Easy Aquaponics

This is just a quick glimpse at a very simple aquaponics system that  seems to be thriving.  The system has three components:
1. The standard aquarium underneath, stocked with dwarf gourami and zebra danios.  It has a standard power filter

2. A long, narrow grow bed approximately 6" deep and 40" long. A submersible pump is attached to the underside of the grow bed with a bulkhead fitting via a hose.  The pump is on a timer that floods the grow bed for 15 minutes every hour.  A second bulkhead fitting controls the upper limit of the water in the grow bed by allowing water to overflow and return to the tank below.

3. The grow bed is not completely filled with media.  Instead individual net cups or fabric baskets are filled with hydroton and topped with basalt river rocks.  This prevents the development of anaerobic zones and allows for minimal disturbance when managing the grow bed.

 

The net cups are planted with bok choi, red and green lettuce, basil, and green onions.  An LED grow light is positioned above the grow bed which is full spectrum (white) with additional red and blue LEDs.  The light is on a different timer.

2020 Garden Planner

In the list below, a * means that I haven't ordered it yet.

Throughout the year, we typically plant:

Spring Garden 
Lower Bed
Bok Choi  - seeds in inventory 12 plants
with Yellow onion (sets)  12 plants in inventory

Swiss Chard  seeds in inventory  12 plants
with green onions (seed tape) 6 feet seeds in inventory

Upper Bed
Lettuce  12 plants seeds in inventory
with Radishes (seed tape) 6 feet seeds in inventory
and Red onion (sets) 12 plants in inventory

* Broccoli Greens  6 plants
with  Beets 18 plants seeds in inventory


Summer Garden

Tomatoes - Lower Bed
Roma,  seeds in inventory - 3 plants
Cherry, seeds in inventory - 3 plants
Big Boy, seeds in inventory -3 plants
with Basil seeds in inventory - 3 plants

Peppers - Upper Bed
Bell,  seeds in inventory - 3 plants

with Nasturtium seeds in inventory seed tape

Jalepeno,  seeds in inventory - 1 plant

with Dill,  seeds in inventory - 3 plants
Sweet, seeds in inventory - 3 plants
*with Leeks - 6 plants
*Zucchini  2 plants  (at far end of pepper bed)
with Green Beans (bush type) 6 plants seeds in inventory

Middle Bed:
*Strawberries  - 6-8 plants
with Ground Cherries Ordered 4 plants

Front Bed:
Sunchokes Ordered 4 plants
with Walking Onion  Ordered 6 plants



Winter Garden
Upper Bed
*Cabbage, red and green 12 plants 
with Garlic (sets)  in inventory  12 plants

*Kale  6 plants
*with Parsnips  12 plants

*Rutabaga 6 plants
*with  Red Veined Sorrel  18 plants