Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I'm using the 120mm ELL-GRO Channels in 6 metre lengths. I have a Fall of around 250mm over the 6 metres but find that the plants roots at end of the channel ( Opposite end to the water input ) are so large that they begin to backup the water flow so that the opposite end ( where the water feed begins ) is almost full of water. Plants are Lettuce and Bok Choi. Do others have this problem and is there a solution to this?

Smaller plants / trim the roots.

Thanks OBO, so trimming the Roots isn't going to put the plant into Shock?

I bought a length of 90mm PVC last weekend and added another Channel using this as the El Gro channel is only about 75mm High so I transfered a few larger plants into the 90mm which allows more roots.

Now I seem to be looking for other places where I can continue adding Channels as I seem to be getting addicted to more and more planting. Next project will allow me to add about 6 Channels side by side by 2 metres long on the otherside of my Fence so that its still within a few metres of the Pond. Won't be seen from my Deck but will allow my Greed for more plants to continue I keep thinking with 8,000 litres of water I can possibly grow 200 or 300 plants.

Flood and drain grow beds don't usually have as much problem with root clogging. Or maybe you want some floating rafts. Channels always have the potential for root clogging problems and root trimming can become time consuming and is a bit hard on some of the plants.

My thinking,, doing pipes like that are a waste of time , I really dont see the point. A DWC cheaper and easier. Run a DWC about 40cm deep have Aussie crayfish in cages underneath and they will trim the roots for you.
But any system that gets you growing in the backyard is a good system

I wasnt trying to be smart or anything, but quite simply, small pipes do not work with larger plants.

The elgro channels are desinged for lettuce plants. Anything bigger does not work.

For a primary growing method in a system, perhaps rafts would be more efficient.

However, in my system I was able to sneak in some pipes on the railings to grow basil and lettuce in where I could not have managed a raft system.

I'm liking the pipes as a way to root cuttings and basil is growing better in the pipes than in the grow beds and in cooler weather I suspect lettuce in the pipes will also be easier to get the staggered planting and growing happening but otherwise NFT is of minimal use to me. However, seems to be working very well for Rupe.