Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I am currently training the wonder dog to scratch and sniff - they say their ability to smell is 1,000 times better than ours - all that is lacking that I see is the ability to communicate...

Show him a few "Lassie" movies, he might pick it up

I am afraid he would only learn to say "Timmy is down a well!" or was that Rin Tin Tin...

Okay - we got pictures - this is a picture of the system fully loaded with pea gravel.



Notice down on the far end, first row something that looks like a plant.

This is a week later, same tomato plant.



At least twice as large and today - it had flowers! I suspect in a month it have taken over the Northern Zone of Costa Rica...

The system is definitely cycling just fine - no Amonia shows up in the test anymore and I can see the slime in the rocks. We are a bit heavy on nitrates since I don't have enough plants growing - but we are fixing that right now.

Oh - one thing I don't know how to cure - the system has sprung a leak and we did catch it in the act....



I guess we will just have to add water, I see know way of stopping it...

I guess you could put in some sort of drainage system to catch the water and reroute it back to the sump. Might pick up some ammonia en route.

I thought you all might like to see how our autosiphon system works.



First of all - ignore the dorky thing on top - (white tube) it does nothing. A lack of communication between me and our plummer.

For each row of barrels - there is a 1 1/2 inch tube that runs under them with Ts going into each barrels ventilated so that water passes, but not gravel. This tube has a valve on it so that we can empty the growbeds if necessary. This leads into the autosiphon (which isn't fully glued in place yet) The elbows are doing a very good job - the second elbow was necessary so that the drainage wouldn't start until there was enough water to start a siphon.

There was no need to a air hose to break the suction, it has no problem doing it. I do have values to control the flow of water into the system to balance input and output so that the autosiphon runs - but will also break.

The fish tanks have an overflow so that any extra water just goes back to the tank - this in the future will go into more beds.

It might look ugly - but it works very well. The next set of beds will be prettier I am sure.

By the way - my radishes that I hand sowed are going absolutely nuts - they doubled in size in one day!

One more photo - this is the fish tanks - two 1,000 liter recycled concentrated sugar can tanks for cattle. I think KP is using the same



Notice there are two pipe systems - the one below is for the grow beds - the above one is for overflow.

Currently this is home for 10 kilos of Tilapia. They are divided between both tanks. Soon - I will move them together and put in some Guapote or perhaps just more Tilapia.

Holy crap dude! Totally amazing

Well - they had me under pressure - the crew here said since I had so much help I had to have it finished before the end of February!

I am a little amazed on how fast everything is growing right now - I am used to hydroponic, but this seems even faster. Though, I have never experienced hydroponics in the tropics - which surely is a little stronger than a Halide light.

All I know is there is very noticable growth everyday.

I missed this comment! Yeah - but keeping him in one area would be a challenge I can tell you. He does figure any running water is his - the workers thinks it is pretty funny. Someone turns on the facet and there is Silky wanting a drink.

Just took another photo today - this was two weeks later. I am getting a little concerned about the growth rate - you will notice I am standing back so the tomato plant can't grab me! It has lots of little green cherry tomatoes - and I am already munching lettuce - radishes are plumbing up too and cucumbers are doing their best to double every day. This is truly amazing

Awesome isn't it. Just stand back and watch it grow befroe your very eyes.
Well done Dude.

I hope you weren't doubting the potential.