Barrel Aquaponics (big pic, dialups beware)

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by earthbound, Dec 8, 2005.

  1. earthbound

    earthbound Junior Member

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    Finally finished tweaking it and getting it working....


    [​IMG]

    The system is working with an 18W pump plugged into the power, but soon I would like to convert it over to DC system as this requires only a very small flow to work, about 180 litres an hour to a head of about 4 feet, would be enough flow...

    Water is pumped into the top small bit of barrel where a standpipe keeps this full of water at all times, this acts as a silt/solids trap, a sheet of foam with holes in it for plants will float on the water surface here. The water is constantly draining into the main dump barrel. This slowly fills until it starts an automatic syphon inside the barrel and when the syphon starts, the water dumps out into the gravel beds filling them to just below the surface of the gravel, then the syphon gulps air and stops..

    The water then slowly drains back into the fish tank..... The system is surprisingly simple and it's a hoot to see a simple automatic syphon working...

    I'd like to add a couple more beds to the whole thing so it's not quite so small, but even as it is, it should become fairly productive.. Adding beds would be easy, lift the whole thing up a little higher and add two more half barrel beds between the exiting ones and the fish tank, with the water cascading from one to the other.

    I tried to build it exactly to Travis's manual ( I posted a link to it in an earlier topic)but found some bits hard to transfer to Australian conditions and components, so I made a few mods, mainly simplifications.

    It's a very good project as an introduction to aquaponics, to learn about how it all works for fairly little capital outlay....

    Must go get some fish now...... :D :D
     
  2. forest

    forest Junior Member

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    Whoa! the Ned Kelly with breasts aquaponics kit. That is amazing. How many fish would that unit support?
     
  3. Cornonthecob

    Cornonthecob Junior Member

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    Looks good! The beauty of it is that it could fit into a small area.....good for those with limited space. :)
     
  4. earthbound

    earthbound Junior Member

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    And to think I hadn't even noticed the likeness to a pair of breasts, or Ned Kelly for that matter.... I like how your brain works Forest...

    You could have between 5 and 10 kg of fish in there, safest to have 3-5kg though.. Realistically this sort of system is more ornamental, producing fresh herbs and veggies no worries, but not many fish, 20-30 golfish would be a good nutrient base for the plants..
     
  5. forest

    forest Junior Member

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    yes, Corn and Joel. It would be a good one for flat dwellers.
     
  6. Cornonthecob

    Cornonthecob Junior Member

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    I likes the idea of having cascading barrels.


    Found a shop for pumps today.....have the fish man who lives down the road, now just need a fish tank and all the bits and pieces!

    :)
     

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