Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have an ibc tote aquaponics. I thought I would have a problem with the fish dying but have an abundant green leafy lettuce. Well it is just the opposite. The fish are all living but the plants keep dying. I am on my 2nd round of plants and they are about all dead. I have the unit in a shed converted to a greenhouse with plexiglass for plenty of sunlight plus half the day I have a solar light on the unit. I have put fish emulsion as fertilizer up top in the grow bed. Still no luck. How can I keep the plants growing? Thanks.

Hey Whispering.. Do you have any photos? Are the roots keeping wet, is your flood level high enough?

yes the roots are keeping wet. I have 2 towers that the water runs down that have plants in and also I put plants in the grow bed. Just about everything is totally dead for the 2nd time. The picture doesn't show much but this is my setup http://whisperinghopefarm.com/IMG_20141 ... 34_957.jpg Why can't I keep the plants alive? I thought they were getting to much water so I put them in the grow bed and put the cup closer to the top. Then they died because they didn't have enough water. I put the others down more in the rocks but not to much and they still died. I have a lot of green algae in the grow bed and hanging off the towers.

everything is way too wet, especially if you have algae.. which would be consuming nutrients you want to go to your plants..
the top surface of the media should be dry....
is the growbed flood and drain, or constant flood?
too much water flowing into the towers

The pump is constantly going and then drains the water down to the fish. How would I make less water go into the towers?

Do I buy a smaller pump or how do I make less water pumped?