Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

By all means please ramble, because I got a lot of info from your comment!

With fruiting plants, I really was quite enthused to start with chilies as it seemed to be something compact and I like eating spicy foods. You did say the fruits will grow?

I was reading a post elsewhere about wattage and it did seem that higher wattage is better as long as it is not burning up the plants.

But are T5 lights labeled for Full Spectrum, etc. just like incandescent? I'd pick FULL or the COOL WHITE in that case, correct?

The difference between an ebb/flow and constant flood is just a timer. Constant flood with a bell siphon can work like a timer but too small for the hassle. A $3 timer would save you money in electricity. Using ebb/flow fittings, adding an SLO, or making a bell siphon are the common options but I listed them in order of cost and ease.

Ignoring all that if the system is just above the fish tank it'd be cheap and also easy to make a drip system. Have the pump constantly or timed to pump water above through a tube that constantly drips across your growbed that then drops down into the tank.

There are many ways to accomplish what you want, essentially just pick one that looks the most interesting to you, try it, it will work, and then you might try other methods when you get addicted like everyone else ^_^ They all work with their own nuances, the same principles of aquaponics played with.

OK thanks; I guess the key thing I am not sure about that everyone is talking about, is whether or not the roots actually need to be out of water from time to time.

If your water is well aerated then you do not need the roots out of the water at all. I run my IBC system and my aquarium system as constant flood with no issues. (My aquarium system has lack of light issues right now though )

Of course with fish in your tank, you want the water well aerated anyway

To see a growth comparison, BYAP ran a trial of the 3 major ways to do it. It is worth a read.

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=8621

OK thanks!

this guys setup is pretty sleek and simple for a small indoor setup:

http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/vie ... =18&t=2260

Thanks - taking a look now.

Thanks for pointing me to that thread. A long read but very informative! It was essentially a time machine of sorts.

I do believe I will go with Constant Flood, using a non-stop pump.

6:30 hours of sunlight enough?

I did a time lapse video of my balcony to see when and where the sunlight hits.

Looks like where I want to put the grow bed, the light is hitting only for about 6 hours.

Is that enough? Or should I not bother with sunlight and just put electric lights (CFL) on the GB for 12 hours on timer (also outside on the balcony due to space issues indoors).

(outside of that 6:30 hours window, it is still "daytime" outside but the light does not hit directly, everything is in shadow. Not sure how many lumens it is in comparison.)

I think 6 hours will be enough. Give it a go and if you need to add lights later you can.

Thanks - how will I know? (Sorry I am a total newbie at growing things! Haha).

Will the seeds not sprout (after how many days or weeks should they be sprouting?)

Earlier in the thread, I saw the question of 4 fish per 10 gallon tank and I wanted to comment.. I started my first system with the 5 for a dollar goldfish, not knowing goldies are prolific poopers.. That, and not having enough plants resulted in a mad dash to walmart late night in desperate searchof a filter.. Which turned out to be broken. I tried cycling out the water the next morning but not enough I poisoned all 5 of my little guys.. Or temperature shocked.. So i deconstructed my system, and put all my plants in dirt containers. Either way, moral of the story is " less is more". On a happier note, I've been using the tank water to fertilize my plants for three months now, and they are ginormouse!! I'm going to the pet store this weekend to buy ONE more fishy and give it another whirl :0)

Thanks for your comment.

I have been running a 50 gallon FT + around 20 or so gallons total in the GBs (minus grow media) and using TWO goldfish, and everything seems to be working fine now.

Any chance you've got a picture of the final product you can post aquapartment?

Hi - I'm busy with a couple of (business) projects right now so haven't had much time to post. I did complete the system but ended up just locating it outside on the balcony instead of indoors, so I did none of the grow lights, etc. and so far it seems to be fine. I was just worried about inclement weather, etc.

My system isn't much different from most people's but I will say this, I decided to use LOOP SIPHONS for my grow beds and it has been working fantastically. So, I would really suggest people look at the simple loop siphon instead of having to rig up a bell siphon or any other such contraption. You can make a loop siphon in 5 minutes tops. Maybe even 2 minutes, literally.

All you need is are several PVC 90 degree elbows and then cut the PVC to length. The top of the loop will be where your maximum water level is. It works wonders. Some people use a loop of tubing but I think PVC loops using 90 degree elbows is sturdy and reliable.

So instead of Constant Flood, my system is totally on Ebb and Flow using loop siphons, while the pump runs continuously.

Nothing much to say about the plants. It is still too early for me to harvest anything substantial and I found out that I had to add Iron Chelate to my high pH water since some leaves were showing chlorosis.