Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I never really saw the appeal to the whole organic craze. In the supermarket, it looks like it's just designed to hipsters, with unwashed potatoes, sad looking veg and so forth. But each to their own.

And I've stayed out of the whole filter/no filter thing. I really don't care if you filter or not. It's your system, do as you want with it. Just get some time under your belt, give the system 6 months to mature and report back then, it's way too early days with your system to see the affects of filtering. But calling experienced people names who are trying to help isn't cool, and if they weren't honestly trying to help, they'd just ignore everything you said.

Some suggestions I might add. Paint the sides of your GB & FT, it'll stop algae build up on the sides, and help them keep longer.

Also, I wouldn't bother with a greenhouse over that area, spend the money on an upgrade for more GB's. It's a pretty enclosed area already, you won't be getting chilling winds over winter with the fence & house that close, and it'll turn it into a sauna in summer.

I'm not sure if you're going to get enough light over the system either, it looks pretty shaded, but see how it goes when the sun moves into summer mode.

I never said I was trying for organic, I said a lettuce was worth $1.20 a fish $20.00, I was then told an organic lettuce is worth $6.50?

The filter is needed for my setup, the way I have set it up for the future, I always think way ahead, a better response from others who have spent the time to look at my system would help more,

The fish tank and sump tank will have insulation on them tomorrow, then the lids will be builded on Sunday, out of timber, it will take time for the UV coat to dry after that,

ATM, only half of my beds get full sun, that’s why I am thinking of a rounded top cover that will reflect the light from the sun to the other plants, like a mirror image projected, yes that will heat up in summer, but a bit of shade cloth will fix that, or remove the plastic and replace with shade cloth, in the hotter months, the ability to swap and change is endless, in my system,

But thankyou, CBB, for being the first to add a positive comment, on my system,

I am new here as said, but I have lots of ideas, what I am looking for is like minded people with new ideas,

Hi Blizzard,

Just looking at your system it looks pretty well thought out. There were some things that I would have done differently.

1. The paint strainer filter will work (I've used one temporarily on my RAS system) but I wouldn't leave it inline if you have to go on vacation since it will eventually be blocked and cause back pressure possibly resulting in an overflow.

2. I have no idea how long the charcoal will remain effective at filtering organic compounds so I'd be tempted put it in the system occasionally and not on a continual basis. I know some have added it to their grow beds but don't know how this worked out. I know it's used for potting orchids so probably wouldn't break down for at least a couple of years. I'm not suggesting you do this I think being able to easily remove the charcoal is the way to go.

The fact that both the paint strainer filter and the charcoal are after a solids filter should help.

3. I would have probably tried to keep the pipe around the tanks, along the sides of the tanks, for support and just to keep them out of the way,

4. I think rather than mess with the siphons I probably would have just gone Constant Flood but siphons have their advantages and I've used both types of systems.

Charlie will hopefully come back and give you his critique on the plumbing.

I can't see where anyone has slammed your filtration scheme enough to justify your comments or where you have proven anything regarding the filters function at this point. Not that I doubt they will work because I'm sure they will, I just am not sure they're really necessary. It's not really a one size fits all situation, a lot depends on how many fish you're putting in and how much filtration you already have. I have had systems run for years without any solids filtration other than media based grow beds with composting worms. Will I eventually have to clean them, probably (certainly if I ran large numbers of fish in the system compared with grow bed filtration capacity).

But say we had similar systems with low stocking densities, you'd be having to maintain filters and I wouldn't (at least not for a few years) Hopefully you'll see that my point is, it's a trade off because I wouldn't be doing any cleaning initially.

Cheers

I get the distinct feeling I'm being a bit of a moth but...



Are you saying this is what I said?

If so then I must not have written the explanation well enough for you to understand but the statement above is not what I said nor meant. If you are talking about something I said that is

I was at one stage but I feel it would fall on def ears.

Thanks scotty435, I do get a little back pressure when it starts-up with the timer running, about a 100ml or so that goes on the lid of the flow filter, but drains back in when the siphon starts-up into the paint bag filter, its been a constant adjustment with flow and levels so far, I am constantly making changes as I see things happen, I reused some old piping that the holes in it were to big for my GB bell, as I found the bell hanging up on the drain cycle yesterday, to much water, so I have changed the pipping and extended it to reach the basil in the back corner on both Gbs, I put the insulation around the fish tank yesterday, all pipping except the paint filter have now been sunk into the sump tank to reduce noise, as I still like my neighbours,

The system is working fine, I have a lot more to do with it, but that takes time and I have plenty off that, I don’t do holidays, but I do sit outside under my patio each day with a cold beer and let the cats get some fresh air and have a dig, mobile bug exterminates are they!

I am a bit of a perfectionists, doing half a job is an option to me,

Make sure you keep the oxygen levels up since it sounds like there won't be as much splashing. This is especially important in Summer, when the water is warmer and holds less oxygen.

Well yes thanks I think, the 90deg 25mm returns have a loose fitting allowing air into the bell because of the 1200mm plus pipes from the grow beds, I have a 4mm hole ATM in one pipe and a 4mm hole with a hose in the other to add extra air, plus I have the ac/dc air pump with one air stone in the sump tank and one in the fish tank, even the fish tank has a 25mm pipe in a tee section pipe now sucking in air, I used a spare piece off pipe to raise the tee section to stop back flow, it seams to suck in extra air for the fish tank, I was going to put a one-way valve from the pump to the fish tank as when the pump stoped the water would siphon back in to the sump tank, but with the tee joiner and a bit of pipe I now add extra air to the fish tank, when the pump is running, I have my system on a timer, so it runs like clockwork, come summer I will just change the timing a little so I get more water to the plants during the day, but allowing them to get oxygen still with a 15min pause every half hour, I got two timers so I can sit at my desk and workout just how long, I want my system running at any time day or night, its just as simple as replacing the timers,

Cheers,

umm not to insult you or anything but any good size fish my take about 1.5yrs to 2 yrs to be of adquate selling size occurding to species... While a lettuce matures in 3 weeks.. if u do the maths it actually comes up to $30.00 to $40.00 dollars for lettuces.. but I guess its alot easier to rear fishes.. I will tell before hand I had close to 200 3 to 4 pounds talapia fishes in 750L FT and with all the plants GB... filters.. and water changes... I could never managed spikes effective at high feeding rates... once you stick to stocking densities you will be fine..
I too prefer mechanical filtration due to my research on effective digestion of waste matter to complete remove the use to supplement chemically. but for almost 2 yrs I ran my system without filters and everything was fine..

umm not to insult you or anything but any good size fish my take about 1.5yrs to 2 yrs to be of adquate selling size occurding to species... While a lettuce matures in 3 weeks.. if u do the maths it actually comes up to $30.00 to $40.00 dollars for lettuces.. but I guess its alot easier to rear fishes.. I will tell before hand I had close to 200 3 to 4 pounds talapia fishes in 750L FT and with all the plants GB... filters.. and water changes... I could never managed spikes effective at high feeding rates... once you stick to stocking densities you will be fine..
I too prefer mechanical filtration due to my research on effective digestion of waste matter to complete remove the use to supplement chemically. but for almost 2 yrs I ran my system without filters and everything was fine..

Hmmm, yes Cookie now that point has been made at least four times maybe it will be considered on its merits.

Thanks cookie, but its only a start up system ATM, no offence, I only have the eight lettuce and a few other plants to get the two ibc grow beds started, I am not planning on going commercial, just backyard stuff, the veggies are for the kid, the barra will be for me and a few mates, thought I charge them $20 for a fresh barra BBQ and beer day each, the filter I thought off myself, I thought with a small scale system like mine starting out would need extra filtration during any harvesting off the plants to avoid any spikes, once the system has started to mature, I will be moving any barra left to indoors quarters in the colder months, and replacing them with trout,
I am way ahead off thinking on this stuff,

All I wanted was a water feature, then with a few fish, and then a few plants, then I saw Aquaponics! I am trying something new to me, I am trying to add positive ideas like the filter that works, the idea of a split flow seamed good to me for what I wanted in my system, as a chift2 pist system,

If you have any positive ideas please add them, or you can join Stuart! And follow me around trying to put me down on everything I say?

I think you have continually missed so many points and misconstrued so many peoples intent mine espeacially. While this is all new to you it is not new to us. Your ideas on filtration are not new. They have been tried before by many people and guess what they work. However, there are pros and cons to everything when we have tried to point out some of the cons which your posts indicated you were unaware of you have taken that as personal criticism.

Since you have joined I've had a number of disagreements with a number of other members. By disagreements I mean they think one thing I think another so we disagree. They haven't taken it personally and neither have I. Also since you have joined I've been shown to be wrong on at least two occasions rather than taking offence I have appreciated being corrected.

On another note I don't know the legal situation in WA but in Victoria I can't sell my fish to my friends without an aquaculture permit. I certainly couldn't harvest and then cook said fish for them because then there would be a punch of other laws I would be breaking as well.

Here Stuart are the two reasons I decided on a split flow system, you can say what you want afterwards,



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9nP9O26mBg



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vdoEERyMJ0

In WA, you can sell produce made in your backyard, to recover cost off growing it, just don’t tell the taxman, I used to sell eggs to pay for their feed! $2 per dozen of hand fed free range eggs! yes I will be getting some chooks eventually, now I have my own place,

One day Stuart we will agree on something? But I am not going to hold my breath waiting for that moment to happen,

I reckon those videos do a better job of espousing why recirculating wastes, CHOP2, or "split systems" should NOT be used!

Component isolation in continuing flows can easily be achieved using valves; anyone who sprays unsafe pesticides on their plants (isolated from fish or not) is asking for serious trouble and dead fish!

The guy might have a Ph.D. (in agronomy) but sheesh... I reckon the collective knowledge of a small handful of people here on the forum exceeds most of youtube! Just because someone made a video of "it" doesn't make "it" the right thing to do.