Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all,

We've kept fish for years now, and our main tanks are very stable. As I'm new to AP, I'm taking our two smaller tanks and turning them to AP (so I can have room to make mistakes without it costing my marriage in the event I damaged hubby's tanks).

Have my first tank refitted as AP unit - 25L tank with two goldfish and a six pack grow bed on top (currently a foam esky, but once I've worked out the details, I'll use a long planter pot which will sit on the top of the tank)

The second tank is a 90L aquarium, which I plan to convert to AP over the weekend and use it as a temporary holding tank for silver perch. I'll probably keep the existing filtration system in place, and add a small grow bed and pump in addition. We will acquire silvers over the weekend in preparation for the IBC we will be acquiring shortly. I figured it wouldn't hurt to get started with small systems and have some beds setup with bacteria ready to go.

Also, I am impatient

Feel free to let me know suggestions if you think my theory is way out
Cheers,
Sarah

welcome Sarah.

Gday Sarah
Welcome to the site.
Chapman Valley Fish farm has SP for sale $1.50-$3 each
I live in Gero also so if I can be of any assistance to you don't hesitate to contact me.

GTK

Hi slowboat and GTK, thanks for the welcome

GTK: I am so keen to go get my fingerlings!


I am thinking to put 10 maybe 15 SP into our existing (cycled) 90L/25L indoor tanks while we wait for arrival and setup of the IBC in the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile I'm stealing filter noodles from the existing tanks and washing out the filters in a bucket to start cycling water through media and get a head start on bacteria colony building. I'm expecting by next week I'll have a stable fishless system outdoors with a 60Ish litre bucket powering a clam shell bed. (I'm not only impatient, I'm also a wild optimist )

Elsa and Ana (our new goldfish) seem happy in the 25L tank, the bell siphon is working, and I traded out some bio filter noodles from one of our main tanks to sit with the media in their tank, so the bacteria will hopefully spread.

... Taking you at your word
What are you using in your GB, and where did you source it?

The media in the GBs is expanded clay and was sourced in Perth. You can bye it here at Bunnings but $$ , look on gum tree for the best prices or alternatively use [blue metal] gravel from the local sand supplier, it may take a bit more effort to wash it but is a lot cheaper.
GTK

Got super lucky with media from City Farmers (was better homes and pets) - they were clearing it out as legacy stock.

We are definitely not the only AP people in town though - I keep hearing anecdotes of others who've got backyard setups, so I guess that's reassuring

I had to take a little time to work out where to source things, so I will compile a list in case anyone else finds it useful.

Other things I found in Geraldton:

* CRT (Great Northern Rural, Boyd St) sells used olive pots (220L brown tubs) for $40 each and IBC for $75 but they've had round up in them. Probably not suitable for aquaponics. They also have hydroponic equipment as an agent for Hydroponic Xpress
* blue barrels which have been used for washing liquid are available from Midwest chemical and paper distributors (215 Place Road) for $30. Again, not sure of the suitability of those for AP.
* fish are available from City Farmers and Place Road pets for ornamentals (goldfish and the like or tropicals) but definitely for AP, take the drive to Chapman Valley fishing park and get silver perch fingerlings small ones are $3 larger ones $4 (more budget friendly than buying inedible goldfish)
* bunnings and place road pets sell pond pumps and are open Sundays. City Farmers does too, but they're not opening on Sundays any more. I've been told CRT (great northern rural) also sells pumps, but I didn't see them, and they don't put prices on the shelf so I don't know how expensive things are there.
* pipes and fittings can be sourced from Reece in Flores Rd, and the guys in there were really nice and helpful (at 5pm ish on a Friday no less!)
* plants including heirloom seeds and fantastic selection of natives are available from the beautiful nursery at Drylands Permaculture in Waggrakine. Also from Freddie at Freddie's Fresh at the railway markets (he also does local home delivery of veggie boxes! And great organic soil mix). Di's greenery at lot 21 Edwards Road and the Palm Place on Chapman Valley Road are also good sources for ornamentals. Di has just reopened and her place is smaller but she knows the local area very well and was really helpful with her advice. For seedlings, Freddie's or Bunnings are the best bet. (Freddie's plummets aren't always full, but they're inexpensive and seem to fare better than the ones sourced from Bunnings.

That's a great bit of info !
Patients Transport & the Caltex depot sometimes have old IBC's that they bye bulk motor oil in, these are a beter to use than the round up ones, but not as good as food grade. I just cleaned them thoroughly then let them sit until algal grew on the walls, then scrubbed that off clean before adding any fish.
Freddy fresh has always got good strong seedlings & can be thinned out into individual seedlings, just make sure the roots are washed thoroughly as he uses a lot of slow release fertiliser in the seedling mix.
GTK