Backyard Aquaponics Update

Almost a year plus in my forays into Aquaponics. The only regret is I couldn't spend much time tendering to the setup due to my outstation work commitment.

Safe to say my current system setup is working just fine.
IBC fish tank is full of 50+ tilapias of various sizes from 1 inch to 10 inch.
The main growbed producing an endless supply of kangkung, chilis, various herbs (mint, basil, chives and pegaga) 3 pods of cabbage are sprouting.
20 gallon barrel is used as water storage and fingerlings
Recently added 15 gallon sump tank for the pump

Fresh from Aquaponics Growbed

My Aquaponics setup has began to produce results.
Growbed teeming with leafy greens, tomatos and chilis.

Fish tank Tilapia has grown up to 8"-10" - right time to harvest end of Feb

Crawfish Lobsters too are showing their claws.

Here comes the Tilapias

I added 11 nos 3"-4" Tilapias this weekend to the fish tank.

That should make it for now to determine the optimal capacity of my current IBC Aquaponics setup.

Also managed to get initial batch of Hydrilla Plants for the Crayfish Lobsters.

Current resident:

3 nos Cat Fish

10 nos Crayfish Lobsters

11 nos Tilapias

1 nos unidentified fingerling 

Lobster Aquaponics

Received my pioneer batch of 10 baby lobsters this morning. All within 75mm - 100mm (3-4 inches).

I am putting them in my now functioning IBC tank.
I had installed a new 20Watts 35L/min 0.024Mpa air pump. 2 lines serving the IBC tank, 1 line the drum barrel tank (for balancing water from the window growbed) and 1 line to the biofilter media sump tank. I have transferred 3 remaining catfishes from the drum barrel to the IBC tank (currently filled 500Liters). The siphon from the IBC growbed is working fine. The growbed has been refilled with China LECA balls mixed with VAM LECA Hydroton to hold them down (90% floating!!)

See them after 3 months

Modular Aquaponics

Tinkering with the SLO connection of IBC 1000L Tank to common Filter and Sump. Ready for new batch of Tilapias

Modular Expansion of Fish Tank - Current 50gallon Barrel Drum contains 5 midsize catfish

It finally happened

My poor fingerlings.

10 of my current fishes were floating when I got home today evening. I believe it was due to stress and possible water condition. While doing up the IBC on Saturday, I noticed the fishes in the barrel tank showed sign of gasping for air. My siphon systems seemed to have developed a major issue thus the ebb and flow was not functioning properly.
I hastily replaced new filter and replenish 50% water which at that instance has turned murky green. I guess the combination of sudden new tank water at night might have affected the poor fingerlings. This has been by far the most number of fish losses at 10 in a day. Sadly most that have died seemed to be the female (smaller).

IBC Tote Aquaponic Build Up

Spent an afternoon to build up a new system using used IBC (Industrial Bulk Container)

Scribbled the plan to guide me - thanks to YouTubes Rob Bob's Aquaponics (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_VROMhAoSs&t=594s) and Backyard Aquaponics  videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYFM7J_TpTU&t=1306s)

Gathered some basic tools - Jigsaw, Hex Screws, Hand Drill, Measuring Tape, Filer, Self Tapping Screws, and Disc Grinder....

Removing the two top retaining bar using hex screws from the plastic tank slots.

Tipped over the IBC and easily slide out the plastic tank from the cage.

Placed the plastic tank aside, mark the cutting level of the cage - preferably below the first horizontal slat.

With a good grinder disc, the whole cutting off the top cage took about 20 minutes. Wear proper gloves and eye protection.

Mark on the tank the finished level to be cut and take out the jigsaw. But suggest to make starter holes at the corners for easier jigsaw operation.

Cut the straight surfaces first then only do over at the corners. Now we have the grow-bed and fish tank

I personally think this next step is critical - re slot the retaining bars before securing to top cage

Secure the top cage back onto the grow-bed base.

Put aside the grow-bed top and slot in the fish tank

Testing the fish-tank cage for snugly fit

Simple IBC tote Aquaponics ready. However as you can see, the exposed cut bars pointing up is not desirable. The way the IBC was built, there is another line of horizontal bar at the base plate.

Loosen the bottom cage hex screw holders at the base, then flip it up, making the base horizontal bar become the top. Then fix a few numbers of  self tapping screws at the bottom bars to secure the cage firmly to the base plate.

Surprisingly the above operation was performed singlehandly by yours truly.

Ready for Next Phase

With the fingerlings now averaging 50mm (2inch), current 50 gallon drum (actually 25 gallon since its only half filled) is no longer able to hold 70+ 2 month old tilapias.

I got myself a used food grade IBC 1000liter (210gallon).

I am having my time full this weekend to modify the IBC into a workable growbed and new fish tank.

a little scare

I had a little scary incident during the weekend. My 50 gal barrel drum fish tank turned murky and there were signs the fishes gasping on the water surface. Admittedly, my sponge filters were not replaced for almost 3 weeks. Algae already accumulated along the inlet pipe. Secondly, i was a little bit overfeeding them partially due to the fact of trying to overcompensate from lack of filtration management.
2 more fatality on Saturday ,must be the females because they were almost half the size of other fish (50mm size after 2 months). Time for 50% water change instead of 20%. Having no significant rainfall the past week, i have to make do with house rooftop water tank. Scooped up sludge and clean up the submersible pump, almost choked with slimy grey matters and put up another finer screen lining to the sump gate.
Sponge filters were replaced finally and re jigged the siphon bell (it was choked with algae too) by putting another finer screen lining.
Its time to start looking for the 1000 liter IBC to transfer my teenage age fish. The barrel drum would be too crowded soon for them.

First Harvest from Fish tank Aquaponics

My first green leaf harvest from aquaponics

4 stalks of Green Stem Choy Sum (Sawi Hijau)

About six weeks (initial growth problem due to tweaking my ebb and dry growbed)

Good root systems after successful ebb n dry system established. Fully organic from tilapia fish tank water, with few sprinkles of EM dilutions spray once a week.

My 6 weeks old Tilapia fingerlings in 25 gal water (50 gal drum) - remaining 80 from initial 100 (no more dead fish last 3 weeks)

Growbed waiting for new batch of greens - next are lettuces.

Growbed Adjustment

I made an adjustment to the growbed method by putting the leca hydroton  into individual pots. The ebb and flow systems rely on a good flow of water for the bell siphon to work properly. I found out that my current growbed setup water flow became sluggish due to the clogged residue as my fingerlings becomes bigger. The leca hydroton traps suspended solids in the water and eventually disrupt the flow to the siphon bell.
Since I didn't connect the swirl filter to the systems, my only effective filter is the sponge filter which needs to be thrown away regularly at least every 3 days since my 100 fingerlings started to eat more.

 The only setback is there are only several pots spaces available (11) but now the water flow is much better and the siphon works in excellent condition. The fingerlings seemed to be waiting in anticipation of the siphon flow to drain away water back into the barrel drum for them to swim merrily against the surges.

Tale of 2 Aquaponics

Aquaponics NFT set by my son in front of the house

The plants looked healthy and flourishing.

Its an 'off the shelf' closed systems from CityFarm with instruction manual.

 Aquaponics Ebb & Dry with Tilapia Fish - DIY myself at the backlane of the house
My plants growth are 50% successful, not as fast growing as the NFT (for now - due to me tinkering with the systems from time to time). 1st month fish mortality rate at 7% (7 dead fingerlings so far)

Fingerlings

100 Tilapia Fingerlings delivered last night to become the new resident of my First Aquaponics setup.

I was only planning to commence putting in some fryers this weekend, thus I only made the order for grower fish food to arrive next week. While searching in Mudah.Com for any available fingerlings, a helpful seller indicated that he will be making deliveries around my areas that very night to some other buyers.

They were immediately let loose in my 50 gallon barrel drum. At this moment will only be feeding them breads and rice while waiting for the arrival of grower pellets.

All Systems Go

Swirl Filter

Water from fish tank flow into the Swirl Filter via 20mm balancing pipe, An elbow fixed at the incoming outlet ensure a clockwise swirl in the bucket

Pump Sump

filtered water from the swirl filter above fall down to the sump collector

Water being pumped up to the Grow Bed

My Trusted Milwaukees

Grow Bed trial run

Half a day to fix the grow media and the siphon bell synchronized. Newbie trial and error the hard way. Notice the netting? The LECA Hydroton were naughty enough to wreck havoc on the intake.
Lesson # 52 - Intake Screen to be of slit type instead of drill holes.

Still finding the right cycle balance, with my siphon bell not flushing as it should be. 

  Growbed (empty) volume : 15cmX12cmX2m (gutter size) = 0.036m3=36liter

  Effective Volume (+growmedia) :36x60%=21liter

  1200liter/hour = 20liter/minute

  1 minute ebb & dry cycle is not that ideal