning. Now that I am runing constant flood, I could probably take out the bottom of the discharge, and get a higher level in the tank. Hmm, things to do this long weekend (after the grandfinal).

I was eating a yummy pineapple and thought I'll give it a go and plant the top, see how it goes.

There is also a challenge happens with blueberry. I was reading somewhere it's not possible to
grow them in AP, but they are my favorites - so I give it a go.
Does anyone got some experience with berries?

After 5 days in QLD, I'm back, everything looks good. The water quality looks better, I can see half way down now,
don't see the fish, but they are cleaning the water and the plants are growing. All good

Blueberries like it acidic so they tend to be a challenge for that reason in aquaponics. I would probably do them in wicking beds that you could fill with extra acidic materials and water them with AP water that as had it's pH adjusted if necessary.

Thank you TCLynx, I'll try.


The water looks near clear now, I'm able to see the fish for the first time.

So I did my first water test. Not easy for someone colour blind, but I hope for correction.



The leaves on the Radish and Rocket are light green, yellowish and something is munching on it, I assume something nocturnal.
Does anyone has some advice?



Otherwise I'm impressed how everything grows so quickly and the SP seams to be happy.

There is still algae build up on the walls. Should I clean it or do the fish take care of that or is that just the way it is?

Your pH is really high so getting some good chelated iron will probably help your plants get the iron they need while you are waiting for the pH to come down.

Cute set up. How much that 150 W solar panel costed you?

Just to make sure, I thought SeaSol contains Iron, but searching around the forum, it looks like a different product??





Ebay is my best guess, they are around $150.00. I used to have them in stock, but as the prices drop very quickly I don't try to compete any more. This are my last panels and at least I found a good use for them.