Indoor Aquaponics System Renewable DIY helping you harness the power of nature
H E L P I N G Y O U H A R N E S S T H E P O W E R O F N A T U R E DIY Indoor Aquaponics System Renewable DIY Inc. PO Box 366 525 Tribble Gap Road Cumming, GA 30040 Email: support@renewablediy.com
Table of Contents Aquaponics Overview... 1 Getting Ready to Build... 2 What You ll Find in This Guide... 2 Tools You Will Need... 2 Gathering Your Materials... 3 Cutting an Drilling... 3 Cut List for PVC Pipe... 4 Preparing the Bins... 5 Assembly and Customization... 4 Putting it Together... 7 Extra Parts... 13 Starting and Maintaining Your System... 5 Filling and Testing... 14 Maintenance... 15 Quick Reference... 16 Resources... 6 Tips... 17 Tables... 18 Troubleshooting... 20 Suggested Vendors... 21 Please note that although the guide was derived from a fully functional system and all efforts were made to keep the information that follows accurate, because the nature of the project is do-it-yourself, we cannot make any promises or guarantees as to the level of success you will have. Also, because the assembly of systems derived from the use of this guide is not done by us (Renewable DIY Inc., representatives or associates of), we cannot be held responsible for any damages and/or injury directly or indirectly resulting from the use of this guide. Please follow all safety instructions and be careful when handling tools. ii
Section 1 Aquaponics Overview This section will give you a short overview of what aquaponics is and how it works. If you re like me you ve already done extensive research on this subject and know exactly where you re headed with this. If that s the case, then you can probably skip this section and go straight to the assembly part. If that isn t the case though, read on. Aquaponics is a sustainable way of growing both fish and vegetables using organic methods. Aquaponics was born through the marriage of hydroponics and aquaculture. Hydroponics entails growing plants in a liquid medium that is used to carry the nutrients directly to the roots. This is advantageous in that soil was eliminated and water consumption was reduced drastically, but is disadvantageous in that the nutrients often have to be artificially introduced into the system. Aquaculture as a term is used to describe various systems used to grow fish in captivity, such as large tanks or stock ponds. The advantages here are greater control of the environment the fish grow in as well as control of breeding. The disadvantage in growing fish in closed systems is the buildup of waste from digested and undigested fish feed. In an aquaponics system, plants and fish both benefit from each other. The process begins when the fish produce ammonia. Fish produce ammonia by releasing it through their gills and also as a byproduct of digestion. Ammonia in high concentrations can quickly become toxic to the fish. There are naturally occurring bacteria all around us waiting to take advantage of this given the proper environment. These bacteria are collectively called nitrifying bacteria. One set of bacteria will go to work turning the ammonia into nitrites. This type of bacteria multiplies at double the rate of the second group of bacteria. This sudden increase in nitrite production brought on by the rapid growth of the nitrifying bacteria is called the nitrite spike. The second group of bacteria takes in the nitrites and converts them into nitrates. These nitrates are then what the plants absorb through their roots as nutrients and in doing so help they help clean the water before it returns to the fish. As you can see the process is a closed loop with the fish providing a source of nutrients for the plants and the plants with the aid of beneficial bacteria providing clean water back to the fish. All in a small footprint that uses only 10% the amount of water that a soil based system would use. 1 1
Section 2 Getting Ready to Build This section outlines what you ll find in the guide and what you need to gather in terms of tools and materials to get the job done. What You ll Find in This Guide This guide contains all the information you will need in order to build a small scale indoor aquaponics system. Inside you will find information on what materials and tools you will need to complete the project as well as tips and hints for operating and maintaining the system. We have also included a troubleshooting guide to help you along. Finally, we have included a few tables with lists of fish and vegetables that do well in this type of system as well as lists of suggested suppliers for your parts and materials. Okay, now it s time to get busy. Tools You Will Need Good preparation will always raise your success rate when working on projects of this type. To this end, this section will help you prepare to put this project together. The following is a list of suggested tools to use in the assembly of the system. Sharpie Marker Measuring Tape or Yardstick Hacksaw File Utility Knife Drill with a 1½ hole saw Scissors Ratcheting Pipe Cutter 12
Gathering Your Materials Included on your thumb drive is a shopping list. This list is broken down by suppliers to make it easier for you to order if you are ordering online. A full description of each part is also given in case you just want to go down to your local hardware store and buy the parts there. We tried to find suppliers that will give you the best overall pricing on parts. We have also included a few optional items on the list that will help you customize your system so that you can get the most out of it. Before After 31
Section 3 Cutting and Drilling Now that you have everything handy, it s time to get to get to work. Cut List for PVC Pipe The following is a listing of the sizes and lengths (cut list) of PVC pipe you will need to cut in order to complete the frame of the system. You can lay out the cuts using this list, but keep in mind that the amount of pipe you ordered from the included shopping list is just enough for the project, so we suggest using the cheat-sheet we made for you. For cutting the pipe I usually use a miter saw. A hacksaw will work just as well, but I suggest investing in a ratcheting pipe cutter as it will drastically cut down your cleanup time. Remember, the cuts don t have to be perfectly square, but the lengths should be as close to the specified measurements as possible. In marking the pipe for cutting I find it easier to measure out a bunch of the cuts and cut them all at once. We have included the cut list cheat-sheet on your thumb drive to make it easy to mark the pipes for cutting. The cheat-sheet is laid out so that you have almost no pipe left over. That way there will be almost no waste and your project will be even greener as well as saving you a lot of time. Notice that there are numbers (also known as reference designators) under the Ref Des column in the cut list. These will correspond to the same parts you see on the cheat-sheet. You may find it helpful to mark the sections of pipe accordingly or use temporary labels in case you don t want to mark up your frame. Continue to cut the lengths on the list from your pipe and set them aside. You can use one of the bins to hold the parts until you are ready for them. Always wear eye protection when working with these types of tools and materials. Schedule 40 ¾ pipe Schedule 40 ¾ pipe Ref Des Qty Length Ref Des Qty Length FL1 1 9 FR1 1 9 FL2 1 14 FR2 1 14 FL3 1 8 ½ FR3 1 8 ½ FL4 1 6 ¼ FR4 1 6 ¼ FL5 1 16 FR5 1 16 4
Schedule 40 ½ pipe Schedule 80 ½ pipe Ref Des Qty Length Ref Des Qty Length JS1 2 1 ½ OF1 2 3 JS2 2 2 ½ OF2 1 9 JS3 2 4 ½ CP1 2 24 JS4 2 4 ½ LB1 2 23 LB2 1 24 CP2 1 24 Preparing the Bins The bin we will use for the fish pen can be used unmodified, but the bins used for the grow beds will need a little bit of modification. You will need to drill a hole in the bottom and side of each one of the two grow beds. The bottom hole will be used to drain the water from the grow bed back to the fish pen via gravity. The hole in the side is a safety measure (overflow) in case something goes wrong with your drain. To date I have never had one clog on me, but considering the fact that this is an indoor system you can t be too careful. You can run the system without installing the overflow without any ill effects on the system, but since it will save you less than $6 to leave it out, I recommend leaving it in. We re going to start by flipping the grow bed bins over on their open sides so that the bottoms are facing up. Mark the center of each bin by placing a straight edge across opposite corners and using it to make a line near the center. Now switch corners and make another line intersecting the first one. See [fig 3a]. You should wind up with an x marking the Fig 3a [marking hole position] center of the bottom of your bin. Repeat on the bottom of the second bin. Now take your drill with the 1 ½ hole saw and drill a hole in the center of the bottom of both bins using the marks you just made as guides. Now flip the bins on their sides so that each one has a long side facing up. You are now going to make a mark 1 down from the edge of the open end and half way across the side of the bin. If you are using the bins we listed in the shopping list, that should be 7 from the end of the bin. If you bought a different type of bin you will have to measure the bin and divide in half. See [fig 3b] for hole placement. 5
7 Fig 3b [hole position on grow bed bins] Getting it exactly in the middle is not absolutely crucial, but it will help you line the bins up during the assembly phase. You will be using a single pipe assembly for the overflow, so you should have two bins with mirrored hole placement when you are done. See [fig 3c]. The grommets we are using are pretty forgiving, but you want to make sure you remove any burrs from the holes so you get a good water proof seal when you put them in. Fig 3c [hole position on grow bed bins] 6
Section 4 Assembly and Customization In this section you will take all the materials and components and finally assemble them into a functional system. You will also learn about additional components that will help you adapt this system to your specific needs. Putting it Together Now it s time for the fun part, assembly. I like to protect my work surface when I work with PVC pipe since the work surface is plastic and the solvent we are going to use to cement everything together will damage it. I find that brown craft paper works really well and it s easily recycled when I m done with it. Lay the pieces out for the frame using [fig 4a] as a guide. Fig 4a [frame section layout] Item 6 Item 8 Item 7 Item 8 FL4 FL3 FL1 FL2 Item FL5 Item 6 Item 7 We are going to construct the frame in several sections and then assemble those sections to create 7
the full frame. Note that some of the reference designators on the pieces of pipe you cut earlier start with FL# or FR#. This stands for frame left and frame right. You guessed it, we re going to assemble the two sides separately and then bring them together to create the frame. There are several ways of permanently securing this frame. For this part of the project we are going to use some adhesive instead of the traditional pipe cement that plumbers use. Doing this will give you extra working time so that you can get the frame just right and reduces the need for you to have ventilation and a fan set up while you work. Follow the directions on the bottle closely. If you haven t worked with PVC before, we have a short video available for free in the Renewable Library that will help. Start with an elbow at one of the bottom corners and glue a length of pipe into each socket according to the way you laid the parts out. Do this by running a bead of glue around the inside of the joint and pushing the pipe in as far as you can. You now have a stable L shaped part to work from. Continue to work your way around adding parts using the table surface to keep this section of the frame flat. When you get to the tees use the square to ensure that the ½ socket is at a 90 angle to the rest of the section of frame as in [fig 4b]. Fig 4b [using the square] Repeat this process for the other section of the frame. The two sections should mirror each other when you are done. Now glue the schedule 80 cross pieces into the two tees located on the top side of one of the frame sections. Glue the schedule 40 cross piece into the tee on the back of the frame section. If you have chosen to use gravel or stone pebbles instead of the expanded clay you will need to add the steel tubing to the top cross pieces. If you are only planning to use the expanded clay in the grow beds you can skip ahead to the next paragraph. You will need to cut two 26 long sections from the piece of steel tubing using the hacksaw. File the ends down to remove any sharp edges. The steel tubing should slide easily into the schedule 80 cross pieces. Slide one into each crosspiece at the top of the frame. Now continue with the assembly as you would for the frame intended for use with the expanded clay media. Fig 4c [inserting the cross pieces] Now you can glue the final section onto the first section by inserting the cross pieces into the open sockets into the three tees as in [fig 4c]. Now use your body weight and the floor to get the frame as 8
tight as possible. Make sure to wipe any glue that has oozed out of any joints before you set it on the ground. Just put the frame on the floor and push down on all the corners. Rotate to the next side and repeat until all sides are nice and tight and square. The adhesive should cure in about 24 hours and your frame will be set. If you are planning on using a grow light or growing tomatoes, continue with this section. If you are not planning on putting together the grow light/accessory bar you can skip to the next section at this time. The grow light bar is removable, but we are going to use the frame you just built to facilitate its assembly. Snap a pipe outlet (shopping list line item 15) onto the section of pipe between the tees on each side. Make sure the threaded ½ sockets are facing straight up. LB2 Item 14 Item 11 LB1 LB1 Item 11 Item 15 Fig 4d [light bar layout] Screw an adapter (line item 14) into each pipe outlet. Hand tight is fine. The PVC will bind so the adapters won t back out. Arrange pipe sections LB1, LB2, and two elbows as seen in [fig 4d]. Cement the light bar assembly the same way you did the frame. Now cement the light bar into the adapters you screwed into the pipe outlets. You now have a light bar assembly that you can adjust front to back by sliding the pipe outlets back and forth. You can also remove the light bar assembly from the frame if you want to go without it. Now it s time to put the grow beds together. Flip the grow beds over so that the open part is facing down on the work surface. Squeeze one of the grommets (item 16) until it is oval shaped and push the gap around the edge of the grommet onto the edge of one of the holes. There is a flat side and a domed side to the grommet. Ensure that the flat side faces out as in [fig 4e]. Repeat this three more times until all holes in each bin have a grommet installed. Now we move on to the siphons. This particular system employs what is called a J siphon. It is Fig 4e [all grommets facing in] 9
called a J siphon because of its shape when viewed from the side. There are different ways to drain the water back into the fish pen, but this method allows us to control the water flow with minimal number of components. The water will come up to a certain level and when the pump is cut off, gravity and the suction created by the water column in the down tube will continue to drain the water until it hits a level below the inlet opening. This allows you to use a simple plug in timer (line item 22) to control how often and how long the roots are submerged in the water. This means you can grow a greater variety of plants since you can adjust the system according to your needs. Enough about how they work, let s build a couple. Lay out the next set of parts according to [fig 4e]. This time however we are going to use the PVC pipe cement since these parts will be in Item 11 contact with the nutrient water and we JS3 don t want any industrial adhesive JS2 JS4 leaching into our food. With the pipe cement you have a drastically reduced working time so you really Item 12 Item 14 Item 13 Fig 4e [lay out the siphons] have to be careful to line everything up and work quickly. When assembling the siphons you will want to cement the pipes into the elbows first, and then cement the elbows into each other. Doing it this way will make it easier to line things up by allowing you to use the flat surface of the table. You will also want to assemble the rest of these pipes in a ventilated area since the cement gives off some strong fumes. The threaded adapter at the top end of the down tube serves two purposes. First, it will serve as a stop when you insert it into the bottom of the Item 10 grow bin and second, it will allow you to convert the grow bins from flood-drain to NFT by simply unscrewing the J siphon and installing a drain and raft with net pot (information on that will be on the Renewable OF1 DIY forum). At this point you want to wrap a bit of Teflon tape around the end of the J siphon and screw it into the down tube. Next, OF1 OF2 Fig 4f [lay out of overflow] 10
assemble the overflow pipe as seen in [fig 4f] using the cement. Now it s time to bring it all together. Dip one of the short ends of the overflow pipe in some water and push it into one of the grommets on the side of one of the grow beds. The water will lubricate the pipe and make it easier to push in. Wet the inside of the grommet on the other grow bin and push it onto the other short side of pipe assembly. With this done, rotate the pipe until it hangs straight down between the two bins. Place the fish pen in the spot where you want to set the system up. Please consider the placement of your system carefully since once you fill it with water it will be very difficult to move. Place the frame over the fish pen ensuring that the lower cross bar is at the back of the fish pen. The frame should be pulled forward so that the bar makes contact with the back of the fish pen. The bar will end up under the back lip of the fish pen and in combination with the weight of the water will help prevent the frame from being tipped over in the event someone inadvertently bumps the system. Place the bins onto the two top cross bars making sure the free end of the overflow pipe is located between them. The two notches at the bottom of each bin should fit nicely over the two cross bars effectively keeping them from sliding forwards or backwards. You are now ready to install the siphons. At this point you want to slide one filter bags onto the intake side of each siphon and secure it by Filter bag pulling the draw string or using a tie wrap. From here use the same method you used to install the overflow pipe and push the down tubes through until they bottom out on the threaded couplings. This will get you in the right ballpark for the siphon position. The inlets on the siphon should wind up about ½ above the bottom of the bin. This is the lowest the water will go when the siphon pumps it out. This is important because your beneficial bacteria will live in this space (this is what is referred to in other systems as the bio-filter). Fig 4g [down tube outlet parts] Item 12 The filter bags you slid over the intakes will serve as a type of strainer to keep debris from being sucked into your siphons. Just remember that anything you use must allow for high water flow so that your siphons will function properly. No fine mesh filter bags in other words (mesh hole size should be 800 microns or bigger). The siphons will be wobbly at this point. That is by design so that you can account for any discrepancies in the length of pipe or 11
misalignment during assembly. The siphons will be stabilized by the grow media when you fill the grow bins. You will hold the siphons in the proper position while you fill then bins and that will set the height and position of the inlets. Add the parts to the down tubes as in [fig 4g] no cement. Lay out the irrigation system according to [fig 4h]. The 3/8 vinyl tubing is soft enough to cut with cooking 3/8 tubing 2 long (4 places) Fig 4i [irrigation assembly] Fig 4h [lay out of irrigation] 3/8 tubing 25 long shears or a strong pair of scissors. Push the tubing onto the barbed fittings to create the configuration shown in [fig 4i]. Locate the 3/8 tubing adapter for the pump and plug that into the pump s outlet. Slip the long end of tie wrap the vinyl tubing assembly you created over the adapter on the pump. If the adapter for your particular pump is threaded, you should go ahead and screw it into the pump at this time and then push the tubing onto the adapter. The tubing should fit snugly enough that you shouldn t need anything additional to secure it. If it does feel loose, just use a tie wrap of the type you would use to bundle wiring together in order to clamp the tubing onto the adapter. Set the pump to its highest setting at this time. Wet the suction cups at the bottom of the pump and stick it to the bottom of the fish pen near the back center. Feed the tubing up between the two bins and put the free short ends of the tubing over the inside back corner of each bin as in [fig 4i]. Be sure to bring it up between the rear top cross bar and the back lip on the fish pen. Fill the bins with grow media until the top of the siphons are covered and the vinyl tubing from the pump is securely pointing towards the bottom of the grow bins. This is important, because you do not want the water exposed to the light when the system is running. You want the water level to be at least ½ below the surface of the grow media. This is to keep algae growth down. The less the water is exposed to the light the better. 12
Extra Parts If you have opted to have an air pump you can install that at this point. The air pump is not absolutely necessary with all types of fish, but it is recommended that you use it. It is not overly expensive and it is beneficial to the system as a whole to aerate the water. If you are stocking goldfish you will have to aerate the water as they are pretty demanding on the system. The air system is Fig 4i [irrigation outlets] pretty simple to install. All you do is cut a section of air tubing 25 long and slip one end over the fitting on your air stone, then slip the other end over the fitting on the pump. You can cut the air tubing with your average pair of scissors. I like to drop the air stone near the front of the tank to give it a little distance from the water pump. If you will be keeping the system in a place where it may get below 65ºF/18ºC you should consider installing the tank heater (line item 30). The warmer the water the more active the fish will be. You don t want to get the water too warm though because that can affect plant growth. For example, lettuce do well at temperatures between 68ºF/20ºC and 75ºF/24ºC. As for the grow light, you will need that if you set up the system in an area with low light conditions. It also helps to increase your grow rate by tailoring the wavelength of light you supply to the plants you are growing by changing the light element in the light fixture. There are several varieties available and you can find more information on which ones to use by looking up (line item 29) in the online catalog at www.horticulturesource.com. Now set the on/off times on your timer (line item 24) and plug your water and air pump into the timer. Do not plug the timer into the wall outlet at this time. We have added a table with suggested timer settings for you. The table is just a starting point and you should adjust it to better suit your particular vegetables and fish. Note: Do not plug the heater, if you installed one, into the timer. You want your heater to stay on at all the times to keep the temperature at the correct level. If you put gravel or plants in the fish pen, make sure they do not obstruct the water pump inlet. With that you are now ready to fill and test the system. 13
Section 5 Starting and Maintaining the System Okay, assembly was fun, but we need to get a little more out of this. In this section you will learn about filling your system and getting your fish and vegetables in there to start producing for you. Filling and Testing (The system starts here.) Make sure your fish pen bin is nice and clean by wiping it down with a damp cloth. Be careful not to use detergents or other cleaning agents as they can leave behind residue that can kill your beneficial bacteria and/or fish. Those are two major components of the system, so you don t want that. You need to fill your fish pen to just about 1 under the lip or edge. Don t worry, this level will drop a bit once you start up the pump. Double check to make sure the irrigation tubing is in the proper position in each grow bin. Now plug the timer into the wall outlet. Rotate the dial on the timer to set your current time. You will find a switch on the timer that says On/Timer. For the testing phase we are going to flip it to the On position. As soon as you do that you should see the water level in you fish pen start to drop slowly. That means your pump is working. After a minute or two you will see water start to drain from the outlets of the down tubes under the grow bins. Shortly after you start to see the water start to trickle out of the down tubes you will see a sudden increase in the drainage flow. This means the siphons have started. If you see that you are getting excessive flow out of your overflow pipe you can dial the pump back a little at a time until you balance the amount of flow going through the overflow with the amount of flow needed to start the siphons. Rule of thumb is the water has to pump in fast enough to raise the level above the top of the siphons for a short period of time in order to start them pumping at the higher rate at which time they will pump the water out faster than it is coming in. If you have used regular tap water you will want to let the system run for a day or two to 14
let the chlorine in it outgas before you add any fish. This will also give you time to check the system for leaks and proper functioning of siphons. Use the fish data table at the back of this guide to loosely calculate how many fish to put in the pen. Just about any variety of fish will do as long as they can live within the temperature ranges that the vegetables can withstand. You also want to take into account whether you will be harvesting the fish for food or not. We have had a high degree of success with goldfish since they produce high levels of ammonia with very little effort and it s the ammonia that we are after in terms of getting our nitrifying bacteria going. After the addition of the fish it will take from one to two weeks to see what is called a nitrite spike. I use test strips made for testing pond water to monitor the system. I test about every two days until I see a dramatic increase in nitrites. This occurs again because the bacteria that converts the ammonia to nitrites multiplies at a much faster rate than the nitrate bacteria. In a few days, you should see your nitrate level start to increase. Be ready to introduce your plants at this time. You want to get your plants in and start them taking up the nitrates as soon as you can. Once the nitrates are up the system is said to be started. Congratulations, you now have a working aquaponic system! Maintenance Maintenance of the system consists of just a few simple things. First, feed your fish on a regular schedule. You can tell a lot about the health of your fish by the way they react when you feed them. It is a lot easier to tell when the fish are acting strangely if you feed them on a regular schedule. You can also do a visual inspection of the fish as they move around to eat. When fish die they can sometimes lay at the bottom for a while before they get noticed. This can lead to dangerous spikes in ammonia as the body decays. If a fish dies or you suspect that it is going to die, remove it immediately to avoid problems. Next thing is checking the water level and topping it off when necessary. Although this is what is called a closed-loop system, you will lose some water to evaporation from the surface of the fish pen as well as through the leaves of the plants. You should not have to perform a water change frequently the way that you typically do with an aquarium. In fact, if the system is running properly it is beneficial not to do a water change since that would be detrimental to the beneficial bacteria (never pour chlorinated water directly on the grow beds). The water will have a yellowish tint to it, but it will be clear. That means, your water will be yellowish, but you should be able to see through to the bottom with no problem. If the water starts to get cloudy or greenish that is a sign of trouble. Greenish water could be a sign of algae growth which is bad for the system. Test your water once every other week. I use test strips of the kind you would use to test your pond water. These strips have 5 tests per strip and are sufficient for you to get an idea of what is going on in your system. The pond test kit from Tetra is a good deal. It comes in a little white plastic bottle containing 50 strips and it is very easy to use. You just dip the strip in the water, wait a few seconds, and compare the colors to the chart on the back of the bottle. The last thing you need to do is keep an eye on the coloration of the leaves on your plants. Strange colors on your leaves can be an indicator of an imbalance in the system. Although these types of systems are very stable once they start, things can still occur that can throw the system off balance. Bugs are also a concern, but that is minimal since this is an indoor system. 15
Quick Reference for Maintenance 1. Feed the fish on a regular schedule and check for irregular behavior. 2. If you see a dead or dying fish, remove it immediately. This could save the rest of them. 3. Keep the water level topped off. Use water you have outgassed (de-chlorinated) whenever possible. 4. Check water condition. Visual inspection and even using test strips every week or so is good. 5. Keep an eye on the color of the leaves and look out for bugs. Suggested timer program. 6:30 am On 9:30 am On 12:30 am On 3:30 pm On 6:30 pm On 10:00 am On 7:00 am Off 10:00 am Off 1:00 pm Off 4:00 pm Off 7:00 pm Off 10:30 am Off 7:30 am On 10:30 am On 1:30 pm On 4:30 pm On 7:30 pm On 4:30 am On 8:00 am Off 11:00 am Off 2:00 pm Off 5:00 pm Off 8:00 pm Off 5:00 am Off 8:30 am On 11:30 am On 2:30 pm On 5:30 pm On 8:30 pm On 9:00 am Off 12:00 am Off 3:00 pm Off 6:00 pm Off 9:00 pm Off Example 16
Section 6 Resources Here are a few extras to maximize the return on your investment. Tips Here are a few of the things we ve learned while running our systems. Use outgassed water when topping off the fish pen. Set aside a container of water so that the chlorine has time to turn into a gas and escape. You don t want to use chlorinated water in your system since it would kill off your beneficial bacteria. If you have another system up and working, you can get a new system started more quickly by taking some of the nutrient water from the established system and putting it into the grow beds of the new system. You don t need much, about 1 cup/230ml of nutrient water in each grow bin should do it. Use a colander to rinse your expanded clay before putting it in your system to minimize unnecessary debris being pumped throughout your system. Move the switch on your timer to the on position for the first day or two after you add your plants in order to help get your roots off to a good start before you start the regular ebb/flow cycle. Add a few artificial or water plants to the fish pen to keep the fish entertained. A very thin layer of gravel or glass beads is okay also as long as it doesn t interfere with water flow around the pump. When planting plants in your grow beds you can use two spoons facing each other to protect and hold the roots as you insert them into the grow media. It is often the case that you will lose about 10% of your fish as you introduce them to a new system, especially if they have come from a petshop that has recently received a shipment. Keep your eye out for fish that expire and go to the bottom of the tank and remove them as soon as you spot them to avoid bigger problems. Be careful when choosing your fish feed. Pond sticks with no color enhancers or dyes are always a good choice. Remember the less artificial things you add to the environment the better. Watch out for jumpers. Once your fish grow to a good size they are capable of jumping out of the fish pen. A net or other covering may be necessary at that point. 17
Tables of Info Here are a few tables with information that will help you get the most out of your aquaponics system. Check our library at www.renewablediy.com/library.html for more tips and info. Types of fish to stock in this system. (all numbers are approximate since every systems has slight differences) Picture Description Temperature Range Stocking Density Food Conversion Goldfish 65F 85F 8-10 High Very popular in aquaponics systems because it produces large amounts of ammonia for its size and is very resilient able to survive harsh conditions. Tilapia Around 75F 4-5 Medium Good fish for harvesting. Very easy to raise and maintain. Also very robust when it comes to surviving less than ideal conditions. Bass 65F 75F 2-3 Medium Very tasty fish, slightly harder to maintain than others generally used where restrictions on exotic fish are enforced. Catfish 75F 85F 2-3 Low These are bottom feeders used to control buildup of solid at the bottom of fish pens. Can be raised in with other fish without fear of them competing for food. 18
Crops that grow well in this system. (all numbers are approximate since every systems has slight differences) Picture Description Temperature Range Sunlight Needs Plant Density Lettuce With the variety of colors, shapes and flavors available, your salads may never be the same. Swiss Chard Grown for its tasty and nutritious leaves and leafstalks, chard is a good substitute for spinach in most recipes. 60F - 70F Full Sun Part Shade 65F 85F Full Sun Part Shade 6 Per Bed 8 Per Bed Brussels Sprouts 55F 75F Full Sun 6 Per Bed This cool-season crop is very flavorful. Spinach This is an easy-to-grow, nutritious, cool-season crop that will give you an early harvest. 50F 75F Full Sun Part Shade 8 Per Bed Basil 70F 90F Full Sun 10 Per Bed Basil is an annual herb closely identified with Italian cooking, although it is originally from India. Tomatoes 65F 75F Full Sun 4 Per Bed The most popular garden vegetable crop, tomatoes come in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colors. 19
Troubleshooting Here are just a few places to look if you have any of these common problems. Problem: My fish have little salt grain looking things/white spots all over their bodies. Probable Cause: Your fish have contracted what is commonly known as Ich (or Ick). This normally a bug that infects aquariums and it attacks fish when their immune systems are down. Immune systems of fish are generally affected by the stress of being put in a new aquarium or being moved around. Solution: The treatment consists of raising the fish pen temperature to 85ºF/30ºC for a period of about 2 weeks. You have to make sure the temperature stays there for the full 2 weeks even if it looks like the Ich is gone to ensure that it is totally gone or it may come back. When you raise the temperature make sure you do it slowly over several hours. You should also use a thermometer to closely monitor the temperature over this time period so the water doesn t get too hot and you wind up killing the fish. Problem: The pump doesn t seem to be pumping enough water or not at all. Probable cause: Power to the pump may be disconnected or intake on the pump may be clogged or set wrong. Solution: First check to see whether the pump is getting power. If the pump is plugged into the timer, plug it into an open outlet to see whether the timer is the cause. If you are sure the pump is getting power, unplug it and pull it out of the water. Check to make sure the pump is set to the highest flow rating. Consult the directions that came with your particular pump. Next, check for a clogged impeller by slide the housing around the impeller off the pump. You should have a clear view of the impeller at this time. Remember to make sure that the area around the pump in the fish pen is unobstructed. Problem: Yellowing or wilted leaves on newly planted seedlings. Probable Cause: Not enough nutrients getting to the roots. Plants may not be set deep enough in the grow media. Solution: Remember that we need about an inch at the surface of the grow media to stay dry in order to keep the algae out. Check to make sure that the roots are actually far down enough to be saturated during the flood stage of each cycle. If you have to move the plants deeper be careful to only do it if absolute necessary and as early in the plant s growth as possible in order to minimize damage to the roots. Root damage is very hard to recover from. Problem: The siphons seem to run all the time, but they never seem to empty the grow beds. Probable Cause: Pump flow is degraded or siphons are obstructed. Solution: The pump should be checked to make sure that it is pumping at its max capacity. In order for the siphons to work properly the pump has to overrun the siphons by just a little bit in order for the siphons to start at which point the siphons will start letting the water out faster than the pump can pump it in. Pull up the irrigation tubing just enough to check the water flow. If the water flow seems diminished check to make sure that flow to the pumps is not impeded. The impeller may be worn and in need of replacement. If the pump seems fine, check the inlets to the siphons, although we have never had one clog, it is a possibility. Also, it is unlikely that they would both clog at the same time. 20
List of Suggested Vendors This is where we get our parts and supplies. They have good prices and good quality. www.mcmaster.com www.horticulturesource.com www.petsmart.com www.homedepot.com End of Document 21
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