Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello and thanks for having a great way to get information on this great process. I have been growing in dirt for many years and I think it is causing me trouble getting my head wrapped around this setup. Please correct me if I'm wrong in my generalized idea of how this whole thing starts...
If I take a tank that I put fish in and have that water flow over a grow bed that has plants in a gravel grow media I will get fish and vegetables to eat.
Thinking back to the dirt, there are no nutrients in the grow media and the water is still “clean” so there is nothing coming from there (until the fish produce enough to actually benefit the plants) so you can’t plant as soon as the system is built. I see about the cycling of the system on the website and I am guessing that is having the “fish farm” portion going and then after a time starting the vegetable portion. Am I correct in this process? If not, where would the plants get the nutrients to grow before the fish contribute enough to matter? Also, if you should only have the fish portion of the system going before planting, what is a good time period to allow the fish to be the only part of the system before adding the plants? Just wait till the water testing numbers come back good or would a longer period be better? Thanks.

So some people will dose their systems with Seasol or Maxcrop to get a jump start with the plants. Though the fish do add nutrients fairly quickly. By the time your cycled, there will be plenty for the plants. Then there is a maturation period. Once your system is matured, you really only need to add fish food. People can and do continue to add stuff to correct deficiencies once their system is matured, but I think that it is because their feed is lacking.

Thanks for the info. What is the definition of a cycle? I'm invisioning that you have the fish tank full and start the flow and allow it to fill the grow beds and drain back into the fish tank. So one cycle is the 15 minutes of pumping water and 45 minutes of rest / draining water. If thats the case I am amazed that it takes such a short time to build the nutrients. Then am I correct in the maturation period is around a year?

Cycling refers to the production of nitrifying bacteria. It certainly takes longer than 15 minutes. It can take as little as 4 weeks, but usually longer. It is why we test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. There is a link at the top of this page called the IBCofAquaponics. Click it and in it you will find more info for free than is in most things you have to pay for.

Plants will grow surprisingly well before you add fish, just using water. Can't really explain why, but mine did fine. Heck my system went all winter long with just 3 bass (small ones) and I did not feed them but once the entire winter. I ran 6 IBC's with only those 3 bass.

How much can you flip-flop between a hyrdoponic and aquaponic? Can I start the system on hyroponics and then next year add fish? I am quessing that the chemicals you would need with the hydroponic system would effect the fish in the aquaponic one.

Just start with fish right away. Those hydro chemicals could prove problematic later.