Why I'm not seing "monster" aquaponics setups in english communities? Is by googlefoo bad? xD

[duanes]

Find this type system works great for getting rid of nitrate, I used to use Pothos in the states, but I'm using deiffenbachia here because grows wild, and easy to get (actually any type tropical plant works as long as it doesn't mind constant wet feet). I just hang the terrestrial plants in the tank, no special plumbing.

I recently added another tank the line, and its shallow enough to sue Papayrus (Roots and stems submerged, leaf crowns (umbrellas), above water.


Of course my system is on a much smaller scale, the 2 tanks together are only a little over 300 gallons, so i keep much smaller fish.
But still do small daily water changes, and with the water changes in tandem with the plants, my nitrate readings are negligible.


Below, the Papyrus end.

 

[the_deeb]

There are plenty of successful aquaponic setups that don't use a rise and fall bed. Just keep the grow media bed permanetly submerged (constant flood) which will greatly simplify your design and build.

I agree with your general point and have had success with both permanent flood and transient flood setups. That being said, I think it depends a bit on what the goals are. If just for nitrate removal, then the plant species doesn’t matter too much so you can just pick something that tolerates wet feet like pothos or dieffenbachia like in Duane’s setups. But if the goal is actually to actually grow plants (e.g., for food), I’ve been able to grow a much larger range of plants much more easily in a transient flood setup.

I also really don’t think the design is that much more complicated. I in fact converted one fully submerged setup into a transient setup simply by switching out the overflow standpipe for a bell siphon and putting the pump on a timer.

 

[Urgula]

You should be able to find plenty of resources based on standard hydroponic setups. Establishing something with a 90g aquarium doesn’t seem it would require anything particular monster sized - it’s likely smaller than most typical hydroponic setups. I would think the easiest workflow would be to have raised growbed over the tank with a bell syphon setup for intermittent flooding. If you have a sump under the tank you could have the growbed below the level of the main tank but above the sump and it could drain directly into the sump.

Here’s a good video on bell siphon hydroponics:

I definitelly don't think I need anything monster sized. I just find info that the monster videos have a higher amount of information per video minute.

 

[Urgula]

My wifes family is ukranian, I will be visiting the brother in law on the weekend. I will show him the video and see if he can make any sense of it and let you know if there is any way to convert the measurements and dialect.

Thank you, but please don't worry, I can always google.The reason I want the measurements in english is to not bother anyone.
Also, I'm not the type to follow a "guide" never works for me, I rather need to understand the way ppl calculate things to have the info to downsize/upsize depending on necesity.
I just find it extremely annoying to have to pause a video every 30 seconds, so I was wondering if I'm googling things wrong in english cuz I'm sure "someone else also did this kind of stuff".


Also also, that particular video is just a chat. I've picked a nice "show off" of his setup rather than a technical video.

 

[Urgula]

There are plenty of successful aquaponic setups that don't use a rise and fall bed. Just keep the grow media bed permanetly submerged (constant flood) which will greatly simplify your design and build. So essentially just a second catchment for plants somewhere - could be above, below or beside your fish tank. If you are unsure what pipe sizes to use, over size them and/or use a variable flow pump so you can increase or decrease the water flowrate

The best results would be to place the plant catchment tank outside to get natural sunlight. Connected by input and drainage pipes. Second best would be a skylight or solar tube to get indirect natural sunlight.

> grow media bed permanetly submerged (constant flood) which will greatly simplify your design and build.
This works for some plants, like aglaonema (up to a certain size), spider plant (up to a sertain size) monstera, pothos, etc, but won't work if I want a calathea or a fern or something that has a delicate root system.

My current thing looks like this:

It's just a bunch of green things in an egg crate, but I kinda want it to have a "better design" and have plants that don't really live in water for decorative purposes.

> plant catchment tank outside to get natural sunlight.
It's not really necesary or possible. Some of the plants I want to have can't survive in "natural sunlight" (like, when they're indoors, you must place them at least 6 feet from the window).
In summer, it will get pissed by dogs and trown trash at and in winter there's snow outside ?.
We have a tiny patch of dirt surrounded by cedars that I've tried to keep plants in. I had to basically clean it daily, otherwise it just looks like a trash pile. I gave up and planted giant hostas, so the trash would not be visible.

 

[Urgula]

(actually any type tropical plant works as long as it doesn't mind constant wet feet).

That's exactly what I want to do, hense just sticking the plant to the tank won't work.
I know that the monstera I have, once it reaches a bigger size & maturity, alone will be enough to just suck up the nitrates.
I just want to make it pretty and make it look like the miniature version of what the dude from the video has.
Basically,I want to stick a fern, stromanthe triostar and some allocatia into the fishtank, but none of those plants will appreciate it.
However, I did see those plant work in the "russian monster aquaponics".

 

[Urgula]

That being said, I think it depends a bit on what the goals are [...] But if the goal is actually to actually grow plants (e.g., for food)

The goal is actually to just make it look pretty and to have the plants I have no space for in that ugly white corner that looks akward.
I had to swap fishtanks as an emergency measure and the one I have now is a "midged" tank. It's the first fishtank I don't need step stools or a ladder to service. I'm 5'2

It also has no lid, so there's nothing that adds height and I also can't put anything on top of it.
So while I definitelly can stick things in the fishtank (I've actually done this for a while with my nano's), what I'm trying to do is a visual balance between size, height and color.

I don't really want to build a lid since it can gather condensation and leak it to the floor (that poor floor is new, but had enough already). The "lid" the dude previously had started to grow mold cuz wood + wet = bad.

 

[Urgula]

That's exactly what I want to do, hense just sticking the plant to the tank won't work.

Correction:
Sticking things that don't like wet feet in fish tank is exactly what I want to do, hense just sticking the plant to the tank won't work.

 

[Urgula]

The goal is actually to just make it look pretty and to have the plants I have no space for in that ugly white corner that looks akward.
I had to swap fishtanks as an emergency measure and the one I have now is a "midged" tank. It's the first fishtank I don't need step stools or a ladder to service. I'm 5'2

It also has no lid, so there's nothing that adds height and I also can't put anything on top of it.
So while I definitelly can stick things in the fishtank (I've actually done this for a while with my nano's), what I'm trying to do is a visual balance between size, height and color.

I don't really want to build a lid since it can gather condensation and leak it to the floor (that poor floor is new, but had enough already). The "lid" the dude previously had started to grow mold cuz wood + wet = bad.

Also, not having to water plants in pots would be quite amazing. I don't have to do it often, but when I do, it's a mess, so I'm kinda wondering if I can make "all in one" that's mostly self sufficient.

Also also, green walls is another wet dream of mine:

and a fishtank in the middle would look amazing

Also also also, I also find it quite confusing, how the dude from the video and the "green wall" setups don't deal with mold in the walls. What kind of witchcraft one has to do to not worry about mold while literally dripping water on the wall?