Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi
I’m in the process of building a new system and I’m up to getting the gravel.
The supplier I have access to has 5 mm 7 mm 10 mm 14 mm and 20 meter blue metal available.
Any thoughts on which one would be most suitable?


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10

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Thanks!
Any particular reason for that choice?


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Pea gravel or 3/4 inch. I hear tell older systems may clog the pea gravel but have run my system for years and no issues. I typical end up cleaning flushing out my growbed every three years for some reason or other so that me be the reason it was never an issue for me.

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Thanks. So I guess 20 mm is very close to 3/4 inch. Not sure which of the other sizes would equate to P gravel?
Clogging is my concern also. I have six 2 x 1 m grow beds I don’t want to clean them out unnecessarily.
And I guess smaller gravel has better surface area. Previously are used 20 mm I think. But that was in a different system from a different supplier of gravel


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I’m still a bit confused as to what option to choose. Suggestion so far are 10 mm or 20 mm. Maybe I should split the difference and go with the 14 mm which equates to about half an inch.
Can anyone else speak about their systems and what they have used and how they have found it?


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I use 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16mm all in the same grow bed.It's been going for years now with no problems.
I don't how much of each is in it but you can put in small plants & big plants in if you have all different size stones.A guess is most are around 10-15mm in size.

After the plant has grown & you're done with it,just make sure all the roots (or most) are out.You won't need to clean the grow beds if you don't put loads of rubbish into to it.

Also,are you sure you have enough threads?

Nearly all expanded clay is usually 10-12mm and I’m sure there’s a reason for that as said perhaps surface area and clogging reasoning.

Use #16 sand. iavs.

I’m using river rock 1/3-1/2

i have have only used expanded clay balls in my systems so far which are between 10 to 14 mm in diameter but there is some 20+mm in the latest bags i have purchased.

Good luck with your system either way you choose to go.

Mal