Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Just a quick question in a flood and drain system is there a set height for water under the stones in the growbed i noticed this morning everybody seeemed to think murry had his to high

I think Joel fills his to about 20mm from the surface. Murray was trying to get water to his new plants, but personally, I think the roots will find the water at 20mm below the surface easily, and you won't have algal growth on the surface due to surface water.

Yep, spot on Stu.......

I pour water on the gravel twice a day (when I feed the fish) when the sprouts are still small and the roots don't yet reach the water line. After that they're on their own! AM covers his with plastic film to keep them moist.

Wait...Dave ....no power?

Yep, Dave, if you have a no-power option that works I'd be really, really, interested to hear it ... please?

Think Dave ment, that he in addition to flood and drain, pours fish water over the top of the bed when the plants are still little vice flooding to the very top

Does anybody have a preference for flood and drain over a continuous system and if so why? I will go the continuous way first off till I can understand whats going on but if F&D is better

Flood and drain gets all themedium wet, guaranteed. No dry spots equals no gravel media wasted as bacteria will die if they dry out. If you are going continuous, make sure you have a good grid for water dispersal, and point your holes down into the gravel to reduce the water on the surface, hence reducing algal growth

This has been covered in a few spots in previous posts, but I can't find it. Flood and drain deals with solids better than continuous and it wets all of the medium as Stu said, so better bacteria and root growth.

Continuous is easier to set up for a beginner using only one pump. You will need at least 6 mm holes drilled in the lines in your beds.

I prefer ebb and flow now I have my head around the auto siphons. I think you're right in going continuous to start, then learn and play with some of the other hardware.

Like stated, a good grid, water downwards, look out for leaks from a hole hitting the medium and water going over side. Less splash the better with regards to less algae too.

Wasn't it proven somewhere that continuous provided better plant growth?
Was I dreaming?

It was written that continuous had better growth rates by Dr Wilson Lennard, but this was on a very small scale, over a very short period of time, with his particular setup.... There are so many contributing factors as to which may be better in any given system design. You would have to compare his system designs and findings to know whether that will relate to any system you may be building yourself.

In my experience flood and drain is far better than continuous.

Thanks EB, I'll trust your experience, couldn't remember where I had read it.

Thanks people - have just got back with all the plumbing hardware and will be setting it up this afternoon - the guys at Bunnings didnt react to kindly to a 5ft nothing grandmother elbowing them out of the way for position in the plumbing dept