Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Muzza
I take it that the gravel your putting in the bed in the pick above this post is not your growing medium do I take it that you just use the blue metal we call it that in the west just as a filter !! as you can tell I am new to this very interested in the different systems going on wjat would you put on top to grow things
Q

Hi Qambie,

That is the grow bed media. How well it will work will be shown over the next few months, but I can't see why it won,t work ?
The strawberry tower has 20mm river gravel in it and it has suffered bad blockages, but I suspect that is because the tower was only 90mm dia and everything was going down through the top of the tower. The fish poo etc together with the root balls that formed in the tower combined to cause blockages.
Perhaps EB could comment on this

Muzza.

Thanks for the advice Re: the grow bed Murray. BTW I am using 10mm drainage gravel in my little bed and it seems to have wored well. No problems with the hands - I work in an office but have garden hands . Your hands would have a thick fibreglass protective coating I suppose . I imagine your water will clear up in no time. Is probably a good idea to put water through some sort of fabric strainer for a couple of days so as not to end up with all the dirt back in the media.

Yep, good idea - I did this and it made a huge difference!

Are you skipping the initiation stage of actually washing the gravel Muzz?

He washed the gravel using the ute technique Stu.

Ahhh. Cheers VB. I would have used the ute method, but my work ute is a Clayton's ute, the canopy turns it into more of a wagon, and I reckon the old man would string me up if I put a tonne of blue metal in the back (considering he pays for it- the ute not the blue metal LOL)

Many of my staff are field officers so we have a fleet of vehicles at work - including 2 wagons. Maybe I could fill up the back of a wagon and put the hose in - whatya think :bom:

dEPENDS ON HOW MUCH YOU LIKE YOUR job I reckon

Wynnum area for me. And just waiting on Murray's delivery of my tank on Sunday and I'll have my system almost complete and running

Hi all, I am in Rockhampton and am still in the process of talking hubby around to this - might have to have a closet aquaponics system I am going to check out the local area this weekend to see what materials I can source so any help would be greatly appreciated.[font=Arial] [/font]

You growing those special tomatoes ponicsmad?

Will they grow in a small dark cupboard?

yeah they will if you set it up right, have even seen special system sold in hydro shops that include the cupboard, the only problem is the plants sometimes invite special friends round at midnight to kick down your door and take you too a special place with a man in a goofy wig

aah - then perhaps I would be better off staying with the mushrooms instead...