Aquaponics

 Aquaponics what is it? - The simple answer is it's combination of aquaculture and hydroponics . Water from the fish tanks is pumped through the grow beds which are filled with gravel or some other inert growing medium.  The plants growing in the grrowing medium extract the nutrients from the water (made from fish poo). The water then returns to the fish tank cleaned and freshly oxygenated.

My adventure into aquaponics is in the form of a 1000 litre IBC (intermediate bulk container).

Costs so far are as follows:
  • 1000 litre IBC - $180
  • Submersible pump (4800lph) - $80
  • Various fittings, timer and poly pipe - $75
  • River gravel 20mm 1/2 metre delivered - $71

A grand total of $406 to have a system to cycling stage.

 

Tomorrow I'll be finishing washing the gravel, then I'll set the timer for a 15 minute on cycle. All going well I should end up with a cycle of 15 minutes pumping and a 45 minute (approx) drain cycle. I'll run this for a couple of weeks to try and get the bacteria growing in the gravel. Have to get a kit for that will test ph, nitrate, nitrites and ammonia.

 

http://photos.viykor.com/albums/aquaponics/normal_ibc13.jpg

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http://photos.viykor.com/albums/aquaponics/normal_ibc24.jpg

http://photos.viykor.com/albums/aquaponics/normal_ibc28.jpg

http://photos.viykor.com/albums/aquaponics/normal_ibc31.jpg

http://photos.viykor.com/albums/aquaponics/normal_ibc32.jpg