Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Nice

Continued from previous post...................

Snow peas


Rainbow Chard on right, Beetroot on left and Fennel


Brussel Sprouts, Spring Onions and more Strawberries


More Kale and the last of the Beetroot in this bed


Red Cabbage and Fennel


Celery at back with Dill and Shallots in front of it

Brush filter, I must have left a row out last time. Usually have 5 rows. Stand pipe can be seen on left between rows.


Moving Bed Bio Filter at work


That's it for now, got to go play mechanics and put the engine back in my Rodeo before I can play Aquaponics

Muz

All looking good, some nice growth there Muz

Looks great, do you keep it covered? Leaf miners love to chew on the beet leaves and chard here

The liquid going to the chicken run, is that for helping the grass to grow or some other type of fodder for the chickens? Just comparing notes, I'm slowly working on a chicken coop and attached dog kennel chicken run at the moment (nothing fancy but I need to get in gear, the coop part has to be done in about 3 weeks).

Cheers

Hey Scotty, I haven't covered any of my plants yet but may have to soon. Some of the local parrots take a liking to the tomato's and strawberries in summer but aren't a problem this time of year. I actually counted 50 parrots on my back lawn last week and that's right next to my system.

This photo shows some of them. Think there was 49 28 Parrots and 1 Western Rosella that day. Lucky they prefer the kikuyu rather than my plants.


The dirty water getting drain drained to the chook pen goes onto the kikuyu in there. It just happens to be along side the fish shed. Its just convenient but does benefit the grass. Part of the cleaning of the brushes is to get rid of the water in the filter box, otherwise all you'd do is stir it all up and it would go through the system.
My chook pen is about 20m x 20m roughly. 3/4 of it is kikuyu which the Turkeys, Ducks and Chooks all feed on. Its convenient having the chook pen close to the system so any scraps can go straight over the fence. Then along side the other end of the fish shed I have fenced a yard for the goats that get their Celery and Kale daily, plus scraps. All in all it works well.

Stunning craftsmanship. Love those GBs too, just beautiful

Hum, mentally trying to figure out how to incorporate some of your methods (re-cleaning filter to chicken yard) without actually having a permanent chicken yard near the AP.
Our chickens and goats are mobile moving every day ALA polyface farms style.

Lately I've been cleaning filters into either a aeration tank to stabilize the sludge and then use it in the garden or worm bins later or pumping the water off to a bin near the garden or to the worm system.

Anyone have any recommendations on small pumps that are still good at moving kinda sludgy stuff? I still usually reach a point where I have to use a shop vac every so often which is really a pain.

Try checking out sewage pumps. There is a little giant that can handle 2in solids for around $200 at home depot. I can not remember if it is oil less or not though.

Don't think I'd have much success trying to pump the sludge that's left at the bottom of my filter box. I scoop it out, doesn't take long. Ideally I'd have a conical settling chamber in front of the brushes so as to just drain them off. Not enough room or fall for such things in my current system, but there's always next time. I'm sure we'd all change a few things second time around.

Purchased an incubator a couple of days ago and I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival. Been saving Turkey and Khaki Campbell duck eggs in preparation. Just another means of putting produce on the table. As my 300sqm of aviaries are empty I thought I might as well have some poultry in there. Might even try some Japanese Quail. They reckon there ready for the table at 6 weeks.

Cheers Muz

Muzza I assume that you replaced the olive barrels due to roots clogging them? I was about to build a similar system, until I saw you got rid of it!

Hi Muzza. Still around? Would love to see what your system looks like nowadays!

Looks like last time he checked in was October 2015

G'day people, been a while. My system is still ticking over and its had a few more mod's with more to come. Usual story, always tinkering with it. Wasn't happy with the extra filtration so I fine tuned it a bit. Trying to simplify it and give it more stability ready for a big trout season. Still have lots of Silver Perch, which will be getting thinned out shortly. Went through a stage there where it was a bit neglected but still functioned perfectly.

Anyway I'm enjoying it at the moment while trying to fit it in with all my other ventures and hobbies.

Will do an up date in the near future.

Cheers Muzza

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