Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

so I haven't messed with anything in a couple of days cause of the rain we have been getting and not able to get outside. the plants are starting to look good. growing a bunch. did a water test today and ph 6.4 ammonia was at 2, nitrites at 0 and nitrates above 160 still. I had a look into those dutch buckets. seems like they are just a smaller version of a larger grow bed that holds just one plant. Am I right. I might give them a try or just add another grow bed about the same size I have now. I am only using about half the size of my green house so I got plenty of room for either.


dasboot I was throwing it out about once a week . then I started leaving it in for about a month. then some people suggested I do away with the rff and let solids go into gb (which I didn't do at first because some people told me I would get an abundance of waste and have to clean gb quite often) now I am just by passing it and letting the waste go straight into the gb. as far as food goes I only feed a capful of feed a day. the cap is off of a juice bottle. I will also check out the vortex brewer

yep. you just don't have siphons (basically on timer F&D or else 'constant flood' with bucket partially filled)

the buckets are good if you are a bit short of space or width. The big advantage is that with things like tomatoes etc each plant has its own container and you reduce nutrient competition/domination and dont have the issue of excessive root growth in the GB. At the end of the plant cycle they are easy to clean.

If you have room another GB is fine and gives you some options.


the negative of democracy and open forums - a whole world of opinions to wade through

In a small, simple system I would just go direct to grow bed (in fact simply pump in fish tank to GB).
All mine do (I have 5) and so does the IBC aquaponics and basic BYAP setups - many many systems with no issues.
Flush the GB every now and again simply by attaching a diversion pipe to GB outlet and into a bucket - then on garden/fruit trees.

Filters are needed if you get serious about fish or high stocking - but IMO that is getting beyond the IBC type system (and I know some people will disagree....)

same with the pH issue - there are very respectable systems on this forum running in pH all the way from 6.5 to 8.2. So at the end of the day there is a worthy example somewhere on the forum that matches most situations.

been a couple of weeks since I took some pictures. squash and zucchini are starting to get brown spots on the tips.

Just a thought but it could be a lack of potassium. It can cause yellowing and leaf damage also curling in of the leaf.


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