Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Two up, One to go! Getting closer. It's kind of driving me nuts that I can't seem to get everything square with each other but I
wasn't starting with a flat and level yard to begin with so I guess I just need to learn to embrace the "organic aspect" of this
garden. there is still a little leveling that needs to be done and I'm sure things will eventually shift and settle after media and
water are added.

Finally got the third GB in place! That means all the heavy work is done until after my
mainland trip. I still need to do a bit of leveling. I need to stop over at the local hardware
and pick up some of those little wedges that construction workers use on doors and such.
I had a few laying around that I used on the first two GB's and they work great for those
little minor corrections. I'm sure I'll have to make further adjustments as time goes by.
The weight of the rocks and water will surely cause some further settling.

Looking good!

Getting them square gets a little tricky.

I made up a little jig for when I was making mine. Screw in the pieces of steel, weld them up, and they come out perfectly square.

The beds themselves are square enough. I was refering to being square to each other and the house. I was a
calibration specialist in a former life and I have never lost that eye for precision. Drives me nuts to see that the
beds are 1" off. I had an easy time keeping the beds square since I just used a full 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" ply. I
just went by the edges of the ply when I screwed the sides on. But, I would prefer that the beds are equadistance
apart as well as perfectly level with each other as well as square and true. ODC, I know... but hey...

I got all my beds full of gravel/water, in where I thought it was a good place. Wife walked out and said straight away, "It's not even".

At over a tonne each. She can move it.

What bugged her more was the beds that are gravity draining into each other, so one is higher than the other so gravity can do it's job.

Did you say what wood you used?

As for wedges you need a tool to make your own.

Its called a hatchet.

lol... wives are so much fun.


I used treated ply and treated 2"x12"s as sidewalls. I'm going to line each with an EPDM liner so the wood will not
contact the grow media. Hopefully the chemicals in the wood will not deteriorate my liners. Termites are a big
problem here and I was afraid they'd eat my GB's before I could get any vegetables from them.

On hind sight, next time I will build legs on my GB's and then place the legs on concrete pavers. I think that is
a neater and better way to go. I could build one heck of a base out of 2'x4's and lag bolts.

being the operative word.

If termites are a big problem you still have to be careful with elevated non treated wood. Termites can build galleries/covered walkways out of mud over surfaces they can not tunnel through. Need to check all sides of a steel or concrete footing/post especially on the shaded side for these termite express ways.

I havent read the entire thread but from the looks of it you have an amazing set up. I will say, from the trouble ive had, make sure your buried sump IBC is in good settled ground. If heavy rains come and the water flow add sediment there will be distortion and issues

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for them. Thankfully, any non-treated wood will be nearly 3' above ground level which
would make any mud tunnel pretty obvious me thinks.

They are obvious when you look for them but if you don't look....

Found this picture which I didn't know they could do.

If you add termite protection to all your posts they can build their own.

Scary!

Holy shit. I've never seen that before. I guess nothing replaces vigilance.

Really enjoying this thread. Keep up the good work!
It will be great to see it after your holiday