Aquaponics

[Bluey]

I am thinking....well dreaming of setting up an aquaponics system. For those that are wondering what it is you grow fish in a pond and use the nutrient rich water to grow veggies then return the veggie filtered water back to the pond. Sounds basic but it is pretty involved. I have been visiting some forums getting ready to do it and had thought about it some years ago but my lifestyle then did not allow me to do it. Now I can.

So my questions is has anyone done it before and if so do you have any tips.

GeeJay if you read this there is a great thread on a forum I visit from a bloke in South Africa in a place called Knysna. It is simply amazing what he has done. Have a look at the thred here

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2601&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

It is a bloody interesting read on a subject not that well known. Aquaponics appeals to me so I am going to give it a go

[tree beard]

mmmm well I am on that forum as well of the same name, no secrets amongst ents,

I have been working towards establishing a large system over the last year. 9000lt etc,

I think it is a worthy cause and fantastic for the family and provision of fresh organic products in an intensively cultivated easily managed environment.

[Bluey]

Hi Tree Beard

You are far more advanced than I am. I don't have have room for such a big system more is the pity. I love the idea of it particularly that I can just go down the back and pick the fish I want to eat that night and then also pick the salad to go with it.

What fish are you keeping. Can you post some pics of your system please. I am a sponge for info on this so if you have any tips fire away.

[tree beard]

Bluey you assume to much

I am financially strapped at the moment so have the tanks pumps test kits plumbing and some beds but have to join the dots.

I want to carry fish and yabbies, two different age groups of fish and varieties and a tank of yabbies.

Its a big endeavour and I spend a lot of time sniffing around ebay chasing bits.

Probably need to spend another gran before i start peeing in it :)

[Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden]

Did you guys end up putting in aqua pnics ive been stuffing around today and think i hve worked out a little complete drain setup with a constant flow and it is going to sit on my old fish tank ive been wanting to get going again for three years but as usall something else has to be done first. If i can get it working on the fish tank might put something on the pond which has also been waiting three years. Ive doug the hole and half setup the water fall.

[watlebird mowing]

funny that this comes up today, I have started puttin a small system together again today, I think aquaponics is one of the best ideas around, I have to get some bolts tomorrow to finish building the grow bed stand, its only a small system as we rent, I have a 4ft x 4ft x 2ft tank a bathtub grow bed and another bathtub for a sump, the best tip i can give you is to read as much of the BYAP forum there is a font of knowlage on there that cant be beat
here some pics of my first little bathtub system that I had in townsville
4074407540764077

[Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden]

how many fish did you have in there and what breed. I am thinking bathtub but i was going to have the pond pumping into the bathtub mking lots of veges and lots of fish.

[watlebird mowing]

I had about half a dozen big cichlids and a group of local rainbowfish in that one, I stumbled on the Aquaponics researching differant types of filtration so i wasn't really wanting to grow any food fish and didn't care if i got any food out of it. this one i am building now will be crammed full of goldfish and I hope to get a feed out of it.

[AL73]

To the Melbournians amongst us, if your ever going past Garden world on Springvale Rd. Do yourself a favour and drop in and see Jim at Autopot http://www.autopot.com.au/. He is the inventor of the Autopot hydroponics system but he is also into aquaponics and always has something interesting he is working on. I'd like to get into aquaponics also but space is becoming an issue but I'll find a spot some where.
Cheers

[Bluey]

Been thinking about aquaponics for ages but have not got round to it. This site has really good info on building one out of an IBC. Good forum to.

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/component/allvideos

[Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden]

Ok well i picked up a bath tub and i have also picked up a old spa inside any way im setting up the bath tub to go into 225 ml pipe which will be the growing bed. spent mos the day mucking around first pump was too small so got one i had brought years ago for making a pond which never happened, any way the second pump fills the pipes well but with a bell syphone running on 19mil pipe the pump puts water in faster than the 19 mil can take it out of the bell syphone so i think im going to have to go to 40 mil pipe tomorrow but hoping i can get things under way soon. I was also just offered two mexican walking fish so I am going have to work on it.

[watlebird mowing]

I never had any luck with bell syphons and found stand pipes where so much less head f%^&!

[Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden]

Alright got things working here is some video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOuESlqh4P4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyCWkkmUL9I

[Bgs]

Nice work TLLG look forward to seeing it with fish and plants well done.

[watlebird mowing]

looking good mate!