Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Just wondering if you have any suggestions for me before i start working on my system. I have 250 Gallon Fish Tank and a 80 Gallon grow bed. Its an IBC tote setup so the GB is right above the fish tank.In the grow bed i'm using the Flood and Drain method with a Bell Syphon in the middle. As my Grow medium im using colorado river rock. Its PH neutral, i couldn't afford Expanded clay pellets and this is pretty cheap in missouri.I'm using a 850 Gallon Pump it also aerates the water by spraying back into the Fish Tank.

The water isn't actually red that was just when i was cleaning it. The grow bed is about 9 inches. I recently bought 33 or so Blue Tilapia Fry im feeding store bought protein mix its about 41% protein. They are not in the system now the systems just sitting outside because its winter. Things i already Plant to do. Paint the Outside Green. Place some Sheet metal between the bottom of the fish tank and the rocks that level it. Add a valve to control how much water goes into the Grow bed and how much aerates the fish tank. I was thinking about adding some wire mesh right above bottom of fishtank and letting Cray Fish live down there to eat the Fish Solids and uneaten fish food. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated i'm new to this.

Welcome to the forum Dagger and Merry Christmas

I like all the aeration your getting in the setup but there is a big problem with access when the fish tank is directly atop the grow bed as you have it. If you haven't checked out the IBC of Aquaponics, it would be very helpful to you, it contains many of the basics and examples of lots of IBC systems - the link is at the top right of your screen and it can be downloaded as a free PDF from BYAP. That should give you a start

P.S. As an afterthought - You need about 1 turnover of the fish tank per hour. My guess is you have much more than this and it will cost you more to run the system over the long haul this way. Getting a pump that is energy efficient and sized for the setup may pay for itself in a couple of years so look at the cost per KWH on your power bill and look at the pump energy usage in Watts, you may want to change pumps .

FYI - You need to know how much is actually being pumped or a good approximation. The higher you pump the less flow the pump can generate. Most pumps have a chart that shows you how much they pump at any given head height (head height is the top of the water the pump is in to the highest point your pumping). Measure your head height and look it up on the chart. Timing the pump flow with a bucket and timer is also an option.

Not sure I got across what I want to but hope this helps.

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You will see that I have a fairly similar setup, but with a markedly more difficult access..
You at least have three/four sides..
So far - I have not found the access an issue.. But, I know that I may have to pump down the FT when serious about catching fish..

Given that you have omitted the SUMP option, a medium issue is that you WILL get sediment buildup in the GB.. without a filter.. Others will say that is good.. many say that it is bad..

I would consider making a swirl filter from a PET water fountain bottle... ( hole in bottom and the neck becomes the drain...) Just use Gorilla Glue to seal a tap into the neck..

I think that I WOULD be adding an AIR-PUMP and dispensing with the water cascade.. That sound, so close to the house will go beyond soothing..

Have the pump in one corner, and the return in the opposite corner.. Have the AIR-Stone above the pump, adding to the bottom sweeping action..

Anyway, that's my 20c worth.. Happy New Year..
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At the moment you don’t have nearly enough media,at only 9 inches deep it need to be full,even then its slightly shallow.

I got it up higher those pictures were a while ago.

I would suggest using some lava rock. The lava rock will give more bacteria housing then the smoother river rock. If you find the lava rock hard to plant in, you can go half tank of lava rock and then the top it off with river rock. or even 80% lava rock and 20% pea gravel. I used 80% lava rock topped with expanded shale in my 55 drum barrels.

I thought that Lava rock broke down and would color my water Red?

Lava rock has lots of fines but will eventually settle out so your water won't stay red. Rinsing it some before putting it in helps too.

Regarding lava rock, maybe because we live in an area that gets lots of rain and I buy it in bulk at a rock yard where it was sitting, it washed out. I haven't seen it break down so far, but I've only used it for 6 months. I'm hoping my fines will eventually gather in my sump so I can try some Asian clams.

How much should I put? Just leave 1-2 inches of river rock on the top?

Jason, there is very little breakdown once the volcanic rock is in place. The rock is fairly soft so using a spade to plant or shifting it can cause some of the corners to break but it's not going to give you a lot of fines. As far as the new stuff you buy - it just depends on the batch, some can be really bad while others not bad at all.

Dagger - It's up to you - you can have all volcanic rock or you can top with something else. In the end, after using it several times the rocks wind up mixed together unless you're really careful.

Nice to see another Missouri AP system on here. I too would recommend an air pump instead of your piping system, because from the picture you have posted, there is a lot of splashing. That's good for aeration, but it's even on your pipes, which extend beyond the confines of your FT. I would predict a pretty substantial amount of water loss from your setup. An air pump will be orders of magnitude quieter as well, and to further reduce noise, you can put a longer piece of pipe on your siphon drain.

What part of Missouri, and what will you be raising/growing? I have an indoor system currently, but working to expand with some DWC beds outside. This polar vortex is doing it's best to keep me from growing anything until Spring though...