The Queenslander

[GaryD]

Hi Shane,

Sorry 'bout not responding to you sooner......your post slipped off my horizon somehow.

So with one Megabin already running, will this bin be part of the 3 megabin system? Or will you run this as an additional separate bin?

No, we'll keep the little unit that contains my jade perch and sleepy cod fingerlings going until we tweak the new system for optimum performance. Also, I'm heating the single mega bin system.....a much more expensive undertaking for the new one.

Once we've fully commissioned the new system, I'll probably dismantle the little one and put the components back on the shelf. The great thing about these little units is that they can be set up so quickly.

I also have some other non-aquaponics projects in the pipeline that require a mega bin.

Also, how many fish do you intend each megabin to hold? & to what growout size?

We don't know what it's capacity will be until we get a handle on how much feed the new system will cope with.

I'm really looking forward to watching this one evolve, as I plan to eventually get another megabin running in the shed for the next batch of fingerlings.

I've been committed to setting up a high performance mega bin system for a long time. At around $300 each, they are a very robust and versatile fish tank.

Any way, yesterday we built the new system and I've set up a dedicated thread.........here.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

To make way for the new 3 Mega Bin System, I had to dismantle the Baby Q.

In the short time that we had it operating, it confirmed the most important principles aspects of The Queenslander concept.

The Queenslander still provokes the occasional rant on other forums.....largely for the fact that I predicted certain outcomes before I built the prototype. What the critics chose to ignore was that The Queenslander was a design concept rather than a physical system per se. My prediction was premised on certain assumptions:

• That solids removal would allow more fish to be stocked, in greater safety, in a system of a similar capacity that did not have solids removal.....and it does.
• That positioning the system components would have a bearing on solids removal and, therefore, the productive capabilities of the system......and it does.
• That grow bed management (with particular emphasis on regular cleaning) would further reduce solids build up (and oxygen depletion)......and it does.
• That maintaining the system at an optimal temperature would allow us to feed more and the fish to grow faster......and it does.

What I said was that, given the above, The Queenslander would outperform the conventional bog standard flood and drain aquaponics system.......and it will.

If we were to build the Baby Q again tomorrow, we'd use larger pipework throughout (for improved water flow) and we'd use a swirl tank and packed media filter of a type like that used on the 3 Mega Bin System.

The filtration module on the Baby Q was too squat. A couple of 200 litre drums (in place of the black tubs) would have been much better.

The ability to separate the fish side of the system from the plant growing side is a no-brainer.

Not only does it allow for the treatment of disease or infestation in the fish without impacting the plants (and vice versa) but it also enables the isolation of the growing system (without restricting aeration and nitrification) for the purpose of limiting overnight heat loss.

All of the best features of the Baby Q are now represented in the 3 Mega Bin System.

Gary

[Rew]

Sorry Gary, but there are no plants in the new system. How can the best be there then? Ya gotta have plants man!!

The recommended "Daily Intake" is not 5 servings of fish!

Looking forward to seeing the incorporation of your separate hydro system. How do you plan to size it so you won't need water changes seeing as you have debunked all the ratios? ( You have never stated a starting point after telling us everyone else is wrong. No clear idea on how to size anything).

[GaryD]

Hi Rew.

Sorry Gary, but there are no plants in the new system. How can the best be there then? Ya gotta have plants man!! The recommended "Daily Intake" is not 5 servings of fish!

You're quite right......you've got to have salad with that fish.....but aquaponics starts off with the fish. By definition, no fish - no aquaponics.

The Queenslander and, more recently, the Mega Bin System (MBS) acknowledge that the fish (and nitrifying bacteria) are the engine room of an aquaponics system. If you have optimal conditions for the fish, then the bacteria will thrive, too.


Both systems are plant friendly because:

• You have your choice of plant growing systems. You can start off with your soil-based gardens and then branch off into a wide range of other low cost options like square foot beds and wicking beds.......and then, if you choose you can escalate to flood and drain beds, NFT or raft systems......or any other hydroponic growing system.
• You can add growing systems according to your resources.......knowledge/skills, time and money.
• You have the choice of whether to recirculate the water from your fish tank through the growing systems and back into the fish tank. You can connect them up so that they all recirculate, some recirculate......or none of them recirculate.
• If you choose not to recirculate, you don't have to compromise on things like pH - you can take water that you've allocated for your plants and adjust the pH to suit your plants' needs (5.5 to 6.5) or nutrient mix (you may want to add a little worm tea or potassium depending on the type of plant).....without upsetting your fish.
• In the event that you contract a plant disease or infestation, you can get out the pyrethrum spray (or other organic remedy) and deal witht the problem without worrying about the effect on your fish......because you have separation between the fish and plant sides of the system.

So, you can see that, far from ignoring the plant side of things, both The Queenslander and the MBS optimise your plant production opportunities.

Looking forward to seeing the incorporation of your separate hydro system.

Our plant production will utilise a mix of systems.

How do you plan to size it so you won't need water changes seeing as you have debunked all the ratios?

Rew, you've touched on an important point. All aquaponics systems engage in water replacement. The popular perception is that water exchange (where water is removed completely from the cycle) is not required in aquaponics.


The reason we should undertake water replacement include:

• denitrification
• removal of salts
• removal of suspended solids with a particle size of >25 microns that will avoid most solids removal strategies

While aquaponics will function without water replacement (as it will with using flood and drain grow beds to capture solids), the fact is that it will work a lot better if you undertake some modest water exchange (as it will if you don't use grow beds to capture solids).

The key issue with water exchange is what you do with the water having taken it out of the system. If you use it to water other water-wise gardens, then the water is not wasted. In fact, if you use it to perform any other task that you would normally use mains water for, there is no waste issue.

( You have never stated a starting point after telling us everyone else is wrong. No clear idea on how to size anything).

In fact, I never took the view that everything/one else was wrong.....but rather that there were problems and that I believed that there were opportunities to improve on the traditional approach to AP........and I think I've demonstrated that.

Sizing things is easy. If your system is producing more nitrates than you can use, you add more plants. The common advice (from those who sell grow beds) is to add more grow beds. The reality, however, is that you don't need to add more grow beds......you just need to add more plants. How (or where) you grow those plants is a matter of personal choice.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

Yesterday, in what can only be described as a minor miracle, Jan agreed to me building my next aquaponics system under the pergola at the back of our house......and lest she change her mind, I had the spot cleared and was building the first grow bed support inside two hours.

This location ticks all the boxes. It's close to water and power. The site is almost level and our raised bed gardens are within easy reach.......and the space is just large enough for the system that I have in mind.

The new system is premised on The Queenslander design that I described earlier in this thread. It follows on from the Baby Q that we trialled earlier.

The photos show the site and the principal components that will be used in the system build.

Gary

[RayH]

Hi Gary,

Will you be implementing any changes. Eg replacing the 'clarifier' and putting in one of Crusty's 'fresh flow filter'?

How are you managing to eat all of your vegies?

Ray

[GaryD]

Hi Ray,

Will you be implementing any changes. Eg replacing the 'clarifier' and putting in one of Crusty's 'fresh flow filter'?

This system won't feature a Crusty 'fresh flow' filter. We'll be building something that works in a similar fashion.....a sedimentation tank fitted with baffles.

Like my other filter modules, it will have a dual function so in addition to using baffles to settle out the sedimentary solids, I'll fill one chamber with K1 media to remove much of the suspended matter, too.

How are you managing to eat all of your vegies?

One mouthful at a time. This system is located just a few metres from two of our raised beds so we'll be taking some water from The Queenslander to water them, too.

I've had some email asking where the components for The Queenslander can be sourced. They come from Ajay Fibreglass in Alstonville, NSW.

Ajay is widely experienced in making components for the aquaculture industry - they make everything from giant tuna farms to backyard systems.

They are part of the Duraplas group and they've been around for a long time. Their prices are comparable with other local suppliers......and they deliver to Brisbane. They were designed, several years ago, by a friend of mine, Martin O'Dee.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

Here's a diagram of the new Queenslander.

The Queenslander will be a media grow bed AP system and, as the diagram shows, it will feature mechanical and biological filtration.

The Queenslander is designed so that the water flow passes through the grow beds and into a moving bed bio-filter before returning to the fish tank.

This is a feature unique to the Queenslander and is intended to ensure that the water that goes into the bio-filter contains (as far as possible) only dissolved solids.

I'm hoping to make further progress with setting up the new system this coming weekend.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

A couple of days ago, we set up the supports for the two grow beds that will feature in this particular Queenslander.

They are made from cement blocks and treated pine sleepers.

Today, Paul and I made a tentative start on the plumbing for the system.

We up a couple of media barriers and Paul began to hook up the pipework for the grow beds.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

Today, we completed the set up of this system - to the point where the pump is circulating lovely ochre-coloured water through the entire set up.

I'm delighted with the way it's gone together.

I'm still recovering from last Friday where I flew back to Adelaide to see family and returned the same day - 21 hours on my feet.

Photos of the final set up tomorrow.

Gary