Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I noticed you were asking about problems with rot in this setup earlier. I like the setup but you may need to run the flow down the back into the next trough somehow without allowing it to splash on the plants. Splashing on the leaves will encourage diseases.

Another thing to consider is the moisture on the rock surface. Algae will take advantage of pretty much any location with nutrients, water and light. Your water depth looks OK but try to get the surface dry.

A thin flexible plastic barrier from one trough down to the back of the next might work to redirect the water and should help with either of these issues.

Hope this helps.

And
a little smear of Gorilla-Glue around the inside lip of each plug... that will fix your conversion.. it will foam up and completely seal... :-) and done on the inside, will give a super neat finish

Wet everything before adding the Gorilla Glue ...

I have a vertical garden with dirt, that I wanted to convert to constant flood Clay Beads ... you have told me how I can easily convert it's slots...
I'm still not convinced about how much better Constant Flood is over just leaving as is, and have Constant Flow...

That post talking about wet surfaces and algae, possibly answers the question.. Our Vertical beds are deep draws... Individual... So I imangine that the problem is then to get the water to enter at the back and overflow at the front via a drain, returning water to the back again, whilst maintaining the pull out draw structure...

[url]ww.gro-wall.com.au/[/url]
..
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In some situations it wouldn't be much different but having the higher flood level does at least a couple of things. It helps keep the temperature fluctuations down and makes it easier to start seedlings in the trough. I think it would also help where you have excessive root growth (to make sure water gets to all the plants). There are probably some things I missed but the temperature one is a big one, for a black wall in the sun, like this setup. The alternative is having the roots that touch the plastic along the front get toasted.

Thanks for the advice Scotty!

I'll have to monitor the plants for potential diseases.

On the Wall Garden system, the drainage holes are situated quite far back in the pot and so I'm hoping the plants are far enough away from the water to prevent the majority of the splashing affecting them. I've purposely kept the vertical distance between each GB minimal to prevent splashing, noise and sunlight to the draining water (to reduce the chance of algae).

As you suggested, if this does not work I may have to look at some polyurethane sheets to direct the flow further back into the pot while minimising splashing and sunlight.

BuiDoi, I'm not sure what you are suggesting, blocking up the inside of the clear tubes?
I need them to drain freely to maintain a constant water height.

Your GroWall system looks very nice!

So over the last few days I have been experiencing a reduced water flow to the GBs.

I've pulled the pump apart to check for debris and rinsed out the line in case of build up, but there were no signs of any "gunk".
Each time I did however, the flow was restored, only to be reduced again 12 hours later.

I had noticed that once the original flow was resumed, air was "visibly" being forced out of the line.

After some time spent searching the forums I was just about stumped, until I came across an old thread that mentioned "airlock".
After viewing a Youtube video on airlock, I'm convinced this is the cause.

Last weekend I installed some flexible anti kink pipe from BYAP in order to eliminate several 90's in the line and improve flow rates.
It is now evident that because the line from the pump is flexible, I have created a trough in the line, causing air to be trapped in the "peak".

Once I get home, I will modify the line so that there is no sagging and I'm confident this will resolve the problem.

Something to keep in mind for all those like me starting out on their first system!

In other news, after my recent accidental 100% water change mentioned earlier , I'm back to zero ammonia and nitrites and depending on the availability of the forum member with some spare fingerlings, tomorrow I should be the proud owner of 15 Silver Perch!

To say I'm excited is a MASSIVE understatement!

So it finally happened, 15 Silver Perch are now happily swimming around in the FT!

Now to train them to come to the surface for floating pellets while I'm watching!
They appear to be a little timid at the moment.

I had SP for about 4 years and they never came to the surface to feed while I was watching. The ones at BYAP seemed to be more friendly.

Interesting.... thanks Charlie!
I wonder if a print out of my face hanging over the FT will get them accustom to it

Last night I noted several pests on the kale and broccoli.
Need to scour the forums to find an ID for them both.

Anyone know these little buggers and/or remedies?

Been awhile since you posted last, how's your system doing?

I love the look of the wall garden set up. Very neat, also wondering how it has worked for you.

Old thread but for anyone who wonders what the big green bug in the second picture is, I think it's a type of katydid.

Looks like fishfood to me. I was really upset about a few LARGE tomato hornworms on my plants. But after I watched my catfish swallow them whole, I was anxiously looking for more. Now if I could just get the fish to check the plants themselves a few times a week, it would save me a lot of time.

Wouldn't last long around my place

Hi Daze,

Terrific setup, you've inspired me to add a vertical wall section to my IBC system!

My SPs are a couple of years old and huge, time for a dinner party so I can clean my system and add some vertical wall beds like yours.

Not sure what I'll stock with next but was certainly a little underwhelmed with SPs. I've never seem them feed, they just hang in a pack at the back corner of the IBC most of the time.

Also, as they only really move around the very bottom foot of water, I'm considering submerging a smaller perforated tub at the top of the system, bolted to the IBC, as a gilgie or marron area with fish in the bottom. And with the addition of a vertical wall I will double my growbed area so should have enough headroom for an increased stocking density.

I did try marron and SPs together at the start. The marron learned to escape by walking up the pump hose, the Martin attached the SPs, the SPs attacked the marron... it was not a good experiment.