Last month I posted an article called Vertical Aquaponics Problems Solved. As of this morning it is my hightst paying post to date, so I figured it was about time for an update on how things are going.
The system is basically a CHOP2 configuration. This is where a single pump in the sump tank (lowest point in the system) is used to pump to the fish tank and vertical towers simultaneously. From there everything drains back to the sump tank.
We use goldfish in the system for two main reasons. The first is cost, at 22 cents each stocking a system with 250 or so goldfish is affordable. The second is adaptability, they can survive within a wide range of temperatures from below ice to over 100 degrees farenheight water temps.
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For plants, we have strawberries, pac choy, Swiss chard, and garlic chives. We also have some mint growing in the drain trough. I have yet to even test the pH in this system, so I don't even know what it is. Looking at the plants tells me it is likely fine. I don't see any nutrient deficiencies yet either.
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Overall I am very happy with how the system has been working. Between the the additional filtration and vibratory motor on the tower drip manifold, there hasn't been any clogging. This is awesome because it has made the system virtually maintenance free. The only thing I need to do daily is feed the fish.
Always wanted to learn more about aqua ponics. Using height just opens so many more doors to the possibility for me as I fight space limits.
If you’re limited on space then vertical is the way to go. The ZipGrow towers I used are a little expensive, but I managed to get them during a sale. I probably could have gone DIY but I wanted to get something up quickly with minimal effort.
Now that I’ve solved many of the initial problems I had with them, I would eventually like to build a large scale system with several hundred towers.
That's a nice looking set up. I'm going to check out your original post now.
nice setup
Any plans for other fish down the road? Maybe an edible...
Probably not. Cold water fish are much healthier, and they won’t survive summers in my systems.
That is an awesome set-up!! Nice job!
Koi's eat and shit 24/7 it's this why goldfish are so popular for aquaphonics?
What is the easiest type of plant to begin with?
Strawberries, Lettuce?
How much fish do you need to get enough nutriants for lets say 10 strawberry plants and 10 lettuce plants?
Yes, goldfish are very efficient at creating waste. They are also very hardy and can handle a wide range of environmental conditions like pH, temperature, etc.
Both lettuce and strawberries are fairly easy. Lettuce is probably easier. Mint is extremely easy.
It’s not really about the number of plants, but more about the water volume in the system and the amount of growing area. I try to start with one gold fish per gallon of fish tank, and size my grow area based on fish tank size.
There are a bunch of good YouTube videos on the topic. That’s where I learned things when I first started out.
thanks a lot, i have a little pond with mid size koi's looks like an interesting project to redirect the water this summer and feed a few plants to give it a try
Wow, love this design. So ingenious to use a vertical system in conjunction with aqua...putting on my to-do list...
~ Kevin
This is such an awesome post! We've been wanting to grow my own fruits and veggies for a while. We will definitely be growing our own plants soon, I hope. ^.^ I bet everything tastes lovely! :)
This is awesome! What crops do you grow for profit?
Microgreens, lettuce, and peppers are the big three. Then whatever I feel like trying. We have chickens and ducks too . . .
Thanks for sharing this. I own a hydroponics store in NJ, but have yet to dive into aquaponics. I'll definitely look out for your posts and look forward to learning more =)