Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

so i recently heard about aquaponics and decided to make a small scale setup as an experiment. so far i have a 10 gallon tank with 9 goldfish in it. i have an air pump to aerate the water. then i have four plants hanging down right into the fish tank.

i havent been testing the water or anything and i dont have an air filter. should i get one and start testing the the water?

any comments, tips, advice would be great

also im in northern colorado, just in case location has a lot to do with it

Hi MassholeInCO, i'm just starting out myself but i am sure everyone will tell you that you must be testing your water regularly, otherwise how do you know how the system is health wise.
As for an air filter, i haven't heard of anyone using air filters in their AP systems??

plenty of great ideas in these pages.

have you looked through the small system posts?

Welcome! I Had A Small 20 Gal System. I HaD A Filter On It. Make Sure You Do Water Changes Every Week Or Are You Going To Run A Cf ? The Systems Water Test Will Be Crazy Until Fully Cycled Have Fun.

I've been looking into the IBC's of Aquaponics since last summer. I purchased the smaller IBC, converted it like the video:), added lava rock in the tank with pea gravel on top. I have Hydroton in the GB. No plants, in the GB or tank. The temps here in Waco, TX are 100F+, and will be for the next 3 months. The water temps fluctuate between 82F nightand 88.5F (night/day). I added Aquascape Pond Detoxifier Liquid, and NEW! Aquascape Pond Starter Bacteria. I cycled for 1 week. I purchased 30 Mozambique Tilapia on 6/26. 3 adults, 27 2" to 4". One of the adults seems to be guarding an area at the bottom back of the tank. It doen't come up to eat. Female? Brooding? I have lost 2 fish. I increased the aeration which seemed to help. I went from 700gph to 1200gph, and added a 160 gallon aerator. I also have a 300gph pump for a small hang over goat trough:) (for strawberrys) from the same tank. I am purchasing a master test kit today. I was thinking about adding Clear Pond Clear as Crystal to clear up the cloudy water. Would that work, or should I just wait for it to cycle out? I was also thinking about insulating the tank with a ridged insulation, then putting wooden fencing around the tank to protect the tank from the sun. Would that be good? Thanks for any input. Feeling a little OCD with the whole thing:)

Welcome Neil! Sounds like you are off to a start. Be sure to post some pics. Also, be careful with those aquarium treatments, they are not meant for edible fish and plants. Don't worry about the cloudiness, the tilapia don't mind. Also when the tilapia get hungry, they will come up to eat. Get some plants in your growbeds, you want to have them working right away.