Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

10g is pretty small.

i've always found it funny that the beginner (not that you are or are not) seems to get a small tank when the care level and difficulty is inversely proportional (i just wanted to use those two words ) to the tank size

Yes it is odd, you see it in the ppl just wanting to keep aquarium fish (I see it in myself when I started out)

I think one of the driving factors is fear, and the fact that cash outlay is directly proportianal (I can use big words too ) to the size of the tank. Therefore ppl are afraid of spending too much when they don't know what they're doing.

However I feel this is getting a little OT so I'll finish up now :-)

If you can get a small system going, and keep it going for 12 months then you are ready to move up.

I think we all need to get badges here. We don't supersize until we have mastered the basics.

MMmmmmm Rubber Maid :read: :read: :read:

I think what steve was saying, is that it is a trial by fire. If you can master a small system, everything bigger and better is easier to manage.

I never did a small system

I did with aquarium fish, but with aquaponics, I'm not starting small either... I have some pics up of my 10kL system... setting up the growbeds as we speak.

That is small with nano (30g or less) Saltwater tanks, I understand that since the volume of water is smaller there is less room to slack on up-keep. I have a 10g empty right now that I wanted to take advantage of, just kindof getting the hang of it, untill I go huge.

Few new questions:
1) Would I want my fish tank to be BB (bare bottom), so that the grow bed can get the max nutrients?

2) Can I use aquarium gravel, for my plant grow bed? I have this ugly blue stuff that I would LOVE to use... lol.

3) Should I use RO water just like my other FW & SW tanks?
Thanks!

dp

1) shouldnt be a problem but not really an issue

2) gravel is gravel i reccon

3) depends on the purity imho as pure water <50 micro semiens is quite aggresive to any metals, to be honest it shouldnt be a huge issue to use drinking water

1) bare bottom is good as you can see if any crap is accumulating, easier for pump to pick up and no chance of gravel getting ino pump

2) depends on how fussy you are about adding "unknowns" into your food chain. i do not know if the gravel is just gravel, or epoxy coated stuff, nor what makes it blue.

3) just use de-clorinated tap water or rain water

i think theres another forum catering for fetishes such as yours

Yeah, there is also some face painting tips from Captain Spaulding in there too..... LOL

thanks for the answers! Another question since this will be indoor, I'll need a light correct? If so what K should the bulb be? I was thinking 6000 ish .

lighting is expensive... can you get around it, maybe a skylight?
One of the APers (I forget who) replace half their roof with perspex... looks cool.

Anyhow if you must use a light, get a metal halide with fluro tubes. They're expensive, but if you get it from an aquarium, (or at least source the brand then look on eBay) then you'll be right.

I would suggest getting an aquarium light even if you don't go Metal Halide, this is because the reflectors are much better, and you get much more out of your tube then you would out of a fitting from your hardware store.