Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I was wondering what experience has taught you guys

Is it best to aerate the plants and/or the fish? Or it doesn’t matter

If supplemental aeration is used I would keep it seperate from the fish tank and mix it in a vertical standpipe or inject it into the plumbing somewhere. The goal is to mix water and air somewhere deep in the system to maximize saturation before bubbles gas off at the surface.

That is what i was thiinking i read that it takes 8 hours for DO to leave water (could be wrong). so it would be less with a lot of plant roots feeding off of the air sulply.

I agree the plant roots will accelerate the gassing off, although I aerate under my floating raft to circulate water and to provide air directly to roots. I don't really know if it helps, but I don't have any other place right now to keep the airstone.

in a highly (extreme) stocked tank, the fish and bacteria could take the water from full o2 saturation to no oxygen at all, in 20 min (if the aerator or pump fails)

best way to get o2 into water would be counter current, so as the o2 bubbles are trying to get up the water is frowing down, and the bubbles are suspended in the water column until they dissolve.

but with mine i will prob just chuck an aerator in the pond, as it will only be for when the pump fails, as fish will die if 02 drops too much... and it wont be much good aerating the plants, if none of that water goes to the fish (as the pump has broken, or power faliure)

The UVI have aeration under their floating rafts at very close intervals, as well as directly into the fish tank.

DO is your friend.....

How long oxygen remains dissolved in water will depend on several things......water temperature, number of plants for a given quantity of water and the nutrient load. When the Biological Oxygen Demand reaches a certain point, there may be no oygen in the water at which time conditions beccome anaerobic. Different bacteria begin to colonise the water......and things begin to stink

that sounlds like a failed atemp at a air lift pump

yeah pretty much