Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Just purchased my first system. Transported 80+miles & set up in the same day. It's not perfect but it's been running for 2 years. Ok, enough back story. Here it is.

2- IBC (270 gal). Top cut for media bed at 7"
1 IBC as fish tank. Currently running at 160gal, but plan to add 20-40 more.
2nd IBC is unused.

1 grow bed plummed and ran as DWC. Set on top of FT.
2nd still unused, but will be a media bed. Can't decide on media.

20 gal trash can swirl/bio filter needs work.

17 gal sump. Put a new pump in cause the old one was maybe pushing 100-120 gph. Now pushing at 350 gph. The tanks were full of solids and very little if any filtration.

Anyway, maybe someone could advise on an inexpensive media. I'd love hydroton but too expensive. 3/4"gravel? Lava rock?

Thanks in advance for any help.ill try and add pictures soon.

Scoria works and is lighter than gravel but you'll have lots of fines initially. Cost will vary depending on where you can source it. Gravel works but it takes more effort because of the weight. I use a combination of red scoria and hydroton.

Thanks for the advice. I was contemplating a mix like that. Did you mix the two evenly?

Some of my grow beds are mixed, some are all hydroton, and some are all scoria. If I had it to do over I would keep the hydroton and scoria in separate beds and not mix them. Initially the hydroton was on top to make it easier to work with. The layer of scoria was under this to lower the cost but over time the two will mix. Hydroton on it's own is nicer to work with than either the mix or just scoria but it is expensive as you mentioned. Using a blunt ended trowel makes it pretty easy to plant the scoria - the hydroton is easy just using your hands.

+1 for what Scotty says. I have two separate systems, one with Hydroton and one with scoria. Hydroton is easier to work with but the best I could find was $21 per 500L bag (1.7 cu ft). 3/4 lava rock was $80 per yard (27 cu ft) and works great. I also have far less trouble with the scoria getting into the media guards, etc. Hydroton seems to find it's way everywhere.