Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I just realized that I have 2 "before" images in that diagram.

The one on the right is supposed to be the "after".

Here is the corrected image.

I adjusted the water level in the tubes so the bottoms of the baskets are just barely above the water. The roots will have a shorter distance to grow to reach the water. I also added wicks to the baskets. My growth in the AP system isn't really keeping up with the plants I put in dirt. I'm guessing that the roots are struggling to get down to the water. Once they do... I expect growth explosion

After the adjustments I'm seeing some good signs of "perking up".

Keep in mind that Aquaponics takes some time to mature and get good.

On your bio-filter, you might need to do some more modifications to it as having the fish water pumping into the top, at some point the solids will likely clog up the media and little water will filter down to the bottom where the intake to the grow tubes is. Your original design was actually quite good, except for the fact that your outlet plumbing is too small. The outlet plumbing is essentially gravity drain and that always needs to be much bigger than the pumped counterpart that is filling the bio-filter.

Suggestion for what you might do if the size plumbing going to the grow tubes is plenty big enough. Just add an additional overflow out of the bio-filter at a higher location than the outlet to the grow beds, make this one bigger so that the water can't flow over the top. Then put the rest of the plumbing back to how you had it "before". This way you force the solids down into the bio-filter and the water is forced to go through the media before it can overflow. It might also help to add an air stone down in the bottom of the bio-filter.

Looking good.

Oh, and is that stock tank lined with any sort of coating? If your pH gets too low, the zinc from an unlined or uncoated galvanized tank can leach into the water and become toxic to some types of fish.

Thanks TCL for the advice.

I was concerned about the solids in the top of the biofilter as well, but it turns out that the pumps flow is high enough that most of the flow (with solids) bypasses the biofilter altogether. Most of it flows right back into the FT. The water on the overflow is dumping into the FT so fast that the water appears to be very aerated.

The flow through the grow tubes is a little slow, but seems to be adequate. When I redesign.. or move on to the next system I will increase plumbing size. I have blue barrels to play with.

Yes, the current tank is a galvanized tank that has no lining. It has held gold fish for 3-4 years. I'm aware that there is a "chance" of the zinc problem so in the future I will replace it with a rubbermaid stock tank.

I plan on using this tank as a tortoise container once it is retired as a FT.

Posted a video... check out the link in my signature.

here's a pic of the latest upgrade.... burlap shade cloth.

You missed a bit!

Oh ya - great vid...watched it last night. I agree with whoever it was that said you could probably double the plants....seems like excessive spacing to me for that large a pipe.

Looks great!

Perhaps next season I'll add some extra pots. I'm on here and other sites right now trying to figure out how to grow some lettuce. I'm considering adding a DWC bed on the backside of the FT.... or perhaps some flood and drain beds. I just don't want to add another pump, so it'll be more creative plumbing.

... yeah, I missed a bit on the burlap

I have some plant woes. Not sure if it's Oxygen, Iron or Potassium (actually I have no idea what I'm talking about... that's just the common three things I can find on the forum for what might be wrong).

3 more pics

http://www.google.com.au/search?sourcei ... ficiencies

For all nutrient deficiencies, check your pH - should be between 6.4-7.4 (in my opinion), if that's OK, dose with seasol (or equivalent) usually does the trick.

Just found the info above which supports my hunch that it is probably a potassium defficiency. We would use a product called Ecorose which is changing its name to Eco-fungicide-(far more appropriate in my opinion). It is potassium bicarbonate and we apply it as a foliar feed to counteract powdery mildew, works as a bloom booster to produce more flowers and fruit as well as will raise the ph of a system, so use sparingly. Hope this helps you a little bit.