Hi everyone , Im New to Aquaponics :).

[Danny Daniel]

Hi Im new to aquaponics and i saw this forum and liked it :) very informative. the idea of aquaponics really got my attention, Im also planning on going commercial once i understand aquaponics enough. 

 

 

To start off my first system is a "Tote" system I have it almost setup, but when i put the water in the grow bed i found some leaks, and it was late night already so i left this for tomorrow. I will put some pics up ASAP, Maybe some more advance users can give me some tips on my system once i get my pics up, im using a Bellsyphon. i think i have it built right didnt get a chance to try it yet :).

I have so many question i dunno where to begin LOL,

 

Also wondering if its ok if i add worms to the clay pebbles? if i do add worms would i have to add anything extra for the worms?

 

Also do i need a sump tank if im using a bellsyphon?

 

 

Thanks to everyone in advance for all the help.

 

 

[TCLynx]

Yep I would recommend adding worms,  I usually add a hand full of worms along with some of their worm castings to provide some good bacteria to get started with.  Now the worms won't have much to eat at the beginning so a fish food pellet per worm might be a nice thing to add if you haven't yet placed any plants or if the media is so clean there are no bits of leaves for the worms to eat (my gravel usually sits in a pile outside so even with washing I usually have bits of leaves in my beds.)

 

The important things with siphons is you need enough Fall below the bed that the siphon can manage to suck the water up and over the stand pipe to drain the bed and so the tank the bed drains into has to be low enough for the flows to work.  If your fish tank can't be low enough for that then you will probably need a sump tank.  Also, if you are flooding and draining more grow bed volume than you have fish tank volume, you may need a sump to handle the water level fluctuation or need some other means to handle the water level fluctuations.  (Sequencing or indexing valves can do this if you have a strong enough pump and a timer but then you wouldn't be needing siphons as it would be timed flood and drain.)

[Danny Daniel]

Thanks alot for the info :), the Fish tank is right under the grow bed,and the fish tank is about 175 gallons the grow bed is bout 60 gallons. I didnt have time to take pictures today to put them up but i will tomorrow, work is just keeping me so busy last few days.

 

Again thanks alot for the info :).

[Danny Daniel]

                   This is pretty much the whole set up, just not set up yet lol :)

             this is the bell siphon  ( i think i made it right If anything wrong please tell me)

       This is the bottom where the siphon is going to drain from, just added silicon waiting for it to try to see if LEAK is fixed.

    This is the grow bed

        This is inside the grow bed view of the hole i made for the siphon. This is the Fish tank which will go directly under the grow bed.

 

 

 

  I hope everything looks good for the first time :).  ( as i said this is my first time ever trying anything like this, so if anyone notices anything wrong or can give me some tips id appreciate it a lot. Thanks again ;).

[TCLynx]

If your siphon has trouble, put bigger holes in the bottom of the bell, most people simply cut out big crenelations instead of drilling holes.  You may also find the gravel guard to be a bit restrictive of water flow.  Test it all out with water before adding gravel since it's easier to make adjustments to the gravel guard before the gravel is in the way.

[Danny Daniel]

NICE thanks :)

 

 

ya i have been testing it out, but when i fill the grow bed with water, the plastic just bends in, i need to buy wood to put under the grow bed so it doesnt bend.