Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have seen on other aquaponic sites, the plants growing on foam boards in water not gravel medium, how is the water treated up stream in regards to bacteria?

Helpppppppppp

The mandurahguy

Without having gravel in the system would mean there would have to be a separate filtration system in place with a significant biological component. Without it the fish would die from rising ammonia levels and general water pollution and with the absence of benificial bacteria to convert ammonia and nitrite into useful nitrate, plants would not obtain necessary nutrients for growth. You could in fact have a large pond with adequate external mechanical and biological filtration, and merely have floating boards with plants growing on them. Most people here kill two birds with one stone by growing plants in their 'filters', by using the gravel as a mechanical and biological filter and also as a growing medium.

research and read DWC.

Biological filters or Bio Filters... The last one I designed and used was made from a discarded 50 packing container and filled with onion bags (to catch the finer stuff and supply adequate surface area for the bateria, and that was weighed dowm with bits of cut up pipe (all sorts) and and a few other porus bits and pieces... It worke very well, so much so that I had to scoop out a lot of black muck a few times (which the potplants LOVED)

Sorry for all the dumb questions, new at this aquaponics.........

we all had to start somewhere - just a matter of time before you get to help others who are new to this all

Hey Man.... agree with AM, there is no such thing as a "dumb question" only "dumb answers"

Thanks all very much, yeah im all for helping others where I can, especialy with a common interest.

A biological filter in Aquaponics can be counted as every surface space within the system. On every surface that remains wet in your system bacteria live and love and die...

These bacteria convert your fishes wastes into usable nutrients for plants.

Plants roots themselves are surface space and as plants grow larger so do their bacterial colonies.

You need

enough bacteria living within your system to convert the fishes wastes to nutrients.
enough plants living within your system to use the nutrients up.

When you achieve this, gravel bed or water culture, you wont need to clean anything for years on end. Of coure, there's planning, and planning, and setup, and did I mention planning.

Problem with water culture.

Solids. Solids remaining in solution can get trapped in plants roots causing root rot and other problems. Solids have a high BOD, (Biological Oxygen Demand) which in laymans terms, they use a lot of air. Plants want this air too.

Solution. Filter solids out biologically.

Using plants roots, gravel/hydroton in netpots, and an undergravel filter to trap and dissolve solids (solids pulled down into it) works very well for 150 litres Aquarium. You can get enough bacteria going and run zero waste merely by keeping it at least 70% planted.

But it was a controlled environment (always a problem with much research, not enough real life in the data) and so the temperature and light were fairly constant, as opposed to seasonal. Aqua does buffer seasonal change somewhat, fish eat less when it's colder, and so the plants with less light and subsequent growth need less nutrition at the same time.

Will it scale up? Time will tell, some DIY mad scientist will make a big one.

What size tank are you getting.

Another way to do it is to have a growbed, and channel the water after the growbed to your water culture.

It's inconclusive if things grow well like this (in the water after a well planted bed). Anyone? I know some folks are experimenting as I am but keep getting flummoxed by time and cash.

Who's got a bed then water culture going and how's it going?

I have two beds (2000 litres gravel) then 2 troughs AA, with cubes of rockwool sitting in clay balls in net pots. My lettuce, coriander and oregano seeds have germinated after 3 days, and even with little in the way of nutes, lettuces I transplanted from dirt are starting to show new growth. I think it will be very successful. Will keep yuou posted. I have plants in gravel at same stage as well, so will be able to compare growth.
Also, the troughs are about 8 feet long, and there is an inlet for each trough, and almost constant water flow

Nice one monya, so many threads, couldn't remember where I saw it but should've from the greenhouse..

It seemed almost too easy, the concept - throw a bed in the middle - but KISS proves itself once again.

THANKS GUYS, info overload i just worked out that we are pioneers hell im just gunna get myself 2 tanks and wing it..................

I'm no Pioneer I'm a pirate!

WOOOARRRR!