DaneJAH
Member
Hello guys, has anyone ever seen a micro aquaponic flood and drain aquarium? I like to keep things interesting my grow is becoming more complex and my Google searches most often bought me back here and as I've gone outside the knowledge of people I know I've decided to join.
I'm not the type to talk much on the Internet unless I've got something constructive enough to say, I mostly just lurk but this forum requires me to engage so unless it's about construction all I have is questions right now.
However it seems to me you guys are the best at problem solving/doing things without just throwing money at it so here goes with my project
This is the second cabinet I've built so far, the first is a run to waste system where I've used a 40 litre stainless sink filled with coco in a smaller but same sort of filing cabinet only I've added a base for the sink to fit in(a little pissed off at me at the moment but under control)
the plan for the aquaponic cabinet is to eventually have a low maintenance system by using auto dosers or an aquarium equivalent and have a secret little display of fish and buds. As I've developed an injury and I'm out of work this project keeps me productive and busy while I'm waiting to study engineering and design so I'll pretty much DIY everything.
At this point I have a 60cm x 60cm and 30cm deep aquarium and I've drilled a hole and installed a bell syphon that will drain about 150mm of the the aquarium water to an adjacent tank where it filters and pumps it back into the main tank.
I'm aware of some of the basic problems that will be addressed soon (reflective material, air intake/exhaust and the like) but basically I'm after people to tell me of any issues they can see with a design like this or aquaponics in general
I'm trying to recreate the diagram below by draining water into the adjacent tank and leaving it to sit with an airstone and a multi layered filtration system before rain feeding the grow bed in the main tank
I'm currently purchasing a few components every week just to keep me busy next purchase will be testing equipment for water, here's my current progress will update in 30 day (because I'm not aloud a grow journal)
1) So Ive decided to use coco over clay balls for now to provide the extra layer of filtration and beneficial microbes between the and plants and fish poo
2) as coco requires less floods this allows oxygen and microbes in the small tank to properly convert the ammonia. also I read that the fish poo comes across in the buds so I'm hoping all this filtration can prevent that if its true (which I doubt is true for some reasons)
3) I've decided to use 2 of the spinning rain feed nossles to maximise the water and coco contact potentially a few foliar spray nossle this will eventually fill the tank to the level of the auto siphon
4)As the height of the grow bed is higher than that of the tank below I expect that the water will be trying to excape the tray rather than being flooded by the water outside it however still maintain the effect of chasing the old air/gases out of the grow bed and sucking new air in.
5) I need to install a float switch to switch the pump off to allow the water to react I've seen products that can work with a bit of DIY but if anyone knows of a product that could make this easy would be great
6)fish for the tank, so far I've gathered some water from my mates pool pond that is teaming with life in his jungle backyard hoping to get the "beneficial microbes" people talk about but I still don't know much about. The island of mossy shit in the tank had a worm in it so I'm hoping this helps.
7)I've heard that fish require regular conditions but canabis growing requires nutrient conditions to change can I solve this by 1,long cycle canabis plants and slowly changing nutrient conditions to flower. 2,not sure if autoflower plants would work here,. 3,i have room to fit another tray on the right so could I transplant a plant ready to flower to another flood and drain tray that runs off a different tank?
I'm a big noob around here but this is my attempt to engage with the community and hopefully I can help other people, solve problems, learn and grow
I'm not the type to talk much on the Internet unless I've got something constructive enough to say, I mostly just lurk but this forum requires me to engage so unless it's about construction all I have is questions right now.
However it seems to me you guys are the best at problem solving/doing things without just throwing money at it so here goes with my project
This is the second cabinet I've built so far, the first is a run to waste system where I've used a 40 litre stainless sink filled with coco in a smaller but same sort of filing cabinet only I've added a base for the sink to fit in(a little pissed off at me at the moment but under control)
the plan for the aquaponic cabinet is to eventually have a low maintenance system by using auto dosers or an aquarium equivalent and have a secret little display of fish and buds. As I've developed an injury and I'm out of work this project keeps me productive and busy while I'm waiting to study engineering and design so I'll pretty much DIY everything.
At this point I have a 60cm x 60cm and 30cm deep aquarium and I've drilled a hole and installed a bell syphon that will drain about 150mm of the the aquarium water to an adjacent tank where it filters and pumps it back into the main tank.
I'm aware of some of the basic problems that will be addressed soon (reflective material, air intake/exhaust and the like) but basically I'm after people to tell me of any issues they can see with a design like this or aquaponics in general
I'm trying to recreate the diagram below by draining water into the adjacent tank and leaving it to sit with an airstone and a multi layered filtration system before rain feeding the grow bed in the main tank
I'm currently purchasing a few components every week just to keep me busy next purchase will be testing equipment for water, here's my current progress will update in 30 day (because I'm not aloud a grow journal)
1) So Ive decided to use coco over clay balls for now to provide the extra layer of filtration and beneficial microbes between the and plants and fish poo
2) as coco requires less floods this allows oxygen and microbes in the small tank to properly convert the ammonia. also I read that the fish poo comes across in the buds so I'm hoping all this filtration can prevent that if its true (which I doubt is true for some reasons)
3) I've decided to use 2 of the spinning rain feed nossles to maximise the water and coco contact potentially a few foliar spray nossle this will eventually fill the tank to the level of the auto siphon
4)As the height of the grow bed is higher than that of the tank below I expect that the water will be trying to excape the tray rather than being flooded by the water outside it however still maintain the effect of chasing the old air/gases out of the grow bed and sucking new air in.
5) I need to install a float switch to switch the pump off to allow the water to react I've seen products that can work with a bit of DIY but if anyone knows of a product that could make this easy would be great
6)fish for the tank, so far I've gathered some water from my mates pool pond that is teaming with life in his jungle backyard hoping to get the "beneficial microbes" people talk about but I still don't know much about. The island of mossy shit in the tank had a worm in it so I'm hoping this helps.
7)I've heard that fish require regular conditions but canabis growing requires nutrient conditions to change can I solve this by 1,long cycle canabis plants and slowly changing nutrient conditions to flower. 2,not sure if autoflower plants would work here,. 3,i have room to fit another tray on the right so could I transplant a plant ready to flower to another flood and drain tray that runs off a different tank?
I'm a big noob around here but this is my attempt to engage with the community and hopefully I can help other people, solve problems, learn and grow
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