humble beginnings

[svc]

I have my first setup started. Budget was the biggest concern. Not worried too much about fish and vege production for now, just trying to accumulate knowledge and beneficial bacteria for when i upsize.

Initial components

52L plastic storage bin for fish $8 kmart
25L plastic storage bin filter $9 kmart (go figure)
10 L bucket growbed $1 reject shop
Hose fitting and hose $13 (i think)hydro shop
hydroton $35 for 50L hydro shop
chinese fountain pump $20 aquarium shop 550L/hr at 0 head
5 tiny koi feeder fish $6 aquarium shop

First thing i did was ruin the 25L bin trying to put the fitting on, so I slowed the flow down with a piece of plastic and half filled with hydroton. This sits on top of the fish tank and is mostly just a bio filter now( although i threw some seeds in to see how they go).
So water gets pumped from fish tank, up to 10L bucket sitting on a table.
10L bucket loop siphons and constantly trickles back to 25L bio filter (fills about 1/4 depth)
It then falls to the tank making lots of bubbles.

The whole thing is sitting on my front doorstep at the moment while i get my head around everything. I plan on moving it to the roof later, i get great sun up there.

I was given a heater and aquarium pump with good venturi so have added them hoping to get some bacteria numbers happening. temperature set to 20C,

Sorry no photos yet, I don't have a camera.

[svc]

Update: I bought a 65L black 'tuff crate' from kmart today, I plan to transfer the hose adapter from the 10L bucket and use this as my growbed. As this will now hold all the hydroton I have, I plan on cutting up milk bottles and coke bottles as someone suggested elsewhere for a separate biofilter. Not sure if the plastic will be safe long term, putting it in warm water for years on end is very different to it's intended purpose, any idea's?

[GaryD]

Hi SVC,


........I plan on cutting up milk bottles and coke bottles as someone suggested elsewhere for a separate biofilter. Not sure if the plastic will be safe long term, putting it in warm water for years on end is very different to it's intended purpose, any idea's?
Cutting up the bottles themselves may be problematic......more for the fact that they might clog up. I'd be more inclined to use the bottle caps and cut them in half (so that offer more void space, they stack better and don't hold solid waste so much). Your other option is to put an autosyphon into your 65 litre tub with your clay pebbles.

Gary

[Crusty]

Hi,

I have seen people use garden poly pipe cut into little lengths as a bio filter media. Interestingly enough, Ian Cummins, maker of the C-box swore they were the bees knees for the overhead trickle filters those C-boxes used. If you are not sure what a C-box is http://www.aquafarmer.com.au/Cumminscorp%20Aquaculture.html may help. They are obviously out of business, about as fast as they got into it, due to a myriad of design flaws but this is not to say the cut up poly pipe wont work in a low density back yard operation.

Can't quite make out what you are building mate. Can you hand draw it?

[arachdog]

I have seen people use garden poly pipe cut into little lengths as a bio filter media.

Interesting (or I thought so anway) when you sit down and work it out polypipe works out to be a very expensive media. At the typical retail value of polypipe it actually costs more than kaldness, and thats not including all the labour involved to cut it up. I'm sure it works perfectly fine though.

[Hunter]

I have split off the rest of this topic as it was getting away from the OP questions and may be of use if it can be directly found.

See it here
http://www.aquaponicshq.com/forums/showthread.php/2333-Different-media-types

[svc]

2.5 months on I finally have a few photo's, lighting wasn't the best.
Up to over 20 goldfish in there now, growing snowpeas, cabbage and strawberrys. So far have only eaten a few snowpea sprouts/shoots.
Nitrate holding steady at 50 mg/L
Ammonia 0
don't have a nitrite test
pH has gone to a bit acid i think. (it was a hand me down test with no colour chart, was blue has gone thru to orange)
Have been changing approx 10 litres a week (old aquarist habits die hard, Always changed 30% with planted tank to dilute 'unmeasurable toxins' and introduce micro trace elements from new tap water)(could well be an aquarium shop myth love to hear some thoughts)
I have added chelated iron, magnesium sulphate and potassium sulphate. based loosely on the PMDD (poor man's dosing drop's) for planted aquariums from here http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/
I overdid it at first (story of my life) cabbages went from yellowish to a lush green, then the strawberrys got a bad burn on the leaves. Cabbages and snowpeas ( and fish) were unaffected by the high dose. I'm thinking the strawberries could be a good indicator
(i have a feeling it was the iron i overdid)
Seem to be at a better level with all my micronutrients now. New strawberry leaves are perfect and cabbages and snowpeas are a lush green.
Snowpeas covered in flowers now must be due for a pea. Any enough rambling here's the photo's i hope.

[GaryD]

Hi SVC,

Good to see that things are progressing for you.

I confess that, while I was never a real fan of using goldfish for aquaponics in the past, I probably take a different view now.

They are cheap, hardy, will feed and grow in a wide temperature range and they produce copious quantities of poop to be converted to plant nutrients.

I'd recommend that you invest in a freshwater test kit that covers high and low range pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.....plus the couple of tests that you'll need to determine your water hardness. While they'll set you back about $50.00, they'll be useful in managing your system effectively.

Modest water changes are good for any aquaponics system......they help to moderate salt levels (which can build up over time) and they will assist to contain super-fine solids levels that other filtration methods don't trap. Changing water out is not an issue; it's what you do with it that determines whether the water is wasted.

I'm always amused by people who rattle on about how water-wise aquaponics is (and who would be horrified at the suggestion of water changes) but who think nothing of using their flush toilets or hosing their driveways with fresh water.

Strawberries are the plant equivalent of using canaries in submarines or underground mines......in that they'll be the first to go if things aren't right. They are particularly sensitive to high sodium levels.

Gary

[svc]

In a system my size i didn't have much choice other than goldfish. I eventually hope to be trading in bigger goldfish for fish food and or new fish. As it stands I have spent over $20 on fish food(not to mention initial outlay on pump's, fish, seeds and tank) and eaten a few snowpea sprouts, one snowpea and a baby rocket plant. Not much of a reward for the outlay yet but things seem to be taking off and i can see it paying itself off. I do like having fish around again.
I have also 'invested' in a few decent sized Anubias (slow growing very hardy aquatic plants). These grow very slowly submerged but just slightly emersed in a terrrarium can thrive. I plan on remodelling the system soon (have to move in 3 weeks) and will add a small terrrarium to get these to a decent size. Eventually i will take cuttings, get them growing on logs and use these for pet shop credit too. Hopefully by then the fish will be self sufficient and i can use these to buy dog food, but I'm getting a long way ahead of myself now.