Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

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So, I have plants growing nicely, and I reckon that's time to show my system.. to "Come Out" as it were..

The Bride had "some issues" with the concept of AP, so I had to convince her that it would not take up much room.. The result was three GB's and two FT's plus a double sump, all in the space of three "TALL" IBC cages..
Ironically, it is now a case of "What else can you make" leaving the door open to vertical gardens etc. etc.



I spent weeks cutting up extra cages, so that I could suspend the GB's atop the other tanks.
It went together fairly painlessly, and seems to work well for a first attempt.

I have built a "Running Board" down the length of the structure.. as it is as tall as the bride...



The two FT modules each hold 800Ltr of water, and both have 250Ltr of media



The sump stand has a 300L GB atop two practical sumps..
The middle one has about 200Ltr of constant head water and "Holy Marble" rocks and sheets of marble scattered around, and it is hoped that they will soon be joined by Red-Claw.
The real sump holds about 400Ltr of water and has the ECO pump to power the system..

The fourth IBC is a rain-water tank, collecting water from the largish PolyCarb roof, that covers the entire driveway, forming a pleasant "Solarium"..

It is still early days for the system, that has been Pee-Powered so far.. probably to much as the ammonia levels were "Off-Scale" but are coming down, whilst I keep my legs crossed..

The Flood-n-Drain circulation system has a degree of filtration, so the water is quite clear.
I found a Canister Filter on a junk heap, and that is the basis of filtration.
Each bed fills to the point of overflow (just below the media surface) and then slowly empties via a coarse filter (Shade-Cloth) and a fine filter of Agg-Fabric..

I have ordered (Stainless) 12V ball valves for each GB (and planned GB's), and will automate the refilling using water-level pressure switches (from Dish-Washers)

Well, that's about it for now - Lookin' for FUSH now (or for when the ammonia dies down some more).. 30 fush, I am hoping for...

Got a heap of carrots, and beetroot , many different lettuces, asparagus, tomatoes , rue-barb, and spinach, on the way.

Cheers...

PS - the cages across the back are frames for use in supporting taller plants like tomatoes..
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PS - I do have another system



My first attempt at putting the Koi Pond to practical use growing Strawberries..

Decidedly something for nothing...
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Great work BuiDoi nice use of space. Well done.
How long have the systems been flowing for?
How is your ft access?

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Thanks for the words Skeggley.. the system has been running for just less than one month..

FT access is an issue.. it's via a narrow slot between the GB and FT..
As you can see, I chopped the original tap off and installed standard ball valves.. this gave better access and I plan to install LED lighting to help with management, which will be via long handled tools like nets etc
I was also considering making foldable "fences" that can be inserted and moved to corral the fish..
I just reckon I can make it work...

Necessity and Invention seem to go well together
Eg access to the back of the GB's is an obvious problem, unless your arms are 1.2M long
I have answered that issue by ensuring that only short stuff will be grown at the front, and the raised boardwalk has two parts.. the top is a long and wide plank that will lay across the GB's and allow me to work on the back areas..

All very much a case of forced compression..
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Great job Buidoi looks great

As clarification, this is the hole that I will have to work with for FT access.. Again, I think that it's workable.. Well I WILL find out..!

In case anyone is interested in the basic cage construction..
I took spare cages and first removed the TOP two rings, to use as extensions... to fit atop the basic cage..
I then cut the front and back from the remainder, and used these as a sling to support the GB..
( Bolted across the top of the main cage..)

The image actually shows the sump unit where I actually used a SIDE panel as the sling, cut by mistake..

I removed the main pedestal of the IBC to lower each tank a little bit, knowing that height was critical..

I was lucky that another local AP chap, was getting out as I was getting started, and I bought his basic bit and pieces, to cobble my version together... so with the Hydroton still wet, it was virtually already cycling..

My next project is to remove some fruit trees and install them in tubs, and I reckon these have some advantages..

Old outer tube from Fisher Paykel washers.. The main seal/bearings are a perfect sive for 1" electrical conduit..
'tis easy to plug the normal drain, and it has an inbuilt water level sender for use with automatic level sensors..
Practical reassignment is what it's all about.. :-)
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The tubs are interesting, whats the volume ? and how sturdy are they ?

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56cm Dia, 60cm high for the larger 7.5Kg machine (I think it is)
Remembering that they WERE the outer tub, and hence very strong, and replacing the top lip, just locks it tight..

There are SOOooo many bits in appliances that can be turned to practical use..
eg.. in dishwashers and most clothes washers... an adjustable water level sensor that can be used to automate flood and drain..
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All growing well
We hope to have Fush (SP), in just over a week..

pH is a bit low @ 6
Amm @ about 2 (but I have great trouble interpreting the colour)
N'ite @ 0
N'ate @ zero

Those plants pull it out faster than I can get it in...
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Now we have the fish... not sure his many, but think about 30 by 4" SP..

I needed to get them in as quickly as possible after being bagged and boxed for over six hours..

Two were trying to swim USD..at night fall, but today no sign of that so they seem to have worked out which way was up..

So we now have a better source of nutrient. Yea :-)

I have noticed that many leaves have a white powdery flush, after having added salt last week, in anticipation of getting fish..
I may have overdone it... 4kg to 2000odd L... I must remember to get a salt measuring device...
( I know it's under the recommended figure of 3)
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Powdery Mildew, not related to salting.

How's the outer tub from the washer working?

I'm still a bit confused with what you're doing with it. Is it a filter? I thought one could be tweaked nicely to becoming a drum filter, but I wasn't sure.

Any progress shots from it?

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Not done anything with the tubs yet... possibly soon, for BlueBerry tree... and a nectarine tree...
I've been preoccupied with settling my SP juvies into their new home... lost a small number to mush-mouth, where they smashed into the walls, damaging their mouths..

One thing that I have found with IBC's is that the general idea of a central air-lift and central water return ( to remove detritus.) , just does not work with a squareish IBC... silt just builds where it wants..
But....

Air lift and water return in a courner, leaves a crystal clear tank... we live and learn...!

Just added a few dozen yabbie fry to my sepparation sump... very surprised how many of my first litter, that I lost ..
Next time I might do better... :-)
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Indeed the drums would make a fantastic swirl filter... that thought had not come into mind as I was just looking at the larger size machines... and... I had not planned a system swirl filter..
the upper sump tank was intended to form the settlement tank and the yabbies were planned as the official re-processing process

Interestingly, I went to so much effort to make a super compact system, just so I could pass muster with the Wing-Commander, and now she says. " .... and perhaps we could space it out a bit "
Indeed the bride has been bitten by the AP wasp..

Considering the very special shape of the F'ing-Paykel tub, it WOULD make fantastic swirl filters... and leaving the pump in, could mean that you could remotely pump the collected sludge.. but I was hoping to process solids insitu..

Reading some of the tech-talk about Mineralisation-tanks, I am unsure if allowing active on-system solids aerobic processing is all that good an idea... but it just seems so Natural....

Looking forward to see what the yabbies do in that upper sump tank... about two dozen at a guess..

The powdery flush seems to have gone, but I'm not sure... I used BicarbOfSoda from the kitchen....

With the restricted FT access... yes an issue....
But it has a small benefit... with the SP being so very flighty and skittish, they don't get spooked by routein movements..
( I also have the AirLift stones at the front (creating the water circulation) and this greatly obscures outside movement ..)
I could peel the front down even more, to increase the access hole, but I will likely persevere, to prove the process..
I am thinking that for fish access, I could pump the tank down and thus make capture easier...
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FWIW.... the narrow slots to the FT's are a small problem, but not impossible..
Were I doing it again, I think that I would cut the taps off completely as they really dont have any practical use, other than a means of blocking the normal Stand-Pipe drain and remove the water to waste - but don't know why I might want to..

I got a load of Silvers and put half in each tank... One got NO light and the other some ligh..
The more lighted one had no issue with fish feeding.. The dark tanks created NO observable surface feeding..

Through the narrow slot, I was able to catch most of the delinquents, but the last three were a problem..
Draining the tank to about 200mm, solved that problem..

So - at this stage I am seriously thinking of cutting off the taps one evening and use Polyurethane expanding foam to block the hole and thus have a generous hole to stick your head in

So I have moved those Silvers to the other tank and everyone seems contented, with feeding eagerly..


Food growth is great.. and water vitals are pretty much all zero.., so even with 30 fingerlings, I am looking at supplementing with Worm-Juice...
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