Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi out there, in Backyard Aquaville!

I started reading about Aquaponics, and got quite interested when I found this vertical setup:
https://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/2012/03/14/how_to_build_a_vertical_aquaponic_system.html.

I pretty much finished it, when I realized some major problems. I also noticed that the author had stopped answering questions, and I could not find any pictures of a functioning, completed unit.

PROBLEM *** SOLUTION
Joints in horizontal track leaked like crazy. *** F/T safe silicon sealant.
Horizontal track bent under water weight. *** 2X4 frame of pressure treated wood.
No solids filter. *** Copied a swirl filter design.
No biofilter. *** Hydrocorn in bucket after swirl filter. (hope it works!)
Water leaks crazy out of holes in vertical risers. *** Corks! (works somewhat, shudda gotten biger size)
Water PH=8.2 ?????????????????????????? HELP!

A few more pictures

are you meant to plant in the cork holes?

Sorry for the delay!

The corks are for running the pumps and setting up the continious flow before plants are available to plug the holes without leakage.. I used #12 tapered corks @ .33ea from bangorcork.com. I should have used #13 corks, I built up some with a few layers of duct tape to get a snug fit.

I found some peatmoss tapered cubes in a local hydroponics shop that seem to stuff pretty securely into those 1" dia. holes on the vertical tubes. Those peatmoss starter cubes come 50 cubes to (approx) 1ft x 1.5ft platic tray for $12. This tray looks kinda like a huge ice cube tray, and inside the clear plastic bag it came in, it starts plants from seed really well.

I finally got all the leaks in my system plugged, I dosed it with 120 ml. of ammonia for fishless cycling, and I added some bacteria starter. I have contacted a local suppller of Tilapia, and in from 2-6 weeks after my testing shows I have a strong bacteria colony, I will order and add the 15 fish and all 62 plants!

I will publish photo's once things start working. If I fail, I will disappear, and everyone will forget that I ever tried eventually!

no such thing as failure with aquaponics just a few ways to find better alterations

Who the hell is Jon Galt?? Howdy from AR. I'm looking for bacteria starter and can't remember which bacteria I need. What did you use and where did you get it?

I just went to the local Petco, and cruizing the fish section I choose:" Sentry AQ Mardel". It also says "Biozyme" on the package. It says on the back (in part):" ...utilizing dried culteres of hetrophic bacteria and enzymes fixed on bran."

Hope thats the right one, now I have doubt!

There were several other different brands/products, but they seemed to all be equivalent.

Thanks. Did you put it in the water or the grow media?

You can just add a source of ammonia to start the bacteria, which occurs naturally.

Disclaimer: I don't really know what I'm doing! I read a bunch, and take my best guess!

What I did: Now, the fish juice is pumped by a fountain pump I buried in clay "hydrocorn" grow medium. It travels up about 5 feet of 1/2" drip irrigation tubing. I have a "T" connector that splts the flow into two tubes, then two more " T" connectors splitting that flow into four lines. So I have 4 drip irrigation lines, each attached via wire ties to the top of the four vertical grow tubes (4" diameter).

The fish juice flows down a 1/4" dia. poly-rope running the length of each vertical tube. Each of those 1"dia. holes (corks in them now) will have a peatmoss trapezoid (with a plant imbedded) wedged into the hole. At the bottom of the vertical tubes is a vertical section that has a total of 12 holes for 3" dia. for net-pots to sit in.

The net pots will have a small amount of clay hydrocorn in them, and a rockwool starter cube holding a plant in that. The fish juice flows in about the bottom 1" or so of these horizontal 4"dia. pipes, hense the "film" part of Nutrient Film Technicque (NFT). This horizontal track is pretty much level, and the flow will travel into each of the two barrels frow a short spigot at each end.

I positioned a home made swirl filter between these 55 gallon fish tanks, a little lower than the water level in the fish tanks. This way, the pvc siphon each fishtank has can transport the juice (+fish poo) into the swirl filter. The one "Uniseal" I bought skims the clean water off the top of the swirl filter and dumps it into my biological filter (Home depot bucket 1/2 full with hydrocorn and a fountian pump buried within.

To answer the question you asked:

I sprinkled the powder like bacteria starter on the grow medium covering my fountian pump in my biological filter. I used a small amount of water to rinse this powder down, as to my dismay, this hydrocorn is not swimming in water, but it's somewhat wet. I suspect once my bacteria has proliferated, it will show up throught my system, in each root ball, the 12 netpots, and even my stranded polyrope in the vertical grow tubes.

Reply for Jayendra:

I understand what you say, I think that by adding store bought bacteria, it may be ready sooner!

That's fine... it's supposed to be wet... but not swimming, or drowning...

dont expect much bacteria in the net pots

what I was trying to say without being to wordy, was the hydro corn and rootball held by the netpot.

Dude. THANKYOU for being wordy. Seriously. The pics are great but without words, I might as well be reading Mayan glyphs...
So, why a swirly filter? And why have a bio filter for the fishies? I thought that's what the plants are supposed to do; or is it that you're filtering now so that you can get your bacteria levels up in anticipation of using the plants as biofilters? Not only am I trying to figure out best practices here, but I'm trying to establish an order of operations before I start. This is eventually going to be part of a dissertation and I need to be able to show my work from clean tanks to strawberries and cilantro production.
I just got a 55gal and a 20gal tank today. Gotta build a stand and stuff after summer school is out.