Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello all!
New to this wonderful site. My partner and I just recently began an aquaponics system at the side of the house. We have a 7m x 1m x 900 pond and four vegetable beds beside it. We've stocked the pond with 30 Barramundi and we've upped the heat with two 300w heaters so its currently about 25degrees so the fishies have started eating more. We've also got a UV Clarifier but along the sides of the pond it repeatedly grows some algae. We have some limestone rocks juat placed on the bottom of pond so the fish have places to hide and we've put a bag of zeolite on the bottom as to filter the pond a bit more but it just looks quite green. Not sure what ph we should be at and if this small amount of algae is normal? Its testing to be completely on the alkaline side, so maybe the limestone rocks are making it too alkaline?

We've filled the veggie beds with perlite and clay balls on top. We've also found that the veggies are getting eaten by black & green catterpillars and various other species also I'm guessing. They don't seem to be thriving very well at all, with a few things like red onions & kale dying. And mint & brocooli completely being ravaged. My partner mixed up a mix of garlic, chili, little bit of olive oil & dishwashing liquid and sprayed on the plants every eveing in hopes of repelling the little creatures but can't tell for sure if its working just yet. We're thinking about getting some polycarbonate roof sheeting in hopes that we will keep more heat in and therefore the plants will start to really get accomplished. Does anybody know where to buy new or used clear sheeting for this purpose?

Any advice, reccommendations, knowledge would be so greatly appreciated as we are just starting out and so enthusiastic about making it all work to the best it can be Thank you for reading!

Welcome to the forum Aineglen

Thanks Scotty :-)

Welcome to the forum.

1) Buy a test kit that tests for PH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate. API is a common brand people use.

2) Remove the limestone from your fish pond.

3) Block any direct sunlight from hitting your fish pond.

Hiya Aineglen welcome to the forum.




Crikey where to start?
What what Squatch said.
How big are your grow beds?
Post photos.
Read some of the members threads.
Ditch the perlite.
Use dipel for the caterpillars.
Use the search function.
And enjoy.

What Squatch and Skeggley said.

Also,get rid of the Zeolite. It can dump ammonia. Dont use oil or detergent as this is harmful to fish. Put lemon juice in your chili/garlic mix instead.

Lots to learn but great advice right here on forum. Enjoy!!