Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

One question i can't seem to find an answer to about flood and drain.

When you flood your grow beds, if your using an auto syphon the water flows out basicly right away.
Is the bacteria quick processing the ammonia, or is it just a case of multiple floods gradually getting it all out?

don't forget the role of the medium in the process. water never completely leaves the growbeds and the medium filters the water significantly of solids and the bacteria take u where the medium leaves off. When the system is completely cycled, the bacteria breaks down the ammonia at every stage of the operation converting it to nitrite and then to nitrate. That is not done exclusively in the growbeds.

Good luck and welcome

Hi Timmy
It`s a bit of both really
The huge amount of media in the beds relative to the tank volume provides space for a lot of bacteria to process the ammonia so in effect it is quicker than a smaller filter.
Bear in mind that ammonia free water returning from the beds simply dilutes and reduces the ammonia concentration in the main tank ..unless you completely empty the tank on each flood cycle.
Even in that scenario some ammonia will get past the bacteria and return to the tank without conversion, especially on a fast flood/drain cycle.

It all balances out in the end though if you have a reasonable tank turnover rate.

Can't really add much to that Hex .... spot on...