Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I am in SE Idaho, have a 4000 ft² greenhouse in which I grow potato mini-tubers using hydroponics. I have considerable unused space in which I also grow some veggies for home consumption.

Last year I decided to have a go at aquaponics with the veggies. I had some success with strawberries, lettuce, salad greens and green beans—not so much with tomatoes, cucumbers, capsaisum and summer squash.

The greenhouse has a connected head-house with a pump room and tanks located in the basement. Last year the fish tank was located in the pump room and the grow beds in the greenhouse. The fish tank was a full 270 gal IBC with a SLO into a ½ IBC sump tank. A ¼ hp sump pump provided circulation up to the two ½ IBC flood/drain media grow beds eight NFT channels. Return flow back to the fish tank was via gravity.

From what I learned, I rebuilt the system and plan to grow the veggies I had success with last year. The tomatoes, cucumbers, etc will be grown hydroponically.

Some photos of last year’s system.

Welcome to the forum SolarGardens Looks like a nice space to have for doing some serious plant growing

Cheers

Thanks scotty. Yes, I over built the greenhouse and would certainly like to utilize all the space I have. Folks on this this forum will likely offer some ideas to consider.

This year’s rebuilt system uses the same full 270 gal IBC fish tank moved up to the greenhouse, this overflows via a SLO into a 55 gal RFF, this overflows into a single ½ IBC media bed and this overflows into a ½ IBC sump/floating raft DWC. From the sump flow is pumped to the fish tank, re-circulated in the sump through a venture and a smaller stream to NFT channels. The NFT channels overflow into the fish tank. Plumbing from the fish tank to the sump is 1½” PVC pipe. The pump is slightly oversized for the system but flow through the system is adjusted at the re-circulating venture in the sump. Currently I am pushing 310 gal/hr through the fish tank. I could go a little higher without overflowing the fish tank. From the fish tank to the sump the water level in each component drops by about 1”. If the pump is off the water level in each component achieves equilibrium without any overflow from the sump.

The ½ IBC media grow bed is 20” deep with about 14” of volcanic cinder, covered by vinyl window screen with 6” biochar/vermicompost mix on top of that. The water level reaches to just above the vinyl screen. I suppose this would be considered a wicking bed. Installed in this media bed are three air lift systems which function similar to a SLO. A perforated 1½” PVC pipe runs horizontally along the bottom of the bed to a vertical section in which an air stone is located. As air bubbles rise through the vertical section water is pulled with it to a higher perforated horizontal pipe just above the water’s surface. This provides aeration and circulation from bottom to top of the media/water column. One air stone is also use in an air lift in the fish tank.

The media was from last year’s system. This sat through the winter in the greenhouse, freezing, thawing and drying. When it was placed into the new system it was still damp in places and I found a lot of worms which had survived. It only took about ten days of fishless cycling using ammonia. I suspect a population of bacteria had also survived the winter.

Added a 2nd bank of NFT channels and filled these with more strawberry plants and some lettuce, mizuna and tatsoi. I plan to add a 3rd bank of NFT, maybe next weekend. Attached a couple of close-ups of plants in the NFT channels. I start plants in a 3" section of foam pool noodle. The holes in the NFT channel are cut to fit the diameter of the pool noodle. The inside hole in the pool noodle is about the right size for a small rock wool cube or 2x3" burlap patch which I use to start some seed. I add a cover of black/white fabric to better block the sun from the channels.

Looks fantastic. I had to run a converter for the greenhouse size and you almost literally blew my mind out my ear when I realised your greenhouse is over 370 square metres. That's larger than my house!

Thanks Alex. Its larger than my house also. One year I had it nearly full with tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, lettuce and salad greens all on a hydroponic NFT system. It was too much to handle with my day job. I found a crop that was far less work and pays better--certified potato mini-tuber seed. I use a small portion at the other end of the greenhouse for this.

Looks like some magnesium deficiency is starting to show up--so I added some MgSO4.

We have eaten several salads from the mustard greens and very soon will have mizuna and tatsio. Lettuce, basil, cilantro, green beans are on the way.

Just saying how since we might be the only 2 in Idaho. I'm over in the Boise area.

Are those strawberry tubes full of media? I don't see net pots. Or is it a plastic covering over the net pots with a hole for strawberries to come through?

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SilverB--pretty sure there are others in Idaho.

Two of my previous posts had a few descriptive photos but they disappeared. The NFT channels in which I grow the strawberries, lettuce, greens, etc. are vinyl downspouts. Holes are cut to the diameter of a pool noodle. A pool noodle is cut into segments of about 3" in length and one side of the segment is split it's entire length. The center hole in a pool noodle is about the right size for a small rock wool cube or a small patch of burlap which is stuff into the bottom of the noodle so that sufficient rock wool or burlap rests in the nutrient film. The seeds go in the top and are not covered. The seeds must come into sufficient contact with the rock wool or burlap to provide moisture for germination. Note the photo of the NFT outlet has one noodle with a few strands of burlap sticking out of the top. When the plant is large enough to cover the hole and stand on its own I simply lift the noodle from the hole and open via the split to remove the noodle leaving the plant in the down spout.

I have attached some photos to demonstrate this set-up. The white plastic cover is simply over top the channel to provide additional sun block.

A co-worker and his wife came over for a look at my greenhouse today. He is building her a tiny 8 x 9' greenhouse. They were impressed--I suppose you could fit a small aquaponic system in that. I had one ripe strawberry for the wife to sample--you should have seen her face when she bit into it!

I have added the third bank of NFT channels--so I'll have room for more strawberries. I will begin to propagate the runners and expect to end the year with about 90 plants.

The green beans are taking over the media bed. The mustard is about finished--so there will be more room when these are removed. Have some basil and cilantro coming up to fill the space.

There is a small vortex at the outlet on the RFF. The outlet on is a little off level so the flow into the outlet is greater on the lower side. The vortex is drawing air into the outlet but the bubbles then manage to rise and accumulate on the high side of the outlet and continue to circulate on that side. I wonder how effective this is at aeration?

2017 system updates.

Added 60 tilapia yesterday.

Good growth in 20 days. Early on I lost 8 of the 60 due to some type of infection--looked like a flesh eating bacteria. The water temps were too cool 60-68 F. I added a 1000 w bucket heater and warmer weather has brought the water temps up. They have been eating well and life is good now.

Red Garnett mustard greens are great for a salad.

How do the vinyl empty into the pvc? do you have it cut and it just pours in? Looking to have something like that in my system i setup

ballardjr2001: Take a look at my May 22, 2016 post, second photo. You will note the lower lip of the vinyl is curved down into the PVC. This curved lip creates a drip edge into the PVC. The drip edge is created by heating the vinyl until it is soft and then using a small block of wood to bend the soft vinyl into a curve and held there until it cools and hardens into that form. This weekend I will take and post a photo from a view which better depicts the outlet.