Quote Originally Posted by Aloha Don
For those who have now built a system and are reaping the benefits (good eats ) what would be Your specific Top 3 bits of advice, based on your experience, that you would offer someone just starting out or thinking about starting AP...
Good question! Here's my take. Anxious to hear what others have to say too!

#1 adequate light: If outdoors, choose a location that will maximize sunlight. If indoors, more artificial light is better than less.

#2 Choose a pump much larger than you think is necessary. You can always divert the surplus flow back into the FT for aeration.

#3 Balance your FT size, GB size and Bio load. Oliver's sticky posts on designing an AP system are an excellent source of info on this. Regardless of your starting size, you will always wish you had more GB space. Most people focus on the fish when they start out. (I know I did.) After a while, the produce you grow tends to become the primary focus of your efforts and the fish are relegated to a secondary concern - mainly as the nutrient engine that drives the plant growth rather than as a crop themselves.