Want to learn more about Aquaponics? 🐟 🍓🥬🍅 Now you can with Rob's "Backyard Aquaponics for Beginners" Guide for only $9.95. You can see the guide in action on my website, ► www.bitsouttheback.com/aquaponics-guide Or, buy directly here, ► robbobaquaponics.retrieve.com/g/XL0J6T2P#/content/90525 Don't forget to hit that subscribe button if you want to be notified when new videos are posted to our channel. Cheers all & happy growing. 🐟 🍓 🌱
Thanks for taking the time to make these videos, i am just getting my IBC aquaponics system started, I am still gathering resources. Your videos are full of competent tips, and helps save me a lot of time while resourcing the materials, thank you very much.
I like the way you come up with all the little helpful tips in your videos like the one using the larger rocks around the siphon. I did a similar setup using lava rock thinking the crevasses would allow for more bacteria growth with clay on the top half. I also sorted out the larger pieces and used them as drainage rock around the yard.
+Jeff Sullivan Thanks Jeff. Would like to use the lava rock/scoria here but it's hard to find here. Folks down south seam to use it a bit thought. Hope the systems doing well. Cheers.
Clear, concise, informative and fun. Love your setups and ideas. New fan from up here in BC, Canada. Will be attempting an aquaponics system next year and thoroughly enjoy watching your videos.
The beds that are established are now doing fine. I have started some new beds and i’am letting them run for a couple of weeks before putting young plants into the clay balls. Thanks for the response you sure help a lot of people Rob keep up the fantastic work!!!
I noticed you corrected the issue in newer videos, but for everyone watching this, the installation of the bulkhead orings should all be inside the tote. lay down an oring, place the end cap, lay down the second oring, then put the bulkhead in. cheers!
I enjoyed a morning viewing of this video. My cat wanted me to thank you for keeping my attention engaged for the length of the video, as he benefited from a 19 minute scratch massage. Those folks who suggest you shorten the video might get a dog or cat to pet/scratch and cup of coffee to savor, then they can mullti-task while learning/enjoying the things you share!
😃 I'm glad you both got something from the clip Brian. I tried to make some fast clips on projects & sometimes all they do is raise more questions than they answered so decided to stick with the long format for them. All the best to you & your cat. Rob.
Hello mate, just wanna say your videos are great. I’m really learning. Just starting small for now with a simple fish tank set up. Thanks for all your help.
Thanks for the master class in home-scale aquaponics! You've really dialed it in!! Very inspiring. The teflon tape and screw tip was worth the price of admission all buy its self. I plan on using that for my drip irrigation.
Hi Rob, really good summary, just one point, as well as making sure to having enough water in the system is important, people need to understand that sometimes all the beds will empty at the same time, an if your sump is not big enough it will overflow. This is a problem that may not be apparent until you start missing fair volumes of water, hours, or days after you have added the grow bed.
Deborah Baird Hi Deborah & good point. With our system the sump would run dry first as its a split system & all water for the grow beds comes from there. Don't like to get to specific as I've seen folks run their pipes all different ways. One of the most elaborate ones had water pumped from a sump to beds above the FT & draining back into there while others below the FT get flow via gravity from the FT as well as from the pump in the sump. I posted the annotation on the 40-50% of total grow bed volume rule I like to use to calculate sump size to cover all the different ways folks like to plumb their systems. As long as they have a sump sized to that it shouldn't overflow or be pumped dry if topped up regularly. I know 40-50% is a bit more water than the beds need in a standard flood & drain arrangement like ours but it also gives you a extra volume in the sump to allow for covering the pump as well as to allow for water loss through transpiration & evaporation. Have seen folks not allow for enough water to cover the pump & end up having to cut another sump. Hope that all makes sense. Think I need a coffee ;-) Have a great one.
I really appreciate your videos, they are very informative. Someday this will all sink in and I will try something like this. More good luck and good growing!
+Austin Family Gardening Channel There are several factors in learning aquaponics. One place I found that succeeds in merging these is the Keiths Ponics Site (check it out on google) definately the most helpful info that I've seen. Check out this incredible resource.
I like your showing the cheaper rock under the clay pebbles. the clay pebbles are significantly more expensive than the basalt. And how to test the base rock. GREAT VIDEO!
Thank you for your excellent presentations. We need people like you to help the rest of us grow our own food. Just would like to know how deep is the lower rock and the upper clay pellets?
Awesome Update Rob as usual. I'll get back into my build in a couple of weekends. Thanks for the tip re the sump tank capacity - I may be a bit under capacity. Btw - those uniseals you sent wor very well. Have a great day. Ian
vtv8man Hi Ian & thanks mate. I figure it can never really hurt to over estimate the sump capacity. Worst case scenario is that you might end up with enough extra volume to set up a few more beds ;-) Cheers mate.
Looks good. I wish I had an electricity supply at my plot and I'd try something similar. Might give the non circulating hydroponic method a go though. Cheers, Dan.
***** Hey Dan. Have you got enough space left in the greenhouse? If I had the space I'd set up a Kratky style bed for greens just to compare it against the AP. Cheers mate
+Allotment Diary If you have space you could put in a gravity feed and a windmill / solar power to fill bob tank.. As in the bob tank like old school on stilts and then it gravity feeds the grow bed.. Might work, might take a bit of playing around but could end up costing nothing in power.
Rob you are the man.!! i think you enjoy designing/reconfiguring your system as much as you actually growing your own food.? how many "what ifs" do you come up with during the growing seasons?Have you looked into a woodchip/back to Eden garden yet?
you should have way more subs.you make great vids.and i just want to say thank you for all the time you put in these vids.i know this is a old vid but still is great info.
I am new to aquaponics and have become an instant fan of your youtube videos. I'm now doing the plumbing for my system (USA), however the pvc ball valves are very difficult for me to open and close. I noticed you have no problem turning your valves on and off. What type of valves are on your system, please?
Hi Flo. The blue handles valves I use come from a local mob & I think they're made by Sanking in China. www.sanking.cn/en/pdisp.asp?pid=1 I found these folks in the USA that stock what looks like the red handled version of my valves if that helps. |www.commercial-industrial-supply.com/valves/pvc/compact-ball-valves.html Hope that helps you out some & have fun with the build. 👍
Hey buddy, love your videos! Thank you for spending the extra time to share your experience. Would you happen to have a video that explains how you decided the feed amount / grow area / tank size? All that kind of stuff... thanks!
Looking great again there RobBobs Backyard Farming down our way the Mixed River Pebbles I used were half the price of Blue Metal, which I thought was strange, but good as there much better on the Fingers and Hands when planting out :-)
George Stephen Thanks George. Just double checked the price list & the river rock was only a few bob dearer. I must have been looking at the wrong price :-D How's your system going now it's s bit cooler down your way?
Plants are doing well, but lost a few more Goldies, even at -2.5C our coldest day the tank water was 7.9C PH 7.0 all other test fine, even had the water tested for any other bacterial problems all Fine, so cant fathem why losing fish Goldies are supposed to be resilient, my Dads Pond were fine for years and all he did was feed them lol, I saw Craid also lost some Trout for no apparent reason too ?? Bugger when that happens though
George Stephen Lost a few of our goldies here a couple of winters ago for no apparent reason in winter George. Ended up giving the rest away to friends with ponds. Water sounds like it's all good though. Hope they're the last you lose mate.
Thanks for watching folks & don't forget to click the subscribe button if you enjoyed the video. 🐟🐟 Share the clip around with family & friends if you think they'll enjoy it too. 👍 Cheers all & have a top one. 😊
in the video you talk about not using limestone, so its good to have an acidic environment? i thought limestone was good since it reduces acidity and augments the ph so it doesnt get too acid, so maybe i could add vinegar if the ph goes too high, and limestone powder if it gets too low?
@@IberianCraftsman Sorry I missed your post. Too much limestone will keep the pH high, great for fish, bad for nutrient uptake by the plants. It is always a bit of balancing act so that's why I prefer to use bases like calcium hydroxide that will; adjust the pH fast unlike limestone & garden lime.
@@IberianCraftsman Haven't tried rice as it's a fairly low yield for the space I could dedicate to it. I know that farmers in Asia integrate fish into their paddy fields though which is sort of aquaponics. Cheers.
@@RobsAquaponics thanks for the answer. by the way, i found all this acuatic plants (water chestnuts and rice) grow nicely in just the silicon buckets for mixing the concrete. like these one, they are cheap also: www.amazon.com/Tubtrugs-Large-Tub-Gallon-Blue/dp/B000A63M0O/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=silicon+bucket&qid=1572317154&sr=8-4
Thanks for the video. I'm very interested in getting started. Any specific dimensions, rules of thumb for bell siphons? Depth of overall siphon, relationship between height of siphon and and the depth to which the roots ideally will grow to? I hope this comment makes sense
Quick question. I am working with a 10' long by 6' wide green house. where 2' of it is not enclosed like the rest. I am currently dirt growing some starter veggies, and plan on soon converting over to aquaponics. Can you help me design my system where I would have a 110 gallon fish tank ( would also be my sump tank ), I would have 2 grow beds ( 15 gallon each ) with lava rock as base medium with pea gravel on top. using the flood and drain method for the beds. I am wondering what type of solid filter I can build, as well as if this sytem would adequately support 10 blue talipia, with the list below as the veggies I plan to grow in it.. beans, broccoli, tomatoes ( 2 types ), cucumbers, strawberries, celery, jalipinos, lavender, grapes, blueberries, corn, lettuce, watermelon, sunflowers, onion, peppermint, and a few other smaller ones.
Hi there. I would just stick with the larva rock as the pea gravel will just mix up through it over time. Canister style filters are great at removing the fine solids that are created when waste gets smashed up in a water pump. I have a clip on a DIY version that will give you some idea on how they work & how to build one, ► ruclips.net/video/HtMZRM3a5Fs/видео.html I would pump up to the filter then let it fill the beds which then drain back into your fish/sump tank. The feed given to 10 tilapia wouldn't support many of the larger growing plants you have listed but would support some leafy greens & the like. I hope that helps you out some & have fun with the build. Cheers.
Hi Rob, thanks for your awesome tutorials about aquaponic, the technology and the how-to-do's! I just tried to check the rocks i would like to use for the seedbed with the vinegar test as my access here in the Philippines is limited. I observed some bubbling in the beginning, pot. due to dirt, but after a few seconds it stopped. I'm just not sure, what this would mean for the quality of the rocks and if they are suitable to be used.
The bubbling should continue in a stream if there is a lot of carbonates in there Sim Ko. Nearly all the rock I tested bubbled for a little while while air escaped then stopped leading me to believe there was no carbonate s in there. It might pay for you to use a few different samples from the rock you have & see how it goes. Cheers.
nirvik singh Hi there. Planting straight into the rocks is fine. We have a few in the cloth root pouches but that's more to try & keep the roots of some of the larger plants contained. Cheers.
Hello from Noth Carolina! I have just built my first ibc tote aquaponic grow station. No fish, no plants yet. I have a question about the drain and fill time of my setup. I have no grow media in right now so it takes a little under an hour to fill and drain. My question is once I get the stone in, do you think I will be able to get maybe 3 or 4 drain and fill cycles in under an hour? Thanks Rob! I love watching your videos, I have learned a lot. Keep up the good work. Chris
Hi mate, watched a few good video's that have given me a great understanding and furthered my experimentation. real simple question. how did the angled trellis go? I dont know why i havent tried it myself! Cheers for all the info and top work. Ash, Adelaide SA
Hi Ash & thanks. 👍 The trellis worked really well. I would really like another 3'/1m of height under the hoops though so the plants could of grown to their full potential. Hope your system is doing well & happy growing. 🌱🌱
Hi Rob, Awsome channel ! Thanks for all the information you are throwing out throught your channel. What are you thoughts on Coconut fiber as a grow bed ? Many thanks
I probably wouldn't use it as it would decompose fairly quickly in our climate Jean. I have seen some folks use it as media in the small net cups for fast growing greens crops & it looked to work OK. 👍
G'day Rob, Your insight and innovation is inspiring. Just had a couple of questions: What flow rate would you recommend for one IBC grow bed/fish tank? What pump would you suggest to use? And do you have a 12v solution, should the intended final location of the IBC grow bed/tank be out of practical range of a 240v PowerPoint? Potentially a solar setup? Cheers Rob
Hey Rob. i like the water volume in the fish tank to be run through the bio filters/grow beds at least 1.5 times an hour. So that would mean a 1000L/265gal IBC needs 1500lph/395gal of flow rate into the tank so that much can leave to be processed in the beds/bio filter. I don't have any 12v pumps I could recommend sorry. I would stay away from the cheap bilge style pumps as they aren't made for continual use & could burn out fast. Most folks I know run 18v as there's more options. Might be best to ask at a local pond store to see whats available & they would recommend. Hope that helps some.
Rob, I have 4 half barrels for grow beds I cut from 55 gal drums and are filled with the clay balls. Each grow bed takes about an hour to cycle water. Is that too slow allowing too much water for plants?
The ground does insulate well but I am unaware of any studies showing the best methods to obtain the best temperature stability sorry Ian My thoughts are that if you have a lot of water exposed to the air that will have a big impact on temperature swings as well. Cheers mate.
Hi Rob, first off all thank you for awesome videos! Great work ! I have one question, my grow bed pebbles goes up and down 2inches when water is pumped and drain. Should I add more pebbles or lower drain point of siphon?
A lot of folks have that issue until the clay absorbs some water Jakub. It can take anything from a few days to a few weeks for them to do so. Sorry it took so long to get back to you.
hi i am willard from the other chanel ebandera.i send comment here because i will be using this channel from now on i do like to maintain comunication with you on aquaponics.
I just started my first aquaponics system and used the clay balls. They are moving up and down with the water flow. Will this slowdown when the clay soaks up some water
Hey rob I have a question for ya I have a system (three bed drain in the a sump, fish tank with a slow) it's bin around f 30 to 35 Celsius and I'm not sure if I have a leak or if the water is evaporating / being used by the plant how much water do you add biweekly roughly thanks man iv bin watching your videos for years now
Prairie aquaponics Hi Mate. During summer here we get similar temps & add anywhere up to 300L every 7-10 days when it was just the 3 large beds & the 2 ginger barrels. . Depends on how densely the systems been planted out & from the look of your last clip it looks well stocked :-) Most folks I've talked to say their system uses a lot more than the "10% of the water used in conventional farming methods" others claim if that helps any ;-) Hope that helps a bit mate.
RobBobs Backyard Farming thanks and I would say I'm right in the same margins, and I crawled around and did not find any wet soil. Thanks for the help.
Where do people buy those bulkhead fittings? What are they specifically called? I cant find them at any local hardware stores and the people who work at home depot etc are no help at all
I found this if it helps any RM, www.homedepot.com/p/PlumbPro-3-4-in-Water-Tank-Outlet-Fitting-3025/202286663 I have some listed on my Amazon page as well. www.amazon.com/shop/bnbob01?listId=7XUW22JNCA00 Keep in mind that I receive advertising fees from Amazon Services LLC as I'm a member of their Influencer/Associates Program. Hope that helps some. 👍 👍
Hello hello how can you add the azola plant with the rock filter under the roots because it feeds on the ammonia fish droppings and thanks Sedak Mashaal from Kuwait
Hi Sedak. It's best to have azolla in a tank with just water & no media as it floats on the water surface. One issue you may have is stopping the azolla from exiting via the drain pipework. Cheers.
Insulation wrap to stop algae from forming on the walls. Most folks will paint or clad them with tin or timber, I just used what I had on hand. Cheers mate.
Rob thanks for your vids and info on all you do with aquaponics. Hey just today, i have gone for your bell siphon. Bit of pissing round, back and forward to your video :-) but got it going. NOW, heres the drama, with just the water in the top tank, all was going well. It ran 3 times and all 3 the siphon worked but once i put the gravel in, it dont seem to be cutting off. I looked down the guts, thinking bit of gravel may have got in but nothing. Has me baffled as to why it was going good, but with the fill in, it isnt cutting off completely. Any idea Rob?
Hi there SCSW. The siphons will work differently when there is media in the beds. 👍You'll find that the gravel holds onto a bit of the water so it takes a bit longer to fully drain. Sounds like you just need to dial back the inflow to the beds a bit & see how it goes from there. Hope that helps some. Cheers.
Hey Rob thanks mate, all seems to be going well now. I did a couple things, one.. the bottom feed line, coming from the elbow, i trimmed it back a little, that made a slight difference but the other thing, i have a suspicion maybe wind was interfering with the bell siphon. I put a shield up and BINGO, the siphon has been going good since doing those couple things. I think mine, every 3 minutes is dropping and loading. Thanks Rob ;-)
I can get either lava rock or river rock #8. Their is a major cost difference. So which is better and is the lava rock worth the extra cost over the river rock.
The lava rock will be a lot lighter to work with so that's one plus. It can be a bit of a pain to clean as it's filled with loads of small holes & pockets. River rock is smooth but is a lot heavier to work with. Can't really decide for you but I hope those points help a bit. Cheers.
Hey Justin. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on the brand & sometimes different batches of the same product (due to firing temps of the cay etc). Most of ours settled down within a weeks here. Hope that helps some.
Are you running a single pump or multiple pumps? What is the GPH rating on the pump(s) you are running? I'm thinking of getting a second pump, so that I have one just for the fish tank and the other for the grow beds. That way there is plenty of pressure hitting the venturi in the fish tank. I have 2 grow beds, a sump, and a fish tank with a 800ish gph pump. I should add, my pump has about a 3ft head.
exeseven The pump I'm using is a 10,000lph/2641gph (US) Resun pump at the moment in a split flow configuration. Have 3 venturis running from that one pump with no issues. Have a bit of a better explanation here if that helps . ruclips.net/video/N4mYcUvZ9cw/видео.html Cheers mate.
RobBobs Backyard Farming Hey Rob, glad to see you post a new vid! Perfect timing! Just got my Tank and Filters up and running and started my fishless cycling and now I'm about to start working on the grow beds! Getting pretty excited about getting some fish and plants in! Hey BTW, I sent you a response to our last conversation on the messenger. Talk at ya later!
Hi Rob , thanks for all the helpful tips and great videos ! Got 4 IBC grow beds I need to fill and like the idea of using rock in the bottom and then the clay ! My only concern is cleaning it . How will you do it ? Cheers Mate !
Hi Digger. Cleaning would be a bit harder with the rock but hopefully it would only be a job you need to do every 5+ years if the solids are dealt with elsewhere. I'll be skimming off the clay the probably using a pressure washer to loosen the solids from the rock layer & flush them out. That's the [plan for now but it may change between now & then. Cheers mate.
***** Cost & carbon foot print both come into it Jay. All the clay gets made in Europe & shipped over so it cost around $1AU a litre if bought by a single bag. I got it quite a bit cheaper as I bought in bulk to help mate out ;) Cheers mate & hope all's well with you all.
I did at the start but they were either eaten by the goldfish & each other en they moulted or escaped the tank. 😣 I also ran the pH too low for them so would run them in a dedicated system if I was to grow them again. Cheers mate.
You certainly can. Chlorine will off-gas & you can use ascorbic acid to remove them both. I can't find the link to the US Forestry service page where I originally found the information but this Aussie water filter site has the relevant amounts to use listed if it helps any. www.waterfiltersaustralia.com.au/blog/chloramines-and-vitamin-c/
Hi Mate. Some folks will run on a timer but then they don't tend to use bell siphons. They will have a stand pipe that has a small hole drilled in the base that will allow the bed to drain while the pump is off. The main concern as I see it with a system like that is that the water from the fish tank still needs to be run through the beds (bio filters) at lest 1.5 times an hour so the water has time to be cleaned up. Hope that helps some.
2ebandera Hi again. Just saw this post. Haven't had many issues with them lately. If I did I'd use a BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) bacteria based spray to keep them under control. Its safe for fish, mammals, amphibians & birds. Is safe to use of certified organic farms as well. The other option would be to net the area off which may happen in the future at some point. Hope that helps some.
Quick question Rob i do water bores for a living and as a rule we dont use ( blue metal ) or crushed basalt because over time as it can react with the water and release ARGON gas do you think this would be the case here as well ? cheers mate loving the vids big help with my set up as im only just starting out super keen keep up the good work . Benno
Hi Benno. That's the first time I've heard that so have no idea sorry mate. I know many in the aquaponics community have been using blue metal here in Aus for years & haven't heard of any issues. Is it due to the pH in the bore water or other elements? Cheers.
Gday Rob Thx for the reply mate . Have done some research and asked another driller who has 20+ years in the well drilling industry and have come to the conclusion that the rock breaks down over time releasing Agron gas in small amounts into the water ( we are talking over 5, 10, 20 years ) as the water flows through it whether or not this is sped up in aquaponics because of the amount of water flow or PH know one knows. tho i have found out that the ( Diazotrophs ) bacteria that absorb nitrogen in water and convert it to Ammonia can absorb Argon and produce Ammonia as well in what amount i couldnt tell ..... learn something every day .Cheers Rob Benno
I think it may break down fairly rapidly Anish. I haven't seen anyone use it successfully in the larger grow beds. I wish you all the best if you try it though. 👍
Hi Omar & thanks 😊 You can use sand as an aquaponic grow bed but it does tend to collect a lot of solids if they're not filtered out first. I personally wouldn't as I found cleaning out clay media from a clogged up bed hard enough. Cheers mate.
Looks great mate, just wanted to know what the three fawn colour drums are behind the grow bed. I mean what brand type, not the function. Cheers. I have subscribed to your channel.
+FLBRGZ Thanks mate. They are from a supplier here in SE Queensland Australia called Strongform Industrial. strongformindustrial.com.au/products/products/industrial-tanks-sizes-60l-1000l/ They have outlets down south as well if you're in Australia. Hope that helps. Cheers.
Hi Craig. Sorry I missed the post mate. A lot of folks on the different forums prefer it to clay due to the price. Would use it here if I could find it cheap enough. The beets should grow fine but the carrots might come out a bit wonky ;) Cheers mate.
Am having problems with the aquaponics syste. I followed your video but the system isn't draining. Does the bed have to be a minimal depth for the siphon to work properly?
If the siphon isn't initiating you may need water into the bed so just turn the inflow up a bit until the siphon initiates. If the siphon isn't breaking but the bed is almost empty you may need to slow the in flow down by turning the tap off a bit. Is a bit hard to pin down the reason for sure without seeing it as there could be issues with the drain pipe under the bed being on a slight upwards angle or it could be the way the bell is constructed. Do you have any clips or pictures of it online I could check out?
Tony McKessar Hi Tony. Both have their place in the system I think. For running large holes through tanks & filters I prefer the uniseals. For the smaller fittings like the base of the grow beds I like the bulkheads. I do have one grow bed with a uniseal in the bell assembly but am not 100% happy with it, it's just not sitting right. I have used uniseals for water lines flowing into tanks as well as bulkheads with no preference for either in that situation. Uniseals normally win over as they are cheaper & more adaptable than a threaded bulkhead. Hope that helps some mate.
Have had a few leak here that wen't cleaned properly in the past. Can be a real pain to fix once the bed's full of clay ;-) Cheers Bud & have a great one mate.
Want to learn more about Aquaponics? 🐟 🍓🥬🍅
Now you can with Rob's "Backyard Aquaponics for Beginners" Guide for only $9.95.
You can see the guide in action on my website,
► www.bitsouttheback.com/aquaponics-guide
Or, buy directly here,
► robbobaquaponics.retrieve.com/g/XL0J6T2P#/content/90525
Don't forget to hit that subscribe button if you want to be notified when new videos are posted to our channel.
Cheers all & happy growing. 🐟 🍓 🌱
Sir, can we plant the asparagus on that system?
@@ngajiprogres I have seen some folks grow awesome looking asparagus in aquaponics. They did have slightly deeper beds than I do though.
Thanks for taking the time to make these videos, i am just getting my IBC aquaponics system started, I am still gathering resources. Your videos are full of competent tips, and helps save me a lot of time while resourcing the materials, thank you very much.
Am glad they've helped some mark.
Cheers & have fun with the build. 👍👍
I like the way you come up with all the little helpful tips in your videos like the one using the larger rocks around the siphon. I did a similar setup using lava rock thinking the crevasses would allow for more bacteria growth with clay on the top half. I also sorted out the larger pieces and used them as drainage rock around the yard.
+Jeff Sullivan
Thanks Jeff. Would like to use the lava rock/scoria here but it's hard to find here. Folks down south seam to use it a bit thought.
Hope the systems doing well.
Cheers.
Clear, concise, informative and fun. Love your setups and ideas. New fan from up here in BC, Canada.
Will be attempting an aquaponics system next year and thoroughly enjoy watching your videos.
Hi there & thanks. 🙂
I should have a few more helpful aquaponic clips out before you have a crack at a system if all goes well.
Cheers & all the best.
The beds that are established are now doing fine. I have started some new beds and i’am letting them run for a couple of weeks before putting young plants into the clay balls. Thanks for the response you sure help a lot of people Rob keep up the fantastic work!!!
No problem Frank. 👍
Cheers & all the best with the system.
That wide mouth into a narrower pipe to help initiate the syphon is a great idea. I think that is going to solve (one of) my problems. Thank you.
Glad the clip helped you out some.
Cheers & hope the system is running well for you.
Glad I have watched this video, my current system uses rocks and no hydroton/clay. I'd be adding some clay to my setup soon. Thank Rob!
I noticed you corrected the issue in newer videos, but for everyone watching this, the installation of the bulkhead orings should all be inside the tote. lay down an oring, place the end cap, lay down the second oring, then put the bulkhead in.
cheers!
you are very good at explaining what and how to do it. good gardening and thank you
frank gorbey Thanks Frank & hope the clips help you out in some way.
Cheers & all the best.
Rob.
RobBobs Backyard Farming yes every time I watch your clips I learn something. thank you again
Got me two IBC totes:) Getting things going!
RobBobs Backyard Farming, I always love the videos! Thank you!
+Home Farm Ideas
Thanks mate & sorry I miss your comment.
Cheers.
It's okay:) The more fans I get the harder it is to get to them all so I get it my friend.
O by the by,love your videos,I have found you to be more informative than any others I've looked at.cant wait to get going on my system
Great information, Rob! The aquaponic grow bed looks great.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening
Thanks Patrick. Have a few more beetroot in there now ;)
Cheer sir.
I enjoyed a morning viewing of this video. My cat wanted me to thank you for keeping my attention engaged for the length of the video, as he benefited from a 19 minute scratch massage. Those folks who suggest you shorten the video might get a dog or cat to pet/scratch and cup of coffee to savor, then they can mullti-task while learning/enjoying the things you share!
😃 I'm glad you both got something from the clip Brian. I tried to make some fast clips on projects & sometimes all they do is raise more questions than they answered so decided to stick with the long format for them.
All the best to you & your cat.
Rob.
Hey Rob, great video, would love to see another garden tour, I all ways love seeing those :) keep up the nice work
Peter-John Gerber Hi Peter & thanks. Will get to a walk through clip soon hopefully.
Cheers & all the best.
Hello mate, just wanna say your videos are great. I’m really learning. Just starting small for now with a simple fish tank set up. Thanks for all your help.
Am glad the clips are helping you out mate. 👍
Cheers & happy growing. 🌱🌱
Thanks for the master class in home-scale aquaponics! You've really dialed it in!! Very inspiring.
The teflon tape and screw tip was worth the price of admission all buy its self. I plan on using that for my drip irrigation.
realrasher Thanks & glad you got something from the clip.
Have fun setting up the irrigation. Is it on an AP system or in a soil garden?
Cheers.
Hi Rob, really good summary, just one point, as well as making sure to having enough water in the system is important, people need to understand that sometimes all the beds will empty at the same time, an if your sump is not big enough it will overflow. This is a problem that may not be apparent until you start missing fair volumes of water, hours, or days after you have added the grow bed.
Deborah Baird Hi Deborah & good point. With our system the sump would run dry first as its a split system & all water for the grow beds comes from there.
Don't like to get to specific as I've seen folks run their pipes all different ways. One of the most elaborate ones had water pumped from a sump to beds above the FT & draining back into there while others below the FT get flow via gravity from the FT as well as from the pump in the sump.
I posted the annotation on the 40-50% of total grow bed volume rule I like to use to calculate sump size to cover all the different ways folks like to plumb their systems. As long as they have a sump sized to that it shouldn't overflow or be pumped dry if topped up regularly.
I know 40-50% is a bit more water than the beds need in a standard flood & drain arrangement like ours but it also gives you a extra volume in the sump to allow for covering the pump as well as to allow for water loss through transpiration & evaporation. Have seen folks not allow for enough water to cover the pump & end up having to cut another sump.
Hope that all makes sense. Think I need a coffee ;-)
Have a great one.
Another great video. Half way through making one of your ibc aquaponics setups. Great idea and am enjoying it
Nice one Justin. Hope the clips are giving you a few useful ideas.
Cheers & have a top one.
I really appreciate your videos, they are very informative. Someday this will all sink in and I will try something like this. More good luck and good growing!
justgivemethetruth Hi There & thanks. Let me know if you want any info if/when the time comes.
Cheers & all the best.
Great job explaining on what to use !
***** Thanks Larry.
Cheers mate.
+Austin Family Gardening Channel There are several factors in learning aquaponics. One place I found that succeeds in merging these is the Keiths Ponics Site (check it out on google) definately the most helpful info that I've seen. Check out this incredible resource.
I like your showing the cheaper rock under the clay pebbles. the clay pebbles are significantly more expensive than the basalt. And how to test the base rock. GREAT VIDEO!
+John Galt
Thanks John. Does make setting up a bed a lot lighter on the hip pocket ;)
Cheers mate.
Thank you for your excellent presentations. We need people like you to help the rest of us grow our own food. Just would like to know how deep is the lower rock and the upper clay pellets?
I think I half filled the bed so about 6"/150mm Randy. 👍
Looks good Rob! Always a pleasure.
N. Serra Hi there & thanks.
Cheers.
Great how to video! Allot of great tips. Thanks for sharing Rob.
Aceman307 Hi mate & no problem. Hope it gives you a few ideas you can tweak for your own system.
Have a great one.
Awesome Update Rob as usual.
I'll get back into my build in a couple of weekends. Thanks for the tip re the sump tank capacity - I may be a bit under capacity.
Btw - those uniseals you sent wor very well. Have a great day. Ian
vtv8man Hi Ian & thanks mate.
I figure it can never really hurt to over estimate the sump capacity. Worst case scenario is that you might end up with enough extra volume to set up a few more beds ;-)
Cheers mate.
Looks good.
I wish I had an electricity supply at my plot and I'd try something similar.
Might give the non circulating hydroponic method a go though.
Cheers, Dan.
***** Hey Dan. Have you got enough space left in the greenhouse?
If I had the space I'd set up a Kratky style bed for greens just to compare it against the AP.
Cheers mate
+Allotment Diary If you have space you could put in a gravity feed and a windmill / solar power to fill bob tank.. As in the bob tank like old school on stilts and then it gravity feeds the grow bed.. Might work, might take a bit of playing around but could end up costing nothing in power.
Thanks for the tips mate! I really love your setup...thanks for showing the world what you do.
Eco Oasis No problem mate.
Hope all's well over your way.
Eco Oasis lo
I learned a lot from your videos thanks for the information.
Glad I could help some.
Cheers.
Rob you are the man.!! i think you enjoy designing/reconfiguring your system as much as you actually growing your own food.? how many "what ifs" do you come up with during the growing seasons?Have you looked into a woodchip/back to Eden garden yet?
great tip using the vinegar to test at the shop before buying, thanks
No problem Alf.
Cheers mate & all the best.
Great video mate. Thanks for taking the time to share it
Ben Jamin
Hi Ben & no problem mate.
Hope the weekend is treating you well.
Cheers.
you should have way more subs.you make great vids.and i just want to say thank you for all the time you put in these vids.i know this is a old vid but still is great info.
Thanks RT4U. 👍🙂 Hope they've been able to give you a few useful ideas mate.
Cheers & happy growing. 🌱🌱
Rob,
Thanks again for stating sizing of pipe in both metric and standard.
***** Hi Ron & no problem mate.
Hope all's well with you.
Rob.
I am new to aquaponics and have become an instant fan of your youtube videos. I'm now doing the plumbing for my system (USA), however the pvc ball valves are very difficult for me to open and close. I noticed you have no problem turning your valves on and off. What type of valves are on your system, please?
Hi Flo. The blue handles valves I use come from a local mob & I think they're made by Sanking in China.
www.sanking.cn/en/pdisp.asp?pid=1
I found these folks in the USA that stock what looks like the red handled version of my valves if that helps.
|www.commercial-industrial-supply.com/valves/pvc/compact-ball-valves.html
Hope that helps you out some & have fun with the build. 👍
Thank you.
Thanks for explaining how this set up works Rob.....Um interesting, I keep fish in my spring and this could be the way forward.
Graham R Dyer No problem Graham. What sort of fish do you have in the spring ?
RobBobs Backyard Farming Brown Carp And some Blue things ?
Hey buddy, love your videos! Thank you for spending the extra time to share your experience. Would you happen to have a video that explains how you decided the feed amount / grow area / tank size? All that kind of stuff... thanks!
Looks great. I look forward to updates.
***** Thanks Rob & glad you're enjoying the clips.
Cheers mate & have a great one.
very interesting video i enjoyed the build thanks for sharing rob.
all the best mate
OverGrowTheUK - Allotment Gardening Thanks mate.
All the best to you too,
Cheers.
Looking great again there RobBobs Backyard Farming down our way the Mixed River Pebbles I used were half the price of Blue Metal, which I thought was strange, but good as there much better on the Fingers and Hands when planting out :-)
George Stephen Thanks George.
Just double checked the price list & the river rock was only a few bob dearer. I must have been looking at the wrong price :-D
How's your system going now it's s bit cooler down your way?
Plants are doing well, but lost a few more Goldies, even at -2.5C our coldest day the tank water was 7.9C PH 7.0 all other test fine, even had the water tested for any other bacterial problems all Fine, so cant fathem why losing fish Goldies are supposed to be resilient, my Dads Pond were fine for years and all he did was feed them lol, I saw Craid also lost some Trout for no apparent reason too ?? Bugger when that happens though
George Stephen Lost a few of our goldies here a couple of winters ago for no apparent reason in winter George. Ended up giving the rest away to friends with ponds. Water sounds like it's all good though.
Hope they're the last you lose mate.
George Stephen Is great to hear the plants are doing OK though :-)
Thanks for watching folks & don't forget to click the subscribe button if you enjoyed the video. 🐟🐟
Share the clip around with family & friends if you think they'll enjoy it too. 👍
Cheers all & have a top one. 😊
Rob Bob's Aquaponics & Backyard Farm i was wondering, have you ever tried growing rice with acuaponics?
in the video you talk about not using limestone, so its good to have an acidic environment? i thought limestone was good since it reduces acidity and augments the ph so it doesnt get too acid, so maybe i could add vinegar if the ph goes too high, and limestone powder if it gets too low?
@@IberianCraftsman Sorry I missed your post.
Too much limestone will keep the pH high, great for fish, bad for nutrient uptake by the plants. It is always a bit of balancing act so that's why I prefer to use bases like calcium hydroxide that will; adjust the pH fast unlike limestone & garden lime.
@@IberianCraftsman Haven't tried rice as it's a fairly low yield for the space I could dedicate to it. I know that farmers in Asia integrate fish into their paddy fields though which is sort of aquaponics.
Cheers.
@@RobsAquaponics thanks for the answer.
by the way, i found all this acuatic plants (water chestnuts and rice) grow nicely in just the silicon buckets for mixing the concrete.
like these one, they are cheap also:
www.amazon.com/Tubtrugs-Large-Tub-Gallon-Blue/dp/B000A63M0O/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=silicon+bucket&qid=1572317154&sr=8-4
Thanks for sharing. Really cool. I will try it similar
Nice one Hans.
Hope the build goes smoothly for you. 👍
I just love your set up! Great video!
+David Morales
Thanks David.
All the best mate.
Great video Rob. Always interesting.
The Productive Garden Cheers John.
Have a great weekend mate.
Thanks for the video. I'm very interested in getting started. Any specific dimensions, rules of thumb for bell siphons? Depth of overall siphon, relationship between height of siphon and and the depth to which the roots ideally will grow to? I hope this comment makes sense
I see you found the other clip on the siphons. 👍
Hope the system is coming along well.
Cheers Jason.
Quick question.
I am working with a 10' long by 6' wide green house. where 2' of it is not enclosed like the rest.
I am currently dirt growing some starter veggies, and plan on soon converting over to aquaponics.
Can you help me design my system where I would have a 110 gallon fish tank ( would also be my sump tank ), I would have 2 grow beds ( 15 gallon each ) with lava rock as base medium with pea gravel on top.
using the flood and drain method for the beds.
I am wondering what type of solid filter I can build, as well as if this sytem would adequately support 10 blue talipia, with the list below as the veggies I plan to grow in it..
beans, broccoli, tomatoes ( 2 types ), cucumbers, strawberries, celery, jalipinos, lavender, grapes, blueberries, corn, lettuce, watermelon, sunflowers, onion, peppermint, and a few other smaller ones.
Hi there.
I would just stick with the larva rock as the pea gravel will just mix up through it over time.
Canister style filters are great at removing the fine solids that are created when waste gets smashed up in a water pump. I have a clip on a DIY version that will give you some idea on how they work & how to build one,
► ruclips.net/video/HtMZRM3a5Fs/видео.html
I would pump up to the filter then let it fill the beds which then drain back into your fish/sump tank.
The feed given to 10 tilapia wouldn't support many of the larger growing plants you have listed but would support some leafy greens & the like.
I hope that helps you out some & have fun with the build.
Cheers.
Hi Rob, thanks for your awesome tutorials about aquaponic, the technology and the how-to-do's! I just tried to check the rocks i would like to use for the seedbed with the vinegar test as my access here in the Philippines is limited. I observed some bubbling in the beginning, pot. due to dirt, but after a few seconds it stopped. I'm just not sure, what this would mean for the quality of the rocks and if they are suitable to be used.
The bubbling should continue in a stream if there is a lot of carbonates in there Sim Ko.
Nearly all the rock I tested bubbled for a little while while air escaped then stopped leading me to believe there was no carbonate s in there.
It might pay for you to use a few different samples from the rock you have & see how it goes.
Cheers.
do you need net basket?can we grow directly in the rocks,i mean without net basket?
nirvik singh Hi there.
Planting straight into the rocks is fine. We have a few in the cloth root pouches but that's more to try & keep the roots of some of the larger plants contained.
Cheers.
thanks!yeah i'll try it.thanks for the information :)
Hello from Noth Carolina! I have just built my first ibc tote aquaponic grow station. No fish, no plants yet. I have a question about the drain and fill time of my setup. I have no grow media in right now so it takes a little under an hour to fill and drain. My question is once I get the stone in, do you think I will be able to get maybe 3 or 4 drain and fill cycles in under an hour? Thanks Rob! I love watching your videos, I have learned a lot. Keep up the good work.
Chris
nice system video i enjoyed the build thanks for sharing
Cheers Adam 👍
Hello
What do you put outside protecting the containers?
keep up the good work
I use a foil house insulation wrap as I was given a roll. 👍 I always intended to clad the beds with timber but never got around to it. 😕😬
Cheers.
Hi mate, watched a few good video's that have given me a great understanding and furthered my experimentation. real simple question. how did the angled trellis go? I dont know why i havent tried it myself! Cheers for all the info and top work. Ash, Adelaide SA
Hi Ash & thanks. 👍
The trellis worked really well. I would really like another 3'/1m of height under the hoops though so the plants could of grown to their full potential.
Hope your system is doing well & happy growing. 🌱🌱
absolutely Fantastic! great video thumbs up
+Naturezapitty cia Hi there & thanks.
Have a great one.
Hi Rob,
Awsome channel ! Thanks for all the information you are throwing out throught your channel.
What are you thoughts on Coconut fiber as a grow bed ?
Many thanks
I probably wouldn't use it as it would decompose fairly quickly in our climate Jean. I have seen some folks use it as media in the small net cups for fast growing greens crops & it looked to work OK. 👍
great videos, very informative!
Cheers Stephen. Hope they help you out some.
Have a top one.
G'day Rob,
Your insight and innovation is inspiring.
Just had a couple of questions:
What flow rate would you recommend for one IBC grow bed/fish tank?
What pump would you suggest to use?
And do you have a 12v solution, should the intended final location of the IBC grow bed/tank be out of practical range of a 240v PowerPoint? Potentially a solar setup?
Cheers
Rob
Hey Rob. i like the water volume in the fish tank to be run through the bio filters/grow beds at least 1.5 times an hour. So that would mean a 1000L/265gal IBC needs 1500lph/395gal of flow rate into the tank so that much can leave to be processed in the beds/bio filter.
I don't have any 12v pumps I could recommend sorry. I would stay away from the cheap bilge style pumps as they aren't made for continual use & could burn out fast. Most folks I know run 18v as there's more options.
Might be best to ask at a local pond store to see whats available & they would recommend.
Hope that helps some.
Rob,
I have 4 half barrels for grow beds I cut from 55 gal drums and are filled with the clay balls. Each grow bed takes about an hour to cycle water. Is that too slow allowing too much water for plants?
Hi. Is there any proof that burying the sump tank can help regulate the temperature swings. We often get 20 degree changes in a day.
The ground does insulate well but I am unaware of any studies showing the best methods to obtain the best temperature stability sorry Ian My thoughts are that if you have a lot of water exposed to the air that will have a big impact on temperature swings as well.
Cheers mate.
Hi Rob, first off all thank you for awesome videos! Great work !
I have one question, my grow bed pebbles goes up and down 2inches when water is pumped and drain. Should I add more pebbles or lower drain point of siphon?
A lot of folks have that issue until the clay absorbs some water Jakub. It can take anything from a few days to a few weeks for them to do so.
Sorry it took so long to get back to you.
hi i am willard from the other chanel ebandera.i send comment here because i will be using this channel from now on i do like to maintain comunication with you on aquaponics.
Willy Taylor Hi Willard & no problem mate.
Have a great one.
Hey Rob bob,
Would you please share, how to calculate media bed Hydroton capacity.
Thanks
Hi Mona. I go through the media volume : fish stocking rates on this video if it helps any,
ruclips.net/video/MeYtUfBKwNo/видео.html
I just started my first aquaponics system and used the clay balls. They are moving up and down with the water flow. Will this slowdown when the clay soaks up some water
Sorry I missed this Frank. The clay normally takes a few weeks to absorb enough water to stop them floating.
How are they doing now?
Hey rob I have a question for ya I have a system (three bed drain in the a sump, fish tank with a slow) it's bin around f 30 to 35 Celsius and I'm not sure if I have a leak or if the water is evaporating / being used by the plant how much water do you add biweekly roughly thanks man iv bin watching your videos for years now
Prairie aquaponics Hi Mate.
During summer here we get similar temps & add anywhere up to 300L every 7-10 days when it was just the 3 large beds & the 2 ginger barrels. . Depends on how densely the systems been planted out & from the look of your last clip it looks well stocked :-)
Most folks I've talked to say their system uses a lot more than the "10% of the water used in conventional farming methods" others claim if that helps any ;-)
Hope that helps a bit mate.
RobBobs Backyard Farming thanks and I would say I'm right in the same margins, and I crawled around and did not find any wet soil. Thanks for the help.
Loving all of this.
No problem Trevor. Hope the clips help with your build mate.
Cheers.
Where do people buy those bulkhead fittings? What are they specifically called? I cant find them at any local hardware stores and the people who work at home depot etc are no help at all
I found this if it helps any RM,
www.homedepot.com/p/PlumbPro-3-4-in-Water-Tank-Outlet-Fitting-3025/202286663
I have some listed on my Amazon page as well.
www.amazon.com/shop/bnbob01?listId=7XUW22JNCA00
Keep in mind that I receive advertising fees from Amazon Services LLC as I'm a member of their Influencer/Associates Program.
Hope that helps some. 👍 👍
The vinegar suggestion for testing The Rock when you get to the landscape store or whatever is great stuff thanks for sharing
No problem Phillip.
Have a top one.
Hello hello how can you add the azola plant with the rock filter under the roots because it feeds on the ammonia fish droppings and thanks Sedak Mashaal from Kuwait
Hi Sedak. It's best to have azolla in a tank with just water & no media as it floats on the water surface. One issue you may have is stopping the azolla from exiting via the drain pipework.
Cheers.
What is the foil looking stuff on the side of the tote
Insulation wrap to stop algae from forming on the walls. Most folks will paint or clad them with tin or timber, I just used what I had on hand.
Cheers mate.
@@RobsAquaponics i appreciate it. Hadn't seen anyone talking about it.
Picked up wto ibc totes today. Two more wednsday.
@@mr.mikesart7111 Nice one Mike. 👍 Hope the build goes smoothly mate.
Rob thanks for your vids and info on all you do with aquaponics. Hey just today, i have gone for your bell siphon. Bit of pissing round, back and forward to your video :-) but got it going. NOW, heres the drama, with just the water in the top tank, all was going well. It ran 3 times and all 3 the siphon worked but once i put the gravel in, it dont seem to be cutting off. I looked down the guts, thinking bit of gravel may have got in but nothing. Has me baffled as to why it was going good, but with the fill in, it isnt cutting off completely. Any idea Rob?
Hi there SCSW. The siphons will work differently when there is media in the beds. 👍You'll find that the gravel holds onto a bit of the water so it takes a bit longer to fully drain.
Sounds like you just need to dial back the inflow to the beds a bit & see how it goes from there.
Hope that helps some.
Cheers.
Hey Rob thanks mate, all seems to be going well now. I did a couple things, one.. the bottom feed line, coming from the elbow, i trimmed it back a little, that made a slight difference but the other thing, i have a suspicion maybe wind was interfering with the bell siphon. I put a shield up and BINGO, the siphon has been going good since doing those couple things. I think mine, every 3 minutes is dropping and loading. Thanks Rob ;-)
Can you go over the reasons why I've noticed on several of your pro beds you have a reflective material on the outside??
Hi again.
That's there to block out UV light which would cause algae to grow on the inside walls of the IBC beds. 👍
Cheers Steven.
I can get either lava rock or river rock #8. Their is a major cost difference. So which is better and is the lava rock worth the extra cost over the river rock.
The lava rock will be a lot lighter to work with so that's one plus.
It can be a bit of a pain to clean as it's filled with loads of small holes & pockets. River rock is smooth but is a lot heavier to work with. Can't really decide for you but I hope those points help a bit.
Cheers.
Hey Rob. So with your system you put the gravel on the bottom and then the clay balls on the top? What about the river stones vs. gravel?
River rock should be fine as long as there are none in there releasing carbonates into the water 👍
Cheers.
thanks rob .... very informative ....
Thanks. Hope it helps you with your own build.
Cheers & all the best.
How do you get the clay balls to keep from floating? When my systems cycles the balls go up and down and my plants keep sinking deeper in the balls
Hey Justin. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on the brand & sometimes different batches of the same product (due to firing temps of the cay etc).
Most of ours settled down within a weeks here.
Hope that helps some.
Thanks rob. I was wondering, no good info on it that I have found
Nice work mate.
McDowall Manor Thanks Andy.
Have a great weekend.
Are you running a single pump or multiple pumps? What is the GPH rating on the pump(s) you are running? I'm thinking of getting a second pump, so that I have one just for the fish tank and the other for the grow beds. That way there is plenty of pressure hitting the venturi in the fish tank. I have 2 grow beds, a sump, and a fish tank with a 800ish gph pump.
I should add, my pump has about a 3ft head.
exeseven His pump is a stand alone, magnetic drive, 10000 LPH
exeseven The pump I'm using is a 10,000lph/2641gph (US) Resun pump at the moment in a split flow configuration. Have 3 venturis running from that one pump with no issues. Have a bit of a better explanation here if that helps .
ruclips.net/video/N4mYcUvZ9cw/видео.html
Cheers mate.
***** Cheers Bobby.
RobBobs Backyard Farming Thanks!
RobBobs Backyard Farming Hey Rob, glad to see you post a new vid! Perfect timing! Just got my Tank and Filters up and running and started my fishless cycling and now I'm about to start working on the grow beds! Getting pretty excited about getting some fish and plants in! Hey BTW, I sent you a response to our last conversation on the messenger. Talk at ya later!
Hey Rob. Is a deeper grow bed acceptable? I'm wondering if a 25% deeper bed would help with improved biofiltration and allow for more fish.
More volume will add more biofiltration Patrick. You'll still need enough grow bed area to plant out enough to remove the nitrate as well. 👍👍
Hi Rob , thanks for all the helpful tips and great videos ! Got 4 IBC grow beds I need to fill and like the idea of using rock in the bottom and then the clay ! My only concern is cleaning
it . How will you do it ?
Cheers Mate !
Hi Digger.
Cleaning would be a bit harder with the rock but hopefully it would only be a job you need to do every 5+ years if the solids are dealt with elsewhere.
I'll be skimming off the clay the probably using a pressure washer to loosen the solids from the rock layer & flush them out. That's the [plan for now but it may change between now & then.
Cheers mate.
im just watching this man tap his hand on pebbles for a full minute
That's because I had no B roll at the time😉
Nice build Rob. Is cost the reason you didn't use all clay?
***** Cost & carbon foot print both come into it Jay. All the clay gets made in Europe & shipped over so it cost around $1AU a litre if bought by a single bag. I got it quite a bit cheaper as I bought in bulk to help mate out ;)
Cheers mate & hope all's well with you all.
Suggest some alternative grow media as well please..
I did mention the rock we use in this clip. Larva rock & expanded shale are also great media to use.
Thanks Rob....quick question...have you tried adding yabbies to one of these systems?
I did at the start but they were either eaten by the goldfish & each other en they moulted or escaped the tank. 😣
I also ran the pH too low for them so would run them in a dedicated system if I was to grow them again.
Cheers mate.
Love your vids!
Quick question:
Can I use city water that may have chlorine / chloromiens?
You certainly can. Chlorine will off-gas & you can use ascorbic acid to remove them both.
I can't find the link to the US Forestry service page where I originally found the information but this Aussie water filter site has the relevant amounts to use listed if it helps any.
www.waterfiltersaustralia.com.au/blog/chloramines-and-vitamin-c/
Rob.... question the pump should be running 24/7 or we can pick up the time so that pump can be running for few hours?
Hi Mate. Some folks will run on a timer but then they don't tend to use bell siphons. They will have a stand pipe that has a small hole drilled in the base that will allow the bed to drain while the pump is off. The main concern as I see it with a system like that is that the water from the fish tank still needs to be run through the beds (bio filters) at lest 1.5 times an hour so the water has time to be cleaned up.
Hope that helps some.
do you have anything to say about caterpillar or worms eating leaves in aquaponic system?
2ebandera Hi again. Just saw this post.
Haven't had many issues with them lately. If I did I'd use a BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) bacteria based spray to keep them under control. Its safe for fish, mammals, amphibians & birds. Is safe to use of certified organic farms as well.
The other option would be to net the area off which may happen in the future at some point.
Hope that helps some.
Cement mixer + water is an easy way of washing blue metal :-D
Suburban Stewards :-D Great idea, thanks mate. Will use that mnethgod when we clean out mum & dads.
Cheers mate.
Can you mix the rocks for the bottom and the clay on top?
You can mix them if you want. I prefer the clay on top as it's easier to work with. 👍
Hope the system is going well.
Cheers Jason.
sorry my english is not so good... but can i ask, do you still use chemicals for the plant?
You may need to add in some calcium & potassium as well.
That is about all most folks will need to add.
Did you do the 2 medias for affordability or is there another reason?
setite Mainly due to the cost but also trying to use more locally sourced materials in our system & patch.
Cheers.
Quick question Rob i do water bores for a living and as a rule we dont use ( blue metal ) or crushed basalt because over time as it can react with the water and release ARGON gas do you think this would be the case here as well ? cheers mate loving the vids big help with my set up as im only just starting out super keen keep up the good work .
Benno
Hi Benno. That's the first time I've heard that so have no idea sorry mate. I know many in the aquaponics community have been using blue metal here in Aus for years & haven't heard of any issues.
Is it due to the pH in the bore water or other elements?
Cheers.
Gday Rob Thx for the reply mate . Have done some research and asked another driller who has 20+ years in the well drilling industry and have come to the conclusion that the rock breaks down over time releasing Agron gas in small amounts into the water ( we are talking over 5, 10, 20 years ) as the water flows through it whether or not this is sped up in aquaponics because of the amount of water flow or PH know one knows. tho i have found out that the ( Diazotrophs ) bacteria that absorb nitrogen in water and convert it to Ammonia can absorb Argon and produce Ammonia as well in what amount i couldnt tell ..... learn something every day .Cheers Rob
Benno
Is it possible to use Charcoal as a medium in the grow beds?
I think it may break down fairly rapidly Anish. I haven't seen anyone use it successfully in the larger grow beds.
I wish you all the best if you try it though. 👍
@@RobsAquaponics Thank you!
Hi sir.
First i would like to thank u for this instructive video.
ill like to know if it is possible to use sand as ground in a aquaponic system ?
Hi Omar & thanks 😊
You can use sand as an aquaponic grow bed but it does tend to collect a lot of solids if they're not filtered out first.
I personally wouldn't as I found cleaning out clay media from a clogged up bed hard enough.
Cheers mate.
Looks great mate, just wanted to know what the three fawn colour drums are behind the grow bed. I mean what brand type, not the function. Cheers. I have subscribed to your channel.
+FLBRGZ Thanks mate.
They are from a supplier here in SE Queensland Australia called Strongform Industrial.
strongformindustrial.com.au/products/products/industrial-tanks-sizes-60l-1000l/
They have outlets down south as well if you're in Australia.
Hope that helps.
Cheers.
Thanks for that, much appreciated
+FLBRGZ
No problem mate.
Cheers.
What's your opinion on using biochar?
Mate I'm using scoria as my media at the moment. is it much different from clay balls and could I plant beets and carrots in it?
Hi Craig. Sorry I missed the post mate. A lot of folks on the different forums prefer it to clay due to the price. Would use it here if I could find it cheap enough.
The beets should grow fine but the carrots might come out a bit wonky ;)
Cheers mate.
Can I cultivate capcicum in a quaphonics system?
Have grown some in our system with no problem in the past. 👍
Cheers mate.
Nice video and thanks for the explanation... but when it goes in Mono (when you switch camera) it's really annoying.
Can't really help technical malfunctions here. I'm a one man show learning as I go.
Cheers.
Am having problems with the aquaponics syste. I followed your video but the system isn't draining. Does the bed have to be a minimal depth for the siphon to work properly?
Hi there. Is the siphon not initiating or not cutting off?
Not cutting off. the water just flows through all the time.
If the siphon isn't initiating you may need water into the bed so just turn the inflow up a bit until the siphon initiates.
If the siphon isn't breaking but the bed is almost empty you may need to slow the in flow down by turning the tap off a bit.
Is a bit hard to pin down the reason for sure without seeing it as there could be issues with the drain pipe under the bed being on a slight upwards angle or it could be the way the bell is constructed. Do you have any clips or pictures of it online I could check out?
Hi hello! Did. You happen to note how many kg go blue metal rocks you used?
No sorry mate Probably about 2-3 60L wheelbarrow's worth at a guess.
Bulk head fittings V your Uniseals care to explain please Rob?
Tony McKessar Hi Tony.
Both have their place in the system I think. For running large holes through tanks & filters I prefer the uniseals. For the smaller fittings like the base of the grow beds I like the bulkheads. I do have one grow bed with a uniseal in the bell assembly but am not 100% happy with it, it's just not sitting right.
I have used uniseals for water lines flowing into tanks as well as bulkheads with no preference for either in that situation. Uniseals normally win over as they are cheaper & more adaptable than a threaded bulkhead.
Hope that helps some mate.
Great tip @3:15 !
Have had a few leak here that wen't cleaned properly in the past. Can be a real pain to fix once the bed's full of clay ;-)
Cheers Bud & have a great one mate.