Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

After perhaps overstocking my first system, I'm now pushing ahead earlier than expected with my second system idea to get a place ready to move some of my extra fish into. I definitely have this aquaponics addiction and I hope there isn't a cure

The idea: 50 gallon fish tank, 2 5' 4" PVC grow tubes, half blue barrel grow bed and 1 radial flow filter.

Issues: Would like to maintain constant height in fish tank. I was lucky to find a similar tank with bulk heads already built in for the first system which is amazing to have. Too chicken to drill my own bulk heads. I don't think a sump will work as that would require a second pump and I would like to keep this as simple as possible. With 1 grow bed there shouldn't be too much water out of the system at once but a continual flow of water throughout the system. I hope to compliment this grow bed with a separate bio filter established in the radial flow filter. I plan on placing onion bags/mosquito netting inside the filter to allow for more surface area for the bio filter to grow. The other reason for 1 grow bed is the budget and parts for this system is coming from whatever is left over from the first system and another 4 bags of hydroton is too expensive. I have a wedding coming up so the aquaponics budget has been 'suspended'.

The pump will sit in the fish tank and pumps water to a suspended radial flow filter which will have an overflow into the grow tubes which drains down into the grow bed which will contain a loop siphon back into the fish tank.



Built the radial flow frame to hang from the ceiling. Definitely an advantage having a low ceiling. There is a concrete lip along the wall and to save space I made a box frame to sit along the edge. Again nice having the low ceiling to anchor the frame into place.

Update:

I added the cinder block legs with bricks to raise the height of the grow bed platform. The fish tank sits on a dolly to allow for easy tank maintenance and will roll under the platform upon completion.



So this is the general idea without the plumbing. I will rotate the grow bed differently than what is pictured by rotating it so the one end is up against the wall. This should allow enough space for a second grow bed to sit along side it if more filtration is needed. The radial fill filter is a 5 gallon water cooler jug. I will add a 1' ball valve to allow for the draining of any solids accumulating at the bottom.

I didn't want to cut the excess 2x4 arms just yet in case I need to reconfigure the system. As I mentioned earlier, the supplies are dwindling fast.

Update:

I finished the grow bed stand last night. I'm really happy with how it came out and how solid it is. What I should have done was lower it a couple of feet to make it into a couch to watch the fish from the other system.

Here is a better picture of what the system will look like when finished. There is enough space on the stand for a second grow bed for a future expansion.



I'm still waiting on parts to arrive. I ordered two 1" uniseal bulkheads to use with my bio filter inlet and outlet. I've read really good reviews about them and people on this forum highly recommend them. So this will be my first go with it.

My goal is to begin plumbing the 1" pvc throughout the system tonight. Tomorrow I hope the bulkheads get delivered and to have them installed with the intention to have the system ready for water and to begin testing this weekend.

Update:

So my original plan was to have two 4" PVC NFT tubes and one grow bed that would act as the bio filter. I wanted to keep a constant water height in the fish tank but without a sump it's looking impossible. I'm too chicken to drill my own bulk heads into my 55 gallon fish tank so adding a sump is out of the question. So I decided to rip out my grow bed stand and add more NFT tubes. I would like to add dual tubes for each row with a grand total of 6 NFT tubes with a length of 5' a piece. I'm going to build a bio filter out of a 18 gallon rubbermaid container that the NFT tubes will drain into.

The current flow of water will be FT -> RFF -> 6 NFT tubes -> Bio Filter -> FT.

My only concerns are: having the bio filter after the NFT tubes instead of before? The only reason I'm having the bio filter after is out of space consideration and simplicity. Is a 18 gallon bio filter going to be large enough for a 55 gallon FT system.



*Note: I'm testing the flow of water and checking for leaks at the moment so the real fish tank is off to the side. I'm using a temporary rubbermaid tote to collect the water and then scooping it into a 5 gallon bucket that the pump is sitting in.

Very inventive Jeezy, I like your use of materials.

One problem with configuring your tubes this way,could be the lack of dissolved oxygen and nutrients for the lower tube,depletion will occur as the upper plants get there requirements.

@Charlie, thanks. I'm on a shoe string budget at the moment. Getting married is putting a hurting on my aquaponics funds.

@dasboot, thanks. I'll do some more research on the topic and see what the max/min tube lengths configurations are for a NFT system. I've honestly just been going through other peoples systems and google images and seeing how they have done it. I might just leave it as is and see what happens to the plants on that level. Do you have any resources on the matter?

Update:

I decided to rearrange everything...again...it will be way easier to do this kind of thing now rather than later when there will be water in the system. I basically flipped flopped the layout. I did this to utilize all the space on the wall and to move the fish tank away from the door. I need to start insulating the basement as the cold weather begins to set in. I'm going to cover the door in cardboard and plastic to try and keep any drafts from getting in. The image below says it all.



I'm going to experiment with dual grow tubes on two levels. I still have to figure out how I'm going to position the lighting unit. The only thing I'm unhappy with is how I'm going to have to plumb 1" pvc to wrap around back into the bio filter. I did make the movable stand that the bio filter will stand on but of course forgot to add it to the picture. I will have a more updated image tonight when I get home.

The only things left to do will be to make the bio filter and then plumb everything together. I'd really like to begin cycling by the end of this week.

I'm deeply impressed with your re-cycled materials!! I don't have a basement... so, the concept is fascinating. Looking forward to your next addition!

Question:

Is the placement of the bio filter after the NFT tubes and before the Fish Tank correct? Or does it have to go before the NFT tubes? I'm not having any luck finding a similar post on here. Maybe I should start one.

Put in front of your tubes that way you will filter the particles out before they get to the tubes and root systems,but the down side to the nitrification process is oxygen depletion. Or swirl filter before,solid removal,then the bio filter after.
Iam going to run a few tubes the same as yourself,most of the information I have acquired has been from googling then using what I think works best for me,I have kept my tubes at 6ft,11 holes to try to keep oxygen levels up along with nutrients,my first rack will end up with 10 tubes. With the first I have noticed a small amount of solids in the tubes,so iam going to add a swirl filter to try and reduce this,it's all trail and error at the moment.
Just an ideal,I know you already have construction well under way,but how about going with vertical tubes,I have trialing a 3inch tube with small slots at 6inch spacings, these slots take a 1inch square sponge cube. Inside the tube I have put shade cloth,then trickled the water down through ,it does leak through the slots,but I think the extra oxygen being pulled into the tube helps. As the water falls it should pick up velocity by gravity,this should push air out in front of it,then suck fresh air back into its place . I have suspended the tube over a 4inch pipe with the top cut off and placed the vertical tube over it,this takes care of the return and any water running down the outside.
This is just ramblings from a raving lunatic,but iam going to give it a go over maybe ten vertical 5ft tubes.

I do have a RFF suspended into the ceiling to separate the solids. Ideally I would like to avoid mounting a 20 gallon bio filter right next to it. If the bio filter contains the nitrification process and converts nitrites to nitrates, and the water with the nitrates exists the bio filter and goes straight to the Fish Tank that then is pumped into the RFF / Tubes then the plants should still get the nitrates they need.

As you said, trial and error. I tried google imaging NFT systems but didn't get any good schemes with the placement of their bio filters.

If your filtering out solids all should be good,your bio where it's placed should do it's job well.

Thanks! I will give it all a go and see what happens.

Update:

Been a few weeks since the last update. I finally decided how I wanted to have the system laid out. I was also waiting for some parts to arrive. I bought 2 4' T5 grow lights for a good price online. Wish I would have found this deal earlier for System 1. I also needed a gang valve for the bio filter air supply system. After some tinkering around tonight with leveling out the NFT tubes, the system is online. I'm debating about bleaching the system to clean it before I start the cycle. I'm worried about the tank and everything being contaminated.

Here are some completed photos from tonight.