Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

My name is Zac and I am 21 years old. I am a Junior at Auburn University in Alabama. I have been really fascinated by aquaponics and really believe I have found my passion. I live near the university, but I was able to construct a really small hoop house (10 feet x 10 feet) in my backyard. I got on facebook marketplace and got myself some plastic barrels. After many drawings and trials, I came up with the system I have today. I am no engineer or expert by any means, so I would love any feedback, please! In my fish tank, I have 7 bluegill I caught at a local pond. I am trying to run off the CHOP system idea. All my plumping is 3/4" pipe. I will attach the most recent pictures I have. All the plants currently in my media bed were started from seed. Do you guys have any advice on anything I should change?

https://imgur.com/a/RBHT4sO

Hey Zac, fixed your link to images.. So your fish tank is the top blue barrel? Would be good if you can increase the size of it at some stage, with so much plant growing area..

Hi Zac,

You can post your photos into the post, instructions here > viewforum.php?f=4
That then keeps them in your thread and people see them directly.

Neat little system and good effort for the first one - AP lore says you will soon be planning an expansion and/or version 2

My first comment is that there is room for you to expand here and perhaps be a bit more space efficient.
If you use tubs or an IBC for a fish tank these can be then placed under a shelf section. That then means you can get grow space in a U all around the edges of the hoop house. Slightly different to a chop overflow FT but leaves you with more room for veg and makes better use of the under bench void.

IBC would probably be you lower cost option. Else a few guys use the larger rubbermaid tubs.
I think you will find that better than a blue barrel for the FT, and it will give you a bit more volume.
You could also go with a couple of fish tanks.

Also I feel that tomatoes are better served in buckets rather than shallow drums.
Media filled 5-10 Gallon buckets would actually have more media and take up just as much room as your blue barrel. The advantage is that there is good root area for each plant, the roots wont clog up your system and you can easily add supplements if needed to give the tomatoes a boost.

A larger tank at 200 Gallons or so will enable you to run a few more fish and increase your production capability.

I like your DWC setup - good bit of DIY. Just make sure you have enough media volume and/or filter to ensure the water going in to the DWC is crud free.

what sized pump are you running ? And how does your flow route go ?
FT to blue barrel grow bed to DWC tp sump to FT ?