Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks DuiNui.

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My IBC build
My Second System
Wards Backyard

Well I do own a paintball gun.....

I may have to add some cross-bracing to the frames, and the strong wind we have had recently is pushing them over a bit, but otherwise they look like they should be good.

Giving the plants somewhere to grow was part of the original appeal of the frames. And as there are 3 lengths of PVC pipe running across the top, if I need to run some string up for something to grow on, there is plenty of options to anchor it.

As for fish, at this point it is running fishlessly. I'll probably hold out for a couple of months and just go for trout once it cools down.

_________________
My IBC build
My Second System
Wards Backyard

Looking awesome mate

Carey's got 40mm SP for a $1 each @ gidgegannup. No more waiting....

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~2010/2011~
~2012/2013~
~My Yabbie Hunting Adventures~

Don't tell me that Charlie. I had finally convinced myself that waiting for trout season was the way to go. Now you got me thinking about it again.

_________________
My IBC build
My Second System
Wards Backyard

So I am currently having some problems with my affnan siphons. I am finding that they start ok, but the siphon is not breaking at the end even with the incoming water turned off.

If I try to lift the bell once the out flow has stopped, I find it is still under suction.

Anyone got any thoughts how I can modify the siphons / plumbing to prevent this from happening??

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My IBC build
My Second System
Wards Backyard

Can't really see the outlet, but as long as it doesn't flow uphill at any time and cause an airlock, then you should be able to fix it by taking out one of the teeth at the bottom of the bell, and making the gap a little bit higher than all the other teeth/gaps..

like this: (dots added to get spacing right)
....... /-\
/\/\/\/...\/\/\

If you can make sense of that attempt at a pic, it should allow enough air in at one time though the single higher gap to break the syphon, if all the teeth are the same height, the water level is dropping too slowly to break the surface tension of all of them at the same time..

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Inactive outside IBC mixed system
5 Yabbies in indoor aquarium herb system

Its been a while since the last update, So I thought I would post a summary.

The growbeds have all been filled with gravel now (thank goodness that's over). And all the plumbing is sorted out now as well. A bit of fiddling and cutting and the syphon's have settled down as well. I still need to put a stopwatch on them, just to see that the cycle period is.

Still have a couple of tasks to do:

I have found there is a bit of a buildup of algae in the fish tank and sump. So I probably need to put a more opaque cover over them that what is there currently.
Finish building the SLO
Fit the air pump
I should really also measure the levels in the system again.

Right now I am just trying to get the system settled down ready for adding fish.

Which brings me to a question.

While I have seen plenty of threads on fish stocking densities, I was still after some advice. I am planning on getting some trout soon (as soon as it cools down a bit). Given I have a fairly young system (only been running for 4 months), and given these will be the first fish going in, how many fingerlings should I be looking at. To recap, my system has 1000L FT, and approx 1200L of growbed volume.

My own guesstimate was to aim for about 20. But that is only a guess.

Also (for those that live in Perth), any guesses on when it will cool down enough that the trout are just not going to end up poached in the FT??

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My IBC build
My Second System
Wards Backyard

Hi Sam

The whole stock density thing is a little tricky at the start - as you know we say (as a recommendation) 25 x 500g fish per 500L of filtration. So in your case, eventually when the system is matured 50-odd 500g fish is exceptable.

-BUT-

I would take this one step further to say that it would be madness (for example) to throw in 50-60 x 500g trout in a 1000L IBC! So there is a couple of ways at looking at it as you see. Recommended stock levels dont always fit every situation, IBC's dont provide a lot of swimming area. 20 healthy exersized plate size fish are better than 50 crowded underweight miserable fish.

I have had 20 trout fingerlings in a 800L FT with 400L GB and had about 12 left at harvest time (lost a few along the way) and were about 3-400g each, and this in my opinion was plenty trout in that small area. They looked un-exersized with fat bellies.

Dont think you need as much fish as you can get in that FT to get maximum plant growth (as a lot of people do) because its the fish that will suffer in the end when you could have got the same plant growth with just a handful.

_________________
~2010/2011~
~2012/2013~
~My Yabbie Hunting Adventures~

Thanks for the input Charlie.

So to summarize, for a 1000L IBC FT, you would suggest around 20 (to allow for some losses)?? or more like 12-15 to give them some more space??

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My IBC build
My Second System
Wards Backyard

Im sure you will get mixed responses mate but I think about 20-30 would be ok, you have heaps of filtration so water quality will be excellant. If you havnt already it would be wise to get your system cycled before you introduce them as this will give you a running start. You could use charlie carp or hummonia or alike to do this.

I lost a bunch of mine to a power outage so doesnt nessecerily mean you will (fingers crossed) although many have lost trout for various reasons.

Get yourself a good aerator as the trout a probably the most oxygen hungry out there.

SnowT has already started with the trout but he has lost a fair few already, they are a difficult fish to start with due to high feed rate -high output, low temp requirements and oxyygen dependancies

You are doing everything spot on mate so stick with it and we will help you through your adventure

_________________
~2010/2011~
~2012/2013~
~My Yabbie Hunting Adventures~

An updated photo of my system:


Some of the seedlings are looking a little sad in the photo as this was taken just after they had been planted, and they had dried out a little bit while waiting to go in.

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My IBC build
My Second System
Wards Backyard

And you'd probably be growing plants in dirt right now.
Nice score on the trellises. They're almost to pretty to cover up with the shade cloth.

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My goal in life is to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

Rhame

Not much risk of me growing plants in dirt. I do not have a millimeter of green thumb in me. The only reason I think i'll get success with the AP setup is because I am viewing it as a large aquarium (rather than a vegie garden). Aquariums I can (and do) manage successfully.

It might sound a bit backwards, but it works in my head

As for the trellis, once the weather cools down, and the sun moves over a bit (so to speak) i'll probably leave it more open (I can just roll the sides up). But during summer the plants need all the help they can get.

_________________
My IBC build
My Second System
Wards Backyard

Thanks Charlie.

I have already been running the system on charlie carp, plus seeding it with water from my aquarium. Its been running like this since I turned it on. So hopefully it should be well on its way to being cycled. (I just need to test it to make sure).

_________________
My IBC build
My Second System
Wards Backyard

Not backwards at all. Same here. Have had aquariums for years, and kept thinking about those hydroponic systems I've seen pictures of and wondered....and google landed me here.

_________________
My goal in life is to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

Rhame