Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Lenny, go for it. Provide ample room for bacteria, ample air to keep things aerobic, and you got yourself an organic hydro set-up.

The bacteria must of course be fed. Add a wee dash of ammonia in to start the ball rolling, and then with your worm tea and you're growing veg. It might not be spectacular, I can't really say at this point, but it will work. I recommend you google fishless cycling it will fill in the blanks for you on this approach.

Compost, well, there's some figuring out to be done yet, could cause problems but worm tea, like I said, go for it.

I believe a BA system will mature faster Tim as there is a more diverse amount of wastes to be dealt with. Commercial "bio-filters" are generally not regularly flushed growbeds and so they're stuck with all that maintenance too. Continual removal of waste is also continual removal of bacteria.

High protein is a better mix for a start-up (imo). Cellulose (lignin) can only be broken down by algae enzymes. Protein waste will contain much higher amino acid content making the development of ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate) that much easier.

ATP is the energy source for many things in system. Steve would explain ATP better than I.

Utilized by the mitocondria if i remember(high school biol is a long time ago)

I can remember 12-14 years ago when i was doing hydro reading about AP but the info wasnt very flattering and the impression was very complex to run how things have changed.

I know the hetro bacteria are present throughout the system just as there are traces of organic matter throughout the system, but it seems to me there is some benifit in giving them their own home (read filter for organic solids) and keep as much of the solids out of the biofilter as possible we wont have total segregation but each bacteria will favour the set of growing condiitions most conducive to it.