Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I need some advice please about grow beds. My system is now 2 years old and the grow beds have some dirty sediment in the gravel, I assume from dust, rotted leaves etc. Plants are growing well and fish is fine, but I am wondering if at some stage the beds need to be rinsed again?

As it rains the sediment will get into the fish tank, is it harmful or helpful. Is the sediment helpful or harmful for the plants.

The gravel looks clean on the surface, but when I run my hand down deeper it comes up with some dirt on my hand. Not like mud as it would be in a garden.

Thanks for any help,

Linda

Hi Linda, have you got worms in there?

I had a bit of build up in one of my systems at home, probably one of the easiest ways to clean it is if you can put a temporary diversion pipe from your growbed drain away from your fish tank into the garden, then switch your pump off. Now use something to stir up the gravel while giving it a bit of a wash, hopefully a lot of the muck will go down the drain into the garden. Keep washing with the hose till it goes fairly clean, then convert back to normal operation.

Many thanks,

Yes I do have some worms....not sure how many. I put some (20) in when I first started. They could have multiplied by now.

It is going to rain this week so I think I will do what you suggest and divert and clean.

The rain will fill the fish tank too much anyway so a good time to do it.

When you ask about the worms, do they help keep it clean? Or create more waste? Not sure.

Linda

They help break down solid wastes in the bed normally..