5000sq/meter iAVs (Organic Aquaponics) Facility

Video & description taken from our sub on reddit at / real_project_3_years_o...
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Welcome to our 2020 proof-of-concept demonstration! This innovative setup has yielded over 25 tons of fish and 67 varieties of fruits and vegetables.
Constructed from concrete blocks, the ponds and sand beds are covered with granite and floor tiles, holding a total water volume of 300 cubic meters. Our journey began with IBC tanks in 2016, evolving into this advanced system.
All pipes are discreetly hidden under the tiles, with a sump collecting water at a lower level than the fish ponds, which is then pumped back. The sand beds are 40 cm deep.
Located in a desert climate with hot summers and mild winters, our main electrical costs are for the exhaust fan with cooling pads, the air blower, and the water pump. Despite being a garden setup and not for profit, we've designed it to be aesthetically pleasing.
The beds feature a 1mm HDPE liner, and our banana plants are three years old. We operate nine separate systems, each with independent ponds and beds. Our water usage is minimal at 3% per day on a yearly average, with no water changes needed. A 5.5 kW blower aerates the nine ponds with diffusers.
We grow a diverse range of crops, including leafy greens, fruiting and rooting vegetables, corn, wheat, papaya, figs, bananas, strawberries, mangos, almonds, guava, melon, and watermelon, along with various flowers and herbs. This video was taken last June, so most of the leafy greens have already been harvested.
Enjoy the tour!
Learn how it works at www.iavs.info
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Video & description taken from our sub on reddit at /r/Sandponics

[@J.Smith-rc6wh]

absolutely stunning, well done all round, we are presently plumbing out a system with pipework underground(concrete tiles) so seeing this system and the clean lines makes me realise again why I want no exposed pipework

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

It is my favourite system by far. I also agree that aesthetics are very important. One of the benefits of Sandponics is not needing to have lots of pipes or external filters which can get really messy.

[@htnsao]

Awesome project. Would be nicer if it was silent.

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

I have never watched it with the sound on...all this time I thought it was silent!!

[@AubreyZhang]

Where is this located. The place should be made public so that we can all go and check it out. I would like to go!

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

It is private, and in the middle of the desert! I would live there if I could.

[@AubreyZhang]

@@iAVs-Sandponics OK, but at least I know in which country it is located: Qatar

[@NononBlancoOrjaleza]

Is this yours?

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

No I wish it was, we speak to one of the builders often.

[@NononBlancoOrjaleza]

@@iAVs-Sandponics the pond growbed liner is 1mm thick?

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

The liner in the growbeds is 1mm thick, I am not too sure about the pond liner, but it is made from concrete (underneath) and very strong. I can ask for more details and let you know.

[@Johannrothschild]

what is this ? i'm blown away can you build one for me, not this big but like 500-1000 sqmtr

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

It's a proof of concept/demonstration of iAVs/Sandponics. It didn't always look this nice, there was a time when it was mostly just sand and bricks!

[@Johannrothschild]

@@iAVs-Sandponics ok but who built this for you, please provide details

[@iAVs-Sandponics]

This is not ours but I have the designs and I speak regularly with Dr. Mark McMurtry, he invented this system, I run the website and we also co-authored a book with Gary Donaldson.