Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

My next phase on my build is grow beds and DWC tank. I plan on welding the frames and have a few 20' 1.5" & 2" square tube steel to work with. Space for these beds is limited inside the greenhouse, so I'm going vertical.



I'm thinking the bottom tanks are DWC on both sides of the doors. They'll be ~ 2' wide and 6' long, because of the space limitation. It is the depth I'm concerned with now in this plan. I've read 12" is good, but deeper can be better? What are the pros and cons to 12" DWC depth?
Since I can't find pre-made HDPE media beds that suit me, I'll also build these into the steel frame with two on each rack. I've ordered a couple sacks of clay bead media, and have several sacks of red scoria for the beds. Next dope question: how deep on the scoria rock and clay beads beds? Are they the same or different for each media type?

Hi Brian
Lots of things to take into consideration.
Media beds will generally support taller growing plants than DWC.
My experience of DWC is limited, but consider they may need constant water flow and air. It will upset the symmetry but consider them just on just one side
Media beds ( depth) 30 cm is considered normal . One foot in, ‘American’ should be OK.
I am not sure of your light source. Maybe consider each shelf a little bit further out. ie, terrracing.
In a way you almost have to plan now what you are going to grow in each bed.
One other thing.
You remember we discussed English tea breaks?.
You said, “In America we call them safety meetings”
I do not want to hear that you or a member of your family fell into the fish tank.
Consider underwater steps and /or handrails.!
How do you get out if you are cold, wet and shocked?

Ryan suggests 12in deep DWC's check out his back porch thread.

Steps are almost done Titus, rails soon. On the media beds I have thought about wider at the bottom than the top, not certain, being in there and having the tool shelf in where one vertical garden is going I can see there is plenty of sun for straight up gardens, and the wife and I are already planning the media bed spacing. She's 10 inches shorter than me so I'll make the middle media bed for chard collards and spinach which we'll be picking at for dinners. Floridafish, did Ryan already have his seminar yet?

Boss,

Not yet end of April.