Froggos Aquaponics

[froggo]

Hi everyone,

I have been working on my first system over winter trying to be ready for spring planting.

Like most good plans I've run over time and budget.

This picture shows where I'm up to.
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There are 5x180litre tubs down the right side. The centre bed is 3000mm x1500mm x300mm deep.

The fish tank holds 5000litres and runs at a constant height. The sump is 1000litres with a 10,000l/p/h sub pump.

My system is housed in a shade house that will become a hot house for winter.

I need to finish the shadehouse while the system fed with seasol and some old chook poo get to work in the gravel. I need to get a water test kit from Murray to keep an eye on it's progress.

God bless froggo.

[Jason Palenske]

Looking good Froggo! Look like your well on your way to addicted. Only thing I can suggest is keep up the good work.:D

[Murray]

Very neat set up.

[froggo]

Hi Jason Palenske,

I've been very keen on the aquaponics idea for some time.

About three years ago I built a large pond in the backyard to learn a bit more about water ecosystems that were self supporting. I had intended to use the pond as the water/nutrient supply for a creek style growbed system.

I changed my mind, now the pond is home for about 100 breeding goldfish, frogs, shrimp and other critters that have just turned up or put there by me.

It is a great pass-time and I'm looking forward to the development of my system as I move away from soil veg production.

Hi Murray,

I will contact you shortly to order a test kit and some other stuff,

God bless froggo.

[Hamish]

Nice looking setup - well done!

[Dufflight]

Good to see you around Froggo. Nice system.:)

[fishfood]

Hi froggo will be in shepp around 20 nov any hope for a visit

[froggo]

Hi fishfood,

you are quite welcome to drop in. I will send you a pm with some details.

God bless froggo.

[fishfood]

Thanks thats 2 you and alexmac any more in the area will be up as far as albury

[froggo]

Hi everyone,

I've started cycling my system with some seasol and a chook poo teabag and about 6 goldfish to take care of the mossies.

I'm running my chift pist system each hour from 7am to 8pm on a timer. The sump pump takes 8min to pump out about 800litres of water into the fish tank.

The growbeds then flood and kick in the auto syphons. The whole process takes 21 minutes for the water to get back to the sump.

I have planted some lettuce, spring onions, wombok, toms, beans, silverbeet and basil.

I've ordered my water test kit from Murray and should get that next week, I'm keen to see what's happening to the water in my system now it's running.

God bless froggo.

[Outbackozzie]

Your well on the way :)

[DaveOponic]

A nice looking system Froggo. I have built a few systems now for people here in Brunei. I have based my systems on 200 litre barrels. the latest one I have built has 4 growbeds (half barrels) and two fish tanks (full barrels) all are mounted in timber frames made from local hardwood and treated and varnished. The whole setup looks neat. Very similar to your arrangement.
I will try and post some photos soon. the owner is waiting for the plants to grow a bit before taking more photos.

[froggo]

Hi DaveOponic,

thanks.

I have mainly used recycled wood that I've picked up around the place.

The growbed frames were made from old beds. The marine ply was from pallets used to stack steel 44gal drums on.

I wanted to use half barrel's as growbeds but they have become very expensive around my area. A drought has caused a shortage of barrels because people have been collecting them to store water in.

God bless froggo.

[djs-sa]

I wanted to use half barrel's as growbeds but they have become very expensive around my area. A drought has caused a shortage of barrels because people have been collecting them to store water in.

my local council has lost 15,000 brand new wheelie bins, suspects are believed to have taken them for water storage, but they have seriel numbers so.....

[froggo]

Hi djs-sa,

that's alot of bins. I see the B store has caught on and now sells them as water tanks.

After one week of cycling my new system a few things have started to happen. The new seedlings have doubled in size and the systems water is starting to clear up.
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There is a bit of algae growing here and there in the sump but the goldfish seem to be enjoying it.

Should get my water test kit later this week so I will be able to see what's going on.

God bless froggo.

[Hamish]

Ahhh - I remember when my system looked all neat and tidy like that - it now looks like a tomato plant jungle!

Nice looking setup! Well done!

[froggo]

Hi everyone,

got my test kit from Murray today[thanks]. Here are the first test results.

10/11/08
Ph 7.6
Am 0.0
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 40

The results indicate that with zero ammonia the system has cycled? The nitrite and nitrate levels are up should I change out some of the water to reduce this?

There is a bit of algae growing in the sump and fish tank as per the high nitrate. The shrimp and yabbies are working on this algae.

In my system I have about 100 shrimp, 10 yabbies, 5 redfin[english perch] and about 10 goldfish.

Plants are silverbeet, parsley, beans, cucumbers, lemongrass, springonions, tomatoes, lettuce and basil. More to be planted shortly.

Any thoughts on the water test results would be appreciated,

God bless froggo.

[Outbackozzie]

Dont change any water out, your not cycled until the nitrite is zero also.

Dont worry about Nitrate - it does not harm the fish or plants until it gets to a really high level, like over 500.

Ph is god, ammonia is good, nitrite will not be toxic if you add 1ppt of salt.

[froggo]

Hi everyone,

thanks Outbackozzie for the advice.

I wasn't sure about the nitrite and cycling, but I was a bit worried about the levels of nitrate required to harm fish.

I'm going to do water tests every couple of days until cycled. Thanks for the help,

God bless froggo

[froggo]

Hi everyone,

todays water test has changed slightly

12/11/08
Ph 7.8
Am 0.0
Nitrite .50
Nitrate 40

Nitrite has halved in two days from 1.0 to .50
Ph has increased from 7.6 to 7.8

English perch seem to be doing fine but I'm not sure if they are feeding yet.

The shrimp are very active eating the algae and you can see the green algae in their clear bodies.

The yabbies are still shy not moving in the daytime prefering to hide in their pipes.

I've ordered 100 silver perch from John at Glenwaters, they will be ready to go in the second week of december.

God bless froggo.

[alexmac]

I've ordered 100 silver perch from John at Glenwaters, they will be ready to go in the second week of december.

God bless froggo.

Hi Froggo,
I have also ordered 150 from John due around the same time as yours. We should pool resources and do one trip to get both orders give me a ring when you are free.
Alex

[froggo]

Hi everyone,

I've been away for a bit but back at it again now it's all quiet in the trenches.

Plants have grown heaps and have started to harvest beans, spring onions and cos lettuce.
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I have not tested the systems water yet to see if it has finished cycling. The chift pist system has run unsupervised without problems.

The only area to show some change were the water taps that regulate some growbeds. The flow had been reduced by a build up of crud in the tap. These have now replaced with bigger bore units.

God bless froggo.

[Outbackozzie]

Wow - well done :)

Why the periscopes?

[froggo]

Hi Outbackozzie,

They do look like periscopes now I think about it:).

When I set up the plumbing for my system I made sure that as much space in the shade/hothouse was going to be used either now or in the future.

The periscope is a spare water outlet for another row of 6x180litre grow beds down that side. The 90mm elbow on top of the standpipe is set at the constant water height of the fish tank[chift pist]. At the other end is the 90mm drain pipe that returns to the sumps.

My son is doing Agriculture as one of his VCE subjects next year and wants to set up the other row of beds complete with a extra sump to grow some fish himself as one of his assignments, the systems extension is on the way:D.

God bless froggo.

[alexmac]

Hi Froggo,
welcome back I take it that all is well now. Are you still getting the SP's?
We had Fish Food and his wife up for a day and they enjoyed themselves.
You are welcome at any time just ring before you set out.
Alex