Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Guys,
New to Aquaponics, new to forum.
I Have just turned on and stock my system, I welcome your comments feedback and advice.
I have a small backyard so space is of a premium.

I have a 1000IBC with 1/4 of the top cut off, I have 2 halves of a 200L drum cut in half, with 9m of gutters.
I'm running a 3500l p/H running but at height so not putting out that amount. I have a 4 outlet air pump with battery back up so air is all ok.
I just put in 6 Yabbies 2 male 4females.
Just put a different range of seeds, so will see what works.
System been running about a week with waste and water from my fish tanks inside added to speed up cycling.

Please offer any advice you have and if I can breed and eat Yabbies soon.

Cheers

Looks pretty cool! I am looking at setting up a similar system. Can you message me a diagram of your layout and the specifics of equipment. I am having trouble trying to layout piping. How do get water to the gutter and the pump set up? In tank pump direct to piping or a sump pump? Whats the white doodad in between the barrels?

This set up looks just like what I want to set up, identically!

What are you planting in the grow beds and gutters?

I know its a lot of questions, but I too am limited on space so this is pretty ideal for me.

Thanks

Hi Gick . Welcome to the forum if I haven't said it already

Nice job on the gutter system. You probably have a cutout but I can't see it so the only thing I wonder about is how are you going to access the fish tank with the beds on top? I'd try to weatherproof the cord connection but then we get lots of rain here, not sure about conditions at your location

Cheers

looks good, do your drains in the gutters sit up a bit to hold water in the gutters all the time or just a trickle running through them constantly? They would probably be a decent way of adding DWC for leafy greens if they are flooded all the time... might have to figure out a way to incorporate that in to my greenhouse.

Thanks guys,

I will provide a bit more info and answer a few questions.

Not 100% complete, I do need my electrician friend to come round and install GPO in weatherproof enclosure, at the moment I am removing the air pump if rain is forecast, hope this weekend this will be fixed. Yes I have a cutout about 25% of IBC, near the door side.

grizzbair- I don't have a diagram, It was a play as you go set up, took a few goes..... I didn't actually use gutters, I used channel drain normally used at the end of driveways, I found these to be stronger and easier to install cost was a little more but in the end worked better. The white doodad is the battery backup air pump. This will be moved when my electrician comes round. Its a start up system so no sump at this stage, it pumps out of ICB and drains back, I'm using a 3500LPH pump but is going up about 2.1m so is not moving this amount, its all pumped through 20mm pvc pipe.

I have planted many different types of lettuce and herbs, I think I put some radish in too.

The "gutters" are on a slope so gravity flow back to IBC, I plan on running the pump 30mins on 30mins off on timer. In summer this may have to change as to not burn the roots, in Perth we can see 40 deg plus and this wall sees full sun for over half day.

Oh and by the way, I talk metric system, one day USA will catch up.... Hehehe

I hope that answers questions, like most people on here I think its a learn as you go type deal. I will keep updates posted on forum.

Hi guys, update on system. Seeds are poping up i have 6 yabbies and tninking of adding a few silver perch to beef up nutrients for plants, i have mixed feedback on having both in same tank.
Do yabbies and silver perch live in peace?
I want to breed yabbies rather than fish.

Looks good. I like the channel drains they do look nice and strong. How did you mount them to the wall? Are Yabbi's like crayfish or prawns? i have seen others that use netting in a PVC frame work to protect there prawns from tilapia. check out this youtube video to see how to build.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhPfKK6smLA
Good luck and send more pictures please.

Thanks Shewme71,
I mounted to the wall with a basic L bracket on the same slant as the drains. Yabbies are like freshwater crayfish, google them. They are everywhere in Australia. Yummy too.

just add some small hiding areas for the yabbies to get away from the fish. you can use PVC pipes that the fish won't be able to fit in or the screen to keep an area protected that the fish can't get in or something like that...