Hello from Ocean Shores, WA USA, Jeff here.

[OceanJeff38]

Hi, I've been studying aquaponics for a while and tuning into an australian forum, just found this one tonight.

Glad to be here.

I am looking at starting my first system shortly. Very small 10 gallon fish tank...not sure about the grow beds, but I'm going to try wheat grass trays and balmoral squash (maybe one or two plants, only one squash plant per grow bed, and as much wheat grass as can fit with it!)

I currently have a 10 gallon aquarium, with 10 fish and 2 dwarf frogs.

I am going to add probably 10 more fish and a snail and catfish (for bottom feeding, cleaning).

Then I am going to use my Aerogarden's light and grow plants with fish water! Crazy crazy crazy!

This will all be completely indoors.

lol

later all,

jeff c

[keith_r]

nice! welcome to the addiction..
after i get my next step done on my indoor system, i'll have 4 55 gallon ft's, thinking i'll try one with micro-greens..
i've got a couple ideas for the other 3 - minnows, a green tank and maybe a scud tank

[JCO]

Welcome to the show....pull up an easy chair, relax and stay awhile. New voices are always a welcome addition to our family..! Whatever questions you have on you mind, this is the place to get the answers so pick a topic of your interest and start your own thread and Enjoy. Please go to your profile and put in the city and state where you live, there may be members close by.

[urbanfarmer]

Greetings Earthling, and welcome!

[drdreww]

welcome to the exciting and addicting world of AP

[davidstcldfl]

Hi Jeff, welcome to the forum...

[OceanJeff38]

Here's my plan, I think it will work well.

...

10 Gallon Fish Tank (decorative fish...more fun to watch...nothing to eat here...)

I will use 2 kinds of air stones (thought about a micro-bubble diffuser for the grow bed(s)...regular air stone for the fish tank).

The air stones in the grow beds will sit in an area protected from the media by something like a strainer (kitchen-type) turned upside down in the tank...unless I can think of something better. Ideally I would want an entire layer of media-free zone for the bubbles to proliferate underneath, and then bubble straight up through the media, keeping it all as aerobic as possible.

Then on the top of the grow beds where the plants will grow, will be the net pots or trays, filled with gravel (aquarium gravel).

Then I will use an air pump to run the micro-bubblers in the grow bed(s), and the air stone in the fish tank.

I want to make homemade filter out of sand (I live on the beach...yes, I can sterilize it first...if I have to...I think I do...???) and coffee filters. The one airlift from the fish tank to the first grow bed will go through this filter.

And then a grow light, which for now, would be supplied by my AeroGarden, until I decide it's time to invest in serious growth...probably through this winter...although a friend of mine has generously offered to lend me her grow light, which sounds powerful and expensive...anyways.

So, let me know what you all think, and if there's anything else that I can do, to plan this better. I will also be using some seashells in the tank to keep up the PH, and I will be buying a PH Master Test Kit.

For now, I will work with this plan in mind, and when my budget allows, I'm going to set up the system. The main thing that has convinced me that this will work, is the fact that I successfully have set up and run an amazing 10 gallon aquarium, and I absolutely love it!

Ok, ladies and gents,

thanks for tuning in,

advice is appreciated, thanks!

jeff c

P.S. I am planning on multiple grow beds eventually, but for now, it will just pump the water up (not very far to the grow bed, and then gravity will do the rest for return to the fish tank). I am in the midst of motivating myself to clean my Aerogarden, which is mostly clean, just needs touch ups on the nutrient chamber...I let it dry out last time I used it...

I also have a question, but I think I already know the answer: Can I just use the current aquarium that I have, and once the plants get to growing, just remove the charcoal filters from the fish tank? I used a water conditioner on the water in the 10 gallon tank...but I'm guessing the plants won't mind this.

Also, I have read and continue to read this book every night before bed: Aquaponic Food Production by Rebecca L. Nelson (with contributions from John S. Pade) it's an excellent book, cost me $40 though...

Eventually, I want to run a commercial system here in the states, or start a non-profit system in a needy area of the states, or another country.

[rfeiller]

welcome to the forum

[urbanfarmer]

Hello OceanJeff38, you might want to start a new post on that. You will get good responses since this area is only for saying hello.

[cedarswamp]

Welcome to the forum.