Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

This is a most interesting thread. Would it be safe to conclude that the use of a biofilter such as the one I originally mentioned would not necessarily be beneficial nor detrimental to the system. I guess it would be up to the individual and their personal comfort level in using such a filter. Thank you all for your valuable insight. I appreciate your candor and your civility.

I would think that the ultimate conclusion is that it would be a waste of time and money, but if you want to waste your time and money doing it, then it won't cause major problems, however it is a step backwards in my eyes.

It's early so maybe I missed it but one of the main advantages to including a bio filter in the AP design is the ability to "de-couple" the fish and plant systems if there is ever a need (weather, disease, equipment failure, etc). It's an insurance factor. It also requires the use of solids removal prior to the bio filter so this leaves you with a design consisting of mechanical filtration first, then bio filtration, then the grow bed. I bit more complex than the standard tank directly into bed concept.

I think when you are asking yourself what's right for your system, you need to think about how hard you are going to push the system and how big it is going to be. IMO, solids removal and biofiltration prior to your growing apparatus offers a level of control far above systems using no external filtration methods. In larger designs a bio filter may only cost 2-3% of a total project budget which really isn't that bad.

(note:smaller system operators don't always want that extra control as it takes time and money and on a smaller scale it may be harder to see the added benefits.)

grubs rule

Agreed plus it also has the advantages, even when not overstocking, of decoupling and with a small additional sump of running hydro to boost or correct plant deficiencies and to run hybrid media beds which are not reliant on large volume media to provide biofiltration. There are cost, heat exchange advantages to this.

That 90% part is a little misleading. There are, on average, 100 trillion microscopic life forms in your body. Where as there are about 10 trillion cells in your body. While they might outnumber our total count of cells in our bodies.... they only weigh about 2-6 pounds. This is why I hate percentages sometimes... they can be misleading.

http://http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/13/science/la-sci-bacteria-20120614

I've seen figures up to 100 trillion for cells in a human but I've also seen more accurate figures based on weight and volume, taking out bone and water content that range (depending on body size) from 40 trillion to 60 trillion.

IIRC my school days, average bacteria weight is about 1/1000th that of a human cell.

Amazing what sticks isn't it?

From my understanding, there are forms of anaerobic areas in all media style filters (as there is in natural ponds), deep within the media pores and built up areas and these areas play an important part in creating useful micro-environments with new sets of bacteria strains that transition nitrate to nitrous oxide then nitrogen gas. Also,another advantage is the reduction of iron by another set of bacteria. These bacteria reduce iron from ferric (Fe3+) to ferrous (Ferrous) the form usable by plants. They are obligate anaerobes. With out the anaerobic areas all the iron will be locked in to an unusable form unless it is chelated.

In small doses, there are some benefits.... and from what Ive read....required.

Would it be worth (say) having an anaerobic bucket in which such an environment might be working to break down useful chemicals? i.e. I have seen quite a number of suggestions about adding chelated iron into systems - maybe there's a way to have it constantly leaching in? (or perhaps along the lines of, open a bucket, scoop out a cup of liquid and pour it into the GB?)

Journeyman... have a read through this thread...

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1523

Yep, thats where I stole my info from

Good memory Rupe.

yea i would personally say that my bones are part of me, i dont think i would trust another piece of work from that person again, had i read that.

True, but counting cells, the bony part of bone doesn't have them nor does the water content of blood, so going by weight or volume, they need to be removed from the calculations.