Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Here we go.

Technically I think I started a crude form of aquaponics two days ago. I caught a few crayfish with the intention of just learning how to care for them. The same day I took some elderberry cuttings from a neighboring lot. I set the cuttings in water next to my aquarium (picture a bucket with an aeration pump, small stone, and short lengths of pvc pipe for habitat). The following day I realized the cuttings had no available nutrients in the water and I worried about their rooting success, so I fashioned a submerged tray from a few gallon milk jugs and put the cuttings in the aquarium.

Critters and plants in the same bucket... BAM! Deep water culture aquaponics?? I dunno.

Aquaponics had recently caught my attention, and I casually read a little here and a little there, letting the concept slowly settle in. I'm usually the type to over-research before I try anything new, to start off on the best foot possible. Now I'm out of my element; I've started a project without any knowledge of what I'm doing. At least I have no real investment in this experiment...

My plan is to keep it as simple as possible for now. I want to continuously pump the water from my aquarium into a grow bed, have the media in the be filter the water of solids and return the water via gravity. I'm going to start a separate worm bin tomorrow, and I've read that they're compatible with well aerated water, so I'll plan for them as well, whether they get incorporated is yet to be determined.

Search button, please don't hate me. Basic design and grow/filter media options here I come.

If you've read this far, you're really bored, and you probably know more than I do. I'd love any advice you can think to offer, but keep in mind that my budget is... umm... pretty well nonexistent (and not in the good way).

Thanks For Reading,
-Henry

welcome to the addiction

i look forward to seeing some photos, we like photos

Upgraded from a bucket to an actual glass aquarium. Looks pretty snazzy. It's on loan from my sister's classroom and will need to be returned next fall Looks like I see an expense in my future, much nicer than a Homer bucket.

Elderberries still alive, not much for roots yet.

Crawdads still happy, occasional fighting, but I think that's to be expected. A couple molted, or were cannibalized; no head count either way so I'll just go with molting.

Too many projects to keep up with. I also started a rabbitry (I've been building cages for the past month), a worm bin, compost bin, bucket garden (rental property), oh yeah - and a baby boy born on the 24th!! I'll post pictures of everything... sometime .

Top work. Might be time to start a members thread and get some piccy's up