Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

What do y'all think of these


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Fuzzy,

To be fair you would have to tell us how you intended on using them. Type, size, and reasons of your proposed system. Most of us use a media bed for filtration in a smaller system negating the use of these items. In a larger system. RFFs, MBBR, netting filters and a few others dominate. You may have one of those little projects where space necessitates not using the tried and true though.

Solids in the media bed certainly help with micronutrients via mineralization but personally I think I'll end up at least using a clarifier (they only remove 50-60%). While not a necessity I'd like to lower the possibility of clogging in the beds. I don't look forward to cleaning them. But again it depends on size and stocking density. For me I think I'll be forced into some slightly higher densities because someone doesn't want me harvesting the fish... lol. (I'll just have to do it under cover of darkness..)

An extra netting/screen filter is probably overkill tho. Biofilter in a media bed system is really unnecessary unless you have a lot of NFT or DWC with the suspended rafts.

Zwiebel,

For 1 the OP has not even given us the scale of his project. So your answer is a little half cocked. For your system I think you will find that once you actually build one. You will see how some of your comments here and on other threads actually sound. For example the clarifier you are intending of using would have to be rather large in comparison to a RFF which when properly built will filter down to 100 microns. That is usually then set through a polishing stage. Static up flow, netting, or even sand filter to stop the fine solids that would mostly pass through a media bed. Although all these depend on scale. As a small system can and do, perfectly fine with a properly sized media bed only. I like your enthusiasm. Even applaud the fact that you started researching by at least starting to read UVI's research papers. But until the OP gives us more info on his specific build. We would be doing more harm than good. If we just regurgitated the UVI research.

FF,

I too was talking in generalities and gave no hard numbers. Perhaps instead of clarifier I should have said mechanical filter. There are several types. My intention was not to say I thought I needed a huge amount of filtration. In addition I admitted on several occasions it was overkill. Especially additional filtration (netting) that causes anaerobic bacteria and a need to gas off. I totally agree that a media bed is fine for most small systems. I was not just regurgitating the UVI research. I had already decided on using a mechanical filter before ever reading it. It's just my preference/opinion after reading other papers. As I prefaced my thoughts - "...Personally I think I'll end up...".

I applaud your enthusiasm to correct me. lol. I don't know what you're hinting at about my tone but I'm simply trying to be helpful. I know I went overboard a bit on numbers in one thread but in that one there was an actual basis for it. Anyhow. Peace.

No problems, I have just seen time and again. Newer people to aquaponics. Who has read different studies for a few months. Come in and give newcomers advise that would be detrimental to them. Because of some part they had not learned yet. It was not meant as an attack. Just trying to protect newbies.

Well, I'll be more careful to disclaim I'm a newb myself. That said is there a vetting process for studies? I'm only half joking here. I mean are there documents that are in dispute that the community here does not advocate? Admittedly much of my knowledge comes from the UN's paper which in turn cites many papers and books by Rakocy and other experts in the field. For that matter it cites this very website. So I figured it was a safe bet. /Shrug. I understand that most of these numbers are merely rules of thumb and that practical experience trumps theory almost every time.

Yes sir this is the best site to learn aquaponics on the net. Partially because we care enough to protect and teach the ones who are the easiest to mislead.