Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

My Idea for my first Aquaponics is to create a system the is compact and understandable on the first look for visitors...

It would be great, if someone of you could take a quick look on it, and tell me where I have to be careful and what should be different...

I did already quite a research... but the more i google, the more confused I get by now, because there are soooo many different systems out there... and so many advices...

I think I created a Flood and Drain system, but I added another "Grow Pond"... something like a sump but connected to the fishpond... What you think of that? Maybe I could put some kind of shellfish there as well...

I tried to create a drawing, but I only can use MS Paint... so it is not really complete realistic...

But please advice me if I can go with this plan or not...

cannot give someone of the experts here, a short comment on my plan... I want to start building next week...

best regards....

Hi sunnyfarm,

I think no one's taken a shot at this because it's a little difficult to understand from the information you have here. I'm going to take a shot but to me it looks like you need to provide some more info - like what the filter chambers will hold and how the grow pond is flooding and draining? (The water flow direction isn't clear in the diagrams). How are you going to deal with the center divider?

Things you should probably look at changing.

1. It looks like the wood legs will be down in the grow pond. Even with Teak I think this should not be done this way because of potential rot problems. Teaks is pretty tough so it might work but I'd avoid doing this and find a better support system.

2. If you put the growbed over the grow pond you won't be able to access the grow pond easily so this will be a problem.

You could solve these issues by putting the growbed to the side of the ponds or making a rail system that the bed can be moved on so that it is either over the fish pond or over the grow pond (I'd make it so you can lock it down against kids so they don't get hurt).

3. Consider using Constant Flood rather than Flood and Drain (just remove the affnan siphon and put in a standpipe that doesn't have the small hole at the bottom), you can keep a more constant water level in both ponds which will make the grow pond more useable. You can use a smaller pump but will need to run it continuously. This will give you a larger water capacity and more buffering capacity.

Depending on how heavily you stock the system the growbed may be the only filtration you need - it doesn't take many fish to grow plants if that's your main focus.

I agree with Scotty.

I would probably also add, simplify it. Put the grow bed off to the side and simply pump up out of the pond into the grow bed and let it drain back. I don't quite understand having a water tank under the grow bed that can't be accessed and doesn't seem to be connected to anything.

If that second chamber is plumbed together with the first one, then simply pump from the fish pond up to the media bed and then let it drain into the second chamber and you can add an air pump with air stones in there and float some rafts with plants on it.

Thank you both a lot...

I really appriciate your suggestions...

I need it simple... it will be the pilot system, and for school classes (which come here to learn about orchids) we also want to introduce Aquaponics...

Left and right to the pond I have trees, thats why I need to use one of the chamber for the growbed, and the other one for the fish...

And from what I read about AP systems, the size of the growbed should be double then the fishpond... thats why I seperated one of the chamber...

I just put another explanation about my idea before... to make it a bit more clear... but of course I am open to build something complete different... (whatever fit to these two chambers)

You could, simply fill one chamber with media and the other chamber as the fish tank and run constant flood (at least if the chambers can be plumbed together.) If they are plumbed together you could probably use an air lift to pump from the fish chamber and then let the water flow back through the plumbing.

I don't recommend the grow tubes alternative.

Hi TCLynx....

Sorry, I was so busy to change the plan, that I didn't saw your post...

Sooo... (with the feed back that I got) I made changes...

1.Fisch chamber, Filter (3 chambers), Grow Pond all same water level.
2.Overfloating the Grow Pond through plumb into the neighbor chamber under the growbed, from there pumping up to the Growbed.

So the "Grow Pond" becomes a Raft system overfloating through a plumb into the second chamber.

Filter:
first chamber Swirl Filter.

The other two chambers filled with lawa stone and gravel.

Growbed... Flood & Drain

In conclusion:
I was thinking that for a demonstration system it would be nice to show all possibilities how a system can be designed.
Flood & Drain and Raft are included.
To add NFT becomes a bit more tricky.
If I do constant flow, I can just let the water from the growbed flow through the NFT back to the fish.
But if I use a timer for the pump (flood & drain)... it would mean, that I need to install a reservoir with overflow to the Growbed and a small pipe into NFT which could provide constant flow when the growbed is out of water.

But... If you say I can just use one pond for the fish and the other for the growbed... This make everything much more easier... Are you sure I can do so? is that not to less grow media compare to the water? And how high do I should plumb the two chambers?

Thank you so much for your help!!!

I only attach the drawing for my "All in one" system to show you... but I will focus now on your suggestion!



Best regards!

So I thought about what you said... about a simple solution...

and I want to ask you, or anybody else who can help me...

Does it make sense, if I make the ground of the second chamber higher, and to put up walls (same high as the grow media) so that I can be sure that the water will not stuck in some corners... And to pump oxigen in both chambers (fish & growbed)...



And by the way,.., Is it really okay if I use Lawa Stone as grow media?

I agree with TCLynx, this would be the simplest alternative.



Seems like a lot of work for not much payback, if any. You don't need the baffles in your growbed design either. If you want to make sure that the water reaches all areas of the growbed just use pvc pipe with holes in it to deliver the water around the entire edge of the growbed like BYAP's systems. The oxygen is probably a good idea but isn't always necessary depending on the system (how much natural aeration is going on) and the number of fish.

Regarding the all methods designs - If you decide to go this route - I would run the water from the fish tank to the grow bed first and then to the filters and finally to the NFT, floating raft and grow tubes, before it goes back to the fish tank. Some people put the swirl filter before the growbed to pull off solids if they have higher fish loads. Personally I'd just go with TCL's suggestion for the simple system though.

Lava rock works fine for me. It is a little tougher on your hands when you have to dig through it. I prefer to rinse out the fine particles before using it.

Forget all the ratios of growbed to tank size. I think most people have concluded that what really matters is how many fish your growbed filtration can handle. It's still important not to overcrowd the fish so in that respect tank size matters. Read this thread it should help
http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=6646

Only for your information...

With the feedback that I got... I decided to change the system...

Therefore I also change to a new thread... Not so confusing to others...

Anyway... Thank you all for your time, your attention and your advises...

Here you find the new thread: http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14298

Best regards!!!