Aquaponics DIY Barrel-Ponics indoor chop n flip set up.

[Johnny Waterfall]

My grow journal does not have a set up photo section, other than the @VIVOSUN lights, tent an ventalation. it is mostly a DIY system.
I started to establish system in May, first making the 55 gallon barrel chop n flip fish tank and horizontal media beds. I live in a small one bedroom apt with an easternsunrise facing balcony, 6 hours direct sunlight max. the project is a auto flower and aquaponics continuos grow, starting the seedlings in areo-graden pods and veg and bloom in the B-P systems.

55 gallon food grade drum water inlet and pop bottle bell syphon

water pump fill and drain connections.

horizontal barrel in cradle.

 

[Azimuth]

Snazzy looking setup.

How'd you get the fish cutouts to not leak?

 

[Johnny Waterfall]

they are above the maximum waterline, and a overflow that drains constantly into a sump.
these photos are the very first set up, there have been many adjustments , sumps added, pumps and piping changed.
Its a constant learning process,
I will be posting more manana.

 

[Johnny Waterfall]

they are above the maximum waterline, and a overflow that drains constantly into a sump.
these photos are the very first set up, there have been many adjustments , sumps added, pumps and piping changed.
Its a constant learning process,
I will be posting more manana.

this the gravity overflow water intake which drains into the grey water sump.

that water is then pumped back up to media beds.

and is cycled through the media bed and out via the bell syphon.

this water goes into the clean water return sump,

and is pumped back to the fishtank.

ITS VERY HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH FISH!!!

 

[Wastei]

I'm not trying to burst your bubble but Aquaponics is typically used for simpler greens like Sallads and such that don't need a lot of nutrients to grow. You will have a hard time feeding a Cannabis plant enough in a Aquaponics system since the fishes don't really produce a complete mineral profile and not enough available nutrients for Cannabis to complete a growing cycle.

You will struggle with having to supplement flowering plants with mineral salts and the fish will suffer as a result.

All the best of luck to you!

 

[Johnny Waterfall]

I'm not trying to burst your bubble but Aquaponics is typically used for simpler greens like Sallads and such that don't need a lot of nutrients to grow. You will have a hard time feeding a Cannabis plant enough in a Aquaponics system since the fishes don't really produce a complete mineral profile and not enough available nutrients for Cannabis to complete a growing cycle.

You will struggle with having to supplement flowering plants with mineral salts and the fish will suffer as a result.

All the best of luck to you!

thank you for the premature advise,as you should have read from my grow journal first, Blue Whale Auto Fem Barrel-Ponics Grow Journal
that the system is working quite well, I am using a dual root zone system so I can add organic natural nutrient additives,, ( kelp and muskie fish emullsions and worms), needed that are not harmfull to the fish.
the gold fish are happy...especially the BLUE WHALE Auto fem...

 

[Wastei]

thank you for the premature advise,as you should have read from my grow journal first, Blue Whale Auto Fem Barrel-Ponics Grow Journal
that the system is working quite well, I am using a dual root zone system so I can add organic natural nutrient additives,, ( kelp and muskie fish emullsions and worms), needed that are not harmfull to the fish.
the gold fish are happy...especially the BLUE WHALE Auto fem...

Nice! Cannabis will grow with a lot of different mineral ratios and a NPK of 4-1-1 will grow plants but the Ca/Mg ratio of fish shit is 14:1 and far from optimal so if you find any means of safely supplementing Magnesium it would greatly benefit your situation.

The optimal NPK ratio for growing Cannabis is 3-1-4 with Ca/Mg ratio of 2:1- 4:1.

Cheers!

 

[Johnny Waterfall]

Nice! Cannabis will grow with a lot of different mineral ratios and a NPK of 4-1-1 will grow plants but the Ca/Mg ratio of fish shit is 14:1 and far from optimal so if you find any means of safely supplementing Magnesium it would greatly benefit your situation.

The optimal NPK ratio for growing Cannabis is 3-1-4 with Ca/Mg ratio of 2:1- 4:1.

Cheers!

for cal we added cuttle fish dust to the soil mixutre in the dual root zone, and media beds this way the cuttle fishbone breaking down does not effect the ph levels; I am to understand aquaponics is different from the regular hydroponics set up in that it has the benefits of an establish media bed that creates the bio filter that helps break down the fish food into amonnia and then usalble nitrates, therefore the NPK ratios are different and containly in flux as the plant matures and others begin to grow.

 

[Johnny Waterfall]

Sumps set up , front tote is grey water, from the fish tank, then pumped into the media beds by 2 25w water pumps.
the back tote is clean water return from the media beds and is then pumped back through another 25w pump into the fish tank. the air bubblers supply disovled oxygen to the fish tank directly and into the plant water supply.

 

[Wastei]

for cal we added cuttle fish dust to the soil mixutre in the dual root zone, and media beds this way the cuttle fishbone breaking down does not effect the ph levels; I am to understand aquaponics is different from the regular hydroponics set up in that it has the benefits of an establish media bed that creates the bio filter that helps break down the fish food into amonnia and then usalble nitrates, therefore the NPK ratios are different and containly in flux as the plant matures and others begin to grow.

I can almost guarantee that people growing Cannabis in Aquaponics on a larger scale add Epsom salt(magnesium sulfate) to their reservoirs. It's dirt cheap and very common in keeping an aquarium aswell and organic. If you're going the Aquaponics route I think it's important that you try to learn every little trick the aquarium guys use in terms of adding minerals, both for the fish, water and plant health.

Fishes that eat algae comes to mind(sucker fishes) for keeping the reservoir walls clean and for keeping algae at bay overall.

Cheers!

 

[Johnny Waterfall]

I can almost guarantee that people growing Cannabis in Aquaponics on a larger scale add Epsom salt(magnesium sulfate) to their reservoirs. It's very common in keeping an aquarium aswell and organic. If you're going the Aquaponics route I think it's important that you try to learn every little trick the aquarium guys use in terms of adding minerals, both for the fish, water and plant health.

Fishes that eat algae comes to mind(sucker fishes) for keeping the reservoir walls clean and for keeping algae at bay overall.

Cheers!

yes adding epsom salts to treat mag deficency is an option when a problem is presented, have not experience this as yet. i used tap water for the aquarium and for top ups, this may have the sufficient minerals.

 

[Johnny Waterfall]

ok, people, please stay on topic, only questions about the diy of the project, keep the discussion and opinons about growing cannabis in aquaponics, to the applicable forums. or my grow journals. pppasss.

this is the completed chop n flip fish tank and media bed,, it was a complete system as the return water from the media beds drains directly into the fish tank below. that water was pumped back into the media bed above and out side to the horizontal media beds on the balcony. this set up was used to establish the bio filters and beneficial bacterias.

 

[Johnny Waterfall]

once the media beds were established after 4 months I moved the system inside and added the lights, tent and sumps .
the tent is a @VIVOSUN 3x3x72 tent, the tent held the 55 gallon drum snugglly, i had to cut hole for the plumbing.
the Lights are @VIVOSUN VS1500, and @VIVOSUN 4 inch ventalation kit and carbon filter.

the final set up with 2 sumps under the shelves,