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Thread: Aquaponic Setup

  1. #1
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    Aug 2013
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    Default Aquaponic Setup

    This is my second year messing with aquaponics. Last year I just had one grow bed and some tilapia. Sadly im now allergic to fish meat so what fish i grow doesn't matter as much to me.

    This year I planted two so far and I've got largemouth bass and goldfish. I just feed the bass a few goldfish every few days

    I use an IBC tote cut up as a grow bed and fish tank. My grow beds just have gravel or lava rock. No dirt. My tanks just have a pump. I pump fish water up into the beds. As the water rises, the plants clean the water and use the fish waste and nitrogen from gills to grow. When the water reaches a height determined by my bell siphon it is drained completely back into the tank as clean, fresh water.

    The tanks cycle about every 15-20 minutes so my plants are flushed with nutrients all day. Left side tank I planted a week and a half ago. Right side I planted yesterday.

    These are super fun to tinker with and really fun to watch the fish and plants grow.

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  2. #2
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    neat

  3. #3
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    Nov 2007
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    How do you regulate the water temp in the tubs? does the water just move often enough that it doesnt get too hot for the fish?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by dixiedeerslaya View Post
    How do you regulate the water temp in the tubs? does the water just move often enough that it doesnt get too hot for the fish?
    Yea between shade created from the grow bed and the water movement everything seems to work out. Also the bell siphon drains pretty hard so the falling water creates a lot of oxygen. When it is so hot like right now I'll go out and flush some cool hose water in there. I don't use any thermometers or anything.

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  5. #5
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    Dec 2008
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    Clarendon County
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    Well, that is really neat Rodney. Never seen such a setup.

  6. #6
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    Dec 2011
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    Charlotte/Blythewood
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    Default

    Nice setup Rodney! I was in the aquaculture club at Clemson and we made some similar setups and they are a lot of fun. Too bad about being unable to eat tilapia because they do great in these systems. Keep it up, there are tons of plans out there for other beds and tanks.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by tigerfan413 View Post
    Nice setup Rodney! I was in the aquaculture club at Clemson and we made some similar setups and they are a lot of fun. Too bad about being unable to eat tilapia because they do great in these systems. Keep it up, there are tons of plans out there for other beds and tanks.
    That's awesome I would have enjoyed that. I want to try to keep some winter setups this year. I haven't decided what to try to plant for that yet.

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  8. #8
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    This is so hip, Glenn wants one now.

  9. #9
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    Haha maybe he can add chickens into a third level.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sportin' Woodies View Post
    Haha maybe he can add chickens into a third level.
    I ordered quail yesterday to do that with. Great minds.

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  11. #11
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    Do you have an ant farm too?
    Houndsmen are born, not made

    Quote Originally Posted by 2thDoc View Post
    I STAND WITH DUCK CUTTER!
    Quote Originally Posted by JABIII View Post
    I knew it wasn't real because no dogbox...

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Duck cutter View Post
    Do you have an ant farm too?
    I had one when I was a kid. I ordered it through the mail with a little coupon. The ants came in a little tube and seemed to like their farm. Can't remember what killed them.

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  13. #13
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    Nutz had one.

  14. #14
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    Tinkerers are exhausting even when all they do is explain how they tinker.

    I'm joking and that's cool.
    Last edited by Moonlight Hunter; 05-30-2019 at 07:44 PM.

  15. #15
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    Awesome. I am doing some hydroponics this year with dutch buckets.

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  16. #16
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    Very cool I want to try Dutch buckets as well. I think I'm short on bees cause all my self pollinators are way ahead of the others. But finally this week I have a ton of cucumbers going along with my peppers.

    The bass is a pretty fun fish. He will catch a goldfish I throw in before it hits the water and eat from my hand.

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  17. #17
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    ive kept a few bass in aquariums over the years. they will eat you out of house and home. haha. cool fish to have! Thanks for updating this thread!

  18. #18
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    FloVegas SC
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    I have a friend that went through a change of careers, as in he was a consultant with KPMG, and bought a Garden Center in Raleigh. He has done great. He wants to open a hydroponics store in Florence, but for the life of me, I cannot see how there would be enough business for it. Any thoughts about a hydroponics store? Where are you buying your supplies? BTW, he is also patenting a "live wall" system that I think I am going to try. Thanks, MG
    Dum Spiro Spero

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maggie Glover View Post
    I have a friend that went through a change of careers, as in he was a consultant with KPMG, and bought a Garden Center in Raleigh. He has done great. He wants to open a hydroponics store in Florence, but for the life of me, I cannot see how there would be enough business for it. Any thoughts about a hydroponics store? Where are you buying your supplies? BTW, he is also patenting a "live wall" system that I think I am going to try. Thanks, MG
    I think that would be a cool thing but I can't see how he would stay in business. Much of hydro/aquaponics is PVC pipe, a plastic container, and a light source. Plus the people who mess with it are generally DIY folk. Maybe if it was a part of another garden center like he has.



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  20. #20
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    Pretty interesting idea, thanks for posting!

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