Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Have you ever used an underground filter in your aquarium? Gravel grow beds are the same thing but external and more oxgenated.

This sounds interesting. A tower system for strawberries built after the GB.

Can be left empty - just gravel - to increase DO if not enough nutrients to allow strawberries to flourish. I want to try do all aeration without electrical power on my system so looking into every available means to add it to the system. This will increase my fish stocking rate

Or maybe laid almost horizontally within a CHIFT PIST system so that the natural gradient can be used without having to lift the water to the top of the tower. Not really NFT cos would want the gravel in the pipes for the increased DO. And tilted enough to empty properly.

Researched strawberries extensively and I do plan to trial them once my main system is established. A couple of things that I can tell you is that strawberries need to be well drained- towers would be best and it would also increase oxygen throughout the whole system; also strawberries don't like a lot of nitrogen (nitrates) so stock your system with nitrogen lovings plants before it reaches the strawberries and third, if you want LARGE SWEET strawberries, they needs lots of light and you will have to add nutrients. I was toying with the idea of using water from the lowest point in my system and then supplimenting the water with hydroponic nutrients to ensure the strawberries received what they required. But now I'm getting ahead of myself.

Thanks Angie. I love strawberries and want to grow them as part of AP. Out in the garden the monkeys love them as much as I do.

So after the GBs seems best..... to reduce nitrates. What if just added "worm tea" to the strawberries in solution as added nutrients? Or even a bit of vermicompost?

I note your advice about being well-drained... so is obviously the reason most use the vertival tower. Was hoping not to have to use power to raise the water to the top of the tower.... so will have to re-think this. Maybe use really large sized gravel to facilitate drainage if not vertical but only tilted? Make them shorter than I originally thought so that I can at least bring them up to a 45 degree angle? I want to fit them in my design after my flow form.... need that to break the power of the water exiting the GB through the quad-flout.

I expect that you could do Strawberries just fine in troughs but instead of filling the tubes or whatever with gravel, you might be better off simply putting the strawberries in net pots in whatever medium and then allowing the water free flow in the bottom of the trough so you arn't risking waterlogging the berries so much when the roots clog up the gravel. This method allows you to pull up the net pots and make sure the trough is flowing clear and such.

I have done modified NFT in hydroponics where the trough is filled with media and plants grown right in it with nutrient flowing in the bottom of the trough but such systems tend to get clogged with roots and therefor IMO are only appropriate for fast growing annual crops in sections of system that get completely cleaned out and re-done every crop (so therefore not so great for a perennial like strawberries.)

Strawberries can grow in grow beds, one just needs to make sure the bed doesn't flood too deep since strawberries don't like their crowns getting too wet. One might also want to arrange some way so the berries are not laying on the gravel since that tends to allow them to rot. Placing them in the edge of a bed where they can hand over the side or making a grid of string that can support the berries up off the gravel can work.

One note on strawberries though is they usually like far more acidic soil than the average garden plant. One might find it easier to plant the strawberries in towers, pots or hanging bags that can be somewhat separate from the system and watered with system water only part of the time.
I don't know, I haven't yet had much luck with strawberries either in AP, Hydroponics, or dirt. I think I only have one plant still surviving within the pee ponic system.

That is worth bearing in mind. Maybe try a few methods and see which gives best results. In a separate system they can be put where will get max sunlight and can control acidity of soil easily. Just inside GH so safe from monkeys. I put bags over my grapes this year..... now the bags are all over in trees! ...... and they still enjoyed the grapes. Took them a while to figure out but still eventually lost most again. Also want to do blackberries, raspberries and youngberries. Problem is they can really take up space... and only produce berries at certain times..... so might go this way for them too...... Move them inside at berry time... and outside when the season over. For grapes too... in fact this is a really neat idea!

Saw the phrase..... use a clarifier to "polish" the water..... what exactly does that mean? Make it so sparkling clean so no algae in at all? Is that a good idea? Wouldn't a bit of algae available to the fish - especially tilapia - be best?

When I had my pool suddenly go green recently after a massive storm I just added lots of pool acid.... sorted it out really quickly. Almost overnight. Was told by a pool specialist who tested samples of our water that I don't need to use chlorine... but do when the swim load is a bit heavy sometimes over the holidays. Anything like this that could be used in AP but safe for plants and fish? To control algae if gets too much.... has happened in my dam where my fish are now. Lots of babies to feed so not too concerned but wondered what I would do if went crazy like my pool did.

all this monkey business,
glad we don't have this problem over here
feel for you, Chelle
you have my moral support
(as if that helps )

frank

They really are a problem. But give lots of joy too. I have some amazing pics of them and they are very at home around me when I am gardening.... love that part.... the babies are adorable. I may just get out my brushes and do a few paintings of them.

please do
and post the results

maybe even auction them

would add to your monkey budget

Frank

There are some really cleaver bio filters out there like the polygeyser that self cleans. I made my own rip off version pretty cheap. It has the capability to provide 100% bio filtration. I like the ability of having smaller bio filtration. However, I'm only using this filter for wintering my tilapia indoors. Once spring comes I think I will leave the system going, but purge the waste to the top of the grow beds; or at least a portion of it.

The idea of having less gravel intrigues me and I think it can be accomplished as long a some of the solids are kept in the system for mineralization. How much of the solids are really needed I don't know. Truth is, even if I could operate a 4 inch deep grow bed and save tons of labor and gravel cost I don't know that I would want to. Having gravel at 8 to 12 inches deep provides good solid root support to keep the plants from blowing over in storms.

good thinking, DanDman

would like to see your rip off version

Frank

I believe the amount of gravel or other media needed for nitrification is actually pretty small compared to the amount of gravel usually needed for a balanced Flood and drain gravel bed system. I think perhaps the limiting factor is handling the solids and other bacteria needed for a good mature system.

If one is primarily wanting to grow salad crops, removing solids to the worm bins and using a smaller bio-filter is probably ok, just means some extra regular labor involved in running the system.

Figuring out what the balance would be for a combo system where say a flood and drain grow bed feeds some media-less method still needs to be done. I expect that a few normal big grow beds with some large populations of worms might be able (once mature) to process quite a lot of solids and provide for some good DWC or NFT growing.

Just grow the tomatoes, other big greedy plants, and the root crops in the gravel and save the rafts or troughs for the greens.

I'm testing a little of this out now and kinda plan to do a large trough of DWC coming up this spring.

Getting close to heresy TC

I don't think so as I've seen Steve say almost the same thing
It is the beasties that take care of mineralization of the solids that need the space. Probably mostly because too much of the gunk in a small space could cause anaerobic places (as I've experienced emptying the gunk out of the swirl filter, very nasty smelling stuff.)

Don't get me wrong, I always push for flood and drain gravel (or other media) beds as an integral part of a good backyard system. Then if one wants, they may use that water from the flood and drain gravel beds to run other methods that require the pre-filtering.

Standing on a pile of wood, tied to a stake; Steve is probably the last person to call on (Damn can't find a smilie with a flamethrower)