Aquaponics

[Allen Jiang]

Just wondering if you need a bell siphon for an aquaponics system?

[Harold Sukhbir]

Hi Allen,

The answer is no a bell siphon is not exclusive for Aquaponics. There are other ways to design an AP system without using a bell. There are three main types of AP, Floating Raft or DWC(deep water culture), NFT(Nutrient film technique), and media based systems.Take a look at our photos(tab at top) and you'll see many different types of doing AP. We have a group with mixed designs here http://aquaponicscommunity.com/group/Combination

Also can you please read the info on the main page(left hand top Rules of thumb). The forums carry a huge range of topics as well.

[TCLynx]

Siphons are only required if you are wanting to do flood and drain media beds but running constant pumping.

If you wanted to run a pump on a timer you can avoid siphons and use simple stand pipes with some holes near the bottom so when the pump turns on the bed floods and can overflow down the top of the stand pipe and when the pump turns off the bed will slowly drain out the holes in the base of the stand pipe.

 

 

[Allen Jiang]

What if I use peat moss? Will that get into the water?

TCLynx said:

Siphons are only required if you are wanting to do flood and drain media beds but running constant pumping.

If you wanted to run a pump on a timer you can avoid siphons and use simple stand pipes with some holes near the bottom so when the pump turns on the bed floods and can overflow down the top of the stand pipe and when the pump turns off the bed will slowly drain out the holes in the base of the stand pipe.

 

 

[TCLynx]

Yes, peat moss will tend to get into the water.  Keeping peat moss back from the drain will be more of a challenge.  And it will likely stay way too wet for an aquaponics bed. 

Peat is likely to give you something like Mud in your grow beds.  It may cause low pH problems.  It might even make your water so dark you can't see the fish.

 

I don't think I would use peat as grow bed media.  It might work in a wicking bed situation but that is different.

[Allen Jiang]

So what should I use pebbles or perlite?

TCLynx said:

Yes, peat moss will tend to get into the water.  Keeping peat moss back from the drain will be more of a challenge.  And it will likely stay way too wet for an aquaponics bed. 

Peat is likely to give you something like Mud in your grow beds.  It may cause low pH problems.  It might even make your water so dark you can't see the fish.

 

I don't think I would use peat as grow bed media.  It might work in a wicking bed situation but that is different.

[TCLynx]

I like rocks.

1/2" river rock works as long as the rivers in your area are not full of limestone pebbles.

perlite tends to float and get into everything and get crushed then get into everything even more and it is too light to support much in the way of plants.  And the dust from perlite isn't good to breath and might not be good for the fish in their gills either.

[Allen Jiang]

would gravel serve the same purpose as pebbles?

[TCLynx]

Yes, as long as the gravel won't affect your pH.  To test that I would recommend rinsing some of the proposed gravel and then put a hand full of it in a glass of vinegar to see if it fizzes.

[Allen Jiang]

How much would rocks cost in Australia?

TCLynx said:

I like rocks.

1/2" river rock works as long as the rivers in your area are not full of limestone pebbles.

perlite tends to float and get into everything and get crushed then get into everything even more and it is too light to support much in the way of plants.  And the dust from perlite isn't good to breath and might not be good for the fish in their gills either.

[TCLynx]

Uhhh, OZZ is a big place I'm sure the prices vary greatly depending on the type of rocks and where you are getting them.

You might call around to landscape places and ask about 14-17 mm blue metal, Scoria, and river rock and see what they have available and for what prices.

[Allen Jiang]

would you find it at flower power?

[TCLynx]

What's Flower Power?