For many years I had been getting bugged to have some kind of veggie patch. While I knew it would be a good idea. I also knew I would be the one looking after it and they can be a bit of hard work. Anyone that knows me, knows that hard work and me just don't go in the same sentence. So needless to say we had no Veggie garden, Yet !
We had done the sums and worked out that there was a considerable saving to be hard, if we could get enough, and the water costs and others associated didn't blow out. So I had a bit of a criteria that was needed.
1. It had to be very easy with little labour involved.
2. Needed to use very little water. WA very hot and dry, water restrictions etc...
3. Supply abundance of produce
4. Relatively cheap to make
5. Compact and fit down the side of the house
6. Be fun ?
Looking at the traditional Garden beds, I could tell these were not going to work. For the size we had, it wasn't going to provide enough. The cost to maintain with water was a big one as well. So I scratched that off the list. The new style of elevated beds with hay etc... Looked promising. This could have been pretty viable. Just wasn't convinced of the little work part yet !
From here I found Aquaponics. I had seen it mentioned here and there but never really took a great deal of notice. Except this time I did. I saw something that made it affordable. Most setups would cost over $1,000 for something that was large enough. This was way too much for me. I saw people using IBC's (Intermediate Bulk Container) and getting a Grow Bed (GB) and a water tank/Fish Tank (WT or FT) from them. I knew a place I could get some pretty cheap. So this was it, I was going to do Aquaponics Yah for Aus
!!!
First thing is check what is in your IBC. Use the MSDS to check what it is and how bad. You can make your own decisions on what to use. Or you can buy cleaned ones used from food grade products.
There is a great video on how to cut the IBC and what fittings are needed. If you are in OHS please just turn a blind eye OMG... Bit funny but plenty of information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYFM7J_TpTU
So I had cleaned thoroughly, cut my IBC's and was on my way. Expanded clay was my choice with a little spongelite to take up any nasties in the water. Using a 20mm pipe with holes to deliver the water around the GB it is then gravity fed back into the FT. It is filtered using an under rock bed filter around the base, drawing in water and nutrients through the rocks. In the FT I have Silver Perch and Yabbies. This is in tank 1. So all of their poo goes into the filter up to the GB and feeds the plants. The plants clean the water and send it back clean and the cycle continues.
I am planning on running two GB and FT but wanted to get one up and running first, iron out the mistakes and then setup the second unit. I also plan on getting a bulk tank for general water storage and top up.
All up it has cost about $500 including a new Pump, Grow medium (that was a bit expensive) Fish and Yabbies. It has been running for just under a week. Touch wood everything seems, to be going well. I did loose a couple of yabbies, but did expect a couple of losses. Hopefully it goes ok from here. Also the plants went into the beds on a really stinking hot day. My water level wasn't right and you can see a very sad cucumber LOL, which will be replaced.
The concept will be to supply a good mix of vegies and some fruits. With also the longer term a few fish here and there. Plus the occasional Yabbie as a treat.
General overview of the tank, you can see junk and System 2 in teh background.
[imgz=http://forums.silverstackers.com/uploads/181_img_4654ss.jpg]
[/imgz]
A couple of plants, also the watering system. I have used some filters just to help clean the water and reduce the noise.
[imgz=http://forums.silverstackers.com/uploads/181_img_4655ss.jpg]
[/imgz]
The FT
[imgz=http://forums.silverstackers.com/uploads/181_img_4657ss.jpg]
[/imgz]
So there you go, if anyone is also doing a system post it up, share some of the successes. If there is enough interest I will update as I go along.
Hope it may be of interest for some.
We had done the sums and worked out that there was a considerable saving to be hard, if we could get enough, and the water costs and others associated didn't blow out. So I had a bit of a criteria that was needed.
1. It had to be very easy with little labour involved.
2. Needed to use very little water. WA very hot and dry, water restrictions etc...
3. Supply abundance of produce
4. Relatively cheap to make
5. Compact and fit down the side of the house
6. Be fun ?
Looking at the traditional Garden beds, I could tell these were not going to work. For the size we had, it wasn't going to provide enough. The cost to maintain with water was a big one as well. So I scratched that off the list. The new style of elevated beds with hay etc... Looked promising. This could have been pretty viable. Just wasn't convinced of the little work part yet !
From here I found Aquaponics. I had seen it mentioned here and there but never really took a great deal of notice. Except this time I did. I saw something that made it affordable. Most setups would cost over $1,000 for something that was large enough. This was way too much for me. I saw people using IBC's (Intermediate Bulk Container) and getting a Grow Bed (GB) and a water tank/Fish Tank (WT or FT) from them. I knew a place I could get some pretty cheap. So this was it, I was going to do Aquaponics Yah for Aus
!!!First thing is check what is in your IBC. Use the MSDS to check what it is and how bad. You can make your own decisions on what to use. Or you can buy cleaned ones used from food grade products.
There is a great video on how to cut the IBC and what fittings are needed. If you are in OHS please just turn a blind eye OMG... Bit funny but plenty of information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYFM7J_TpTU
So I had cleaned thoroughly, cut my IBC's and was on my way. Expanded clay was my choice with a little spongelite to take up any nasties in the water. Using a 20mm pipe with holes to deliver the water around the GB it is then gravity fed back into the FT. It is filtered using an under rock bed filter around the base, drawing in water and nutrients through the rocks. In the FT I have Silver Perch and Yabbies. This is in tank 1. So all of their poo goes into the filter up to the GB and feeds the plants. The plants clean the water and send it back clean and the cycle continues.
I am planning on running two GB and FT but wanted to get one up and running first, iron out the mistakes and then setup the second unit. I also plan on getting a bulk tank for general water storage and top up.
All up it has cost about $500 including a new Pump, Grow medium (that was a bit expensive) Fish and Yabbies. It has been running for just under a week. Touch wood everything seems, to be going well. I did loose a couple of yabbies, but did expect a couple of losses. Hopefully it goes ok from here. Also the plants went into the beds on a really stinking hot day. My water level wasn't right and you can see a very sad cucumber LOL, which will be replaced.
The concept will be to supply a good mix of vegies and some fruits. With also the longer term a few fish here and there. Plus the occasional Yabbie as a treat.
General overview of the tank, you can see junk and System 2 in teh background.
[imgz=http://forums.silverstackers.com/uploads/181_img_4654ss.jpg]
A couple of plants, also the watering system. I have used some filters just to help clean the water and reduce the noise.
[imgz=http://forums.silverstackers.com/uploads/181_img_4655ss.jpg]
The FT
[imgz=http://forums.silverstackers.com/uploads/181_img_4657ss.jpg]
So there you go, if anyone is also doing a system post it up, share some of the successes. If there is enough interest I will update as I go along.
Hope it may be of interest for some.
Could be used for anything if the weather was ok for the plant. Using Greenhouses seems to produce fantastic results. So that would open up many varieties.
