Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Sure, i will let you know when i buy mine.

I just ordered a new sump tank for the remodeling of the system.

So, the laborious task of remodeling the setup has started.

First step is sinking the sump tank (550l, poly water tank, drinking water safe) into the ground.

The problem with this is everywhere on our property is a layer of coffee rock just 600mm under the red dirt and i need to go down to 1000mm. The first 600mm were done in under 2 hours, the next 200mm took another 2 hours, i have to finish it tomorrow with some heavier machinery than just my hammer drill with a chisel bit. I am in the need for a jackhammer...

Looks like tough digging. I like my nice soft sand.

ouch, that doesn't look like fun. Reminds me of the ground in Kalgoorlie

Soo, the sump tank is installed...

When everything is finished the whole area will get a nice gravel cover which digs the tank in a little bit more.

The tank is filled with water from the aquaponics system and i have installed an air stone in it to keep the water fresh until its connected.

That's an impressive hole! I should have invested in one of those borers when I was digging my FT.

It should look very neat with the gravel all around it.

Yes colum, but i also got some bruises from that auger before, nothing you can do when it catches on some tree roots. And for the coffee rock i used a Jack hammer.

Awesome tool for planting small trees, drill hole, break the sites with a chisel for the roots to not get bound. And was just 320 bucks.

On another note, how are you going with your icecreamery? I watched your videos and my missus drooled all over my shoulder... For the icecream i that is

Ohh, guess what's happening here...

a coffin for Tony Abbot?

You would see bulges in sides and bottom... For ears and nose... :p

I got quite some stuff done on the weekend. The drain plumbing for the new beds is in and the steel is cut for the grow beds. On the first picture in the left hand side is one grey painted angle already mounted to the side off the shipping container, that one half off the structure for the grow beds.

Now the plan is to plumb everything up except the grow bed next to the new sump which enables me to remove the first grow bed without stopping the system and clears space to install the first new one. And so on.

Luckily I got 3 weeks coming up, 2 new grow beds should be online than. The blue drums will be replaced with a special kind of raft and will run after a rff but I won't bother with a filter for the grow beds.

When I picked up the first new grow bed I got told how they are produced, they are actually a tank first and than lid gets cut off. But I can choose to leave the lid on and than I drill holes in it and install grow grips for the lettuce and leafy greens. I am thinking of installing some 316 stainless strengthening inside the tank to lift the Center by a couple of millimeter to avoid water pooling on the top. More about that later

Yes augers can be brutal. Always wanted one for my old tractor just so I didn't have to hold it. That's where the shear pin concept works. When the auger hits something immobile, the pin shears, instead of flipping the tractor. Still a pipe dream at this point. How did Coffee rock get its name?

Maybe it's "coffin" rock. Because that's where you end up after trying to dig/move it?

cough cough in

Where did you get the GB's Gwyd? They look the goods.