Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

As someone who totally failed with wicking beds ensure the top part of the bed has enough say coarse sand in it to balance the humus ie its a bit open.
Cow, horse, chicken, mushroom compost does not make a good growing media (it goes anaerobic very quickly)

Derrrrr... I naturally meant (as an example) 10:1 GrowMedia/gravel(void) ( and whatever the total depth ) and YOU even gave it in that ratio "about 1 soil to 2 gravel "


So this IS a separate system..?? given the comment that it wont even be cycling pre FISH

I thought it was a bed-extension to the existing beds..


Thanks for the heads up on that.. and I do wonder if a side problem is from nutrients within the mix, leeching back to the water..
The mixture that I have is a man-made product - assumed from recycled green-waste.
and I may rethink that media, by mixing 50:50 coarse river sand to Potting Mix..
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Yes
the clue is in my sig


>>>***Larger Wicking Bed system: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=24153***<<<

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Thanks for pointing to the change... We almost never look at constant members signatures coz they rarely change..
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@BuiDoi -

Without modification to the base, i think you have about 3cm in height for the reservoir, and about 6cm in height for the soil?? With this setup, how long before till you would need to top up? I am thinking off using and old baby wash cloth (since she is no longer using it, i think it is about the same material like a muslin cloth) to replace the Agri-Fabric, will that work?

Regards

I suspect muslin or any cotton material would rot away fairly quickly if used in place of a geotextile barrier in a WB.

@Gunagulla - Good point, thanks.

@BuiDoi - I meant 16cm for soil, not 6cm

Regards

I made some small wicking buckets some time ago and they worked great until I overdosed them with thrive. You can see the small hose exiting the side, that is the gravel level and water level. The standpipe has an elbow at the bottom and a short piece of pipe with slots in it across the base, I used shade cloth over this pipe to stop the gravel blocking the slits and also a piece of shade cloth between the gravel and dirt.

The thing that I cant quite get, is why folk go to the trouble of having fancy distributors within the gravel and then have an overflow..

I would foolishly think that you fill until it leaks and that is it... 100% gravel wetting/100% full..

It's a bit like folk constructing elaborate tubes around the top of the GB and have a Flood-n-Drain approach..
simply a feel good waste of time to impress the natives..
The whole bed will fill to the maximum (Stand Pipe Height) and empty to the minimum, and so it matters nought WHERE the water comes from... one point or a thousand...
in point, it is likely more detrimental as you surely end up with a ring of constantly wet media that will then grow algae..
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The pipe in the bottom of the buckets served the same purpose as milk crates in a larger wicking bed - a water reservoir! Without it it would be inferior.

Distribution pipes for a grow bed is to supply waste water evenly around the bed otherwise you could have a waste build up in one spot. In a CF system it provides good distribution of nutrients due to the constant flow through the media.

I know that is the oft repeated reason given, but after nearly 2 years of water entering my GBs from along one end only, and some beds just at 2 points 150mm apart, I have yet to see any solids build up in my reasonably lightly stocked system. Perhaps it might be more of an issue with a heavily stocked system.

I suppose most situations can be different, Ive read of others posting of problems but its probably not the case for all. I know I had issues with tracking in my CF beds which is why the distribution pipe worked for me and it also helped with RobBob's CF bed from memory.

@ BuiDoi - Can i get a dimension on the plastic planter box you managed to score? More interested with the internal dimension to allow me to calculate the capacity.
How much sun does the new planter boxes get?
How long can the reservoir last till you need to fill it again?

Regards

I've had solids accumulation issues in GBs in my heavily fed system, though I am pushing it hard at the moment and the barra poo up a storm.

I agree no need for a distribution pipe in a WB, BUT a reservoir with an air gap is a handy thing to have in them.

Could you please elaborate more on the benefits and how to obtain/maintain the said air gap?? If there is a gap how will the wicking work?

Regards