Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Kandanad Aquaponics unit installation updates - Jan 21, 2014

Liner has not reached yet... They are already 5 days late... hope it would arrive tomorrow morning...
Plumbing began today, also, other preparations for DWCs, NFTs, bio-filters...
Lots of things to do tomorrow and the day after...

Some pictures are here- https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... bbfbcbd602

Throw in Fire Retardant, Termite & Borer proof and I think you'd have a nice little cocktail for the fish.

Kandanad Aquaponics unit installation updates so far...


Jan 23, 2014 - Pictures are here... - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 56aacf08ee

Jan 22, 2014 - Pictures are here... - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... b538d15509
4756085.1073741849.640842599266803&type=1&l=56aacf08ee

Plumbing works are in the last stage.. we would complete this by tomorrow.. then there are minor things and testing the system for a few days... Aiming to stock the first batch of fish on Feb 28.

I realize this isnt really the topic at hand, but in places like the tropics, where the temperature is extremely consistent, the heat exchange effect of running NFT tubes should be pretty limited. I think the fishtank, and the world should be pretty similar temperatures.

More photos to share up to today, Jan 27, 2014 - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 9b624d72c1

I missed posting the final installation pictures of Kandanad Aquaponics production system. Here it is and we are now waiting for the fish fingerlings.



More photos of the last day of installation, Jan 28, 2014 - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 24d871466d

All looking really good, nice design.

Thanks a lot HC. We have incorporated all AP techniques into this such as flood and drain grow beds, deep water culture, NFT channels, and a semi-circular deep water grow bed for Azolla production as fish feed adjacent to the circular fish tank. We would be growing 6000+ plants and 5000 fish in this system.

Now, this is going to be a challenge.. converting a raised hatchery fish tank to an Aquaponics system... (similar to PLJ's raised big concrete fish tank system). Please have a look at the picture and the design I am working on.
Would this work? What should be the size of the sump? I was thinking of gravity flow from the fish tanks to grow beds and then periodical pumping of the water from the sump to fish tank. Welcome all your inputs.


Here is the design..
A - fish tanks (16 kL each)
B - gravel and deep water culture grow beds
C - the sump

After a bit of trial and error, started harvesting Brinjals (egg plants/vazhuthana) from our Aquaponics system.. here is the longest one. It is my son Adarsh holding it.

And the chillies.. do you know what variety this is?

looking good.

Yes, you are right and thanks... I thought of plucking those ripe chillies several times but letting it hanging on fully ripe for some more days... expecting some good seeds for next season..

NARDC has completed its first commercial Aquaponics system design and build in India.
Place: Kandanad, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
Unit owner: Sri. Sreenivasan

The total estimated fish production in this facility is as follows:
Fish – approx. 5000 kg per annum
Vegetables – approx. 7500 kg per annum

This commercial facility is in an open space of about 4 cents in area. The Aquaponics area held a circular fish tank, two bio-filter tanks, three flood and drain gravel grow beds, two deep water culture grow beds, nutrient film technique (NFT) grow holes, one fish feed Azolla production area, and one central sump tank. The total system capacity is 100 kL of water.

Plant varieties that started growing are as follows.
Greens – spinach, lettuce, basil, mint, celery, varsha cheera, spring onions, wheat grass, and other greens
Veggies – tomato, egg plant, ladies finger, sweet potato, etc.
Fruits - strawberry (waiting for saplings)

The day-to-day pictures updates are in this album - https://www.facebook.com/aquaponicsfutu ... tos_albums
Or, here - http://nanniodeaquaponics.blogspot.in/2 ... onics.html

That is it for now. We will keep you posted on its progress.

Best looking set up of yours yet NA, nice work.
100,000 litres of water.
5 tonne of fish.
7 1/2 tonne of vegetables.
In the first year?
Big call.
Good luck.
How's your own system going?