About Rob — Rob Bob's Backyard Aquaponics
G’day folks, I’m Rob Gray, although many of you will know me as Rob Bob from YouTube.
I’m a backyard grower, aquaponics educator and keen DIY tinkerer based in Queensland, Australia. I share practical ways to grow fish and veggies, build useful systems and encourage others to have a go at growing their own food.
Whether you’re planning your first aquaponics system or trying to get an existing one running better, my aim is to help you understand how it works and give you the confidence to have a go.
How I Got Hooked on Aquaponics
My interest in aquaponics started in the early 2000s when I came across a story on a frugal living forum about a bloke catching barramundi from a deck chair on his back patio.
He was growing fish and vegetables in a suburban Brisbane backyard smaller than ours. We’d already grown veggies with hydroponics, but the idea of raising fish alongside our veggies really grabbed me.
After reading about his successes, I decided to have a crack at this “fish-powered hydroponics” game myself.
That curiosity grew into years of building, running, changing and troubleshooting our own backyard systems.
Learning by Building, Growing & Making Mistakes
A lot of what I share comes from getting my hands wet and seeing how things work in practice.
I’ve built DIY systems and components, grown different crops, raised fish and worked through plenty of problems along the way. Some ideas have worked well. Others, not so well but have given me useful lessons to pass on to help others.
Through my videos, articles and aquaponics guide, I explain both the practical steps and the reasons behind them. Understanding why something works makes it easier to adapt it to your own backyard, budget and growing conditions.
From Our Backyard to the Farm
Our growing adventure has moved to a 160-acre farm in the Wide Bay region of Queensland.
Here I'll be setting up systems to create more practical aquaponics videos and online training material.
The extra space also gives me room to experiment with different ways of growing fish and veggies, including sand beds and wicking aquaponics grow methods. I’ll be sharing the builds, what works and the lessons learned along the way on our YouTube Channel, guides and this website.
There’s plenty of planning and building ahead, as well as the everyday jobs that come with developing the property and keeping my online projects ticking along. My aim is to turn that hands-on experience into useful information you can apply in your own backyard.
How I Can Help You Get Growing
If you’re just getting started, my free aquaponics articles are a good place to begin.
For more detailed instruction, my Backyard Aquaponics Beginner’s Guide brings the lessons together to help you plan, build and maintain your own system. I also offer personalised mentoring if you’d like help with your particular plans or problems.
You’ll find useful aquaponics supplies and backyard growing gear in my online store as well.
Thanks for dropping by and taking an interest in what we’re doing.
Cheers folks, and happy growing! 👍🐟🌱