Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey Mungbeans, what your talking about is just another method of hydroponics called NFT, or nutrient film techique. You can pretty much use any form of hydroponics connected to the fish (aquaculture) side of things.

Some people like the floating raft as used by UVI, University of Virgin Islands

Others use NFT like Barramundi Blue, these pipes can be round, oval or square or rectangular, the latest appears to be the more oval shape.

You can use aeroponics, check out the Album for some photos of Nicks aeroponics system, he gives a run down of how his system works here.

Or there is the gravel growbed as I have used in most of my systems. I guess it's basically a case of any type of hydroponics (growing plants without soil). Some have advantages, some have disadvantages, it's almost a little like the ford/holden debate to an extent..

I like the gravel growbeds because you don't need any type of filtering or solids removal, the gravel growbeds are it, where as all other methods require some form of solids removal, as solids cause problems in those types of systems.. So for me, it's just a bit simpler, but then I'm not saying it's better one way or the other, just my personal preference...

I've decided to make my first system a comparison between the different hydroponic metods.

(Yes Earthbound, am digging away, just taking a break )

I'll have the one fish tank, a gravel tub, a DWC tub, A NFT gutter, and and aeroponics tub.

I think its important to realise that the gravel in the system has a dual role, to support the plant AND (possibly more importantly) to house the bacteria. An exclusively DWC or aeroponics system would still need some type of biological filter.

This is where i'll be cheating i'll have the tub of hydro grow rocks (gravel tub) in the system as well as the other methods.

Steve

Keep at it Steve...... (Support team to help keep you motivated )[schild=5 fontcolor=000000 shadowcolor=C0C0C0 shieldshadow=1]Go Steve Go![/schild]

For the systems that use a settling tank to separate the solid wastes, what are these used for. Are they broken down further and returned to the system or are they removed?

They are ususally removed from the system and disposed of... Unfortunately with many aquaculture ventures, these become a waste issue and they are disposed of without being put to much use...... In aquaponics they just stay as part of the system, being broken down and consumed by the plants.

Tanks IN! (Much help from a friend who is more of a "farm boy" than i ever will be

I was fine for the first two and a half feet (ok, my friend has just corrected me 1 foot. maybe;)) till i hit clay (and i mean CLAY)

He graciously took over the diggin while i did important things like make coffee and light cigarettes for him

Dumped the green water from the tank and moved it into place. Sits slightly higher than yours does, earthbound, but i'm hoping that 1 tonne of water and a little rain will settle it a little further (there is a gap under it)

i have 13 tiny silver perch in there now. will pick up square tubs tomorrow, 1 for dwc, 1for gravel, 1 for aeroponics, and a length of pvc to use as nft.

Doh, the bubbler doesn't reach to the new poition of the tank. 1000Lt with 13 fingerlings should be alright with no airaetion (for a few days...... i hope )

might go outside and take a pic.

Steve

Wooo Hooo..... Nice one Steve... So where are your other silver perch, or did you only have the 13 to begin with....?

Um......yeh, i was sort of hoping no-one would ask........

seems like the long period of lack of time and motivation took its toll on the fish. lets just leave it at that

So, if any one in melbourne is looking for some perch (silver or jade) let me know, i'll be in on a combined order

Update on my system:

Just picked up 2x 200Lt polyethylene drums who's previous job was storing evening primrose oil. Got them for $20 each at a local recycling place in campbellfield (for those in melbourne )

Have just finnished cutting them length ways with an angle grinder to make 4x grow beds. (12am was probably a little late for the noise, but im a night owl if you haven't already figured that one out buy the times on my posts )

I smell like a mixture of burnt primrose oil and burnt plastic, not nice

Hopefully i'll have a chance tomorrow to weld up a little stand for them and get water flowing over them.

I've got a DWC setup ready to go but i'm still waiting on the ultrasonic fogger from ebay for the aeroponics tub. When that comes i'll start the comparison.

Make sure you give them a really good wash out Steve.... Who knows what primrose oil would do to fish.... So did the cutting go fairly well with the angle grinder? I've tried a couple of methods, one was using a jigsaw for the whole cut and that sucked, very hard to cut through the thick lips with a jigsaw.... Now after doing about 15 of them recently I think the present way I'm doing them is fairly easy and efficient.. The circular was works an absolute treat... Mmmmmmm perhaps this is a seperate topic for later....

Are you cutting the top out of your burried tank Steve...?

Yeh, the angle grinder with a cut off disk made light work of it. I was down at dads place and he wasn't convinced when i told him to use thecircular saw, i think he was worried about one of the teeth catching. Grinder was like a hot nife through butter. Yep, just about to go down and wash them now. Regarding the lid of the tank, i was going to cut a rectangle "flap" out of the top middle, 3 sides so i could peel it back for access and then fold it back over to keep it a little warmer. I would have ideally liked it sunk further. Dumping 1000lt and getting three people to heave it out so i can dig antoher 2 feet in wet clay REALLY doesn't appeal to me. so i might leave it. if the excess height becomes an issue then i might just cut the top off so its almost level.

What are your thought on the "flap" cut out?

At least your fish won't suffer from PMT Steve.

Flap sounds cool.... so long as it doesn't get in the way... I guess your going to have a bubbler in your tank, so air flow over the top is not going to be a major issue,.,,? I just get worried about things with no air transfer over the surface of the water..... but I know you know....

Nice on VB.. ...... Though I shouldn't laugh.......

Steve what was the address of the recycling place in Campbellfied?

Regarding your fish tank slightly above ground... you could always mound some soil or stone up the sides to the top....or fill some woven poly bags with dirt and wall up around the tank...should keep it extra warm...