The workshop was held last weekend (21st Nov 2005) & covered the basics of setting up an aquaponic system for folks interested in expanding their food production in their backyards or small holdings.
A basic split flow aquaponic system was assembled from recycled components on site for Michael & his family. It made a great teaching aid on the day to help explain some of the basic construction methods & parts of a working aquaponic system.
Here's a bit of a look at the system as it stands today.
Must say that I was very pleased with how the system went together. It's also fantastic to see Michael's family's enthusiasm in learning about the system as well as their eagerness in wanting to stock it with fish & plant it out.
In the clip above I mentioned a suppliers list of sorts provided to the attendees & have also included it here below for those that might be interested.
Hope you enjoyed the clip & find the info useful.
Rob.
Suppliers information for SE Queensland & Australia.
Fish Hatcheries & Feed Suppliers.
I have bought from
the first 2 and had no problems whatsoever. Ace Aquaculture has been
recommended to me by a few folks that have used them.
When ordering your
fingerlings it is a good idea to ask if they sell small amounts of feed for
your new swimmers. They grow so fast that it doesn’t pay to buy too much at
once.
These folks supply
Australian made Ridley aquaculture feed.
Stock smaller 4kg
buckets of fish feed.
Farm supply store
will also often stock some aquaculture feed as well. It isn't always out on
display so it pays to ask the sales folks.
Pumps & Plumbing.
I've bought a few
air & water pumps from Guppys Aquarium & found them to have great
prices.
I've bought other
pumps like the Jebao (the one used in Michael's system) from a few reputable
Ebay stores that deal in aquarium goods. It's always an idea to check out their
rating before buying from them though.
The "Irrigation
Store" is an online based site I buy my bulk PVC, barbed irrigation &
bulkhead fittings from. They have a fixed $20 delivery fee on all orders. Works
out a lot cheaper than the 2 big box hardware stores,
I sell Uniseals,
venturis & Root Pouches Australia wide through our small "Bits Out the
Back" blog store.
Ordering info can be
found in the link below,
OR you can PM me at
OR Email me at
rb@bitsouttheback.net
Remind me you’re
from the workshop & I’ll work out a bit of a discount for you ;-)
Best place I've
found for IBC's is on Gumtree & have picked up a few really cheap ones
through there.
Barrels
can be found at markets, farm supply stores like Sprengers (www.sprengersproduce.com.au), Gumtree & also recycle stores/centres like
Reverse garbage (http://www.reversegarbageqld.com.au/).
My preference is for
IBC's & barrels that have had food stuffs in them as they are normally
easier to clean out.
Growing Media.
If you're in the
Ipswich area H2Gro are a local hydroponic store that sell the clay based media
& will offer a discount depending on how many bags you're buying,
Last time I checked
they were selling 45L bags for $25 each with is almost half the price at other
retailers.
If you're after
growing medium other than clay many folks recommend road base AKA blue metal
here in SE QLD as mentioned in the workshop. Please keep an eye out for
contamination like concrete that both Michael & I found in the blue metal
at our suppliers.
It's a good idea to
do a vinegar test on any rock you want to buy to see if it will raise the pH in
your system. You can do this on site at the landscape suppliers with a jar full
of white vinegar. Pop a handful of rocks into the vinegar & if it starts to
bubble it's best to discard it as it may keep the pH constantly high in the
system.
Backup Air System.
I did mention that
I've made up my own 12V Backup air system in case of blackout. I followed the
plans on the link below.
PLEASE NOTE, any work on 240V electrical
circuitry HAS TO BE carried out by a
licensed electrician.
Useful Sites, Forums & YouTube Channels.
I have a playlist on
our YouTube channel with some of the projects/builds that have gone into our
aquaponic & aquaculture systems which may help you out with a few ideas,
I also have other
playlists covering different aspects of our urban farm if you’re interested in
a look.
Nate Story from
Bright Agrotech has some great info on some of the finer points of aquaponics,
Backyard Aquaponics
forum is one of the oldest aquaponic forums & has a load of enthusiastic
members posting about their own systems & helping others.
Paul Van der Werf
from Earthan Edge is one of the world leaders in integrated aquaculture &
is a local to boot. Have found his site to be jam packed with ideas on DIY
backyard builds, commercial systems & technical help. He has made it a
subscription site but is well worth checking out if you're interested in
building a small commercial aquaponic system.
His Facebook page
has some useful posts as well & is well worth checking out.
