Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi folks, a newby from Brittany in France here.

Having moved into my new place a year ago last week. I have spent the last few months blindly building a system which I hope will feed both my family and which I hope I will be able to exchange for other foodstuffs from locals in the immediate vicinity.

Alas, because I couldn't get my internet connection sorted out for months and months, I was unable to glean much in the way of info from the world at large and had to resort to going with what I remembered reading a few years back.

As far as I am aware, this is really a backwater when it comes to Aquaponics, and as such the amount of info is virtually nil. So today marks a watershed moment for me and I hope the community here will be able to help me in my blind meanderings.

I will shortly post some photos showing what I have managed to construct and how far I have got todate, but bear in mind, it is in its embryonic stage and no doubt I will make many giant mistakes (undoubtedly have already), so there it is...it is out there.

Looking forward to hearing from you all. And rather than go into a lengthy description about what I've so far accomplished, a feel a few photos will be better.

Cheers

Dave

As promised, a few shots showing my development. It is a work in progress I hasten to add, but a project wish I hope to get up and running by mid spring. Fingers crossed.

The weather has been an obstacle these last few weeks, with temps as low as -9 c. But given that I will be permitted to get ahead with it starting tomorrow, it looks good that I will have a roof on top of the trout tank by tomorrow evening.

Welcome to the forum Dave and good start on the system. I look forward to seeing more

Ask away if you have any questions someone will chime in if they think they can help.

Cheers

Managed to get most of the substructure on the fish house this morning and will slate it in a few days. Many thanks Scotty for your reply, I just know I am going to have a ton of questions for the forum members.
Cheers

how deep is the FT?

The fish tank is 60 centimeters or just under 2 foot deep and has a capacity of 1500 litres boss.

Hi Dave I'm planning on moving to Brittany this year and doing the very same thing. Would love to know how you have got on.

Cheers Stu

Hiya Stu,
Things are coming on ok'ish. Though at present,we're getting over 2 weeks of arctic temps which have put me back a bit. But hopefully, starting today, I'll be off cranking the beast up again. The center has been running now for around 2 years and I have a nice thing going vis-a-vie the old barter exchange method. Will tell you more about it and post photos soon.
Whereabouts in Brittany are you going to be?
I'm in Dept 56 about 50 ks north of Lorient.
Dave

You would fit in at a bunnings sausage sizzle towing a trailer like that!

I really should google this, but is Brittany one of the warmer or cooler areas of France?

It's funny how Brittany isn't a Brittish place name.

Not sure how to take that SeanD ref the trailer ref. But I'll take it as some kind of compliment.

Being up in the north western portion of France, it is subject to the influences of the Gulf Stream or North Atlantic Drift. Which means we don't suffer from the harsh winters that they get in the east and down in the Alps region, but we do get high humidity during the winter months coupled with suffering the brunt of any storms crossing over the Atlantic.

Ref the Brittany name, that's it in English, but here they say Bretagne. It's much like the climes of Cornwall and Devon in the UK - perhaps a few degrees C warmer on average so I hear.

As regards if the Brittany/Bretagne being one of the the warmer or cooler areas of France, well, it is probably one of the wettest.

I would imagine it would be somewhat like Tasmania in most aspects. Not that I've ever been there, but a mate of mine from there who visited me a few years back said as much.

Most deffinatly as a compliment - provided you can reverse it when only looking in your mirrors!

Just about every australian has a trailer similar to that or they know someone they can borrow one from.

Bunnings is a chain of very large hardware stores, and every weekend they set up BBQ's out the front where local charities and community groups cook sausages to raise funds.

It's a bit of a (carefully crafted by marketing people) tradition to get a sausage at bunnings, because Australians a a whole have an addiction to gardening and home improvements.

I beleive bunnings are expanding to the UK but I don't know if they'll succeed over there, time will tell.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnings_Warehouse#Community_involvement

https://www.bunnings.com.au/

Just a few shots to show how things are going, including the first crop in the grow bed centre. It came along ok. Better this year I hope. Next, my barrel hall, where I smoke the trout and pork and get to sit with friends when they come around to chat and enjoy a beer or some wine etc, and finally, some of the stuff which I get for some trout. In this case, some pate which I cooked and prepped for later.

Hey all!
I'm very glad to be part of this forum, and friend of DaveC, hey mate
We also have been looking at building an AP centre for some years now,.. Our main delay was the fact that where we lived before, we didn't require one, as we had clay lined lakes that we naturally fed by the run-off from the roads.
Also we had a large 120 odd meter raised bed veggie plot, and had carp and perch in the lakes.
But as we had to move and leave all that behind, (I would have taken it all if it were at all possible), we are now looking at doing our own system. I look forward to perusing the info around here.
Love the photos btw

Great looking barrel hall Dave