Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ok, i'm with you now, i must admit they are a bit shallow.
I was maybe thinking more on the lines of improving what he already had rather than making something new, a bigger deeper GB would definately be better.

Your idea would work, keredg I was just giving my opinion too.

I had a similar setup last year (troughs with not much media filtration). In the Spring last year the water was very green with algae. Finally I did add a 70 gallon gravel bed in the system (on a different loop) and between that and more shading of the water and the system maturing the algae went away (clear water). I credit the gravel bed mainly, that filtered out the fine algae.

I recommend you pick up some lava rock. It should be plentiful and cheap there, is far superior to gravel and has thousands of tinly little holes providing monstrous surface area for bacteria to grow on. Then, get some composting worms and throw them in there with the rock and you won't have to worry about the gutters clogging. You said you're using cinder, probably the same thing. Very porous and much of it floats?[/quote]

I've purchased two cement troughs for grow beds and will fill them with lava rock/cinder. It's about $4.50 for a 3/4 qu. ft. bag. Just finding worms will be a project. My yard is mainly sand, so we don't have worms around.