Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Little work that started today.
Free cat buckets, filled with perlite and a paint liner, drilled 1 inch hole and put in a grommet and 1/2 pvc with 2 90 degree elbows. Will be adding 1/4 drip line on a stake, powered with a pump duration and frequency not yet finallized.

You say "2 90 degree elbows." where's the 2 nd one located, can't see it in the photo?

Inside the bucket

5 gal SIP buckets with a 1.5 gal reservoir in the bottom, The polyester wick brings the Nutrient rich water up into either a soil-less mix or you can use 3.5 gal of perlite.

4 vertical planting holes and 1-3 plants in the top.

The buckets can be daisy chained together to keep the reservoirs filled 24/7 by use of a 5 gal bucket with a horizontal float valve, this valve is gravity fed from a storage tank, no pumps or electric needed.

Daisy chained watering is done using 1/2" drip line tubing and fittings.

Sorry for me asking this but, what will the buckets be used for?

How will you feed the drip line without a pump?

My buckets are for tomatoes and peppers maybe some . cucumbers

My buckets, tubs, etc are used for growing the same items, but with mine there are extra planting sites around the outside vertical wall of them




25 gal Re-Cycled SIP Tub, 8 vertical sidewall planting holes, top can grow 1 or more plants. The above pic has either 8 Eggplants or 8 Bell peppers planted thru the side holes. There are 2 determinate tomatoes planted in each of the 3 tubs tops.






The 7 gal Nutrient / Water reservoirs are kept full by 1/2" drip line tubing daisy chained together and the Nutrient / Water to each tub is controlled by a 5 gal bucket with a Horizontal float valve. The Float valve is connected to a water source fed by gravity. Or you can hook it to a water spigot with a in-line fertilizer injector.

Any solids are removed before the Float valve by a in-line Y strainer. For the soil-less growing media.

Great ideas

A 25 gal Tub has 2.18 S/F growing area in the top.

By adding 8 planting holes thru the top sidewall of the container, you can figure another 8 S/F of growing area for a total of over 10 S/F.

Takes less area than a permanent Grow Bed.

Uses way less soil-less media, or even if using pebbles, etc.

Can be used as F&D systems.

Ya area and grow space are a fighting battle I think

That's what Hydroponic systems are all about.

Less growing space but higher plant yields.

3 Indeterminate Tomato planted in a 3" x 6" x 36" grow slab and grown for
10-11 months of the year, with the vines ranging in 120-150' in length.

Progress here