Aquaponics System Design - Tips and Tricks

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Yes, well, the smoke detector has been beeping for so long that I stopped noticing it:) They are hardwired anyway just have a battery backup. Sorry for the beeping folks, batteries have been changed, thanks for watching!

[@SSLFamilyDad]

paul E Thanks! Glad to have you aboard!

[@GrowandMow]

I feel your pain with the hard water. I have the same problem I think I will try a couple of carbon filters in the future. Great info

[@jddurga7639]

+SSLFamilyDad I like this video, Solid video with some great advice. Nice post, thanks

[@amyasseektruth8246]

+SSLFamilyDad your video is extremely helpful. I appreciate the effort. Saved me loads - thank you

[@gomezstind940]

+SSLFamilyDad hi everyone ,if anyone else wants to discover aquaponics courses try Morundan Total Aquaponics Mastery (just google it ) ? Ive heard some extraordinary things about it and my partner got great success with it.

[@iTAL4aLL]

Try adding shrimp/prawn to that last swirl filter bed... the fish waste and excess fish food are turned into ‘source’ for another feeding cycle. Really like the videos, keep up the good work.

[@BurtDavis]

I really appreciate hearing your mistakes, as I am in the middle of constructing my system. It's so hard to get it right the first time and there will always be lessons learned.

[@justcallmegypsydoc]

Great video. Thanks so much. This is part of my research too. I have to tell you something funny. My husband just came in the room and had our smoke alarm in his hand saying he needs to change the batteries.... it happened to be yours :D Now he said if I post this he won't build me my aquaponics system :( Ah, it's too good not to take the risk and post it anyway!

[@jamesmc9736]

awesome thought it was mine too doh

[@TheAmateurLifestyle]

I have to laugh. I was watching someone else’s aquaponic video and I kept hearing it go off. I kept going crazy till my wife pointed out it was the video not mine hahaha.

[@anonymousprepper1463]

thanks for the info on the sump, made me realize i can make my greenhouse sump in my basement, and in return will help regulate water temp as well. in the cooler months.

[@galennordland8074]

Thanks for sharing the knowledge and experience. You have discovered better ways of doing some things, but the important point to remember is that you have done something--you can't make mistakes if you don't do anything. I have a problem of analyzing things to death to try to avoid mistakes but that can be a real drag and keep you from getting started. Ya done good!

[@edpurdy8496]

I had a similar water height problem in my half barrel beds. I disconnected the drain at the bottom on the bottom outside, using a Dremel with a cut-off disc I cut the overflow pipe in my siphon to where I wanted it. I use pvc unions to adjust the water height in the beds now. Cut the unions to varying lengths and change them out as you need them. I need higher water levels when seeds are germinating and lower during normal growth. Warning, flush out the drain system after the Dremel work. The PVC dust will circulate throughout the system. A simple solution that worked well for me.

[@michaelgelunas1113]

One thing about indoor growing I've discovered is using a lot of duct tape, zip ties, flexible hosing and not "hard piping/fitting" as much as possible. Plants grow so we need to move w them lol. I got a lot of ideas and a good check list to start aquaponics indoors.

[@TheReslers]

Thanks for the tip about placing it against the wall. I am super short so it would be hard to get to the back and I hadn't considered that.

[@deantackett2243]

I am on track to start an aquaponics system, roughly starting with a big hole in the ground, build a greenhouse over it and run it year round. I'm going follow you on this and can't wait to get started.

[@sexyjellyfish82]

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this video because I had been procrastinating adding the top layer of rock to my grow bed. I used your vinegar testing method and the rock I had turned out to be bad. Other than finding a replacement media, you have saved me so much time and hassle. Thanks!

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Glad I could help! Good luck getting things switched out!

[@rolojonzun]

Nice vid. I'm a bit confused and maybe it's because I am an aquarist. When we refer to a sump, it's the auxiliary tank where biological, chemical and or mechanical filtration occurs. and not the tank where the fish are kept. If fish waste is that much of a problem, I recommend that send the fish tank water into a traditional aquarium sump tank with a submersible or hang on protein skimmer. Another option is to send the fish tank water into a canister filter where your biological and mechanical filtration can occur. A Fluval 406 or an Eheim 4 series would address this issue. In addition either canister can also serve as a return pump to send water back into your grow beds.

[@leaannewerder3356]

Thanks for those excellent tips. I am in the research phase of my aquaponic venture and I found your "tips and tricks" extremely helpful.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Good luck to you and thanks for watching!

[@Boone9269]

Best channel on KZbin! You have like 88k subscribers, if each subscriber would do what you're doing the world would be a much better place. From the outddor boiler to the hay making to the aquaponics. You're awesome man.

[@emmavogan3843]

Hi again! I forgot to mention that for my system I used Growstones. They are a type of grow media, I highly recommend them. But something that i would do differently would be to have a mixture of the stones and river rock. If your looking to try a new grow media! Your system is very impressive and very well thought out!

[@SSLFamilyDad]

I looked into those and really wanted to use they but they were out of my price range when I built this system. I may try them on a small scale in the future

[@kishasara1]

Thank you so much! Your suggestion with using a dehumidifier as a water topper is really helpful. I don't see how I missed thinking about that possibility considering my fish will be raised inside with the plants growing outdoors. Our property runs down a slope and we're going to take advantage of it when setting up this system.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

The dehumidifier worked great this last summer when I used it. I don't use it in the winter but I have the filtered water topping off the system now. Sounds like you have some good plans for your setup, good luck!

[@marathonman3095]

Most people make the mistake of using the water pump directly from the fish tank, that is why you have sludge in your troughs. if you had an overflow sump tote next to the fish tank so the tank water overflows into the sump tote that way you do not traumatize the fish and the fish tank stays the same level all the time. you can fill the sump tote with filter material to stop trough sludge plus act as a bio filter. also line your fish tank with filter material acting as additional bio housing for the good bacteria.

[@MustangJunkie0702]

thank you for the info, always glad to hear from folks who have some time under their belt and have good/bad experiences to share for improving the future system builds...really liked that you put the verse at the end, caught me off guard. thanks again brother, stay strong

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Thanks Robert, I have ha a lot of fun with the aquaponics system. Thanks for stopping by and for the positive comment!

[@HalfManHalfCichlid]

I would like to see a DIY on making those lights? Great video. One comment thought, on the fish waste/food (detritus) that accumulates in the grow bed. After two years my clay ball aquaponic bed has a lot of detritus on the bottom of the bed and in the clay ball media. I always saw this as advantageous to the growth of the plants? Sort of like a natural soil for the plants to live off of. In my case it does not add to turbidity, and I have tested it for ammonia and nitrates and found zero, so I have concluded that it has been fully digested by bacteria.

[@Michael-ji6ug]

Okay, so now you are getting me in trouble. My wife just came out to the living room and told me to change the smoke detector battery.

[@Entreamigos2023]

There are several components to learning home aquaponics. One place I found which successfully combines these is the Keiths Ponics Site (google it if you're interested) definately the most useful info i've seen. Check out this interesting site.

[@cubaniton74]

Great video, thank you, I just have a few suggestions that might help. 1. Use gravel not smaller than 3/4", you might want to make the top 1" surface smaller gravel to hold seeds in place. 2. Add earthworms to your gravel, they eat any fish food left over and clean your system in general by eating any dead plant roots and they also provide extra nutrients for the plants. 3. The pipe that goes from the sump tank water pump to the grow beads, make sure that it goes all the way to the bottom of the grow bead, that way if the power goes out, the water will syphon back down to the sump tank by gravity and will not sit in the grow bead until power is restored. Let me know if you think those are good ideas and if you can improve on them also, thank you.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Thanks for the advice and checking out the system! I am now using what is called beechwood pebbles as grow media, it is a 3/4 crushes igneous rock; it is working really well so far! I will be adding worms to the grow beds as soon as my worm population is large enough in my worm bin. These are all great idea, thanks!

[@billbarker100]

SSLFamilyDad From what I have read, use caution with worm selection. I use red wigglers and they live and reproduce well in flooded gravel beds and seem to break down the solids well. I'm not sure any worm will perform well in such a system. Thanks for sharing your lessons-learned. I appreciate your candor and observations. I have often wished I had put a couple of airstones in the bottom of my gravel bed to improved aerobic activity and reduce the anaerobic zone. Thoughts?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

***** I have been adding red wigglers to mine so I hope they are doing what they do in there but I can't really tell to be honest. Adding an air stone to the bottom of the grow beds is a great idea actually I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for watching!

[@flowergirlinWard17]

Thank you very much for posting this video. You DID explain a lot of tips I would never have considered! I do like it when people making videos do know their stuff. I would only suggest on your next show how you address issues such as insect and parasite infestations. Here in California the greenhouses I worked in had terrible insect infestations. Since many of them were landscape plants we could use simple time-release systemic fertilizer/insecticide pellets to prevent chewing and sucking insects such as scale and extra-thick sand layers to deter the water flies, but the hydroponics shops here have problems with insects because they can't use pesticides on plants for human consumption. I assume your system in the wintertime with the windows closed to retain heat means plenty of insects inside. What do you do for pest control?

[@michaelheery7427]

Jeeeez itd complex adding shellls..etc

[@richardderflinger7165]

awesome video, thanks for sharing. my kids watched this to learn how to make one themselves.

[@emmavogan3843]

Hi! For the swirl filter, if you want a more natural way to filter your system and have another source of food. I would suggest freshwater clams. They are natural filters and help keep the water ph levels etc level. And i love your videos they are really helpful!

[@SSLFamilyDad]

I had never thought of that. That is a great idea!

[@steveknight4291]

A great way to balance PH is to put a stocking full of shells in your water....I think oyster shells are a great one. The shells bring the PH back to neutral

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Thanks for the comment Steve! Adding oyster shells or egg shells to the system is a great way to balance pH however, in my case where my pH is too high the calcium carbonate would unfortunately not bring the pH down lower. This is a great method if you have a low pH as the oyster shells will bring the pH up to neutral as you mentioned. Great advise and thanks for watching!!

[@ericmastenbrook9020]

I really like your idea with the dehumidifier.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Thanks, I was also thinking about using the water that comes off of the inside coil for the air conditioner which is basically the same thing, just goes to waste. I'll let you know if all the fish die:) Thanks for watching!

[@michaelh2931]

Good video, which will help me design my system. I'm planning my aquaponic system and your video made me wonder if using broken clay pottery would work as a grow media. It is porous and relatively lightweight. One problem might be the sharp edges of the pieces. I know that Hydroton grow media is supposedly run through a tumbler to smoothen it out. One description states that "Hydroton grow rocks are a special kiln-fired, lightweight aggregate that is super-heated and formed into pebbles 8-16 mm in size. The ceramic shell and inner pore structure retains moisture and releases it back to your plant's roots as needed."

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Honestly I had thought of using broken glass, plastic beads, and other things that I have not seen before and I would encourage trying anything! Broken kiln fired clay pottery should work fine I would think, as long as you can find enough to break! I have stayed away from hydroton use to it's cost and it does wear down and start to degrade after a few years. I have chosen beechwood pebbles for my system - check out this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYTdeIJ5faqim9E Thanks for watching!!!

[@murrayrunge5602]

seems costly way of growing such few plants until you get fish that you can sell and eat but even then i wonder if it is worth it other than for an emergency food source, but with all the electrical you are using as well as the location, you are not exactly self sufficient if power goes out. thanks for some tips and advice but i think 25 fish in one barrel is still too much if you consider them growing to an eatable size, so a three barrel system for the fish and one for water storage and one for filtering would be my choice. The reason i watched was my limited space to have anything larger for the fish and then to run lines to a green house on the south side of my house that is easily heated. I worry about humidity in the basement but also want to run off solar so de-humidifiers may not be an option. I appreciate you sharing your experiences. Thx

[@SetitesTechAdventures]

Thanks for this video. It's incredibly helpful to see a system that is not perfect to learn. All the systems that are presented as ideal teach less. The dehumidifier seems like a great idea. Since I'm in Missouri I bet I can get a lot of free water that way as well as recover lost water from the system.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

setite It works very well in the summer time for sure. We haven't set it up this summer yet but last summer I had it hooked up for a few months.

[@lineflyer100]

Nice video. I just grew some huge hydro lettuce on my channel using Kratky method. it was simple and easy with excellent results. Keep up the good work

[@johnvandenburgh8771]

Thanks for the video, I was actually thinking my smoke detectors needed batteries till I realized I don't have any LOL. Good information I am going to give it a go here in Idaho and keep you posted. Thanks Again!

[@SSLFamilyDad]

+John VanDenburgh awesome man, let me know if you have any questions along the way and get a smoke detector!:)

[@chrisj.ephgrave1451]

Fabulous video! Thank you. I'm researching to setup a aquaponics farm for a Children with disability organisation in Viet Nam. Your advice and experience is invaluable.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

+Chris J. Ephgrave that is very cool, please let me know if I can help in anyway

[@chrisj.ephgrave1451]

You already did! Doing lot's (and lot's) of research. Now it's time to give it a go! We have secured 200m2 of land and I have a system in plan. Looking forward to keeping in touch as I will need a LOT of experienced help with the nuances. I appreciate your work.

[@B8rad88]

Hey I think you need a new battery in your fire alarm. Also a little advice about the dehumidifier, it is true there wont be any minerals, However since moisture is pulled out of the air so is dust and bacteria, you will most definitely get a build up of some bacteria after a while if you continue to drain the dehumidifier into the system.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Thanks for the comment B-rad, batteries have been changed! I am not using the dehumidifier anymore but that is a good point about dust and bacteria. I suppose anything in the air would or could end up in the system. But, I suppose if it is good enough to breath it can't be that bad right:) Thanks for watching!

[@GautamKumar-sb7qg]

Hows your system working now?

[@timyates807]

Great video i can imagine how far youve come since then . im watching as i take a break from constructing one of my own. As a DIY guy i can appreciate your honesty lol. i only use clay pellets , i find its just overall easier and lighter. next break ill see where youve gotten to . Thanks man .

[@thomasthorn1011]

Thank you for helping me the other day! Looks like you are using creek gravel? Might want to try PEA GRAVEL and see how it does.

[@rickbauer7088]

Love the MSU hat! Nice tips, saved me making a few of the same mistakes.

[@bugs181]

Great video! Just now getting into aquaponics. Lot's of valuable information here!

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Thanks! Glad I could help in some way, let me know if you have any questions along the way

[@bugs181]

SSLFamilyDad Thanks. I'm sure I will. I actually plan on creating a similar setup to yours. I'll do a video and give a shout out to you for some of the ideas. Oh, and almost forgot. Subscribed + Liked.

[@airbornranger879tt]

I like the idea of using half barrels. I am going to do the same.

[@dave160377]

You have some good tips in your video. Rather than using a swirl filter, put red worms into the grow beds. They will process the fish waste and excess food and prevent you system from clogging up. Finally, do not add water from your dehumidifier to your system. the condensation coils are built from copper pipes and the may have lead in the construction. they are not meant to provide potable water.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Thanks for the tips David, I appreciate that. I plan to put some worms in the system over the next couple of months as mine reproduce enough. Worm are a great addition to aquaponics for sure but I would still say the swirl filter is a needed addition. I have since added one to this system and it works great as well as provides some nutrients for my garden and house plants when I dump out the waste. That is a good point about the humidifier as well, I would hope that it does not contain lead and as far as copper, well all of your water pipes are made out of that so it can't be too bad! But, the fact is I cannot be sure what other metals are in there so point taken! Thanks for watching and commenting!!

[@H2o2BillJr]

Oyster shells in the fish water is supposed to help stabilize the PH. You might also want to consider some worms in the grow beds.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

That is 100% true. As soon as I can get the source of my problem completely changed out (the river rock) I may use that method for regulating and lowering pH, thanks for watching!

[@kevinmiller7331]

I stumbled on this tonight, and while it's a good bit after the vid was posted, I'm wondering if you calculated the total power and/or cost of running this system per whatever period of time? Thanks very much for the vid, it certainly gets the imagination going :)

[@Dylabong420]

try oyster shells in your swirl filter to help balance your ph. It usually helps buffer the ph down to lower ph levels.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Great comment dylabong420. However Oyster shells are made of calcium carbonate which actually raises pH to higher levels same as egg shells do. I have since switched out all of my grow media with a better options (pH neutral) and have had great results. Thanks for checking it out!

[@brandonhaun313]

You are an inspiration! Thanks for showing the way

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Brandon Haun Thanks Brandon!

[@leananshae]

Adding crayfish to the system could solve your solid waste issue and crayfish are yummy.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Thanks Leananshae, you are not the first to suggest that. Someone recently suggested redclaw and I am looking into it, thanks!

[@tonycard7879]

+SSLFamilyDad , any updates on this? I'm curious as well (sorry for the late question -just found your channel and am mass watching all your aquaponics videos).

[@ronyerke9250]

Be careful with crayfish, they'll eat your swimmers after the lights go out.

[@alex_saint-matthews]

Maybe keep them in a separate tank “downstream” from the fish but before the grow beds so they can help process the fish waste and begin the pre-plant water conditioning process.

[@SemiPolymath]

Sylvia Bernstein (Aquaponic Gardening, 2011) reports that the Australians add red worms (probably Eisenia fetida) directly into their hydroponic substrate to filter out the solid fish wastes and allow the worms to vermicompost these solids into plant-accessible macro- and micro-nutrients. The worms don't drown during the flood cycle since they can absorb dissolved oxygen through their integument. I haven't tried it yet, so I don't know how well it works or what happens to the worm solid wastes.

[@midwestaquaponics4256]

Nice setup. I have a system that has 2 tote beds and 2 swirl filter raft beds with an IBC tote for the fish. I'm also using gold fish and a few koi. This is my 3rd year with my system and was using the same media every year as I would have to shut it down come winter. but I changed my media this year to a mixture of hydrocon clay pellets and white grow snones made from recycled glass. During the transplant I rinsed the roots off and I must've been a bit rough on the roots cus they layed down for about a week and alot of the leaves died. they are coming back but my romaine are growing in odd directions now and it just seems like all my plants should be growing alot faster. I also have a high PH and have hard well water as well.

[@midwestaquaponics4256]

I have my system in a greenhouse but it gets so cold in the winter here I have to shut it down and bring the fish inside. This year I plan to build a section on to the back of my greenhouse and put a wood burning stove inside to try and heat it. we will see. I just started this channel and plan to make some videos soon.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Midwest Aquaponics Can't wait to see the system! I plan to move out to a greenhouse probably next year as well and am planning to heat with wood. I just did a video on a wood burner if you are interested - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWfdpYGVoayhfcU I am mostly using free pallets as fuel right now also. Thanks for commenting!

[@midwestaquaponics4256]

SSLFamilyDad Yeah I watched that video too. That's the wood burner I plan to use. I live in central Illinois surrounded by woods so I will not have any issues getting wood to burn lol. I'm looking forward to making some vids, It's been storming here for a few days so I'm forced to wait it out. Thanks for your vids I find them very informative.

[@caseydouglas2315]

One things I would recommend would be to not use clear tubing and plaint your drums to help block light from entering the system in areas you do not want growth.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

That is a great point and one that a few others have made also. I am going to look into getting some reflective material to keep the light in the grow beds first, which, in turn, will block any light from getting to the tanks. Not much algae growth in the system so far but I have noticed some on the sides that face the lights, thanks for watching!

[@caseydouglas2315]

SSLFamilyDad I am thinking about adding foil to the top of my medium and the edges of my floating mats for that same reason :)

[@tweetdezweet]

Thanks for the interesting video, great tips for people who have yet to start building their system. :)

[@Submanca]

good video but I have a few questions. Why can't you just adjust your stand pipe on your bell siphons to get the water to the correct pipe? also wouldn't the mineral rich well water be better for your plants than a purer water? I am sure a swirl filter get all the poop if it is placed before the water is put in before it gets into the plant beds.

[@jpollard117]

Solid video with some great advice. Nice post, thanks.

[@glennking3892]

Thank you for your speedy response. I am going to take advise. Love your channel very informative.

[@susannejones7698]

Hi. Could you perhaps just remove the syphon caps and trim an inch off of the standpipes, then refit the caps ? That would lower your water level ...

[@einherjarunderhill990]

You should put red wrigglers in to the grow bed, they should eat up that excess algae and become a nutrient source for the beds.

[@einherjarunderhill990]

guess I should read further down huh?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Einherjar Underhill lol, it happens:) I have a video on adding the worms here if you are interested - kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5Crf5l7mrZgeJY. Thanks for checking it out!

[@einherjarunderhill990]

Oh no, I'm already in the know, I wish I could find one video for this guy. He put a PVC frame with two horizontal layers in the bottom of his fish tanks, they were square. He then populated the frames with shrimp, they need about a square foot of are to grow. He doesn't raise them to eat, but they are great little workers who eat up some of the fish waste. Just an idea. I'm looking at a system to run in a greenhouse with bees. Some Ausies came up with a new way to harvest honey, it's on tap from the hive.

[@starlitekaraoke113]

A little bit of constructive criticism. Try not saying ‘um’ and ‘ah’ so much. Other than that, great content and very helpful insight.

[@gardeningtipswithphil2244]

Some good advice here. If you are thinking of starting an Aquaponics system checkout how to and tip videos like this,

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Thanks Phil!

[@johnsicuranza8979]

The caps on the plastic barrels your using has threads for a 3/4 hose bib, might make things easier?

[@brownbeard4088]

thats clever... use a dehumidifier to top up and lower over all humidity

[@felmare101]

Addressing your first tip (testing the rocks for calcium), if they do fizzle a bit it will raise the ph of your water. That being said it is not that hard to lower it back down. You can add a mesh baggy of peat moss to the system to lower the ph down. Also with the bulkhead into the sump, you can just have the pipe float above the sump tank and drip in. It shouldnt need to be fitted with a bulkhead as it shouldnt need to be sealed.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Jared Shillingburg If you have calcium carbonate in your rock (it fizzes with a vinegar test) you will never be able to lower the pH, trust me I worked with it for a year and added straight up acid to the system and it would always come back to 8.2 or above. Making sure you have a pH neutral grow media is one of the most important first steps in aquaponics. As far as the bulkhead in the sump, due to the height of my system and the slope needed on that pipe it needed to be fitted into the tank like it is. When all four grow beds drain at the same time the water level rises up above the bulkhead and up into the pipe a bit, a design flaw in the heights of my various components. Thanks for checking it out and commenting!

[@iwantosavemoney]

This is neat but people go to great lengths to use 55 gallon plastic drums and in the long run it just makes more work if you build one big bed one fill one drain one bell siphon a lot less labor a lot less plumbing fittings.

[@msommer20111]

Great Video! Straight to the point, very helpful! Thanks.

[@RyanPoe]

very valuable lessons learned-thanks for sharing

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Ryan Poe Thanks! Glad I could help in some way.

[@Osiris0925]

2 questions. 1) why wouldn't you want the fish pooh around the roots of your plants? isnt it the same as using other kinds of fertilizers 2) i am new to this but find it very interesting. one thing i have noticed is no ones say how much water whould be covering the roots. like do you want them in water 24/7 or only a little bit in water and the rest out and/or above the water in your grow bed? thanks for your helkp in advance.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Tyler Murray No problem Tyler, good question. I have a series of other aquaponics videos on my channel that go into more detail but the basically the fish waste is not what the plants feed on the waste is converted into nitrates through a biological process called nitrification. These nitrates are the main fertilizer for the plants. The grow beds fill and drain automatically every ten minutes so the roots are in and out of the water 24/7. Hope that helps!

[@douglasherr4645]

Fish tank size to grow bed size, how do you figure it?

[@jollyswagman295]

Thankyou for sharing........would earthworms in the media to cycle the solid fish waste,and maybe freshwater prawns to clean the fish tank help.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Using compost worms in the grow media is a great way to further break down solid waste. I have a vide on that here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5Crf5l7mrZgeJY

[@marcelobezerrapereira4293]

Ficou muito top like 👍🌍🐟🌱🌿🐟

[@ChiTownTino]

I wonder If freshwater shrimp would help clean up the excess food and waste?

[@tappakeggaday1]

put some red worms in your grow beds, they will eat the extra fish food and help break down waste and their castings will be good for your plants

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Good advise tappakeggaday1, Now that I have all my final grow media put in I am planning to add some worms in the next couple months. Thanks for watching!

[@snelson1515]

dehumidifier is gray water and may be some of the reason for your ph swing...the water that comes out is know as condensate water

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Excellent point, I am not using that at the time only because it stopped working. The condensation from the dehumidifier comes out at close to a pH of 7. This would be perfect as that is the recommended pH of the system but until I get rid of the river rock causing the 8.2 pH (limestone) it won't make much of a difference I am afraid. Thanks for watching and the comment!

[@snelson1515]

its a great video man, liked it alot...i know for aquariums you can use co2 (u can buy tanks at air gas) then buy a regulator. that way can control ph using that. dont know if this would apply here. but its a thought

[@jollyswagman295]

Whats your view on Growstones?Recycled glass for the media. How do you time the cycle on startup,so that you first grow the bacteria,then introduce the fish and start seeding the media.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

I looked into this and even thought about making a giant tumbler to make my own but in the end I decided on the rock I have now. The advantage to the rock I am using is that it is light and porous so it should allow for more surface area for the bacteria. The grow stones are a great way to go also but seemed a bit expensive to me. When starting out, you can just use some goldfish or add some ammonia to the water. Let the system run for at least a few weeks before putting in any more expensive or less hardy fish. Good idea to have plants ready to put in after week two as well.

[@Javinkay]

I’m thinking about building a system probably next year

[@aid7557]

Beautiful excellent craftmenship!

[@shawntillson6891]

Thanks for your videos! I have a small aquaponics set up with a 10 gallon tank with 4 Gold Fish about 2 - 3 inches long each, a 12"x20"x6" rubber-maid tote with hydroton. I currently have some lettuce that have germinated but seem to have just stopped growing after a three week period. Not sure if that is normal but am worried that there is a problem. I should have purchased a water tester before anything but was just to excited to get it going. My wife planted the head of a carrot in the grow bed and the growth has been daily. So awesome to see, that I have started on a bigger system outside with IBC totes. First thing on my list is to purchase a water test kit. Have you had this experience with lettuce or a similar situation with another plant? Have a nice day!

[@SSLFamilyDad]

That sounds like a cool little system! There are quite a few factors to deal with there but a water test kit is surely a great start. The system takes some time (2-3 weeks) to get nitrification started and produce enough nitrate. You also might be a little low on fish. Once you get the test kit I have a feeling your nitrates will be at about 0. That just means that your little plants are eating up all the nutrients as fast as your fish can make them. Keep me updated!

[@shawntillson6891]

Thanks for the reply! I will double the fish and pick up a test kit. Will let you know after a couple weeks on how its going. I forgot to mention I have a T8 that I believe is putting out 6500K. From what I've seen and heard good for plant growth. It is on 24/7, do you think that is to much? Should I cut back to 12 on 12 off? Sorry for bugging. Appreciate the info from your videos.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Shawn Tillson NP at all, I have a video with more info on lights here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iovJgKWihcSLrs0 You should run them no more than 12 hours I would say, the plants need off time, it is actually when they grow the most. Make sure the T8 bulb is 6500K and not the 5000K which some of them are. Hope that helps! let me know if you have any more questions and I will help best I can, thanks!

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Shawn Tillson How have things been going since the changes?

[@NotTelling51]

The aquaponic systems I've done in the past I've used nothing but rain water. I put a 100 gallon tank under the gutter so I have water anytime I need it.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Thanks Brad, that is a great idea! I am planning a nice rain collection system this spring and I just might pipe it into this system, thanks for watching!

[@NotTelling51]

You're welcome... in the winter I'd just keep about 30 or 40 gallon in 5 gal buckets in my basement so it was always at temp...Hope that helps.

[@a206h]

Be careful. Know that you may be putting chemicals into your fish water that you may not realize. Especially "3 tab" roofing.

[@tymgreentech]

I would suggest some Red Wigglers in your grow beds, will help you clean your solids. Cheers

[@SSLFamilyDad]

+Tyler M I have some in now and they have done a great job along with the swirl filter

[@calvinbrown3213]

A question I have asked and no response from people. What and how to work with the chemicals leaching from all the plastic parts with water contact, soil contact.

[@tomcisso4320]

Great video. Question for you SSL DAD....why is your top off line in the bottom of the sump? Is it a mechanical float valve? Thank you.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

It is a float valve, yes

[@MrGovSec]

extremely helpful. I appreciate the effort. great points here, thanks for sharing!

[@tracyfunk3928]

I get 6 gallons of water a day from 2 dehumidifiers. Ph is always 7 and 40 ppm.

[@SunilKumar-ws3ll]

Good job .. honest show, love it dear

[@tennesseevalleysolar4101]

Thanks for all of your great posts on aquaponics and chickens. I have a quick question. What brand of food are you feeding your fish? I have been trying to find some feed that is low cost and not filled with crap ingredients. I will end up eating what the fish have been eating so I want to get it right but don't want to spend a truck load. Can you share what you are using?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

+David Cantrell with the gold fish I was just using the regular flakes. When I had the tilapia I bought feed from fishkis.com which I think was a good feed if I remember correctly

[@webwev1]

Awesome video, lots of ideas I'm taking from this. Thanks.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Glad I could help Jude, thanks for watching!

[@webwev1]

Quick question. My aquaponics system is used based on NFT. So my flow of water is continously. I'm now planning on installing a grow bed. Why do I need to use a bell syphon or similar to fill and drain. Why can't I just fill from the top and drain down the bottom? Any ideas for a sump filter. My fish pond is in ground.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Jude Fernandes Good question, if you are going to add a grow bed and fill it with media it would be easiest to just use the flood and drain method with a bell siphon. If you just fill from the top you would have to have many nozzles dripping water all over the top of the bed so that water would drip down across all the roots. Flood and drain is generally the easiest type of system for media based grow beds. Hope that helps and thanks for watching!

[@HeatherRoseMusician]

Thanks for sharing! Great system!

[@timlawrence397]

Awesome video keep on keepin on

[@muntingbayan]

Hi im trying to get some info about aquaphonic and im new to this. I see that you are using white barrels is there any biological reason for that?

[@joevandervoren1235]

thank's very good advice

[@gxbeard]

Thank you for the great advice!

[@CatherineMagee2882]

GREAT VIDEO SUPER HELPFUL!!! THANK YOU!!!

[@railspony]

"It's hard to judge feeding with this many fish" Never try to judge feeding. Instead, calculate and measure.

[@robr7363]

Thanks for the info man! Great to know some tips before I start. Here is a beer on me *****

[@celestearike9841]

Wouldn't tilapia better option to start out with compared to gold fish???

[@catfishlee1952]

thanks for sharing all you've learned.... much appreciated. I've been kicking around the idea of an indoor system but I'm leary of what all the grow lights will cost to run and how long the grow bulbs actually last....can you tell us what you've learned on this?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

+Jake Jones all four grow lights cost about 30-40 per month. And the bulbs seem to last about 2-3 years of running 12 hours per day. Not sure on my led strip lights as i haven't had them that long

[@parksmcbride2616]

I designed my system exactly like yours! How many cubic feet of rock will i need to fill the 4 grow beds?

[@FauxZen69]

Just a really great video!

[@aquaponicssource5005]

Keep up the good work!

[@btchpants]

Have you ever tried anything using a bell siphon system?

[@noahwiliams5204]

re: swirl filter... would you need one if you had red worms in the grow beds? seems like the worms would be a better option over discarding bio-minerals.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

There are many different thoughts on this but this is mine - Worms are great at breaking down organic matter left in the grow media from the plants (dead roots, fallen leaves,, etc.), they will also eat much of the fish food and fish waste as well, However they still leave waste of their own that will eventually settle at the bottom of the grow beds and can become anaerobic. I will be adding worms to do their part but believe removing most of the solid waste before the grow beds is still the best solution. Also, non of that waste is disregarded, all goes to my garden or our house plants/trees. Thanks for watching!!

[@noahwiliams5204]

It is my understanding that regarding worm castings all nutrients are water-soluble. This makes it it an immediate plant food. Best of luck with your system.

[@Jerry-ko9pi]

No mold problems in basement yet?

[@manit77]

I really want to build one. Can it be unattended for two weeks if I go on vacation?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

It should be fine as long as you have a timer on the lights and your power doesn't go out. Even if it did it will start right back up when the power comes back on I suppose

[@8148652379]

How did you measure ammonia concentration?

[@BuildersMusicJamaica]

I love this video a lot. Thank you very much. I'm getting ready to put my system together. One question. What water pump you using? What's the specs?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Thanks! The pump I am using is the Aqueon aq2300, it has been a great pump so far for this sized system. The pump can be found on Amazon here - amzn.to/1609a6T. I also have more info on the blog with a list of parts and prices www.simplesuburbanliving.com. Thanks for taking the time to check it out!