Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Just a quick introduction. We learned about aquaponics from a Jamie Oliver TV programme last February and have just got a test-bed system up and running in a 8' x 6' greenhouse. Three pretty large koi carp in a 600 litre tank with a sump and eight grow beds. The system has been operating now for just over 24 hours and the plumbing seems good. Now just need to wait for the bacteria to set up home.

We had initial problems from using just perlite in the grow beds to save weight. It floats and started to climb out! Went back to the drawing board and added pea gravel round the drains and across the top which seems to have fixed it. A few grains of perlite still washing through to the sump but fast diminishing so hopefully this will stabilise as everything settles.

If this works then the project may spread to a polytunnel and/or much larger greenhouse.

So far had lots of fun designing it and solving the problems.

Glad you are Getting Stuff Sorted...How Big of a System Are you planning?