Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yeah it is bad when they start to know your name at Home Depot. I hope to be fishless cycling by the middle of next week. If they are still available at the time my water parameters fall in line. I will gladly take you up on the offer. Maybe sooner If I can find a suitable tank If nothing else I would like to see your system running.

Seacaptian, Tilapia are allowed in FL, here is a helpful link for you http://myfwc.com/license/aquaculture-ce ... quaponics/ Depending on which type you plan to raise, you may need a permit, though.

No hurry, they'll still be around. Probably not much larger than they are now, but you can have some if they'll do.

System's not much to look at right now. Simple backyard small setup and, the season is changing and so is what I have in the growbeds so everything's pretty small.

Aufin,
I just like being able to actually look at they way people have designed their various systems. Then pick their brains as to they they did this or that. I was planning on raising Tilapia, so they will defiantly do. It is much appreciated and I will get down there. By the way when is the best time for you?

When you get your system cycled, settled and ready for fish, let me know and we can make some arrangements. My work schedule is subject to change on a daily basis and I'm in and out of town quite a bit, but I'm sure we can work something out. Just let me know when you're ready. Like I said, not much to look at, no where near as elaborate as what you're plannng, but you can look any time. PM me for directions and phone and we can set something up.

How many people would be interested in a Florida based group for trading seeds, fish, bacteria, etc.....? I would be willing to trade fish for heirloom seeds or something else. I think a local network would be great for those of us who are not looking at AP as get rich quick scheme.

Will do and thanks again

That may not be a bad idea. As I was already planning on paying it forward like Aufin is doing for me. That way we can get more people into aquaponics. Because we effectively lower the startup cost. We all know if we get enough people to start, the price point for many of our needs may decrease. Or at least stores will start to carry items that we need. Making it more convenient.

I'm in for that , located in Gainesville

Soon we will have the whole world infected. With the aquaponic desease!

I figured it was about time to get building. Here are a few pics. The first picture is the first of 3 identical planter beds. Second is just how I have the base laid out. Finally in the third one, you can see my sump. I have 2 2in pipes connecting them at the bottom to let them equalize fast enough to keep up with my pump. As I have decided to do a timed fill and drain. For this I chose the 1/2hp, 4500gph cast iron sewage pump from Pacific Hydrostar. It is capable of passing 2in solids, so it should never clog. At 175 watts it is power hungry, but I like the peace of mind, and hopefully lower maintenance. Plus being relatively cheap didn't hurt

Just an update on the system as it sets now. Progress is not as fast as I would have liked. This is due to a combination of 70+ hour weeks. Along with a sick child, pregnant wife, and to top it off my only vehicle was broken. The good news is that while I had to stop and fix other things. There was time to rethink the system layout. And also listen to some advise from some seasoned veterans. That being said, the one half barrel section will be my ONLY large barrel section. It will be used for plants that like to take over entire beds. Like tomatoes. Still trying to figure out what I am going to do with the other 4 full barrels, and 6 barrel halves. I ordered enough pond liner to make 3 4x10 areas. I was thinking 1 more media bed and 2 rafts. As I can not afford enough stone to fill all 3 beds. Looking at the Chattem Farms thread. More can be grown in a DWC than I had previously thought. Also as it is coming into winter. I built and installed a tank heater from a 5500 watt stainless steel hot water tank element and some pvc.

I failed to mention that my 6mil reinforced poly greenhouse film should be delivered in a few days. So the small hoop houses can be built. Insuring a warmer dry area for me to work, along with keeping rain water out of my system. Allowing better control over the process. If anyone thinking of building s barrelponics section(s) in their system, stumbles across this thread in the future. A word of warning. Even with FREE barrels the cost of the connectors and piping mean it is still cheaper to build large media beds from wood and pond liner. That being said their are some slight advantage to having 1 section of barrels, in your system. unlike a large media bed. you have more control over the water flow into and out of any given section. Allowing you (if needed) to run plants that like a drier environment in one barrel like drip irrigation. While running flood and drain in the next, and constant flood in the barrel after.

Question to all the very knowledgeable forum members. I know this answer is some where on this enormous site. But I have yet to find it and I am running out of time. Does it make a difference to either the plants or fish. If the fish waste is broken down and converted into nitrates in a media bed or a bio filter? Sort of the way the Kio guys run their filters. The reason I am asking is this. I happen to have 4 or 5 extra 55gal drums, that could be used for this purpose. I was thinking 3 filled with screen material with air stones. with the last 1 or 2 running more like a inline clarifying/mineralization tanks. Basically like a very tall swirl filter. Just so there is always a small current to avoid anaerobic zones. But nut enough to lift solids back to the outlet, without a good stir by me. As I know I do not yet have the skill set to be able to properly handle a anaerobic zone. If this can be done. I would like to place it inline between one of my SLO's and 3 4x10 DWC's. Frankly I do not have the money, to be able to buy the rock needed to fill another grow bed. No matter how much I want to. I will try to draw up a quick diagram when I get time. Thanks in advance

Excuse the quick sketch, as I do not know sketchup yet.