Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

okay I set this system up to get some experience... The rocks extend 1" above the water line. The bed is coconut liner with a steel frame.

let me know what you think!

How CUTE! What is that growing in there already?

You'll get the bug and your system will grow

I absolutly love it. get rid of the air stone, the pump and waterfall will take care of the o2 needed, what else is in there a heater? get rid of that too goldies can take a wide range of temps no need to spoil em. There less cords and less power its is perfect! Now tell me how to duplicate it for my living room?

Nice looking setup,

Now, if you have a chainsaw you could...


-Stevo

Now thats art. Notice how well hidden the plumbing is to the other growbeds.

Very pretty! Now get some lettuce going! How much light do you get there?

Adorable.

That's pretty neat use of stuff around the house i bet that took 2mins to set up!!!!!!! The only problem(s) i for see is if there's enough light for the plants to grow. And if that's a [glow=red]activated[/glow] carbon filter remove the carbon as it [shadow=red]hinders[/shadow] bacteria growth

I don't believe activated charcoal will harm a thing. It is commonly used in the aquarium trade to filter out impurities in the water. Personally, I never had much use for it except when I was in the "medicate-the-heck-out-of-everything-stage". (Idiocy on my part.) Then I used it to pull Malachite Green and such out of the water after treatment.

Here's a cost list:

Filter $20 - Walmart
Fountain $2Oish - Home Depot
Pond Liner - $30 Home Depot
Growbed - $5.97 Walmart
Aqua Plants - Petco and Walmart
Dead Fish - Walmart
Live Fish - Petco
Gravel - Home Depot
Chives - Calloways Nursery


Now I'm just wondering how I can make sure the plants live. The chives' roots are literally a hair above the water. The gravel above the water line seems to dry out fairly quick. I usually spray the gravel with my orange hairspray bottle every chance I get.

The tank has only been setup for about 2 weeks and this chive is my guinea pig.

Hey AB555:
I used the 20 gallon round tubs like your pond last year for grow beds; made by MacCourt from Lowe's. I liked them a lot. Their site shows other stuff - I have my eye on the mortar tubs for use as grow beds. I used the little rectangular tub too as a grow bed last year.

Cool, they have a clear pond now:
http://www.maccourt.com/products/new_prod.html

How about if you re-positioned the basket of gravel so that it is under the waterfall? That would get good nutrient, water, and oxygen flow through the gravel so you wouldn't have to spray it. I'm not sure the edge of the water dome would be enough. I would also be concerned that permanently wet coir might stagnate/rot without good flow through it.

You are essentially running a permanently-flooded growbed, iow, very wet. A different plant than chives might do better. I think chives likes moist but well-drained soil. You might even be able to put a philodendron cutting in there, or some watercress. Either of those would like a shady wet location.

Walmart will give you your money back or an exchange for fish you buy there -- up to 90 days. The Koi I got from them lasted about 2 weeks so I got my money back.

Activated carbon will remove every thing from the water including the beneficial bacteria you will need for good growth