Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Currently the main tub is a 180 gallon TuffStuff stock tank special ordered through Tractor Supply. The sump is a 110 gallon that they have in stock at the store (they also have Rubbermaid's stock tanks as well). The pump is a 340 GPH fountain pump from Lowe's ($40). The grow beds are 25 gallon Sterilite storage tubs from WalMart ($12 each). The siphons are loop styley made from leftover garden hose. PVC fittings abound. 300 watt aquarium heaters (only using one ATM). The drain is a 2" PVC pipe, with a tee forming an elbow so that the water drains from the center of the tub at the bottom to get more poo out since it usually settles out more at the center.

ok today i whent and started building my AP system for college

ok it is a
18 gallon tote, and 2 4"x32" NFT tubes,

i am hopeing to get 4" net Pots,

now how should i run my In.Flow line?

should i just have the water running on the bottom?

i dont know. pic hopefully below

-df

yes that is a shopping cart. the basis of my system.

Dank, one of the major differences between traditional hydroponics and aquaponics is the fish poo and uneaten fish food..... solid waste....

This will stuff up a traditional nft setup fairly quickly....

So you'll probably need to put some sort of bio-filter/solids remover before your nft trays...... if you're going to do that then you might as well use the bio-filter as a growbed... one for space reasons (waste not, want not) .... the other .... to uitilise the solids which otherwise would need to be periodically removed or generally wasted.

here

here i have dial up
they dont want to load

hey Rup,

thank you for such quick responce.

ya, i was thinking about putting my pump under some gravel, or something to not let any soilds go into the pump.

i got it to work

Dank its not the pump that's the problem as much as if you supply the nft channels with "unfiltered" nutrients straight from the tank..... the pump itself should be rated to handle some degree of solids.

The solids will end up getting caught/clinging to the plants root balls....

Leading to either areas of dry or limited water... channeling.... or areas of saturation and stagnation.... leading to root rot.....

I wouldn't trap the solids in a layer of gravel (immediately after the pump) myself as I think you might end up turning it into a stagnating anaerobic mess....

Better to use a half barrel (or two) filled with media to trap some of the solids and break them down..... might as well plant something in there to use the nutes provided.

ya i see what you are saying,

there is know room for a GB on this shopping cart.

i was think about this set up last night.

i have a sump box, with some type of bio filter, and the pump in the sump box, all in my fish tank.

i was thinking the bio filter will take out the soilids, and create nitrofying Bacteria(my spelling is bad) to help with the bio filtration.

or

whould it just all clog up, and create an anaerobic mess.

i chould see how haveing a GB whould be the best right now, there just isnot any room

I think a lot of the NFT people run the fish water through a 5 gallon gravel bucket that acts as the biofilter, and then on to the plants.

If it's an external filter you allow it to drains/trickles through suitable media then you'll provide enought oxygenation to prevent an anerobic condition... unless of course that is what you wish to happen.... see Janet's experiments with sand columns to promote anaerobic conditions....

The use of under gravel filters, where you pump nutrients/solids up through a layer of gravel is used in aquarium environments and has been tried by some members here on the forum (TimC - I think).....

The essential part of utilising a UG filter (under gravel) is to ALSO provide oxygenation via airstone(s) to prevent the anerobic effect.....

An external bio-filter is just another (potential) growbed..... you could use a half drum or what ever.... it's just exactly the same in terms of purpose.

Only constraint... as above... put it inline before your nft channels.

you could slip something under the basket of the trolley all you will need is to make a platform for it to sit on

ya i am at a freinds, here some more pics.

more stufffffffffffffffffffff