Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

This may be a silly question but should the outlet for the fish tank be a bit above the base of the tank, so that sludgy stuff is not pumped through the pump? Or do you want that stuff to get into your growbeds so it can be feeding your vegies?

Hi Vegiegirl.... yep we want the "stuff" getting into the growbeds to feed the vegies....

But typically... there shouldn't really be any great level of "sludge" at the bottom of the tank...

If you have anything other than a thin layer/film... then you either aren't picking it up with the pump, or you're over feeding... or both....

The "sludge" could form anaerobic pockets in your tank and deprive it of oxygen and promote algael growth... or even fungii or bacteria if left for long periods....

See if you can pump it out to the growbeds... or vacumn it out of the tank...

Hey vegiegirl,welcome. If you are using an inline pump generally there is a hole in the base in the middle of the tank. This is the area of least pressure in a circular tank and is where all the poo collects and gets pumped out from underneath. If you are using an in tank pond pump, you place it in the middle of the tank for the same reason. You are right, we want all the crap out of the tank where it is bad and into our growbeds where it is good.
A pump that can handle soft solids will be fine, plenty on the market.
If u need further help just holler.
Do some googling on native fish species so you understand their requirements and get to know them a bit. Some time spent reading now will prevent costly fishkills later.
TT

Thanks Guys - makes sense but I just wasn't sure...I am actually only setting up a system so have no practical experience yet - am getting tanks made now by good old Dad...ex-plumber

Be nice to your Dad

We want the stuff...

Micronutrients in solids. Good.

You can also add composting worms to the growbeds where they'll feed on solids, keep gravel clean, multiply like mad and greatly increase good bacteria count and also produce plant growth harmones like gibberlins in their worm castings.
And kill parasitic microorganisms by passing them through their in their fantastic guts.

Wow is that true about the worms? I didn't know they would survive let alone thrive in scratchy gravel?
I am a gardener, so I know the goodness worms do...just didn't anticaipate them being happy in gravel..

If you run flood and drain beds, the worms do just fine in the grow beds. I saw one today as I was planting a seedling into a grow bed. The worms not only take care of digesting fish poo and uneaten fish food but they will take care of plant matter that may be decomposing in the grow beds. Wonderful to have a hand full of composting worms in each grow bed!
Also wonderful to start out your system with a few hand fulls of fresh worm castings in each grow bed to help seed good bacteria into the system!

Thanks for that - by the way, how do you change your details on this site - I just noticed I am listed as a male, which as my name is vegiegirl would seem to suggest I am a hermaphrodite, not so! Just an ordinary garden variety female!

There is also a real veggieboy here. (Another popular forum member. In fact, a moderator.)
Change details like this:
Click on user control panel on the top right of the forum pages.
Or click on UserCP in the Site Navigator box on the top left in the portal page.
Both lead to the user control panel page.

Then click on 'Profile'. Change details there.

Take the shortcut here.

Since you are just starting out, you might want to read up on the CHIFT PIST (Constant Height In Fish Tanke Pump In Sump Tank) ideas sometimes also called CLIFT PIST or other names that all pretty much mean the same thing. It can be handy to be able to suck the solids out of the fish tank and directly to the grow beds by gravity rather than it having to go through the pump first. I think I would have gone this way but I wanted to keep more of my water in contact with the ground to help moderate temperatures.

Where can we read about that TCLynx?
Chelle

Hi Vegiegirl worms will live under water heres 2 photos these worms are living in the bottom of this 200 litre drum
Also you can see shift pist in the last pagers of my system

woops wrong photo

Try this one