Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Today i put together a simple small porch AP system. Tank is 30 gallons. I have a 3'x3'x6" grow tray that i filled with pebbles left over from my greenhouse. I am using a 185 gallon per hour pump as sump pump. I have a 1/2inch rubber hose that goes from the pump to a piece of PVC along the back of the tray to distribute water.

Plants: I picked up some small herb plants and strawberries from home depot and the local farmers market.

Fish: 10 small feeder gold fish and 4 really small ghost shrimp.

The water is still a little murky; i ran it all night to try and rinse of the pebbles as much as possible but it looks like there is still some dust coming off.

Nice, are you running it as constant flood?

nope, it is on a timer so that it floods for 15 mins per hour. 24/7. How would you do a constant flood system? keep the pump on 24/7?

Well I prefer flood and drain anyway so I was just asking as it didn't look like a bell syphon.

But if you were wanting constant flood you just have the stand pipe set to just below the media with a stone guard around it. You can have the pump run 24/7 or you can have it timed for on and off through the day and even not at all at night.

But really I think flood and drain is better anyway.

Update: The water as cleared up finally so i can see all te goldfish. I kinda think the gold fish ate the ghost shrimp because i cant find them anywhere.

I think i might have too many fish in the system, i had my first fish die. I can tell that there is alot of poop starting to build up on the bottom. I need to pic up a water test kit to see what the levels are at.

The lettuce seeds that i planted have sprouted and seem to be looking good.

Update: It has been a while and i thought i should add some pics of the porch system now that it is finally spring! I took out the red lettuce and both basil died when the frost hit. I added two heirloom tomatoes, a row of string beans, a broccoli plant, Serrano chili and a sugar snap bean.

The tomatoes have flowers and are starting to produce fruit. The broccoli looks a little stretched out but i have never grown it before so i do not know what it is supposed to look like. Any input?

Also i noticed that the string bean plants are growing fast but are more yellow then the one i have in soil( and it is in shade almost all day.)

more pics