Burners' Backyards: Veggies, Gardening, Landscape & Design

Calvin27

Eats Squid
Anyone managed to get a aquaponics going? Got an area with a bit of a fall and was thinking would be perfect for aquaponics but it seems pretty full on. With Covid on though thought now might be a good time as I can keep an eye on it.
 

Freediver

I can go full Karen
Anyone managed to get a aquaponics going? Got an area with a bit of a fall and was thinking would be perfect for aquaponics but it seems pretty full on. With Covid on though thought now might be a good time as I can keep an eye on it.
Funny you should mention that, I've just come in for another coffee from digging a 2m x 1m x 50cm deep hole. Its getting a raised soil bed around it that's 50 cm high to help insulate the pond. When it's finished it will have 2 bath tubs over it that will be filled with scoria or clay balls if I can find them nearby.
I figured if I'm using the water I might as well let some trout use it first. If I pull my finger out I should be able to get it cycling tomorrow.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Funny you should mention that, I've just come in for another coffee from digging a 2m x 1m x 50cm deep hole. Its getting a raised soil bed around it that's 50 cm high to help insulate the pond. When it's finished it will have 2 bath tubs over it that will be filled with scoria or clay balls if I can find them nearby.
I figured if I'm using the water I might as well let some trout use it first. If I pull my finger out I should be able to get it cycling tomorrow.
Sounds like someone is either loosing lot really smashing their covid isolation survival competition. This plan has no middle ground.

Will you eat the trout? Of all the fish options, why trout?
 
My vegie garden was an absolute disaster this year, only two plants produced anything. One was eggplant, the other was the Trinidad Scorpion chilli plant.

The chilli plant is taking over, its going off, lots of chillies, and they are so freaking hot I can barely look at them.

I only planted it for laughs, I don't even bother to pick them.
 

Freediver

I can go full Karen
Sounds like someone is either loosing lot really smashing their covid isolation survival competition. This plan has no middle ground.

Will you eat the trout? Of all the fish options, why trout?
I like eating trout out of clean water, sometimes when you buy them they taste like mud. The other thing I'm thinking about is short fin eels. I love unagi but getting stock might be hard in these times of no fishing.
 

Calvin27

Eats Squid
The other thing I'm thinking about is short fin eels. I love unagi but getting stock might be hard in these times of no fishing.
We used to go catch eels at lysterfield. Set the traps and then do a loop and come back to grab the eels. Let me know how your aquaponics go, my problem is I'd rather try an aquaponics system than do a couple of cubes of fill, drain and retaining wall.
 

rockmoose

his flabber is totally gastered
Funny you should mention that, I've just come in for another coffee from digging a 2m x 1m x 50cm deep hole. Its getting a raised soil bed around it that's 50 cm high to help insulate the pond. When it's finished it will have 2 bath tubs over it that will be filled with scoria or clay balls if I can find them nearby.
I figured if I'm using the water I might as well let some trout use it first. If I pull my finger out I should be able to get it cycling tomorrow.
Don't use clay balls, they will disintegrate into a claggy mush. Also trout aren't really very good in aquaponics. If you want a good cold water fish, Silver Perch are very easy to tend.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 

Freediver

I can go full Karen
Don't use clay balls, they will disintegrate into a claggy mush. Also trout aren't really very good in aquaponics. If you want a good cold water fish, Silver Perch are very easy to tend.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Maybe you bought cheap balls that weren't fired properly or something, they don't break down and as for trout they are brilliant in aquaponics unless you're trying to do it outdoors in an IBC or similar above ground which gets to hot in summer. Trout are yum, have a great feed conversion ratio and reach pan size in well under a year, silvers take 18 months or longer down here because they virtualy stop eating in winter. Of course if they aren't eating they aren't producing the waste to grow the veges.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Dug out the base material and ripped a trench for the hardwood edging. Ground is as hard as concrete in places. Tractor is getting a workout. Raised bed fabrication has started. Getting there. Hopefully get the edging in place tomorrow for concreting Friday. Then level the ground, weed mat and final layer of gravel before the beds arrive. Trqcked down some dwarf citrus and an avocado for the bed centres.
 

hifiandmtb

Sphincter beanie
Dug out the base material and ripped a trench for the hardwood edging. Ground is as hard as concrete in places. Tractor is getting a workout. Raised bed fabrication has started. Getting there. Hopefully get the edging in place tomorrow for concreting Friday. Then level the ground, weed mat and final layer of gravel before the beds arrive. Trqcked down some dwarf citrus and an avocado for the bed centres.
Photos, n00b!
 

tobbogonist

a registered member
Anyone managed to get a aquaponics going? Got an area with a bit of a fall and was thinking would be perfect for aquaponics but it seems pretty full on. With Covid on though thought now might be a good time as I can keep an eye on it.
There is a bloke that comes into work every now and then who is mad into it. I can't bring myself to put the effort into a set up whilst we are still renting. I put some fish in the aquatic plant pond last year at work, they ate all the mozzie babies until a lady scooped them out and took them to the register to try and buy them...
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
All right, here 'tis.



Spent some time getting the fall right on the otherside so it can be turfed in springles so it will stay bare dirt/granite until then. The little Kubota does a great job considering what it is. Ripper on the tpl dug the trench and a test landscape sleeper in place, H4 hardwood. The planter area will be gravel with the beds levelled on top. These will sit 50mm above the gravel/grass. Anyways a finished pic will be added laterer.
 
Top