Fayes' System

faye

Thankyou for your compliments FishyFill. Well the thing about photography is that you can always choose your angle to avoid the bits that don't look so good and focus on what does. Well, being a vegetable garden it certainly has its' time when it really needs a make over but if this clashes with the end of the trout season then it just has to wait. The quality of the fish tank water needs to be the main focus and really don't like you mucking up their water by playing around and stirring up the growbeds. You also need to leave plants there to continue removing the nitrates. the longer you do aquaponics, the easier it becomes. What I have enjoyed most is learning about the bugs, especially the good guys that visit our gardens. I must say though, having fresh herbs at the back door and at an easy to harvest height is also a bonus and one which I would not like to do without.
FishyFill, I too have lots of gardens fruit trees and vege gardens and have found the aquaponics system easy to manage once I got a handle on things. I've also learnt a lot more about the other gardens and some crops are dead easy others are hard work. I love being in my garden and this year grew all my summer plants from seed, we will have beetroot coming out of our ears, which is great because they are yummy roasted and turned in to relish. The fig trees are loaded and we have our first avocadoes and mangoes plus ducklings just hatched. Thats it for now, back to wander the garden with my wine. I've given up on posting photos from my phone because I can't seem to get the size right and I can't stand being on a computer as opposed to being in the garden. Good to see you all still here. :wave:

faye

Well I have decided to sell off part of my system. Doesn't look so pretty now as it has been turned off when the trout were harvested, doesn't stop the tomatoes fruiting or the asparagus growing and its easier to bag the clay when the roots have dried. I was going to have to do a bit of an overhaul as the ants have undermined some of the slabs around the 3000 litre tank, ( I do hope its only ants and not a dugite). As the family is growing up and leaving home, not to mention that I have extended the vegetable growing areas, I really don't need a hundred odd fish every year. My bromeliad collection is multiplying too and needs bright light, so this area could be perfect. I was thinking around half the new price. Pm me if you have any questions.

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Charlie

Makes sense to down grade Faye. Sad to see the oldest BYAP system scale down but the time had to come. Hope all is well.

Bon&Mark

Hi Faye from reading you're topic is seems to me that you change fish every six months!
Do you cull them at six months old or are they six months old when you purchase them?

Colum Black-Byron

In the beds you pulled apart, was there much sludge in the grow beds? Any bad smelling parts?

donone

Hi Faye
just catching up and see you are cutting off some of your system. Hope it is not permanent. I really did get a lot of encouragement from your system. You REALLY ARE THE GOLDEN SPADE down there in OZ. You have made thousands of people jealous of what you did.

I have not been keeping up with the forum lately but I am still running here. I m getting my summer stuff ready to go already. Winter stuff is here still but slow. My two and three year old tomatoes are going to get replaced this year. I will be watching for you.

Rocketrod

Hi Faye do you ever have trouble with white fly if you have can you let me no how you deal with them never had them last season any help would be appreciated cheers

Andrew Neilson

Can I ask a rude question, what does a system like that cost. I feel ill every time I think of the 3-4k I am going to have spend on my system an its only a 2k tank an 2 grow beds lol

FishyFill

I would not hold your breath waiting for a response. This thread appears to have run it's course. I'd suggest going straight to the BYA website and add up the individual component costs. You can build a functional system for well under 3k. It may not be a pretty as Faye's but very few are.

MartinC

Hi Andrew,

If you want a perfect system you would probably need to stump up the cash like you mentioned but it is quite possible to build a system of the size you mention for under 1k. If you use IBCs for tanks/sumps and blue barrels for grow beds you can make your dollars stretch much further than you expect. Then the plumbing and pumps on top of that and you're set.

If you want more info on that look up the "IBCofAquaponics" on this site. It is a free book that you can download with lots and lots of info on setting up a system on a budget.

Regards, Martin.

faye

Andrew here is a link that will give you an idea of what it will cost to purchase a new system http://www.cheidysaquaponics.com.au/systems/
I rarely visit here these days as I've sold my system, but I am missing it no end. I have spent quite a bit of time travelling over the past year and my garden with over fifty fruit trees is getting a lot more love. Preserving and using up the fresh produce keeps me busy but I don't know if I'll be able to skip another trout season. I am missing having all the easy grow aquaponic produce at my back door so something might happen again soon. Whatever you decide, just have a go as it can be one of the easiest ways to grow veges.

dr bee

She's alive!! (Taken and modified slightly from Flash Gordon)

Food&Fish

Faye you have a pm

faye

Got it FoodnFish

On another note I wanted to let you all know that a pineapple I cut the top off and planted in my system, before subsequently potting when my system was relocated is fruiting :flower:

Just so you all know it's possible:)

TCLynx

Oh we just lately ate a pineapple grown from a top in my media bed system. Yes it can be done.

Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Fayes' System

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Backyard Aquaponics A place to discuss aquaponics

Fayes' System

Who is online

Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics