Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi! My name is Steve(yes, another one). I live in Pakenham, Vic on a qtr acre and have pleanty of room for a BYAP system.

I was introduced to BYAP 18 months ago by a friend who showed me this website. It seemed to make perfect sense to me, combine 2 of my favorite past times, anything to do with fish, and growing fruit and vegetables. I was hooked immediately.

I have read nearly all of the posts in the forum (skipped a few of the off topic craziness) and have recently started to design a system of my own using what I consider to be the best advice/designs from different members.
I am now at the point where my design is getting close to finished, and I am looking into buying parts to get started.

I have a million questions about how,what, why and why not, so I have joined up to hopefully get some of these questions answered.

I suppose I will start with one of the first questions I asked myself when I started to design a system, Flood & drain, or constant flow?????? Which is better for a first up system? ie, setting up and learning the ropes.

Any help would be great.

Thanks

Welcome SMF....

I think almost universally people have opted for flood and drain over continuous flow....

If for no other reason than it allows a greater range of produce to be grown and a greater flexibility in terms of materials and designs.

High oxygenation is inherent in a flood and drain design, whereas it becomes a necessary and supplementary feature in order to be even moderatly successful with constant flow.

Constant flow is (IMHO) probably best suited to either raft production or low root depth type plants like lettuce and some herbs.

+1

it is best to start a small system to learn the basics. That small system can then be used to seed your next larger system with plenty of bacteria loaded media and water. With the smaller startup if you do have a major problem it is easier to deal with and you won't suffer as great a loss.

It is a good idea to start your own personal thread under members systems. The great folks here will assist you with any concerns or questions you may have. They have saved my buns many, many times and I can never thank them enough but I try.

Welcome to the greatest forum on earth

flood and drain

OK, so flood & drain. I have studied the auto siphon thread and think I understand it..........will have to play with some PVC.

Next question would be about pump systems.
I read on most threads that everyone is considering the environmental impacts that they cause. this is one of the main factors in them growing their own, saving water, etc. but you all seem to use large electric pumps to run your systems. Has anyone tried a 12v bilge pump running off a car battery or 2 with a solar panel to keep the batteries charged?
I was thinking about using 2 batteries each running a bilge pump and an aerator to move water from the sump into the fish tank and to add oxygen to the water. I haven't run any tests yet to see how long the battery could keep the pump and aerator going for, but I see this as having good redundancy. As long as it runs overnight.

I suggest using loop syphons to begin with, they are not so picky.
I'd dare say we all would be dancing in the streets if we could place our systems completly off grid. That's one of the impacts not easily worked out.

I could run a system off grid.

I have the space just not the cash to get started , my scounging hasn't given me the right stuff to use except running the system off grid.
I purchased a 2nd had wind generator when I had money.

I managed to scounge quite a few Deep cycle batteries, a few tonne of heavy duty angle iron to build the shed for the batteries and the mast for the wind generator I still have a fair bit of this angle iron ( only if I could scrounge a welder) I could make grow bed stands.

Nice going Ron.... I'd like to go down the same road sometime.... keep us posted please.

Ron, where are you in Vic? My welder has been sitting idle for years, and will sit idle for longer (bigger and better ones to use at work and at the farm)
I could loan it to you for a year or so if you wanted.
Also: If you scrounged all those batteries, have you tested them? did they all work to their full potential? Did you refurbish them at all? If so, what were your techniques, it's a damn lot of batteries you have there :-)

The Batteries are all good 5yo.
A mate was overhaulig a electrical substation, part of the refubishment was to replace the existing batteries with 2v 440ah, I was lucky enough to score the old ones, but I would have loved the news ones that went in.
It was a bugger movig them the 2v ones weigh 20kg's each and the 6volters 30kg.
as for the welder I live in Longwood which is about 130k's from you, however I work @ RMIT in Bundoora.

Hey if you want to drop over after work, it's all yours mate.

Great pickup Ron.

SMF - if using 12volt, bilge pumps are not the go other than for backup (short term) use. They have been shown by other members to bugger up pretty quicly when used as frequently as they are in AP.

Jealous of those batteries, I might have to speak to the house engineers where I work and see if they change over the batteries here on a regular basis.
Sounds like the only option to get off grid AP is to win lotto and buy a shite load of solar panels then.......wonder if I can get council approval for a wind farm in my backyard. Always windy in Pakky.

Still might use the bilge pump and battery as a backup for power outages though, should be a small outlay for some insurance, as I already have most of the stuff required.

Yep - my backup consists of a deep 75ah deep cycle battery, failover switch, battery charger and a 12v bilge pump. The pump just pumps up and back down into the tank to provide aeration and circulation.