Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Monya, Asitis,
Yes that is cucumber, I have picked 6 good sized cucumbers in the last two weeks and 7 or 8 zukinni , so yes, looks like you can grow fruiting plants in Aquaponics.
As time goes by the critics will just have to go-take-a-run and jump.

I keep getting questions on my site about grow bed depth, evidently there is another site out there telling people that you can use hydroponic trays that are 100 mm to 150mm deep.

I would safely say the 300mm deep grow beds work pretty good by the look of those cucumbers.

Murray

I think as AP becomes more popular, we will find it more important to give the right info regards the way our backyard gravel based systems operate, not based on anything else but proven production and reliability. Hence, any deviation and modification is at the operators risk. Not saying we shouldn't push the boaundaries, but with stuff like growbed depth, why have any different from 300 mm when it's proven.

i think that is because they are selling the hydroponic flood and drain beds which are only 100mm deep. my thought is it would be fine for non-fruiting plants but fruiting plants neeed more suport and area for roots.

I know 300mm is the most recommended depth (deep enough to support bacteria away from sunlight), but beyond that (i.e. 450mm, 600mm etc) is there any added benefit (grow bed smaller footprint but larger volume) or does a deeper bed not support bacteria much below 300mm. I know this is probably a stupid question, but I have a lot of vertical leeway (burying my fish tank) in my future system, but limited footprint space (only greenhouse size).

I've wondered the same thing. We want to put mulberry trees in upright blue drums, but if 900mm is too deep, we may have to cut them in half (450mm). Our medium GB is 600mm deep, just because.

If using gravel there will be no shortage of bacteria growing area in your system. The limitation will become growing area for enough green stuff to strip all of the nitrate.

What I mean by that is that the extra depth will not be needed, but if you have it will not hurt either. If choosing, you would go for the 300mm depth and get more surface area for growing.

Jaymie - the extra depth could come in handy when growing a tree - just for support and root development.

that's what we thought.

good point VB, there is a limit to the value gained by deeper growbeds because you still need vertical growing space

Steve may be able to help me out here, but I reckon that, for example, 2 of Murrays 580 litre capacity grow-beds full of 10mm gravel would have ample surface area to support bacteria to convert wastes from a couple of hundred fish. The issue is that these 2 grow beds (approx 4 sq metres surface area) will not be able to grow enough stuff to pull out the nitrates.

Lets see if we can get this organised then:

Murray is getting silver perch this friday:
20 for me
30 for Andy
50 for Roskar (all to be confirmed by Murray)

On Friday, I am going to drive to Muzz's and pick up my fish and drive home

1)Roskar is offering pelltes:
Les would like 5kg
Andy would like 5kg
Murray nil

The options are:
pickup Roskars fish and deliver them
pickup Andy's fish (pickup or deleivery)

Will PM you two and organise the easiest way

I better get 300 delivered I think.
The fish will be here from about 3 pm onwards, but I will not be around Sat or Sun but if it is more convenient for any of you guys to pick up fish during next week that is ok by me.
Thanks Les for the list
I can't wait to get some new fish, my plants are really suffering from lack of fish poo.
Muzza

Thanks Muzz, I'll drop by about 3 then, organising with Roskar and Andy to see what they want to do - have offered to pick there's up but will info you on all the details

Ripper cucumbers Muzza...