Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey everyone.

I just thought I'd try to get a small start-up company a little bit more press. I just saw their information through Homesteading / Survivalism's FaceBook page.

So this three-gallon "aquarium" has a smaller grow-tank on top of it. An air pump forces air down in to the tank, which forces water up in to the plant tank. Using an auto-siphon tube, once the grow tank is full, all the water drains back down and the cycle starts over again. It sounds really awesome.



Kick Starter allows people to put their information out there and get financial backing. If the goal is met, everyone who makes a pledge is charged that pledge amount. However, if they do not make their goal, nobody pays a dime. Also, depending on your pledge, you get a certain "reward" back. For example, if you pledge $50, you get a T-Shirt and 33% off the retail price. If you pledge $100, you get the T-Shirt and a free system.


I hope we can get enough people together to get this project jump-started. This is an awesome way to spread the news and information on aquaponics. It's such a simple design and it's a great way to get people talking!

Go to their KickStarter Page to make a pledge or find out more information.

Take Care.
Scott

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with KickStarter or the startup company. I just happened to see the information on FaceBook and wanted to share it with everyone.

There have been a few indoor aquaponics systems on kickstarter, it is usually the postage that is the killer.

$50 postage on a $50 item. This one looks nicer than the others have been but I will wait for the flat-pack version!

Yeah, shipping overseas is a bad thing no matter what. I'm hoping to catch my U.S. counterparts here for the free systems. Even a simple $25 from everyone would go a long ways towards helping.

At least by supporting it with something, you have a better chance of that flat pack version. Just a thought.

This company makes a mushroom growing kit out of coffee grounds too, probably not allowed to import that to Australia but I am sure the population of America is large enough to support them without our help!

I wouldn't give them a cent.... for a dinki di useless product....

They obviously know little about aquaponics... and the system featured obviously didn't grow those plants with one little goldfish...

It's bullshit... sadly aquaponics is becoming the biggest shellgame in town....

I can't believe they're asking for $100,000 ... and I'm incredulous that they've managed to sucker in half the amount already...

How do you keep it clean?

They reckon it's "self-cleaning"........ so you wont need to....

Anyway... the gold fish will die... before even the first sprig of parsley has grown.... so you can just throw the thing in the bin... where it belongs in the first place...

Auto-siphon.... nah.. no auto-siphon in that system.... at best, well actually it's the worst.... it initally appears to be an implementation of "ebb & flow"....

But it's not....


So the air pump... running continuously... forces air down the tube... causing the water to rise in the "grow container"...

Where's the drain, any drain.. unless the air pump is turned off???

At best... it just keeps... hopefully... recirculating the water between the fish tank and grow container....

What happens to all the fish shit... other than the stuff that gets trapped in the bottom gravel... just like any aquarium...

Well most of it sits there.. accumulating and festering.... some of it pumps up to the plant roots... where it clings... accumulates and festers....

Until you empty it all out... clean it... and start again...

Ah???... how do do you clean it????

I have seen the fighting fish in an ordinary glass bowl with no air pump before, at least the plants will stop it from jumping out!

ah again with the betta fish said as lowmaintenance... its the same like the flowervase with a betta couple of years ago, said you only need to top the water and fish doesnt need to be fed...

You are supposed to water change very often (one every second day or so) with these fighting fish setups.

From the info I read on their site, it sounds a lot like a slightly modified auto-siphon. The pump forces air in to the tank, which forces water up in to the grow bed. When it reaches a certain level, just like with the auto-siphon, the water drains back in to the tank. My understanding is that the auto-siphon always produces an ebb and flow setup. Depending on your bell pipe settings, your water levels will be vary between high and low tide. My terminology may be off because that's a new idea to me, but the concept sounds right.

Also, they mention feeding the fish in several spots, so unlike the vase idea, they don't expect the beta to strictly filter feed. My idea was to have a small algae eater or similar to keep the glass and gravel clean, plus another small fish or two. A three gallon tank will maintain three inches of fish.

Is it a perfect setup or truly ideal? Probably not. They are trying to use strictly reclaimed material, so it's more green. And for the beginner or someone in a small condo, it sounds great. For me, I like the idea of some fresh herbs in my kitchen. I never use my cilantro, rosemary or basil in time, and I never have it when I really want it.

Besides, a regular fish tank isn't productive, nor is a dog, or TV. There is a learning and entertainment value here, too.

I agree with the TV part

That probably explains why they keep trying to jump out then...

(I have never owned one myself)

As long as the fish doesn't suffer and as long as the person buying the set up is not deceived into thinking that they will get a massive harvest then it is a bit of educational fun. The sort of thing I could give to a family member to introduce them to the idea that I want to dig their back garden up to grow fish.

Most of the kits I have seen on Kickstarter have involved plasic storage boxes and ugly pipes all over the place, they look homemade and I could never give one as a gift.

This at least looks like something you could give as a gift, if it works.

Reminds me of the little aeroponics countertop garden, that was successful. I'm all for something like that, if it works and doesn't hurt AP's reputation.