Solids Filter For Aquaponic System | Fish Tank Canister Filter

[@steveniovanna8888]

Thank you Sir!! I've been watching your videos like crazy over the last couple days. Really appreciate all the info!!!

[@jonathanjohnson1785]

Man since I found your channel, I can’t stop watching. Thank you for all the knowledge

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you're enjoying it Jonathan. 👍 Happy growing mate. 🌱🐟

[@fareednooralla80]

Dear Mr. Bob very good system

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Fareed. Cheers & have a top one.

[@RobsAquaponics]

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. 🐟 🌱🍅 ALSO, Don't foirget to check out Paul's Life in Thailand KZbin channel. 👍 ► kzbin.info Cheers all & have a top one. 😊 Rob

[@oilspeculatorhater]

Once again you hit a home run. Thank you for sharing.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Glad you found it useful. 👍 Cheers mate.

[@50shadesofgreen]

good day to you Rob !! thanks for sharing your Solids Filter For Basic Chop & Flip Aquaponic System

[@harrychung433]

Thanks for the design look, Rob. Have built something similar to this for a large fish tank. Used a 7 gallon bucket with a twist on lid(Gamma Seal lid) and the water directed to the bottom, with three layers of coarse, two medium and one fine aquarium filter media. The filter material was supported about four inches from the bottom with PVC pipe and an old refrigerator grate and fed out the side. Was easy to clean like yours. When cleaning, would always keep the top coarse filter dirty and move that to the bottom. That way it did not throw off the good bacteria too much. Them fishies can certainly poop and scoot alot.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Nice one Harry. 👍 I was originally going to include a false floor in this one & install a valve that could be used to drain the solids. Thought better of it as it would make a bit of a mess removing the media to clean. Luckily we don't need to worry about saving the bacteria too much in an aquaponic system. Hope all's well with you & yours mate. Cheers.

[@TimsBitsnPieces]

Thanks Rob, a great little outdoor filter that is simple and effective. I am a tropical fish breeder in Melbourne and Love your channel because it has great simple filter ideas that work.

[@RobsAquaponics]

I'm glad you found the vid helpful Tim. 👍 Cheers mate & have a top one.

[@RobsAquaponics]

BTW, I got the idea from a mats channel in Thailand. 😉

[@camerons5032]

Thank so much next week we r going to become patrons. Can not wait. Thanks for ur time

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks You Cameron. 🌱👍

[@elricsabb1468]

I just built my own diy filter bassed on this video! Thanks for the inspiration!

[@RobsAquaponics]

That is awesome Elric. Hope it's doing a good job of reducing the solids load for you mate.

[@nigelparry3207]

Hi rob, I’ve been following you for a while now and I’ve been very interested in aquaponics for quite some time, I’m based in the uk so our climate here is terrible most of the time lol, but I’ve just built my first chop and flip system based on you blue 210 litre barrel system and I’m starting my journey and I’d just like to say I think your a legend in this game and thankful to have folks such as yourself to learn from, thanks so much. Nigel .

[@RobsAquaponics]

Is great to hear you're having a crack at it Nigel.👍 What fish are you using in it to run the system? Cheers

[@UserFormelyKnownAs_hjkh]

If you had 2 valves, pre filter, you could use the first valve as your flow rate control while the 2nd valve remained fully open. Then you could use the 2nd valve to fully close the line and remove the filter for cleaning. Once cleaned you just fully open the 2nd valve and your flow rate is already set by the prior valve. A little more expensive but this is what im thinking of doing for our first system after watching this video. Btw, thanks for all the tips and help!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope it worked well for you mate. 👍👍

[@TheApothecaryAus]

My mate used to give me the fish poo solids from his aquaponics system in 2L/3L bottles, I'd dilute it heavily with water and pour it on plants around the backyard. Used to work wonders, better than any shop bought product.

[@RobsAquaponics]

I used the cleanings from our large radial flow filter to feed up a bed growing warrigal greens here for a few years & they loved it. Loved it so much they have almost become a weed here, not that I'm complaining mind you. 😉 Cheers & have a top one. Rob.

[@trishy5626]

Thanks so much for sharing. I used your info for my RDWC system. I even drilled a hole so it dont siphon solids back to tank. Got the seals from your place. Thanks so much. I am enjoying my apartment size system and no worries of leaks or over flows. The other system i tried failed a few times b4 getting it fined tune.

[@RobsAquaponics]

That's great to hear the system is running well Trish. 👍 Was it the Amazon store? Cheers & happy growing.

[@r.perkins2103]

Following you for a while too. We get cheap sheep fleece so is good to use as a filter then compost that when it needs changing.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Great idea. 👍 Would breakdown nicely I think. Cheers & happy growing.

[@mitchellhollingswort]

Love your work mate, i had exactly the same setup as this, with the bucket high up and exposed. Biggest issue i ran into is on a hot day the bucket gets really toasty and very quickly heats up the water in the whole system. I ended up having to lower it down and add a pump which was a pain. Very keen to see how she goes for you.! Rock on man!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks for pointing that out Mitch. Would be a lot better to have it in a less exposed position. Cheers & happy growing mate. 👍🌱🌱

[@faithswartz325]

This is very close to what we did works like a charm and my husband put a water valve at the bottom of the bucket so I can water the plants that are in planters next to it

[@gildadesousa5107]

Gday mate love your jobbies . Your my boyfriends bff right now your inspiring him for his adventure this summer,we did a mini trial aquaponics and now we are ready to move on to a bigger system ,we always make a list of things we need to buy and hours of free education.

[@brandonterry6194]

GRATITUDE 💥🐟💥

[@jeffparryncc1701]

I did this with a 55 gallon drum (packed with shade cloth) which flows into a 55L bin (packed with scrubbies) for my turtle pond, works great, tweeked for my needs.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Nice one Jeff. I know a few folks that do the same with bird netting. Cheers mate.

[@gildadesousa5107]

We love you here in Nova Scotia .

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Gilda & thanks. 🙂 Hope the systems going we for you folks. Cheers.

[@gertbenade3082]

Hello Rob, Thank you very much for an extensive knowledge base and well presented videos! Your use of easy-to-find materials helps beginners such as myself to get a system that works with relative ease. Thank you for the good insight and valuable tips you provide. Keep up the good work! Greetings from South Africa!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Gert & hope they make your build go smoother. Happy growing. 🌱🌱

[@mata9290]

AAAHHHH ... Now I watch the new solid video and there the BEARD.. This spring can not come fast enough here in the STATES , PA, . I will be making a FARM..

[@RobsAquaponics]

😃 Hope your plans are coming along well Mat. Cheers & happy growing 🌱

[@mata9290]

would be moving faster if I can find a good well build , non expensive green house.. how ever when I do get it up and running I will send you a video link, then perhaps you can help me tweak the farm.. thank you for responding to me on all my questions.

[@justexcel]

Hi Rob, I always look forward to hearing what you're up to. I had a suggestion for the filter..why not add a nylon stocking to the inlet hose and capture more solids?

[@RobsAquaponics]

You can do that as well if you like Jim. 👍 I have used filter socks before with good results.

[@WhenJigglesAttacks]

I added an air stone to mine. works great

[@RobsAquaponics]

It doesn't disturb the solids too much?

[@WhenJigglesAttacks]

@@RobsAquaponics I built a radial flow, bio hybrid filter. The water goes into the filter its forces down into a chamber, outside the chamber is bio media and air stones. I don't seem to get any built up of solids. Works great.

[@WhenJigglesAttacks]

@@RobsAquaponics have a great day and enjoy your break

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@WhenJigglesAttacks Nice one mate. Considered something similar here. 👍

[@joshuapearson2857]

Alright Rob, you've got the sub lol. My brother is living with his wife in Brisbane, dropped him a link to the channel thinking he would enjoy your content as I have. Thanks for posting bud! Cheers, sunny SoCal!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Joshua . Do you have a system on the go yourself? Cheers mate & happy growing. 🌱🌱

[@LordLarryWho]

I'm still wanting to build a chop & flip system for the greenhouse for the sake of having an example system for the flood & drain method. The solid buildup in the bed is the only reason why I haven't done it yet. But, this looks like a good solution. Thanks!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Definitely think some decent filter material would help out some with the fine solids Larry. Was also going to add a grate to hold the cloth off the base & valve in the void underneath for cleaning purposes but thought I'd stick with the KISS approach for this build. Cheers mate & have a top one. 👍

[@LordLarryWho]

Yep, in my case, I say KISS stands for "keep it stupid simple". But I think that grate could be added easy enough with a few simple spacers to keep it off the bottom. I'm going to give this a whirl as a filter on my pond. You will laugh at me on this one. Any time I need an easy batch of filter media for a perforated bottom bucket filter, I just stop at Walmart and grab a cheap pillow. :-)

[@RobsAquaponics]

😃 Have seen loads of aquarium guys use the dacron from pillows as a cheap source. .

[@chapaquaponics]

Love the videos keep up the work!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Chap AP 👍👍

[@Anthony-oh6sl]

So awesome knowledge and all around great tips

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem Anthony. Cheers & happy growing. 🌱👍

[@Anthony-oh6sl]

Got my 5 gallon swirl filter in my top grow bed, great bell, goldfish are doing great, gonna move to blue t soon, I would love to share pics of the build , I’ll just watch your build video again🤓 thanks

[@ajoygeorge6030]

Hi Rob, Hope you are doing good. All your videos are inspiring and motivating me to make my own aquaponics system. I would like to know what are the materials you used and can be used in the filtration bucket?. Thank you once again for providing us the detailed structure of each item that is being used in the aquaponics system.

[@RobsAquaponics]

I used a shade cloth but you can also use things like old fish or bird netting. I have even seen folks use plastic bottle tops & rocks. The latter are a bit harder to clean out though. Hope that helps some.

[@CIKOLBUDIDAYA]

hi ...... i'm from indonesia. please request a circulation filter path diagram starting from the fish pond to the plant and back to the fish ... Thank you.....🙏

[@RobsAquaponics]

I run through the water flow in this design & others in this clip, kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoK0cmh4pbx-m8Um35s Hope that helps some.

[@jackieeastom8758]

Nice graphics 👍

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Jackie. Have some similar ones on the cards for some up coming clips. Cheers & have a top one.

[@dantang65]

very nice

[@RobsAquaponics]

Cheers 👍

[@helenocavalcante9786]

hellow my friend, good moning, eu estou aprendendo muito com voce, seu sistema de aquaponia e muito bom,obrigado pelo seus ensinamentos,Deus te abençoe sempre, muita saúde pra vc, Bye...

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thnaks Heeno. Happy Growing. 🌱🌱👍

[@whycanimakeaname]

Hey mate! I'm trying to come up with a clever solids filter after making the chop and flip, but without having a bucket up top since it would be an eyesore how my system is set up. I do have a backup pump I could use to get things on the ground out of sight.

[@jenlijiro8405]

Hi Rob, can u please explain to me, do plants need those solids for nutrients? If we filter the water before going to grow bed, the water will still be as nutritious as before filter for plant? Sorry I am just a beginner, hope you can help, thanks a lot!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Jen & sorry for taking a while to respond. The solids can build up & cause issues when allowed to collect in the beds. As they decompose they can rob oxygen from the water & also release toxic compounds into the water which can kill the fish. There are generally more than enough nutrients suspended in the water to feed the plants if a good quality commercial grade food is used to feed the fish. Hope that helps Jen & have a top one.

[@kiswonramawatar7597]

Interesting

[@captcommando180]

Hi Rob, love your channel and vids, quick question, shade cloth.....can it be used as bio filter material?? I'm thinking in my head it should be good, since it's basically like the sponge filters that come in aquarium pumps to begin with, plus since it doesn't break down and stuff....but what the general consensus please

[@RobsAquaponics]

I'm using it as bio filter media as well as a fine solids filter media in mums new system build. Might even do the same in the small system I'm building under the deck. 👍 Sorry for taking so long to reply. Cheers.

[@RidingJapan]

i need some info for the pumps. how many liters per hour do they move would it be possible to add a solar pump and just have it run through the day? or does the water level syphon thing happen through the night too

[@eltallerdeelberg....1273]

Hey mate,I have seen quite a few of those midge fly larvae in my system. Are they something to worry about?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I don't worry about them mate. If I manage to collect a few I toss them in the fish tank & they don't last too long. Sorry again for taking so long to get back to you.

[@lukasmaximilianbehr1173]

Love the video! How often do you clean your bucket filter?

[@RobsAquaponics]

That depends on the size & number of fish you're feeding. I like to get into the habit of cleaning it once a week though. It can get pretty manky if you miss a cleaning or two

[@lukasmaximilianbehr1173]

@@RobsAquaponics ​ Thanks for the reply! Much love from Germany! I have just started my system about a month ago (with the help of your videos!). The fish are numerous but really small. I guess a weekly cleaning is not necessary, yet. What do you think?

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@lukasmaximilianbehr1173 You could leave it for a couple of weeks while they're small I think Lukas. 👍 Happy growing mate.🌱🌱

[@lukasmaximilianbehr1173]

@@RobsAquaponics Thanks man!

[@adame924]

Another great video, Any idea where I can purchase cheap shade cloth in the US?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Not sure sorry mate. I have picked some up from folks that bout too much & recycling centres if that helps any.

[@EpicsXD]

Hey Rob can you explain to me how the pipe from the fish tank actualy sends the water in the filtering sistem ? I meen is just a pipe standing up how dose it pull the water in the next sistem whitout a pomp ?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hey Alex. The hose is connected to a 3500lph pump in the tank under the grow bed. 👍 This clip goes through how this system was built, kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJC5g4KDnaaiidU Hope that helps some.

[@quilbsquad289]

hi rob, i want to ask, what kind of pump you used in absorbing fish's solid waste from fish tank?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Leo. I like to use the magnetic drive pond pumps to run the systems. They can handle a bit of solids & generally have a higher flow than aquarium pumps. Hope that helps.

[@pelimo]

Hi Rob. I built my system based on the animation at 48s in the video. Only difference is i used pvc tubes instead of a grow bed. How does the pump circulate the water if the pump is not in the fish tank? Does it generate enough force to push water upwards against gravity and back to the fish tank? I'm thinking I need a second pump in the fish tank.

[@camerons5032]

Love the vids mate. Can i use scoria rocks im my aquaponics

[@RobsAquaponics]

Certainly can Cameron. 👍 A lot of folks down south use it in their systems. Is a bit expensive up here in SE QLD last time I looked. Just make sure you don't buy dyed scoria. Cheers mate & have fun with the build.

[@kwaknitl-2guide318]

is it ok . if there are small worm in my filter bucket? is it not harmful to a fish.? tnx good day

[@RobsAquaponics]

At a guess I'd say that they're midge fly larvae. I have them in ours as well & they pose no real issue.

[@lucduval8773]

Hi Rob, really love your videos. They are highly informative and enjoyable to watch. I'm currently making my own chop and flip aquaponic system for my final year of university and wanted to know how you created the animation at the 40s mark of the video?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hey Luc. I animated stills I made using a paint program from www.getpaint.net/ It was done in the old editing software I was using called "Video Pad Editor" but I have since switched to using DaVinci Resolve 17 from Blackmagic. Creates much better animations & you can download a free version that I think is the best editing suite for KZbin. Hope that helps some.

[@douglascolman4501]

G'DAY Rob, Could you please let me know how big is your pump. Is it 220vAC and how many KWH it consumes per month. Great videos with very detailed info.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Sorry Douglas but I don't have those details on me for this old pump. The system now has a 6500lph pump on it that I think is about 100W. 100w x 24hours is 2.4kW. So that would mean 72kW a month. I think the older 3000lph used slightly more from memory. Hope that helps.

[@Alien-th7nl]

Hi rob .I have a few 20L buckets. they were filled with hydrolic oil when I got them .... I was wondering if there is a way to clean them for a aquaponics dutch bucket system

[@RobsAquaponics]

I've seen folks use oil drums before Jarred but I'nm not sure about hydraulic oil. With normal engine oil they just wash them out multiple times with soaps & warm water until they're squeaky clean. The MSD sheet may also give you a few pointers on how best to clean them out. Sorry it took a while to respond mate. Cheers.

[@Andrious777]

I have been watching your aquaponics vids for long enough to get inspired to build a system for myself. My question to you is how small can you go with a swirl filter ?? could it still be effective in a 3-gallon bucket or even smaller like a large pop bottle???

[@RobsAquaponics]

It all comes down to retention time as the longer the water stays in the container in a swirl filter the more chance the solids have to fall out of suspension. A 2 min retention time is OK for most backyard systems to get the bulk of the large solids to settle out but longer would be better. This is how I work it out for our current system. It's filter size divided by flow rate. We have a 200L filter & 1800lph flow rate. 200 / 1800 = 0.11111 Multiply 0.11111 x 60 to turn that into minutes & we get 6.6666 minutes. To work out the seconds we then multiply the 0.6666 by 60 & get 39.96 seconds so we round that up & get 40 seconds. So the total retention time for the filter on our system is 6 minute & 40 seconds. 👍 Hope that helps some. BTW, settlers with a stilling well like the radial flow tend to work better than a swirl filter. Cheers.

[@Andrious777]

I am actually trying to do an indoor system and don't have much space at all. when it works then the wife will be on board.

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@Andrious777 A 3gal bucket should work OK for a smaller aquarium set up as long as the flow isn't too fast. Hope all goes well mate. 👍

[@farhadrajabipour6743]

Hi I whish you say for a bigger Aquaponic

[@RobsAquaponics]

You can up sizes this sort of filter & make it out of a 200L drum Farhad. 👍 It would be a bit of an effort to clean the cloth out every week so would suggest you use a radial flow settler before it to remove the bulk of the solids. Cheers mate.

[@alfonsoglz9418]

Hi! Good video... thanks for teahc... have you ever seen some tubifex on your solids? And do you know if it is good or bad?

[@RobsAquaponics]

We do get midge fly larvae in there from time to time but that's about it. 👍

[@alfonsoglz9418]

@@RobsAquaponics well i will susbs...

[@jamie-df]

Question for you Rob(although i know this is quite an old video). So I'm planning on building a small chop and flip system indoors on some shelving and am looking at the filtering side of things. I will be having the pump rest in the fish tank and pump up into a filter. But I had planned to build a small radial flow filter that feeds into another small filter with that sort of spongy foamy material, then into the growbed. Is there any reason you haven't got a radial flow filter on this system here like you have on some of your other ones you have showcased?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hey Jamie. The lighter fish load in these smaller systems won't produce a great deal of solids. The solids will also be smashed into fine particles by the pump making them harder to settle out in a radial flow settler so that's why I went with this style of filter. The RFS would collect a good deal if it was large enough to give a 10 min retention time but would also be yet another bit of maintenance to carry out on a weekly basis. Hope that helps mate.

[@jamie-df]

@@RobsAquaponics Hey thanks for the response! Yeah that makes sense. This style of filter here is more similar to what you would find in a home aquarium(less fish load likely) albeit a bit more diy :) So think I'll go with something more in this area after all. Cheers, thanks for the help(and all the top notch videos!)

[@malcolmyoungacdc]

Is the shade cloth safe for food grade nuts?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I enquired with the manufacture after some one else asked & they said yes as it's used to cover food crops. 👍

[@malcolmyoungacdc]

@@RobsAquaponics Excellent, I knew you would be into it. Thanks Rob, I've learnt something here. All the best to you & yours.

[@abdoana2983]

Thanks

[@butchvandyk1051]

Do you mail parts to south Africa? Especially the uniseal?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Butch. I can give you a quote if you're interested but think the postage to SA from here is fairly expensive. Best to chat via my orders email as comments can get lost. [e-mail] Cheers mate.

[@theniagarafallsgaragegarde4561]

I use a piece of 3” pvc pipe with a filter sock and carbon

[@MelodieEdmund]

Hi Rob and all. At the 39 second mark of the video where you show your system. The siphon is pulling water out of fish tank into solids filter then out to water tank under growbeds. IF that pump stops working for whatever reason (no backup kicks in either for this question), what would stop all of the water from being siphoned out of fish tank?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Melodie. The water from the fish tank is being moved by the pump so if the power was to be cut it would just stop flowing to the grow bed. Hope that helps.

[@MelodieEdmund]

Rob Bob's Aquaponics & Backyard Farm Thanks Rob, I was talking about the sketch you showed of your setup the Split Flow System. From the sketch it looked like the pump was pumping from your pond under growbed into the fish tank. From the fish tank it looks like the water is being siphoned into solids filter and then flows back into tank. My setup is like your mom and dads, but in thinking of the future I may create another larger pond for my fish and create something like you have in your sketch, which led to my question about the siphon not breaking of pump stopped. I very much appreciate your videos. I will be creating the solids filter like the one you created for your parents. I am running I to same problem with getting all the muck out of the tank especially since my entire tank was buried in the ground. My brother and I set this up a few years ago, he suggested we dig out the hole for our fish pond as the ground will help keep water cooler in summer and retain heat better in winter. It worked, but as I got further into my aquaponics the ability to use gravity to run water through a filter would never work for me. So this video was just what I needed. :-) warm regards your follower from North Carolina

[@RobsAquaponics]

Sorry Melodie for not checking the time mark you gave me. That's a solids lifting outlet and not a siphon. 👍 There is is a T fitting at the top of the outlet that stops it from forming a siphon. This clip gives an explanation of how they work kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJ7dmHSEiax9Zs0 Sorry for not having a proper look the first time. Hope the filter build goes well for you folks. Rob.

[@lifewithlois7262]

Do you ever send people ginger starters ? God Bless💕

[@RobsAquaponics]

I have shared a ton of seeds & plant starts over the years but haven't lately. Is just getting to expensive to pay the postage unfortunately. Cheers.

[@marksmouthy410]

hi please tell me how the water flow from the black hose if is pump show us how thanks

[@RobsAquaponics]

I run through the plumbing from the pump to the filter here, kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqWwi4WDaMZofNUm50s Cheers.

[@barryemery9494]

Hey so I have a small chop n flip for my indoor fish tank I have a small swirl filter with out that cloth stuff I put worms into my grow media to help with the bio build up if I put cloth into my swirl filter would the worms run out of food in my grow bed?

[@RobsAquaponics]

The worms would still have plenty to feed on like the small particles that make it through & decomposing plant matter like fallen leaves & roots. 👍 Hope that helps some Barry.

[@o.o1163]

Hi Rob, I'm really into aquaponics and my interest at first was the hydroponics. I've followed the Larry Hall method and I've talked to him personally when I ordered my floats for my drain pipe system. Really nice guy , gonna miss him. Anyways Ive now got floats and it's time for being inside and I've got lots of parts fanf a drip system , hoses for that and a pump and I bought 2 fish tanks one of which has bioballs in half of it that the guy dyid with . I'm just really stressed about the setup of it all. I'ttd be easier for me to or cheaper to make Bell siphon yet I've seen a 2 pack on Amazon and I'd like to get hold fish for right now. It's crazy I've got net cups n everything else I mentioned n yet I don't know exactly how to do all this and have no one who could come here to help me. If you ever do find the time , would you hit me up on messenger and guide me through this at a set time? I know it's alit to ask but I've got no one. Like I even have composting worms n it's just crazy n confusing too

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Lisa. Sorry I missed this when you needed help. How has the build gone for you?

[@donovanleeds4012]

Wouldn't having worms in the grow bed help reduce solids build-up and extend the life of the media?

[@RobsAquaponics]

They do help to a point Donovan but can't process all the solids into plant available elements to take up. Have seen some recommend them instead of filters but as I've found out a few times they don't do the job by themselves. Cheers. Cheers.

[@donovanleeds4012]

I don't have a setup (yet) but since I like to have redundancy, I'm probably going to go with a split-flow system with a swirl filter and have worms in the bed. I'd like to have vertical towers above the bed as well. I'll have a better idea after I get moved to Arizona in a few months and I get to see how much space I have to work with

[@chriswingertjr5538]

Question for you I I'm new to aquaponics , but I am a seasoned fish keeper shouldn't you have a filter of some type so the fish don't die from ammonia poisoning ?in other words beneficial bacteria that converts the fish waste to nitrite then to nitrate. How have you been able to keep the fish in the tank alive without some kind of biological filter?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Chris. The media in the grow beds are the biological filter. The rule of thumb for beginners is 25L / 6.6 gal of wet media can process the waste of one fish you want to grow out to 500g or 1lb. The first clip in the play list below may help filll in the gaps for you 👍 kzbin.info/aero/PLBcWprMIwYYj8zCdbSzPJOR3HRXpxuBwf Cheers & Have a top one

[@chriswingertjr5538]

@@RobsAquaponics ok thanks

[@taniksambo1969]

Would this ever cause any problems with the pump? All the solids are in the filter and cause the pump to work harder or even reduce the pump flow? Or solids clogging up the pipes? What are the cons on this type of filter?

[@RobsAquaponics]

The pump used in this system is a pond pump so is designed to be able to handle fish solids. The biggest con would be having to break it down every time you need to clean it I think. Cheers.

[@garagephuocan8816]

I think there are 2 problems with this design. First it will keep all the solids in the filter which give nothing to the grow bed so the bacterias can create NO3. Secondly, it will also create an anaerobic zone which turn NH3 into no nutrients for the plant. Is that true Rob?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Most of the ammonia released by the fish comes from their respiratory system so is in the water itself & not in the solids Duy. Some nutrients will be lost when the solids are removed but as nutrients of all types are also found in water soluble forms (in varying rates) in aquaponic systems the plants will have access to them. You can also process that solid waste in a mineralisation tank to release more nutrients into the water & add that back into the aquaponic system as well as some hobby & most commercial operations do. 👍 As we have a LOAD of soil gardens, I find it just as easy to give them a boost with some of the solids waste from the system. If you look into the UVI designed systems, they remove all solids & ramp up the amount of feed given the fish so that all nutrients will be available in the water. As a result, they do need to gas off some of the extra nitrate that builds up. No anaerobic zone will form if the filter is cleaned on a regular basis. This one is supposed to be cleaned weekly so the deposits don't build up too much. Hope that helps some.

[@garagephuocan8816]

Thanks for clarify it!

[@amyludwig3409]

Hi Rob, I've watched a lot of your videos, I've really enjoyed them and learned a lot. Thanks so much for making such Great Videos!! I just got done reading all the comments on this video. I'm planning on doing this type of Solids Filter for my 1st system. I'm looking for the cheapest filter material to put in the Aquaponics system, I seen where someone mentioned using dacron from pillows for Aquariums. Will this work for the Aquaponics system as well? Follow up question to using the pillows, the dacron is that the pillow stuffing or the outside shell?..lol I tried to look it up and wasn't really getting a for sure answer. I don't want to kill my fish by using the wrong material :)

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Amy. It does work very well but can be very hard to clean out, that's why I prefer the shade cloth. The dacron is the cotton wool-like stuffing in the pillows. 👍 Hope that helps some.

[@kakashiXbboy]

Rob, would a radial flow filter work in this instance?

[@RobsAquaponics]

It would work to a point but would have to be rather large to allow enough retention time for the small particles created by the pump to settle out. Cheers Scott.

[@kakashiXbboy]

@@RobsAquaponics Thanks Rob. Well then... how do you feel about swirl filters? I haven't ever made one personally but am interested by the idea. Would just like to be able to recycle the gathered fish waste for my other greenz in the yard.

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@kakashiXbboy Mechanical filtration will work a lot better than settlers I think. Swirl filters preform worse than the radial flow according to what I've read & been told by folks that have experience with both. 👍

[@parfaitamour1304]

So if I wanna do aquaponic then I have to make the fish water goes through the filter first and then goes through the grow bed sir?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Ken. You don't need to but it does help keep the beds cleaner. I have run systems with no filters but found I needed to muck out the solids after 18-20 months. The reason being is I started to get anaerobic conditions in the grow beds where the roots had held onto the solids & no air was getting in there to keep the bacteria thriving. Having a filter on the system won't stop the need for beds having to be cleaned out but it will help stretch out the intervals between them. All of which is also dependant on the amount of bed volume & the amount of fish feed going into the system. 👍 Hop that helps some.

[@parfaitamour1304]

@@RobsAquaponics thanks so much for your info. Theres one more thing I wanna know, is it better if I put some biology ceramics in the filtration system sir?

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@parfaitamour1304 Some biomedia can't hurt as it will help to increase the biological surface area for the bacteria. May not be needed if there's enough media in the grow beds though.

[@parfaitamour1304]

@@RobsAquaponics thanks so much. Hope your channel will get more and more subs. Well done sir, have a nice day 👌

[@damienkaps92]

Hi Rob, I saw in another of your videos that these also count as a small biofilter. You did mention in a Biofilter video that adding these increases the number of fish you can house. So do these little filerters also allow for an increase in fish? If so, how many?

[@RobsAquaponics]

The filter I made with shade cloth for biofiltration couldn't handle much of a load so this one wouldn't add much more than 1 fish worth at a guess. The others I made had MUCH more cloth in them than this one. Hope that helps.

[@damienkaps92]

@@RobsAquaponics Cheers mate, is there a video with the more shade cloth? only seen the ones with the commercial circle biofilter media?

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@damienkaps92 I showed a cloth style filter in this video, kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpybd6CBjpKLidU I would try & pack as much in as you could. Keep in mind that you'd want clean water coming in as any cleaning of the cloth would knock off bacteria setting the process back a bit. Hope it helps with a few ideas.

[@heckyes]

Isn't there a way to have the muck and roots all broken down so that you don't have to ever change the beds?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Compost worms will help to a point but there will always be some that the plants can't take up & the worms can't process. I think it's easier to remove them to use elsewhere or treat them in a mineralisation tank & add them back into the system. Cheers.

[@qmax003]

Hi, Isn't a vortex filter better than this one?

[@RobsAquaponics]

You'd need a fairly long retention time to get the small solids to settle out in a vortex / swirl filter. A radial flow filter would do a better job (according to paper linked below) but sill would need a large filter to help give it a longer retention time to get the fine solids out I think. Hope that helps some. integrated-aqua.com/2012/solids-removal-a-comparison-of-a-swirl-separator-and-a-radial-flow-settler/

[@alfaholic3]

Is there a reason you use this type of filter instead of a Wet/Dry type filter? I'm a noob at aquaponics but ive been into fish keeping for a long time. My main aim is to reduce water changes and try getting to a more natural setup but i do enjoy finding out how it all works.

[@RobsAquaponics]

I've never had any experience with aquarium filters sorry I've always needed units that can handle more waste than is generally produced in most aquariums. These jobbies are very cheap to make, will handle a fairly large amount of solids & only take a few minutes to clean out once a week using the garden hose. Hope that helps some & have fun with the system build.

[@alfaholic3]

@@RobsAquaponics Thanks mate. I've really been enjoying the channel, definitely one of the best aquaponics channels on youtube. Thanks for the response and giving your reasons for using it. I will definitely be trying it out.

[@alfaholic3]

@@RobsAquaponics i keep large native fish so they do produce a lot of waste.

[@soheila622]

Thank you very much Rob for your informative videos on aquaponics. I would like to set up a constant flood CHOP system that runs off-grid, using solar panels. The media bed is 100 gallons (4’ x 4’ x 1’) and the fish tank is 112 gallons (3’x3’x2’). I’m not expanding on this system. My goal is to set up a system that’s efficient, inexpensive and easy to replicate. I would like to replicate the CHOP system you have set for your parents, except that my media bed is placed on cinderblocks and sits next to the fish tank. The water is pumped up from the fish tank and into a small solids filter and then into the medial bed, which is then evenly distributed by pipes placed at perimeter of the bed. The water then flows to the centre of the bed and out into the fish tank. I don't know how to figure out the size of the water pump and the air pump for my system, and I would very much appreciated your advice on this. Thank you Rob.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi SS. One of the main rules of thumb with aquaponics is that you need to filter the water from the fish tank attest 1.5 times an hour through the biofilter/grow bed to help the bacteria in there to convert the waste. You also need to take into account the loss of flow rate due to the head height (distance from the top of the water in the fish tank to the outlet in the filter) when selecting the pump. I would probably go with something like a 300-350gph pump depending on the head height. If the flow is too much you can bleed some of the excess flow back off into the fish tank to help aerate it. As for air pump, I'd recommend that you get one that will pump the same volume per hour as the volume is in the fish tank. Hope that helps some. 👍

[@soheila622]

@@RobsAquaponics Hello Rob. Thank you for your informative reply, I appreciate your time. Cheers!

[@Cosirius]

Hey Rob thank you for all your videos. I’m currently using your advice to build my indoor ibc system. Do you mind if I invite you to my discord channel?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope the build went well Cosirius. I'm a bit flat out at the moment to be able to contribute anything but you can add me if you want. 👍 Thanks & have a top one.

[@tomclark9337]

I have seen in other videos people adding worms to the grow media to take care of the solids and to keep plant roots healthy. Any thoughts? New to channel and doing some research. Thanks

[@RobsAquaponics]

There were some gurus claiming that you only need worms but I think that's wrong. Worms also produce solids that can't be taken up by the plants and will build up over time in the beds. I still recommend using them though as they will break down old roots and solids to a point. 👍

[@dobishs]

Are the solids not good for the plants? Why not place the filter after feeding the plants?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Solids can build up & cause other issues. As they decompose they can rob oxygen from the water & also release toxic compounds into the water. You'll find that there are more than enough nutrients suspended in the water to feed the plants. Hope that helps.

[@dobishs]

@@RobsAquaponics Thanks for your reply. I'm watching and enjoying a lot of your videos, great info. I'm getting ready to build my system soon. Plan is for fish to be underground in a pound, filter, 3 grow beds using blue barrels cut in half. Not sure about grow medium or some plastic like footing raft. I'm probably not going to have a sump.

[@timseeley4506]

@@dobishs were do i put cannister filter

[@lifeinthailand]

Why does yours look professional and mine looks like old paint buckets, oh yell its because mine is old paint buckets....lol

[@RobsAquaponics]

😄 These are bodybuilders "supplement" buckets. I wonder if that has something to do with it. 😉 Cheers Paul.

[@sandheepnair1465]

lifeinthailand, I've been investigating ebooks about aquaponics and discovered a great resource at Fast track grower (check it out on google)

[@paulwong3359]

Doesn't matter!! Use paint!

[@nocoolming]

用沙子过滤，效果会更好吗？ 直接扔旧脏的沙子，用新的替代，省去清洁的工作 ============Google translate======================== Is it better to filter with sand? Throw away the old dirty sand directly and replace it with new ones, eliminating the need for cleaning

[@RobsAquaponics]

我知道有些人使用沙濾器。 這是一個朋友給我的有關他們的一頁鏈接。 www.koiphen.com/forums/showthread.php?68132-Birdman-s-Sand-Gravel-Filter&fbclid=IwAR1pND1Bl4RsXP7EC_tjzj7tFd1bdFCYjGGpYJEXhBoT7GcOdQVa1U3f3eM 希望對您有幫助。 乾杯。 (Google translate) I know some people use sand filters. This is a link to a page about them from a friend. Hope it helps you. Cheers.

[@nocoolming]

谢谢你的回复

[@robinsontanner1234]

not a critique but why not feed the larva back to the fish?

[@RobsAquaponics]

You can if you can catch them. 👍 Cheers DW.

[@robinsontanner1234]

@@RobsAquaponics i figured all the little guys at the bottom of the solids filter could be poured in. Good deal!

[@babygorilla4233]

But what if you don't throw away the solid waist? What if the solid waist went through a separate tank with a filter containing bottom feeders. Would it be too much for them, would you need a very large tank for them? I'm thinking you can get a fair deal of shrimp one or way or another by feeding them the fish sh*t

[@RobsAquaponics]

A digester (similar to a compost brewer) is how I deal with the solids collected from our Radial Flow Settler Nate. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pombqnVqYst9gtU Hope that helps some mate.

[@jacobdavidson2462]

Loofah for solids filters?

[@RobsAquaponics]

UI have seen folks use them. One chap was just composting them rather than cleaning them out. Mind you, he only had a small aquarium system.

[@jaberscabral3367]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@golammostofa9255]

please write the name of fittings.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Here you go mate. - one bucket/small drum with lid - enough sdade cloth to semi tightly pack bucket - a few short lengths of 25mm pvc pipe - 25mm uniseal - 2 x 25mm elbows - 20mm hose (can be larger if you want) - 20mm valve for hose - "nut & Tail" fitting for removing filter pipe from main line. (you will need a valve on the pump side as well) Hope that helps Golam. 👍

[@golammostofa9255]

Thank you very much Bob

[@drrahilakurdi5943]

🌷🦃🌷

[@RobsAquaponics]

😁😁👍😁😁🌺

[@chrislayton2025]

So what is your favorite filter for the chop and flip system?

[@RobsAquaponics]

It would have to be this little build Chris. Very easy to make & service. Cheers.

[@ramoneoliveira5851]

Like

[@BraveLittIeToaster]

i thought plants ate the fish poo, why so much filtration?

[@RobsAquaponics]

While some nutrient is lost in the solids the vast amount of ammonia & other needed elements are in the water or can be found in the small particles that no non commercial filter will remove. 👍 It's also not a waste if it can be used on other producing plants around the patch. 😉 A lot of folks are now mineralising the solids waste they remove & adding it back in once the solids settle out. HTH

[@umesh2063]

Hello Rob, Thanks for the video. I am new in Aquaponics and doing some research before I start my own. I have one doubt, you have mentioned in your many videos about the filtration of solid waste before the water from the fish tank hit the grow bed. I have watched another video on this link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oV6vlGl-msuloa8 here, nothing is mentioned about solid waste filtration. how would the plants or fish be affected if we don't filter out the solid waste? Thanks in advance.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Mate. Solids can be an issue in systems where they are allowed to build up. I think it's easier to remove them & put them to use elsewhere in the garden. The ammonia the fish release comes mainly from the gills & is in the water with only a fraction being released in the solid waste. You will also find that the other nutrients can also be found dissolved in the water as well. Hope that helps.

[@umesh2063]

@@RobsAquaponics thank you very much much Bob.

[@shamsajmeri8361]

Is there any transgender threads!? I want to be inclusive on my aquaponics system. 😂😂😂

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hey NotACat. You would still have the same retention over all time in a setup like that. You can double it by splitting the flow from the fish tank in two & having one of each flow through a settler tank. Their outlets can then join back up or be piped off to different components of the system. Hope that helps some.