my pilot project francois

[francois]

R1 and R2 refer to revisions.

1)R1 growing trays (wide)
2)pump/duckweed
3)dam/fish/tilapia
4)R2 growing trays (narrow more manageable)

my dam i have also had to half in volume to be able to do most
of work myself.(more manageable)
(was 22000 l water now max 10000l water)

my system = dam - gravity - into grow/tray's - into duckweed - into sump -
where the level is controlled - water pumped through a swimming pool filter with sand back into the dam.

in my growing trays i have +-25 mm stones.
i started of with smaller stones. (did not work well)
in the growing trays i also have worms.

i have been growing all sort's in my growing trays.

it works very well.

[fishfood]

Man one impressive set up

[GaryD]

Hi Francois,

I agree......an impressive set up.

We look forward to ongoing commentary about its progress.

Where is Port Elizabeth.......Bahamas?

Gary

[Ravnis]

all I can say is WOW!
Nice setup

THe tank looks like its wire frame with a liner in it. If that's the case, what kind of liner are you using.

[francois]

hi all

THANK you very much.

a lot of hard work.

i designed and build my own system.
started of with the basics
and doing upgrades to the system going along as required.
i want the system to run itself.
problem free
i have a full time job (my own boss) but still have to put bread on the table so my time is restricted, this is just a hobby.
me myself (plumber/sparky/-----from a to z)
i do all that is required to keep my project going.
quiet a hand full.
i call it walking the road.(apprenticeship)
learning from your mistakes in practice/reality and going forward.
improving and trying thing's making your system better and learning the ART of aquaponics


yes ravnis it is a hydrex wire mesh dam and tilapia liner.

photos
before and after the wind
lots of back breaking work gone in a second

but we will carry on
once the bug have bitten no return

thanks again
francois

[drewb]

wow that is impresive for just a hobbie...just wondering how the first lot of pics link into the other pics. sorry if i have missed something.

Cheers Drew & Bec

[francois]

wow that is impresive for just a hobbie...just wondering how the first lot of pics link into the other pics. sorry if i have missed something.

Cheers Drew & Bec

i had just finished whitewashing my 96 sq.meter tunnel and about a week later the wind damage

[GaryD]

Hi Francois,

Did you sustain much damage?

Gary

[francois]

morning gary

basicly my plastic tunnel framework and some plants
broke my spirit for about 4 weeks (basicly just leaving the system to run)

plastic not much of concern now summer
my temp. is +- 5 degree's lower with plastic gone
my mor.temp.+- 20deg afternoon +-30 deg.
more manageable

my system runs very well with little hickups

[moose]

There appears to be 2 systems in the pics one with the black tank feeding into a raft system and a grey tank feed into the troughs filled with rocks. Very interested in construction methods on black tank with wire and liner. Is the final tank downstream from the black tank primarly a sump or does it also have a filtering function. Looks very impressive.

[GaryD]

Hi Francois,

I think Moose is reflecting the interest of others of us. Can you post a diagram which shows how each of the elements is hooked into the system?

I love what you've done with the low tech grow beds.

Gary

[moose]

I think I got it the grey tank (dam) is the black tank (dam) reduced in height and the liner rolled down. What is the round structure in the tank (dam)

[francois]

I think I got it the grey tank (dam) is the black tank (dam) reduced in height and the liner rolled down. What is the round structure in the tank (dam)

yes moose
what you see is right,the dam i cut down in hight and rolled the dam/side over the wire mesh.
the dam was 23 000 l now 11 500 l

i manage/run the sytem on my own, one man operation.
i spend minimum time on maintanance/and the running of system.

the final tank downstream from the black tank is sump/filtering filled with duckweed.

the round structure in the tank (dam) is a grow out tank flouting in the dam.
i keep all my tilapia fry in this flouting dam.
2/3 months then you can sort males from females.
i have been trying to get to the stage were you have only faster growing males in the system.
i think it works well.

due to water quotas of 500 L per household per day i am forced to stop my project.
very sad/ this is my passion.
i am in the process of selling all my fish and breaking down the system.

my system is on rented property.

gary i will send a detailed layout of my system as is,
and with my vision of what could improve my system.

[francois]

yes moose
what you see is right,the dam i cut down in hight and rolled the dam/side over the wire mesh.
the dam was 23 000 l now 11 500 l

i manage/run the sytem on my own, one man operation.
i spend minimum time on maintanance/and the running of system.

the final tank downstream from the black tank is sump/filtering filled with duckweed.

the round structure in the tank (dam) is a grow out tank flouting in the dam.
i keep all my tilapia fry in this flouting dam.
2/3 months then you can sort males from females.
i have been trying to get to the stage were you have only faster growing males in the system.
i think it works well.

due to water quotas of 500 L per household per day i am forced to stop my project.
very sad/ this is my passion.
i am in the process of selling all my fish and breaking down the system.

my system is on rented property.

gary i will send a detailed layout of my system as is,
and with my vision of what could improve my system.

oop's 22 000 l now 10 000 l water

[moose]

Is there no way to keep it going. Where are you? Would like more info on how you built the tank. I have seen pics of similsr but they all had post around the pirimater.

[francois]

Is there no way to keep it going. Where are you? Would like more info on how you built the tank. I have seen pics of similsr but they all had post around the pirimater.

i live in port elizabeth south africa
at the moment we are in a severe drought/worst recorded
to keep it going -------

traveling to where my system is every day, there and back i have lost 2 hrs in that day

time and water are my concerns.
my tank if refering to the duckweed tank is made of 2 mm plastic 6x30 meter roll i cut and folded
i do have a Ø40 mm pvc pipe knocked into the ground to support the sides.+- 1.5 meters appart.

will start up again when more organized.
i want to do this in a big scale
i have been going to school (trial and error) with subject over the last +- years (learning the do's and the dont's of aquaponics.)
from day 1 i have been on my own with this and the bigger system tought me allot.
i feel comfortable with the idea of - max fish- min water and feading max what fish want to eat.

i want to be one of the few in this country who do this on a bigger scale

you can't believe how many people i speack to, that have not ever heard of aquaponics.
here in this country very few people know aquaponics.

its my love and passion.

[francois]

a top view of my system
as is

[moose]

My interest is the large tank and liner

[francois]

My interest is the large tank and liner

the dam is a tilapia 23 000 liter mesh reservoir from hydrex a company that produce them in kit form.
the black side you see is before i cut the mesh side down to halh the hight.
i then rolled the dam liner(grey) down on the outside.

i did not attach the file of my top view earlier.
let me try again.

[moose]

http://www.aquaponicshq.com/forums/showthread.php?1743-My-Plans

Take a look at my plans and you will see my interesr in your tank.

[francois]

[QUOTE=Take a look at my plans and you will see my interesr in your tank.[/QUOTE]

hi moose
good idea make all your cages round and floating
center outlet with water rotating with inflow/
water moving all the time/oxygen
keeps dam clean/

just my thought
good luck

[francois]

these photo's wil help with what i have done over the last +-3 years

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... %20garage/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... l%20setup/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... mmer/2008/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... mmer/2009/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... mmer/2010/

hope it works

[moose]

Can not open photos. I think links abbrevated and not workintg

[francois]

hi all

hope it works this time
sorry moose

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac144/francoislemmer/2006%20in%20my%20garage/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac144/francoislemmer/2007%20startup%20of%2096sqm%20tunnel%20setup/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac144/francoislemmer/2008/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac144/francoislemmer/2009/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac144/francoislemmer/2010/

[francois]

more photo's
more detail

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac144/francoislemmer/basic%20system/