Reduced Grow Bed and trying a Bio-filter

[Balakrishnan]

Hi,

Primarily I would like to grow Wheat Grass in aquaponics.

To my knowledge, the roots of wheat grass doesn't grow beyond 4 to 5 CM.

and spreading only sideways.

So I am thinking to use low height grow bed (mainly to reduce weight) say not more

than 6 CMs, and collect recycled water and let them pass through a Bio-Filter self made

with the following materials compactly stacked in a 4" PVC Pipe and then let it

recycled in the fish tank, will it work?

   a) Rock Gravel

   b) Seived Soil

   c) Bio-Char (Char-Coal)

 

Regards

 

[Alex Veidel]

What are you going to use that wheat grass for? If you're going to be using it for juicing, or for livestock fodder, you don't actually need an aquaponic system to do that. Wheat grass is just sprouted wheat, so all you need is water. If you're actually going to be growing it out to wheat form, then you'll need the aquaponic system.

[Scott Roberts]

You seem to think rock/soil/charcoal will fix everything..........     It won't. 

[Balakrishnan]

Yes I Have tried.   but it is boring and needs lot of care.   But my experiment with AP is good and easy.

So that I am trying this way.   I have already uploaded my video to youtube.  I tried here but it failed to upload.

soon I will retry.
 
Alex Veidel said:

What are you going to use that wheat grass for? If you're going to be using it for juicing, or for livestock fodder, you don't actually need an aquaponic system to do that. Wheat grass is just sprouted wheat, so all you need is water. If you're actually going to be growing it out to wheat form, then you'll need the aquaponic system.

[Jessica Johnson]

If you are only growing wheat grass I would just build long troughs about an inch wider then your fodder trays with a very slight down angle. Set up a sump and pump to keep the water flowing and top off once daily. With wheat grass you just need water, not AP. this would solve all the problems you posted this morning on 3 different topics. You don't need to remove chlorine or have a bio filter for wheat grass. I agree that growing fodder is boring and the watering 3x a day is time consuming. If you use the raceway system I outlined above it will reduce the care to only checking the water level and you don't have to water by hand anymore. It's kind of like a self watering planter. I would not recommend using AP to grow a lot of wheat grass because it makes the water very dirty.

[Jessica Johnson]

I found your YouTube video! So from the video I would like to say wow! Your doing a flood and drain DWC by hand (no pump). That takes so much work and dedication. I wanted to link your YouTube video so others can see it- http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HPQrMUJGFfI

[Don Stark]

I am growing mine in a flat container without any additional soil or media, using about 1/4 inch of seed that have soaked overnight and then spreading them flat and drip irrigating with AP water.  Great success so far

[Balakrishnan]

Correctly said.  Yes it dirts the water.  This I realized only and understood the reasons only after a long time.   I didn't visit this forum for quiet some time is also a drawback on my side.

I am trying AP for so many cultures not only Wheat Grass, at the same time giving WG a priority.

Since now I have become fully aware WG contaminates the water ( I think to the extent making it unsuitable for Aqua),

I am trying to experiment the same with a self made bio-filter.  (By the way my Bio Filter for my drinking water purposes is 90% success).

That is, the out going water  of WG  shall be let in the bio filter and am expecting a clean water from such filteration.

The design is yet to be made and watched for result.

One more problem with WG.   The roots rot very easily, so it think it need not be regularly irrigated.

If none of these experiments succeed, I will switch over to different crops.

I have lot of space vacant in the First Flour and Terrace in my very strong built house.

By Gods Grace, if everything succeeds step by step, my final size shall be 10000 liters of Aqua and sufficient Grow Beds to match that.

Thanks to every one for taking pain to reply my silly questions

 

 
Jessica Johnson said:

If you are only growing wheat grass I would just build long troughs about an inch wider then your fodder trays with a very slight down angle. Set up a sump and pump to keep the water flowing and top off once daily. With wheat grass you just need water, not AP. this would solve all the problems you posted this morning on 3 different topics. You don't need to remove chlorine or have a bio filter for wheat grass. I agree that growing fodder is boring and the watering 3x a day is time consuming. If you use the raceway system I outlined above it will reduce the care to only checking the water level and you don't have to water by hand anymore. It's kind of like a self watering planter. I would not recommend using AP to grow a lot of wheat grass because it makes the water very dirty.