Utilizing nature to create a zero impact, zero waste, carbon positive, completely self sustainable eco system,
... producing fresh organic fruits , vegetables, fish, crayfish & energy - In our backyard.

Welcome to our adventure ...

Aquaponics is a natural eco-system, which organically produces vegetables, fish & crayfish. It is the integration of fish cultivation, aquaculture, with hydroponic plant production.

Fish wastes are 'filtered' by natural bacteria producing a rich nutrient source for the plants. The plants utilize these nutrients for growth, thus purifying the water to then be returned to the fish. This continuous cycle is what happens in a nature.

Aquaponics has many advantages including, requiring much less space than traditional farming methods, highly efficient food productive method - potentially higher than hydoponics, with zero environmental impact.

- No chemical fertiliser's, pesticides, insecticides or soil conditioners are used.

- Zero water waste. All water is constantly purified by the plants and recirculated back to the fish.

- 100% of all nutrients are used, creating two crops from one nutrient source - the fish food.

- 100% of wastes generated are utilized on site through filters that feed the plants. Worm composts & Black Soldier Fly's are utilized for all vegetable off cuts and house hold waste's, creating natural healthy fish food source's. Worm & BSF castings being used for enhancing soil condition.

- As a source of protein, fish are the most efficient convertors out of all our farmed animals, achieving feed to flesh conversion efficiency close to 100%.

Aquaponics is a 100% natural eco-system.

PVA has also incorporated a totally off grid solar power installation, supplying power for the system, work shed and computers.

Off Grid Solar Panel System - DIY

Progress happens slowly here... and so do the updates, sorry.

We have encountered some problems along the way and have had to adjust some things, I will mention them as I go.

All 6 x 180w solar panels are now in place on the tracking frame. The purchased drive motor isn't strong enough and I rather like the DIY drill motor / driver, though it's clutch mechanism needs improvement & we havn't installed the sun tracking board yet, so tracking is still manual.
The front of the electrical housing shows the top unit is a 2kw Photovoltaic Charger, the solar panels wire into here. This unit regulates the charge to the batteries and is the brains of the system.
The next unit down is a 600w 12/240v Inverter.
Bottom row right is the main isolator switch.
Bottom left & centre show the 20amp & 50amp circuit breakers that service the 600w & 1500w Inverters.
These are an Absolute Must !!!
 The rear of the unit houses the 1500w inverter.
On the timber post is the tracker motor on/off switch, below is the DIY drive motor.
The last drama encountered forced a bit of major re-think resulting in the above configuration...
Batteries !
Several of the ex-train batteries we got at a 'cheap' price would not take a full charge, that left only 2 x 2kw batteries for storage. In hind sight, that is still 3 days & nights worth of power running our system.
Originally was planned & purchased a 6kw inverter but with only 25% of planned battery capacity it seemed a waste. The 600w inverter was wired up from day 1 and then added the 1500w inverter when the final 3 solar panels were finished.

The final config alteration is underway.
Underground wiring is being dug & laid directly from solar system to the shed. Separate underground wiring is done, from the shed to the aquaponics system. When complete, a separate power board in the shed will auto detect week/drained/failed battery power supply and switch to mains power from the house. Also wired in will be a mains charging system for the solar batteries. Mains power is virtually free due to a 10kw solar system on the house.

Finally, a rare sunny winters day - July 2012

Strawberry Tunnel

The smaller nft system was finished back in January 2012 as a close up of a previous pic shows ...
 Since then, 1 single 'mother' strawberry plant purchased in September, has multiplied through runners and now completely fills this system in June 2012.
As I noticed new flowers on the mother plant I thought it time to prune. So a couple days ago I started removing any dead leaves and removed all the new growth runners. This will leave plenty of space and air flow for the flower stems to develop with much reduced chance of mold & rot. I counted over 200 new plant cuttings...
 Today I started planting them out into 128 cell seedling trays. I filled 1 tray and have almost twice that many again to finish tomorrow. (ill grab pic of finished trays and emerging flower stems tomorrow).
The 'after prune' shot.
Runners all tidied up and planted out, all 270 of them..
 New season flowers starting nicely. They will appreciate the extra space and air flow.



Overview of system progress - November 2011

This pic shows the 100 hole / 3 pipe hydro system in the back ground enclosure, the water from here gravity feeds the new f&d seedling trays, then into sump. (will get some better pics as im very happy with the seedling trays).
Ive done a simple log boarder and back filled with gravel to tidy things up a bit.
The second twin 700ltr grow bed is under way also.
 Looking the other way you can see the first and second 700ltr twin grow beds & a raised bed, its full of butternut pumpkin at the moment, a third 700ltr twin grow bed will be placed there when it is harvested, just beyond that will be the twin 1100ltr grow beds. You can also see the solar panel array starting to take shape at the far end
 The solar system is up and running though less than half completed and has been powering the AP & some shed stuff for 10 days now - completely off grid.

Black Soldier Fly Harvester - DIY

I've finished the first Black Soldier Fly Harvester.


 Soldier fly larvae will be used to supplement pellet fish foods.

Bell Siphon

A couple shots of my bell siphon. I used the 'standard' 25mm drain pipes but increased the bell to 90mm and gravel strainer to 300mm - thinking the larger bell volume would increase siphon suction, 300mm ensures maximum drain from the gravel into the bell area. Beds now drain in 5min as apposed to 11min with only 50mm bell / 90mm gravel strainer.
Flow into fish tanks is a 'spray bar' style, continuing with the 25mm fittings from drain stand pipe.

First Fish & Plants - 2011

9 September 2011 - Added 150 silver perch 5-8cm into 1 of the 5000ltr tanks. I noticed 1 fish had severe transport damage bashing its eye's to buldging, he was dead in the morning. It was a 5 hour train & bus trip to get them home and was after dark on arrival - sorry no pics.

The veggie progress has been very good for a new system, in my opinion.

14 September
27 September
3 October

16 October
2 November


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