Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello all,

While this small system is well....small, it fit into a space that was not being used and took advantage of the aquarium water to hopefully grow some plants. More importantly though it gained the wife's seal of approval. I have no doubts this will just be the first in a long line of systems!

Anyway, this system is running above a 30 gallon aquarium. In the tank are several rainbows, albino cories, a pleco and a lot of trumpet snails. No eating fish at this time, maybe next go around. The system is run using a 400 gallon per hour pond pump. The system is a basic flood/drain with the pump running for 15 minutes, then off for 45. The pump fills the growbeds in maybe a minute and they drain about as fast due to their small size. Ideal situation? Nope...but it will due for now...I hope.

I will be attempting to grow strawberries, lettuce, kale, a cherry tomato plant, and some spinach. We shall see how it goes!

The intake in the picture with the fish is for a separate filter that is being run on the tank...for now. Beer bottle included in the last picture for scale The small banana plant is not part of the system...yet.

Nice little system, and that water looks super clean

And whats your brew that you are drinking??

Thanks DuiNui, I try to keep the water looking good as the tank is in my living room...

The brew of choice is Terrapin beer company's Sunray wheat beer. It is a local brewery in town here in Athens, Ga. Great stuff!

Great little proof of concept system there. One point to look at, your frame undeer the centre GB seems to be sagging a bit. May need a bit more support.

Must be a 'heavy' beer!

The beer is a bit heavy, who drinks light beer? ICK!

Unfortunately, the frame sags even after I take the beer off. Going to try to brace it a bit more, though it is not that bad...I hope. I even went expensive and used the clay balls to help reduce the weight...Maybe I should have spent the money on a frame that was a bit more heavy duty The frame out of PVC just seemed interesting at the time.