Hi From the Whitsundays

Hi There.

We moved the beautiful Whitsundays about 12 years ago, to get out of the city to raise our family. My wife is very focused on Organic lifestyle and natural therapies.

We are just in the process of transferring ownership of a 1 hectare block. Predominately flat with a bit of flood plain along the creek edge. The plan is to try and become as sustainable as we can on this plot growing fruit and veg. We are in the process of designing the house, and one area that is great interest is the possibility of combining a bio filtration system for a swimming pool, (it is the tropics) along with an aquaculture system for fish as a food source.

I am new to this whole area, a friend introduced me to the concept a year ago, as he has a small system using a 100 litre tank with fish under a vege patch.

Key areas I want to learn about are ratios of pool to fish pond to bio filter areas, what plants are suitable and can be grown in the tropics, what fish stock would be most suited.

Lat and Long are approx 20.16S 148.40E

This is the early stages of our project, and we are looking to get the foundations for a sustainable plot where apart from my carnivorous tendencies we can supply the bulk of our food for day to day life through the seasons.

With about 1500mm of rain per year, and plenty of sunshine, water collection and solar are not a problem. but limiting energy consumption and evaporation would be key elements to our design

Any help we can get, links to articles and successful designs, or advice at this early stage are very welcome.

Thanks

T

 

Hi Bill

Yes we do, as we are just at the end of a very low rainfall wet season, we will not see much significant rain from now until November at best.

This year we have only had a bout 50% of the usual wet season rain fall, so water will be a bit scarce by the end of winter.

Thanks too, as I see we also have Willow not too far away at Gregory river, so we may have to share ideas.

Regards T

 

google aquaponics

 

Hi Bill

I thought I replied to you yesterday.

Yes we have a dry season from Now until at least the end of November, where rain fall is a rarity. This will be further compounded by the fact that we have had about half the normal rain fall this wet season, with February and march being extremely dry, when they are normally our wettest.

I have sent a message to Gabrielle as well asWillow, who is also in our area.

Regards

Terry

 

Thanks for the suggestion, that is how I ended up here.

What I have found to date, is plenty of Bio filtration for swimming pools, and plenty of aquaponics dealing with plants and fish, but not the triangle of all three working together. Am I over complicating it, I really don't want to be spending my swimming time with a couple of Dozen Jade Perch, is it just a matter of letting the pool water run into the fish pond, and then the fish pond run into the Bio Filter, and the recirculate to the pool? Or is there something more complex??

Thanks

 

Its a fine balancing act between bacteria makers and users.

 

Thanks Bill

I am keen to give it a go, and may put in a Proof Of Concept system, to see what the effect is, have a good size above ground pool, for the swimming side of it, so can then get the fish pond rolling on from this, and then the bio filter.

I am green and don't want my pool and fish pond to go the same way, so any help will make the journey smoother.

Any ideas out their, about what plants and media to start with the Bio filter, remember I am in the tropics, so bacteria etc. in the tropical climate, and the plants that will grow may be different.

waiting............

Cheers

Terry