Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

A local AP company posted the attached pic on Facebook and got me thinking about ways to improve the aesthetic of backyard systems.

They used stucco and 3" tiles it looks like... I bet you could get more creative with the tile work.

I wonder what it would take to make a more natural stone look.

Hey that's brilliant! I am just planning to either paint or insulate and clad my ibc's but that idea is even better. Looks so awesome. Any guidance on how to do it? Is is just chicken why mortar and texture coating?

frostyboy, not sure exactly how they did it and since they are for profit I doubt they'd share the details... but I would lay a bet it would be just as you said: chicken wire and mortar

My system is much less nice looking... I attached a pic but it's a few months old. Currently I have greenhouse plastic over the entire shelving an a lot more plant mass.

Grow heaps of plants.
When it is full of green no one looks past the plants!

Their plumbing is weird.

I was thinking the same thing... not sure why they went about it like that. Most of their systems are nicer looking for plumbing but I just like the stucco work on this one. Sorta inspiring I suppose.

You can see some pics on their Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Local-Roots-Aquaponics/199148446779383

Yea it's a shame about the ugly poly piping

Way back in 2011 they said they were avoiding PVC fittings, hence the weirdness.

If you want to use stucco you have to wrap your system with styrofoam insulation. The stucco will absorb heat and the foam will help keep that out of the system. This will also create a smooth surface for your IBC. You could use chicken wire or metal lath after that to help keep the stucco together when is starts to crack. It's the same way they do the houses where I live.


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Good call on the styrofoam. It doesn't look they used anything on it first considering how rounded the corners are. Here in Arizona they may end up boiling their fish (before they intend to). lol

Btw, it's like 70 degrees here at 9pm

We're finally climbing out of the cold spell, Friday says high of 63!!

Could just clad them with hardiflex and then texture coat it, and/or glue some tiles on. Then back fill the gap with fuller foam. I like like fuller foam. It's like silastic on steroids

That looks really nice and would look awesome if the house was of a similar style I guess. I agree on the plumbing, no point in beautifying if your plumbing is all over the place.

The only problem I guess would be a leak or some need to work on the base of the growbeds.

They are compression fittings similar to plasson fittings here, they cost lots, usually only used for high pressure.

pipe looks like 40 or 50mm, big to supply an IBC? maybe they were surplus from another job?

You wouldn't want to pay for them.

like the look, wonder how they stop the cracking when the ibc moves?