Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Guys.

Over 2 years in the making, countless hours reading this forum, much money spent and some blood sweat and tears - my system is up and running!

Thanks to everyone who posted and created such an awesome resource here

The system is pretty scrappy looking due to it's largely recycled nature and having spent long periods of time half built and sitting under gum trees..... but it's built and works so i am happy

Got some guppies in the sump, hopefully eating the mosquito larvae in there but no fish or plants yet

I know there are a bunch of western sydney members around and i am in woodcroft, any suggestions of fish you have had a lot of luck with? I was thinking silver perch or trout depending on availability....

Finally glad to join the 'working system' club - more photos to follow as soon as i get em down to size

Thanks Guys!

Welcome Ae, you may well be a small carnivorous shrew like marsupial, but it looks like you've done a very good job with your first system. Not scrappy at all and it will look great in a few months with some plant growth.
In Sydney I think most people go with silver perch in summer and trout in winter. What media do you have in the GB's and do you think your system is cycled yet ?

Thanks mate.

I have gravel in the beds, about 20mm.

I don't think it will be cycled for a little while yet. I have 50 or so guppies in the there at the moment and have been running it for a few days. Will start some water tests after the weekend and see what my levels are...

More photos!

Looking good... really good and practical..
It will be interesting to follow it's progress..

Another Sydney system... we were only commenting how few APers there seems to be in Sydney... or are they just there and anonymous ..
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PS... love the towers. .... must have a go at making some...
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That BuiDoi.
The towers were suprisingly easy to make with a heat gun and some old pvc - coat of pant then screw them to the fence. I have had issue with their lack of water retention though...

*Thanks

I tend to the thought of constant flow, as my limited experience with towers, is the tops dry and the base stagnates/floods..

If I have another go, I would like to try clay balls and alternate the impressions left and right. So the flow creates better wetting...
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I have transitioned the entire system to constant flow due to constant siphon issues. Wretched things.....

Plants seem to be happy as do the silver perch fingerlings.

Anyone got any hot tips for removing the gum tree tanin from my water?

I run my system constant flow without any problem so far. Once or twice a week I lift each standpipe and let the bed drain to get a complete water turnover.
Apart from removing the trees I can't think of what to do about the tanin. How are the perch settling in, everything ok with them ?

Antechinus, there is a product by Seachem called Purigen, that will take any tannins out of your water. you will need to also remove the source of the tannins from the water aswell.

I also run constant flood to my gb's, with no issues. good to see another cf system.

How do you find the towers are performing ?

Jarrod

The towers ended up removed from the system due to the sheer logistics of plumbing them. I could include them and spend more time and money making them work or just pull them out. Now they are gracing the fence and growing a fine crop of strawberries.

The towers have a few issues with how little water they hold in the soil but regular watering seems to have fixed it.

The perch seem happy enough. With the brown water I can't see them unless I get the go pro out, and even then they are only about 7 cm and fast as hell so you don't really see them.

But i haven't found any corpses yet so here's hoping.

Doing my best with water changes and fishing out the leaves but will give the purigen a go Thanks!

No worries, the Purigen will work wonders, but like everything you have to remove the source of the tannins to prevent it reoccurring otherwise its a loosing battle.

Do u have lids over your f/t ect ? As prevention is always better than cure.

Lids over everything now and have put shade cloth around the back to keep more leaves out.

Purigen will have to wait until uni is over and i can get a bit more cash - that stuff is pricey!

Do you really need to remove the tanin?