# Good Aquaponics system?



## fishieguy (Mar 9, 2012)

Hello guys, I just joined this forum now to see if anyone would agree or find flaws in my idea for a aquaponic system contained in a fish tank. 

So, the idea starts with two chambers within one fish tank, one of which will be filled with the biological filter media and the bottom, which will contain probably goldfish. 

The top chamber would have a top that would hold a small growing bed filled with gravel that water would fill up and empty as the chamber with the biological filter media changed in its water level. 

Another question, you may be wondering is how the water will move from chamber to chamber. To push water from the chamber with the fish I will have a pump on the bottom of the tank having a PVC pipe that leads through the barrier between the two sections and pump water into the top chamber. When the water level reaches a certain level a simple bell siphon will empty water back into the chamber with fish.

To feed the fish I will have another vertical PVC tube that will run towards the bottom of the tank and could be used to throw fish food down. To supply oxygen to the roots of the plants and to the fish I will use an air pump with an airline running to the chamber with the biological filter media. The air should become oxygenated before it reaches the fish and hopefully the plants will not take up all the oxygen for their roots. Either the airline goes to the top chamber or the bottom chamber. I was thinking the airline could go to the bottom chamber and the pipe that would be used for food could have a cap near top of the tank, but later have holes higher than the water level in the top chamber, so there is no buildup of oxygen that could cause leaks. The oxygen can be sent to the second chamber when there the cap is on and there is no feeding, but the cap can be taken off to feed the fish. 

There will be a heater in the chamber with the fish and an opening on the top of the second chamber (second chamber will be mostly covered by a foam platform that will hold the tray with the plants) which will prevent there from pressure building up there. 

Outside of the tank there will be a hanging light that will be set of a timer to help the plants grow. 

My only questions are how long I should allow the bacteria to build up on the biological filter media that will change ammonia into nitrates the plants could use. I want to make this system with the biological filter media in the second chamber so if I do not want the tank to be used as a aquaponics system I can remove the plant tray and run it as a normal self-sufficient aquarium.

Next question is how many fish should I have in this unit. And should I start with one fish and add more later. Another question is which material I should use to create the barrier making the two chambers. I want to use something that will not break under the pressure of the water. To combat the chance it may break I am going to put four little foam stands near the four corners of the tank and am thinking of using a silicone to seal the barrier from the top. This way the weight is distributed and I am not sure where to get this barrier from and which is the best way to make it. 

Thank you for your time and please do not hold back from constructively criticizing my design. I will first make this system on a small scale and then put it on a larger one perhaps in the future. Hopefully I make a small unit that teaches me a lot. Thanks once again.


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## whitetiger61 (Aug 2, 2011)

very well put..

Rick


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## fishieguy (Mar 9, 2012)

Thanks guys and I guess this was a bad idea. I was going to use the plants as a way to filter out ammonia and such from the chamber with fish, but guess this would only work with a very large place for many fish and few plants.

Guess I am going to ditch this idea.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I seen a system done once that the person used plywood and 1x3's to make kind of a stream effect. One end was a little higher so it also made like a water fall going into the tank. The plywood was cut about 1/2 inch shorter on the sides then the 2x3 were glued and nailed to the sides to make a rim lengthwise and one end. The end that was going to be higher, he then covered this in a pool liner. He then filled with fine gravel and planted with aquarium plants that can grow emersed. I don't remember what he had on the lower end to keep the gravel in, I would imagine some kind of mesh. Water was fed to the top using a pond pump in the tank to where the water flowed from higher end to the lower end and back into the tank. He kept tropical fish in the tank, and ran a canister filter along with the plants.

I can't get to this post anymore as the site is now defunct.


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