Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ok this is a repeat post but I felt I should make the post in each of my primary system threads.

Well my systems got a lot of attention this past weekend when the Farm Tours for the Aquaponics Association Conference happened. Lots of people came to see.

I must admit having a group of over 250 people gathered together that were all excited about aquaponics was a really energizing experience. Even if the association isn't able to do much more than organize a conference every year or so, that is enough for me for now for the dues. Picking a different city/location that has some places to tour and setting up speakers to give presentations to provide education and a chance to see some new things is worth it even if they don't manage much more than that.

However, I expect that more will be done and educational materials will be made available online and as chapters and branches manage to fill out more local gatherings and training will become available.

Anyway, many people came and saw and it was fun.

Well dang I've neglected this thread. I've also largely neglected the 300 gallon system too but it still seems to be ticking over ok.

No doubt you'll be moving it soon !

Yep, though it will be the last thing to move, we will be moving it. Gotta finish pulling out the Big system and the duck system first.

I think we start moving the 300 gallon system tomorrow.
(actually we already moved one bed but that was because a pipe got cracked (some one drove into the bed and shifted it just enough to crack the drain pipe) and that bed wasn't hooked up anymore anyway.

Ok, The 300 gallon system is now fishless. Well maybe there is still a minnow in it but there is only about 3 inches of water in the bottom of the tank and I'm fairly sure I got all the bluegill out (If I didn't then I some how have more fish than I started with.)

There are three beds still over there which we will move tomorrow, one of them is already half empty. We will get the fish tank and trellis and perhaps the last two duck system beds.

Had a local helper come over to see systems and I got him to help move some gravel with us (so for the extra help I gave him a couple buckets of nice mature media to take home to his new system.) And he got to come over to the farm and see what we are doing here. Now his head is spinning trying to figure out how to manage to expand his aquaponics on a budget.

Anyway, I'll have to try to remember to bring the camera tomorrow to get the "after" pictures once we pull the rest of the beds and tank out.

300 gallon system is now gone by by. No more Aquaponics Left at the old house.

Gone and here is the photo proof.

The tanks standing by to be built into a new system.

And the rest of the gravel

Perhaps some of these parts will find their next mission teaching other people how to build their own aquaponics systems.
http://www.aquaponiclynx.com/practical-aqquaponics-training-in-orlando-fl-2012

Looks fantastic, day trip to Disneyland aswell??

Maybe a business trip coming up Faye ???....Joel???

You certainly keep yourself busy TC

wait till you see what I managed today over at the farm.

I am totally new to this and so I don't actually know how it all works.
I was reading somewhere else that the grow beds are normally about 300mm deep and that the area (M2) for the grow beds should equal the area (M2) of the fish tank. now after looking at what you have done I am thinking that maybe I got it wrong as I can see that your grow beds are much higher than 300mm.

300 mm depth for grow beds is just a good standard depth but I've had good results with grow beds twice that deep and I know some people who have gone about 3 times that depth by filling whole IBC's with media as grow beds. With the deeper beds you don't get as much plant growing area but you do get lots of biological surface area for your filtration and if you grow greedy plants it works out well.

I actually like to base things more on volume than square meters. And I like about twice as much grow bed volume as fish tank volume if I can manage it.

here is a blog post that covers much of it in more detail.
http://www.aquaponiclynx.com/media-bed-aquaponic-design

Have you looked at www.osmobot.com, that's a fully automated system.