Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

so after building my first system i am building another bigger than the last, this one i am gonna build in my living room. i have had the system cycling with some of the old parts of my old system, the 5gal filter and one grow bed, i got a larger rubbermaid container but it deformed with all the water in it, so i couldn't put in as much water as i wanted to, i planted some lettuce, more toms the (prolific kind) chilies, watermelon,and strawberriers. for lights i was planning on getting 3 8' floro fixtures that have 2 bulbs in each one, last i am gonna get a fish tank for my koi and goldfish, i want a 125 gallon but i don't know if my house can take the weight, i was thinking of setteling for a 55 gal or 75 gal.

all sounds exciting man....ya know u HAVE to give us pics hey lol

yea man pics are comin i just checked my lettuce and its sprouted!!!! thats like 2 and a half days germination

RB, I have heard that standard (new) construction in the US is built to support 100lb/square foot. Unsure of how true that is. Water is 8.3 lb/gallon. You might want to check building code in your area, but with a little research and some quick math, you'd have a better idea of the weight your floors can handle.

Hi RB,



I don't think your choice of lights will allow you to grow fruiting plants like tomatoes, watermelon, chillis and strawberries inside.

Gary

i know that those lights arn't enough, i have a 400 watt hps from my last setup but it used alot of power and its really bright so i dunno if i want it hanging in my living room, however i was thiking about maby getting a 150 or 250 watt, i have a big bay window too right across from my setup and i get alot of light, i have a banana plant growing on my coffie table. my house is very old i think like 75-100 so years, the wiring in the basement has cloth wrapped around it.

Hey RB:
My rubbermaid tubs flex too, but if you make a little spar thing out of some 2x4s they will stay square.

If you can get the plants to the sunlight that will definitely help.

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... ck_141.jpg

i am really just messin around planting the chilies and stuff, the seeds were like one dollar so why not, i am going to plant some cooking herbs and maby plant some house plants as well, dose anyone know of a lowlight vine i can buy? i want it to like go around my walls but don't want to have to supplement alot of light

philodendrons require minimal light. They are the vines with the heart-shaped leaves.

do they grow continusouly?

Yes, they grow quickly and are a common houseplant. Here are some other vine ideas for you.
http://www.bachmans.com/retail/tipsheet ... Plants.cfm

Grape Ivy, phildendron or pothos would be my picks.

so i have been adding greensand to my system and how much is too much? i have like a 5lb bag and i have added maby 1/4 of it, i want to know if i add alot will it cause an over fert sitauation? and how do i know when to add more?

I added only about 5 small handfuls of greensand to my 150gal system, and that seems to have done the trick to get things started. My plan is to just monitor things, and if I see signs of micro-nutrient deficiencies, I will add another handful. Or maybe I'll settle for the old 'handful a month if I remember' technique. I don't think you can over-fertilize with it since it doesn't have nitrogen in it.

ok kool im mostly just worried about the over fert