Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all!

A Brief Heistory:
I have long been interested in mankind's trek to break free from dependence on non-renewable resources. I then became interested in how I could do my part (and save money). After subscribing to Mother Earth News Mag.(MENM), developing allergic reactions to some of my favorite fruits and veggies, and watching documentaries on the state of the American Ag industry, I wanted to know how our family could rely less on these industries, and more on ourselves in a mini-homestead kind-of way. So we then started a garden. Good Experience, decent results, but boy did it require a lot of work. (weeding, watering, and de-pesting) Admittedly the Pennsylvania clayey soil didn't help our plight for a diverse crop (melons and root veggies faired poorly).

Now life has taken us to a new home in North Carolina near Fayetteville, with a large yard and possibilities galore. I ran across a YouTube videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE7Fyv4hokw looking for geodesic dome greenhouses, and stumbled on AP. Then, with a flurry of watching and educating and reading library books, I suggested that we start an indoor garden using AP to my fiance-Kris. We were already talking about building multi-tier shelfs to house the numerous plants we have in the South facing windows. And she had mentioned fishes in the past as well. Kris watched and read too, and was intrigued. I was sold. To me, it was the labor economic and self-sustaining system that I was looking for. Here's was my first design stab;


Then she went to Epcot with the boys while on a work trip in Orlando, and from that moment she was sold. So much that she was talking a local commercial operation... eventually. (never seen that before) So, we agreed on taking it in stages,

Stage 1 - Indoor Herb, Salad and Tomatoes
Stage 2 - Outdoor system designed to provide food for our family of four.
Stage 3 - Look into designing and building a small local organic grow opportunity.

At that point we started seriously talking, planning and shopping (for cheap aquariums.)

The Stage 1 Design:
It wasn't long before we found a good price on a large (75 u.s. Gal) tank. With the rules of thumb in http://www.amazon.com/Aquaponic-Gardening-Step-By-Step-Vegetables-Together/dp/086571701X I determined the other sizes. 75gal tanks = 11-15 full-grown fish = 11-15 sf garden.

We both decided that a Chop 2 system was best for the fish, and our indoor system as we were looking to have this be ornamental fish more than not. So I used Sketchup (Google's free 3-D design Program) to layout and size/fit everything.

We have the 75gal tank pumped to the Gutter garden (Kris wanted to add a 4 teir, 5' wide gutter system for Strawberries, and Lettuces/Spinach. leaving more room for herbs.) draining to the 3-2'x3'x9" concrete mixing tubs auto-siphoning to a 55 gal. sump/tote, which pumps to the tank. We have valves on 1/2" flexible hoses from the pumps, and a ball valve on the 1/2" pvc lines to the grow beds. The idea is to use the 2 valves to even out the flows to the GB, but stagger their hourly drain so one is draining every 20 mins. so the sump pump always has head pressure

After countless trips to both the Blue and Orange box stores, and 1 to the local hydroponic (Flow and Grow) store for Hydroton, I managed to find, price and purchase all the materials locally. We did have to order 1 thing online-uniseals.

The Tables (2'x 6', 2'x3')were built using 2"x6'' boards, with 2"x4" cross braces. I will be setting the cement tubs on these. (I may need to add a 2x6 corral on top for tub side support.)

Lights: Lastly, you'll see that we're missing lights. We are still debating how best to do this. I think in a money-is-no-object world we both want an LED system. But after putting in over 1G into this (half on the auqarium and support equipment and ~35% in hydroton), I'm not interested in putting another 300-600 in lights on a test system. So my vote is 2-4' Flourescent strips with 2 bulbs each. for $80. Kris suggested having a bank of LED grow spot lights and regular spot lights mixed in a row with a reflector. I could make it for around $160 the 4-45w grow LED spots for $100. Any advice/opinions on this?

Water Test: (4/3/14)The uniseals came in Monday the 24th of March. The system was ready to water test by the 30th.
We set the system up in the garage (for overflow control) without the tank for a general leak test.


The Rain Gutters Failed.

It just meant that we had to caulk the ends and drains. The rain gutter system we built, was based on a Blue box idea plans, using the Raingo system which have a gasketed end caps. I expected the caps to hold water (as it was all the Raingo system). I was wrong.

I need to build a support for the sump as it bowed out Big-Time. I'm planning on the sump cage having wheels as I don't want to try and drag a partially fill sump across my hardwood floors. I cringe just hearing the small particles scraping gouge marks into the finish.

In the mean time I'm starting to plan out the scope and location of stage 2. With IBC for the Tanks, and gravel for the media at 20% the cost, it should be very cost effective.

Water Test, PART 2: Last night I caulked the gutters and drains. I think we'll be set to re-test tonight. If all goes, well, we move it in doors and begin to cycle.

Audience participation:
Does anyone have thoughts on wheels for the GB tables?
What are your thoughts on low-cost lighting?
And if you are near Fayetteville NC, where did you get your fish? and which ones?

heavy duty casters for the wheels
low cost lighting: 48", 32watt t8 shop lights, i use half cool and half warm bulbs, grow lots of greens, lettuces and herbs

Thanks Keith. I'll be picking the lights up before the weekend. currently building a "Sump basket" like a soap box to support the bowing tote with wheels like a mechanic uses to go under cars. but this is for under the GB

Cool design

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So we've spent a great deal of last weekend (Easter) getting things running. Or at least trying to run.

In this time we hit four snags and 1 snafu.

Snag 1 - The end (low) Grow Bed leaks at the uniseal. Don't know why. Had to evacuate it. going to silicone it. maybe that will help.
Snag 2 - the Bell siphons don't work right. after doing a full flow test in the garage, we hooked and filled it inside. And we can't get them to work at low flow...
Snag 3 - the Gutter garden doesn't have enough slope for full flow. I'll need to completely revisit them. (an additional anchor is needed, and adjust the slope.
Snag 4 - the gravel cage moves easily with the GBs are full. allowing Hydroton into the siphon...

SNAFU
As this is a 2-pump system. we'd been turning one off to fill or lower the tank when the imbalance became to great. Now I turn the tank pump off before going to a party, as It only needed about 10 mins of equalizing. however In the rush of Getting a whole family ready and out the door, I forgot to shut the sump pump off. Yup about 10-15 gal all over the floor, under the tank stand, etc. My fiancee was not a fan of coming home to a mess.

All around frustrating.. the tank is running though. Had a Beta die... but boy was he happy in his last days... Gold fish are in there now helping us cycle...

So a couple of updates from yesterday.

We're reworking the piping to have the sump drive it all. It will Y to fill the tank, and a throttled back side goes to the gutter garden.

but first we need to address the overflow issue. Right now I'm going to make a No-Holes-Overflow. Any sage Advice?

We paid closer attention to the Bell Siphon construction and I adjusted the heights of the standpipe vs. the cap on the bell. still didn't work. Maybe once we rework the pumps it will work better.

the Silicone on the low bed uniseal DID NOT stop the leak... I suppose it's time to find a 1" bulkhead, and hope that works better. Either that or get a new bed/tub and drill a new hole with another uniseal. It just stinks as I'll have to order the bulkhead and wait.

All we've been wanting to do is plant. If we don't get something moving by the weekend, I'm figuring this will be on the back burner untill fall.

Oh, one quick update - the Sump is on heavy duty casters

So it's been a crazy month and a half. Mostly spent trouble shooting poorly working systems.

System Upgrades
We built a No-Holes Overflow. The first 1/2" overflow wasn't enough flow. (or long enough. The short one allowed small air bubbles from the small drop into the tube to pass through the first elbows, and broke the syphon) so I built a long 1" one and found it had leaks and glue-welded it, then found the slip fit in-the-tank standpipe leaked (which I hadn't glued) and was syphoning out the water. The orginal silicone sealant around the air removal tube wasn't air-tight. So more time adding much more silicone. Result is much time fixing issues that I never thought would be issues. Each took a couple days for the product to set or de-gas. This facilitated the removal of the in-tank pump and allowed us to run the system full time with little worry. with everything being re-arranged, I took the gutter garden down, to adjust the slope and increase flow. I also needed to fix the wall cleat. If I had installed it 2" to the left, I would've hit studs on either end. and the shim I tried would've worked. this way is the right way though. lastly, I put the pump on a timer (15 on, 45 off). This gives the overflow a chance to "catch-up." With all this done I now have a system I can confidently run continuously.

Grow Beds:
The far right grow bed uniseal leaked from go. (maybe the hole I drilled was goofed) but I final bit the bullet and bought another bin and set up the standpipe in a bulkhead fashion. We also hot-glued the screen in place. (this stopped the media from leaking in) with this set we were able to plant it with tomatoes and peppers. and the best part is NO LEAKS! The peas in the middle bed are up and looking for something to whip up. Something for this week. Lastly we picked up two 4' shop lights, and put in one cool and one warm fourescent T8 bulb in each.


Fish Tank.
Many of these mods were while the fish were cycling. The problem was the system wasn't full-time so the level peaked (both ammonia and Nitrites) and almost no Nitrates. Then the pH dropped to 6 and killed some bacteria and fish we think, and also we saw fin rot, and lost 1 molly. We then dropped all the fish into a nursery tank and treated them while we fixed our tank. This dramatic pH and level change killed 2 silver dollers, and another Molly. During this fish-free time we fixed up the main tank. We added plants, changed out 30% of the water, fixed the pH, tested and ran the overflow fixed 3rd bed. and added Baking Soda to fix the pH) The nursery tank was getting toxic just when I switched them back. just before the switch I lost our Blue Dwarf Gourami. I have a video of them all schooling back and forth accross the tank when the all went back. Had to leave for the weekend and came back to no fish deaths. I will check levels when I get home tonight. but I think we're in good shape now. We're almost a the all-set stage. We used the feeder fish to cycle. They are all to replaced (too soon?) and this is the fish breakdown
- 5 Tiger Barbs
- 5 Albino Tiger Barbs
- 2 Rosey barbs (looking for 1 more)
- 1 Pleco (5"+)
- 1 Spotted cory Catfish?
- 1 Silver Dollar (originally 3)
- Cherry Barb
- 10 Eaten neon Tetra
- 5 Black neon Tetra
*- 1 Dwarf Red striped Gourami*
- 1 Gold Gourami
- 1 Red gourami
- 1 opaline Gourami
*- Blue Gourami*
*- 1 Blue dwarf Gaurami*
- 3 dwarf neon Rainbows
- 1 Dinasour Bichir Eel



While these set-backs take a bit out of the sail, the successes like,"we have NITRATES!" or seeing a WHOLE BED of healthy peas sprout, boosts you back and Keep you going.

I love the fish Tank, and I really love that the system will be 'care free'.

Keep your Fingers Crossed.

Tested the Levels last night.
pH: 6.0 + Baking Soda = 6.8
Amm: .5ppm
NO2: 4ppm
NO3: 0-0.5 ppm

Tested again... 7.6 add two drop of lemon juice into the sump.
Ammonia: 0.5 ppm
NO2: 0.5 ppm
NO3: didn't test

I've been distracted. and completely forgot the followup testing. and we broke a tube, and I forgot to empty and refill for the Nitrate test... Shame on me.

Looking good MSA.

There are always growing pains with every system. For example, My tub beds are receiving too many solids and is causing overflowing by the inlets. Drained half my sump before I caught it. Don't know the solution yet.

Likewise, with the heat we have had, I got to the point of not having enough sump water to trip the siphons in the big tanks. I had no capability to top up tank water [other than tap water and pond safe dechlorinator] as I had been relying on rain. Now I plumbed in a top up tank into the systems and set the ground work for rainwater catchment and storage.

My only advise at this time would be to not chase PH. I did that initially too. Just let it balance on its own.

Keep up the good work.

Hi J.B.

It feels like I've (not we) have made all the newbie mistakes...

Not gluing pipe joints (siphoning out part of the tank), two pumps...then unplugging only the sump with not overflow cut-off. Not ensuring an anchor at the end of the cleat, having one of the gutters not slope enough. etc., etc. We now have a dish towel within arms reach and a full beach towel in the tank cabinet.

Our latest is having a collar to let the water fill to 1/2" of the surface, for the seeds. Now we have a mold issue and a small fly problem. the Mold/excess water has rotted half the plants... we've moved the surviving plants to our low bed, and pulled half the media out of the other two (20 gals.) for rinsing tonight.

With the pH, We're worried the pH of 6.0 we get has killed the Bacteria... We haven't had 'ites or 'ates in a while (re-test tonight).

As this system is in the House, the air temp is a steady 78 F and the water is near the same. but when all the beds are full and haven't tripped yet, we hear the horrible dry sucking sound. *cringe*

I hope the rain in the last couple days has helped you out. (brought you closer to normal). I'll have to check out your system for the Greener solutions you've installed.

Don't chase the pH, got it. (don't chase the pH)....(don't chase the pH)....(don't chase the pH).... Thank you for the experience/advice J.B., I appreciate it.

Oh, forgot we put a "calcium sock" in the sump. (just egg shells in panty hose) hope that helps with the acidic pH trend.

Very interesting set up.

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Thanks sandiegonewb

So, an update:
we lost our Yellow Gaurami a couple days ago. , the Turtle was happy though.

pH: 8.0 (going to let the fish bring it down on their own)
Ammonia: 0.5ppm
Nitrites: 0 ppm
Nitrates: 40 ppm

I think I read the Nitrate test wrong and was shaking the tube after the first drops for 30s., not the bottle. :embarassed:

YEAH! we have NITRATES!!!