Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Looking good mate, what fish will you have behind the window.

Yours is first thread I have commented on that I haven't read all the way through ahaha, caught out!

Good info!

Yours is only one I have seen that has strips inside and out.... I was originally looking at inside only.... Do you recommend both? I have 10mm Perspex if that makes a difference? Great looking system! When I have some time I will crack a bottle and read the whole thing ahaha


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Jade Perch same as last batch.. I have 2 big ones left from original 50 as we ate 3 tonight
And I just moved the fish from my fingerling tank aster they have been there for a couple of months. I think there is between 50 and 60 of them now

Thats alright.. it is a lot to read and I have done the same plenty of times.

Well I think just on the outside would work fine as long as you used washers against the perspex on the inside, especially as it is 10mm it should give a lot of support and keep the IBC skin flat against the flat bar… from memory my polycarbonate was only 6mm or maybe 8 (maybe i should re-read my own thread I am sure I put it in there )
I just liked it on both sides because then I could tighten it a lot which I did… but washers would probably work just as well… I probably just overdid things a bit to be on the safe side because I sure didn't want to have to pull it out again and empty the tank etc

Too easy, thanks for advice. I am leaving all bars in for support due to my system needing all help it can as it is accessible to public. Lots of pressure (pun intended!) when you first fill ahaha


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So the round cage bars from the IBC will cross the window? How big a window are you putting? similar size to mine?

Bars still in place was plan (that's what happens in the tank I inherited), piece of Perspex is approx 40cm x 50cm, so take off overlap about 30x40...


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Great workmanship as usual tom

Lately I have updated my backup system a bit too, it isn't quite finished but I thought I would put up a few shots as it is mainly working.

I used to have just a 12v air pump with a power fail switch connected to a 100 AH 12 v battery which I used a trickle charger to keep topped up.

Now I have added a small 40watt solar panel which charges the battery through a controller. Also I have added a 12v water pump which is on a timer that I will set to go on for 1hr every few hours in case of power failure (it uses too much power to run all the time after a power failure).

The air pump will run 24/7 in case of power failure just like before.

I have placed all the electrics except the power fail switch in a box I made and placed some LED lighting in it and a voltage meter on the outside so I can see the health of the battery when I walk by.

The solar controller is a cheap from Ebay so I will see how that lasts, but its only job is to trickle charge the batter from the 40w solar panel so it isn't really under a lot of stress.

I plan to add another battery as I would like the backup to last for longer 24hrs+.. also I may add couple of larger 200 watt solar panels so that it could really run a while… however that would require a proper solar controller.

Hey Tom,

FANTASTIC system, especially considering the location - steep hill, no vehicle access.....

A few pages back the discussion was about Potassium - then you wrote about bananas (...going bad and fed to the chicken...). Did you ever try to bury banana-peel (or a whole banana) in a grow-bed, or blend it into liquid and add it? [...as bananas have loads of Potassium and plenty of other nutrients]
No idea if this is even possible or workable, but on some member systems threads I read some times, that banana-peels are "introduced" to the system....

I still need to go through the threads about "the elements" - just want to see, if there is an all natural source for any of the needed - I think the 3 usual ones that need to be added are Potassium, Magnesium and Iron.

Bananas would be a potential source for Potassium - if anyone can confirm or suggest...

Iron - what about horseshoe-nails (as far as I know, the one source for basically pure iron), obviously they will rust, but would this release iron into the system? In nature iron would possibly come from "rust" only (....and any chemical reaction that would happen in nature - can this be copied from nature or is chelated iron the only way?)

Magnesium - .....any "natural" source? (...short of hacking an old sport-car-wheel-rim into pieces)



Another question to your setup: (I went back through the set-up, but couldn't find any definite answer...)

I see that you have your GBs above STs, seemingly supported only by some sleepers, that in turn are supported only by the cut IBC-frame. What size are these sleepers?

Hardwood?

How are these connected to the lower IBC-frame (...holes drilled into the sleepers and stuck on top??)?

Any suggestions to improve this approach or would you repeat just the same again?

Once I get to build my system (...which will be mainly to test my merit to raise ANYTHING edible and try out / test different systems in my environment towards a possible commercial set-up later).
- I want to try 3 different GB set-ups, all based on IBC, but with different depth - full-size IBC, 1/2 IBC-bed and the usual 1/3 (~30 cm)-IBC-bed. The idea is to test the filtration capability for DWC/NTF - my GBs are supposed to be filters before anything else.
[Testing should provide data about solid filtration capability for each GB and, hopefully, nutrient data OUT of each GB. I wonder if there will be even any discernible difference, but it would make sense, that a full IBC should only use up less nutrients than 1/3-size one.....]

What would YOU think about the 1/2 size IBC-bed on top of the rest of the IBC-frame/cage - would your system still be strong enough to carry a 1/2-IBC-GB with gravel?


Thanks for your time!

thjakits

All coming together nicely Tom, with the window did you use ss nylex nuts or just ss nuts?

What length of light strip did you use and are they running down the ss stip either side of the window?
How do the jade react to the light, are they use to it or do they go a bit nuts when you turn it on?

Merry Christmas and a great New Year to you and the family. Cheers. Bear

Hi tjakits,
Yes ther are quite few members who use the burried banana in the GB trick, I honestly don't know how well it works but I doubt very much that it would cause any problems as long as the system can process the breakdown. I personally wouldn't bother with the banana peel from a cost benefit point of view but from a self sufficiency and environmental point it may be worthwhile.

The rusting iron however will not work as it will not be available to the plant when it is broken down, there has been a lot written about this in the forum.

My setup with GBs on top of the sumps has worked very well for me and is very stable. I used treated pine sleepers 2.4m x 200mm x 50mm cut to the lengths needed.. It's a cheap timber, however it make are that water never runs onto the timber and then into the sumps as it could be poisonous to the fish. However my setup is in a greenhouse as you know so it is easier to keep rain off it. I would advise untreated pine or hardwood for outdoor systems where there is a chance of sump contamination.

I believe that the same setup I have could support a half IBC on top of it, the cages are designed well and can be stacked full for their intended purpose three high. I would however think even minor shearing forces would be a bad idea.

Oh also the timber is not attached in any way it is just layed on top of the cut off cage first two shorter pieces in one direction and then longer pieces lengths ways

Hi Bear and merry Christmas to you too! I'm in Denmark at the moment and it just started snowing.

They are nylex ss nuts.. But not necessary there just wasn't much of a price difference.

The lights are two different brands but are about 60cm long and attach by suction caps on either side of the window. The fish do go nuts when they go on but they have now gotten used to it and greet the feeder at the window every morning. A dimmer on the lights would be handy if possible I think some of these lights may automatically turn gradually on just not the ones I bought.

Hope that helps

Thanx, mate!

...great details!

thjakits