Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi, not sure if I've popped this in the right spot? Anyway I have an above ground pool 3m by 4.5m and 1.2m deep approx.
Questions:
How do I work out how many litres? (I know, it sounds easy but I'm quite thick!) I only have access to bore water which is quite hard, Is it ant good?what tests will I need to do ? So much to take in, I have heaps more questions but that will do for now. Hope someone can help?
Kirsty

kirsty, if the pool is rectangular then multiply all three measurements then multiply by 1000 and you have your litres :3x4.5x1.2*1000=16.2 thousand litres

not sure on oval, but wit will lie somewhere between the above figure and the one you get if you take your length measurements as if the pool were rectangular, ie measure just the straight and exclude the ovals

Welcome!

Steve

you can either fill the pool with rain water (yes i realise the irony of this statement ) or measure the KH /GH of the water (test kits available) as see if its within range.

If you want to use the bore water, it might be an idea to get it tested somewhere before hand..... might be very salty

taste test!

Drop a goldfish in a bucket of your bore water and see what happens

I have a large-ish fish pond out the front which I filled with bore water and put in 9 goldfish. That was about two years ago now I have well over twenty so the water might be OK? It does taste pretty yukky though

sounds like the bore water is a go-er! just curious, is is high in ireon? rust stains around? if so, plants wll be happy, but i think yabies don't like it too much.

Welcome Kirsty. Go Large! You could feed half the Wimmera with that sized fish tank! Hope you got some of that rain these past couple days.

Gee should I start a bit smaller? The pool isnt used and just needs a new liner so I thought it would be ideal. I had planned to make timber frames to raise my grow beds so they were level with the sides of the pool and let gravity take the water back. I'm not a very 'handy' girl so I have hardware questions too. Will I just need 1 pump to pump the water up and onto the grow beds? what size will I need? The pool has what I think maybe a sand filter connected, will I need that ? sorry about all the questions? thanks heaps kirsty

Hi Kristy, good to see you over here. This is the right place for lots of questions, people here are very willing to answer them for you.

You don't need to start small, they're just jealous

Keep asking, we'll keep answering

kirsty, have a read of forest's system in the informal members systems. Lots of pics from go to wo and you will pick things up easily there. Get Joel's Backyard Aquaponics book, read it twice and then as you build. Seriously, with a 16000lt pool you need a LOT of fish and LOTS of Grow Beds. Right now reading is ur friend and will save many mistakes. I am new to this game and feel pretty much that all you need to know is in this forum. If you can read thru for an hour a day it will pay handsomely down the track. Good luck and please maintain ur enthusiasm and keep asking questions.

Post some photos (if you can) of your pool, pump, filter, and anything else so we can see what you're working with.

Hopefully here is a pic of the pool. It's just a shell really but as is it's an unproductive eye sore in the middle of my yard! I waas going to get rid of it to expand my vegie garden but then came across aquaponics. So now hopefully vegies and fish Oh I cant work out how to remove the red circle

It looks a MESS but it's solid as! It's cemented in. A new liner and away we go.......to optimistic? thanks kirsty

Nice Kirsty...jealous as ....there's nothing to say you have to fill the tank with water, start about 1/3 full with fish then increase water size as required as you gain experience in AP.

The hoop ...I use one as a feeding area, it calms the water surface inside the ring and makes it easier for fish to feed, especially fingerlings