Aquaponic Hops

[Kauai_Kahuna]

This is sooooo much fun!!!:rockin:

Usually when I say that, it is dripping with sarcasm.
But I have to say, this looks really interesting, and it may be something I can look into for my balcony with herbs, spices and hey maybe even some hops that may be able to grow in Hawaii, (Kind of way south, and if I can import them).
Please keep posting, looks great.

 

[WortMonger]

Oh, you could definitely grow herbs and spices this way in the space of a balcony. It only takes a couple of fish and a small aquarium. I would suggest again backyardaquaponics.com for some good reading in their forum. Lots of helpful people, some with jobs in this career. Herbs and lettuces are the easiest to grow, and can be partially harvested repeatably. I didn't even know that you could just go out and grab a salad and leave the rest of the pant like that. Now I should have done some lettuces in mine. Oh well, spinach is coming so on to the latest about the system.

Well, Sunday I finally went to get new plants, since all the others (minus 5-6) had died. I found some really nice ones, but they were quite a bit more than I expected for just one plant in some cases. Tomatoes and more yellow and green squash for the most part, but I also found nice habanero and tabasco plants. Now, my plants all look nice and no worries of shock. They drooped yesterday during the hottest part of the day, but once revived by a glass of pond water they perked right back up.

Then, I noticed my fish all swimming on the surface trying to breathe. Thank God I had all the stuff to finish the final bio-filter and aeration unit. These fish were on the verge, I feel. They haven't been eating except on rare occasion, so I have been worried. The grow-tubes haven't had a heavy enough flow of water/plants to chemically change/remove nitrates. So, I feared a rise in the pond's ammonia and nitrite levels. I hurried and built a really cool biological filtration unit.

Because of the need for a little more water in my grow-tubes, I have tinkered around with crafting a "geyser pump." Well, that may have changed yesterday. I have all the parts for the geyser tests, but this next project was just so simple when it hit me.

I wanted to build another bio-filter, but I did not like the idea of dumping all the rocks on top of my garden fountain pump. I didn't have a hole saw, drill, or anything else with the exception of my Scout knife. I looked at the pump, which had a bulkhead fitting staring at my face, and thought VIOLA!!! I will put the pump on the outside of the lid and thread down the protection screen as a bulkhead fitting. Now I could cut slits in the bottom of the bucket, and fill the bucket completely with gravel. I left a hole on the gravel just big enough for the lid to be able to smash and lock down. The bucket was a 5 gallon like HD or Lowes with locking lid w/ o-ring. I sunk the bucket in the pond, threaded on my garden hose adaptor fitting extra-hose (from when I stripped it for a mash screen for brewing), and added a Nylon 1/2" nipple X 1/2" threaded fitting to the end of the mess. I did this to later add a threaded "Y," and "V" the water in two directions (one into the pond to clean and circulate, and one into the supply line for feeding the grow-tubes).

While trying this newly completed contraption, it wouldn't stay waited down and kept rising to squirt water out of the pond. It also had little to no aeration for something so powerful, so I thought "Venturi device." Wouldn't you know it, the 3/4" X 1/2" "T" slips right over the hex on the Nylon nipple. This allows me now to use 6" of 1/2" tubing as my air inlet, and as a weight holding down the spray-rise at the end of the hose. Plugged it in and man are those fish happy. Tons of aeration, motion, filtration. Now, to hook it to the beds. Me thinks a ball valve is in order for the feed supply to the beds, this pump is pretty powerful.

Can't wait, I will take pictures and post more stuff later on. Looking out my window right now, everything is A-OK!

 

[WortMonger]

Here she is as of today. This first one is of the new in-pond bio-filter that I made. Basically, it's a bucket filled with gravel and slits in the bottom with pump attached to the lid, and it has a Venturi device for aeration.

Watch it go! 300 GPH pump attached is really cycling the water. Lots of air in there!

Here's a little wider shot!

Here's two of the whole garden.

Here's the power box with all the connections to protect them from rain.

Check out the new growth on the survivors! Wow, I'm surprised they are still with us.

Hope you guys are enjoying the project as much as I am.

 

[scinerd3000]

this looks great! Im glad it ended up working out for the most part....are you finding alot of evaporation taking place since your flowing water through lose rocks? I was thinking about your drooping problem during the warmest part of the day and i wonder if it wouldnt be possible to add something in the growmedium to retain some water...or maybe im just barking up the wrong tree but it makes sense in my head. Keep up the great work!!

 

[WortMonger]

Wow, pond is clearing nicely with the first full 24 hour cycle with the new bio-filter. Pond is smelling like fish water now though, so something is definitely happening. I think the bacteria are on the verge of takeover and will start making lots of nitrates for me. The fish love their clean and aerated water, and are starting to eat (which means more fertilizer for me yay!!!). The worms are still on their way, taking a little longer due to the harvester having health problems. I'm anxiously waiting to experiment with them in the new bucket bio-filter, the grow-tubes, and the new vermi-composting bins I will be making upon their arrival.

I was thinking about your drooping problem during the warmest part of the day and i wonder if it wouldn't be possible to add something in the grow medium to retain some water...or maybe I'm just barking up the wrong tree but it makes sense in my head.

Nope, that is the right idea about the drooping. That would absolutely help me out right now, but.... I would then later have to worry about clogging if I added anything. What this system really needs is something that a seed can get support and water from until sprouted. Then it simply outgrows it in the gravel leaving very little medium behind. These plants had to reestablish themselves, as some of the roots were coming up out of the planters from HD. Once they find the water down there they will be fine. The survivors seem to have no problem with drooping.

are you finding alot of evaporation taking place since your flowing water through lose rocks?

I find about 2 gallons a day round about have evaporated, it is hard to tell with rain and other factors. Works nice with the dog's swimming pool, we fill it and overnight it de-chlorinates and catches a bit of rain for pond refilling.

 

[pilotdane]

I am on the edge of my seat folowing your project. I hate to say experiment since you seem to have ti worked out pretty well. Still incredibly interesting.

 

[WortMonger]

I'm excited, but it is a hop experiment. I keep the faith in the rhizomes, as they were so large, but I feel this will probably be a aquaponic garden thread more than a hop thread. We will see. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

[eriktlupus]

for a medium to start in try either dried peat moss or shredded coconut hulls. both hold water well and if your starting seed you dont need a whole lot maybe 1/4cup or less per plant and the plants roots will keep it from clogging your system. either product can be found at any garden center.

also how are the worms going to survive in your bio-filter?

 

[WortMonger]

Good advice! The worms will eat that stuff later on too and turn it into poop .

 

[WortMonger]

Yay, worms are here and in their places. They all went right into the gravel, even in the bio-filter. I waited a little bit, then put the lid back on the bio-filter and placed it back in the pond. Fired everything back up and am now just letting nature take its course.

 

[WortMonger]

Ok, checked the hops the other day and the ones in the ground have bines on one of the rhizomes. The cascade has broken ground in two different places on the rhizome. So, I'm thinking since the hops in the ayatem haven't made any progess yet that they are going to leave. I am now thinking about starting cuttings from the first bines from the cascade plant. I wonder though, when do I take the bines? Do I trust taking a big bine with two smaller ones still left behind if I decide to cut? I have taken cutting of plants before and had them root, but I thought it impossible to do hops in such a way. I am reading the propagating from cuttings forum as well, just wonder in my specific case for this write-up.

Oh, and I opened the biofilter the other day just to check if I had a bunch of worms in the pump screen. Nothing! Absolutely nothing in the biofilter! They must be deep in it loving it or else they would be dead in the pump screen. I'm a happy man. Worms are awesome. I have a flower blooming on my sweet bell as well. New growth on all the plants, but there is a lighter green happening in things. This is probably due to the tank being so large so nitrate build up might take a while longer. I added more fish so it should boost pretty quickly.

 

[kenche]

subscribed - interesting thread

 

[bendavanza]

In your filter, did you use any foam type layers? This is a cool project.

 

[WortMonger]

I didn't use anything but PVC tubing and granite gravel. Granite being a good but heavy inert rock. Limestone gravel makes for tricky pH problems. We used to use the foam in the garden koi pond, but foam makes for stopped up pumps a lot. I decided to leave the foam out of this project. I was worried when I added the worms to the bio-filter bucket that they would all get sucked out, do to no foam as a barrier to the pump. They are fine though, and so it is not needed.

 

[rsmith179]

Bad ass! I have been very interested in Aquaponics for quite some time. There is a university in the Virgin Islands that has a huge aquaponics setup. They grow tilapia in the tanks along with the veggies. Dual-crop system. And as you said, the best part is it is a 100% closed system. No wasting water, just topping off every once in a while.

I have done this on a much smaller scale, but with amazing results. Actually built a small stand above a 10-gallon tank and allowed the plants to grow directly above the water. I must say, the water quality was amazing after adding the plants. It's a perfect little ecosystem. This, my friend, is the future of farming!

 

[WortMonger]

I am loving this setup. I have wanted to this for way too many years to count it seems. I am getting really excited about my ground bound hops coming up. I'm waiting to cut them off for the AP system. Just a little longer and I will feel comfortable to take a cutting or two. I'm thinking about wrapping the hop location on the PVC with layers of Saran Wrap after the planting and initial watering. This should protect it from intense sunlight and keep it moist in the gravel. I can also see into the planter well enough to see new growth, and to know when to start unlayering the planter slowly over the weeks when ready.

 

[eriktlupus]

i've had good luck just burying a bine at a leaf junction while still attached to the rhizome. a week or so and rootlets start forming cut and transplant.

 

[Cold_Steel]

Im ready for some up date photos

 

[Brewing Clamper]

seriously, I wanna see more pics...

 

[WortMonger]

Oh Yeah! You do? Well then... look at my pretty pictures you impatient bastards and bastradesses. I am sooooo happy guys. You guys know I love ya right, so I keeeed, I keeed ju!

and pictures...

Look at all this new growth and flowers forming on the peppers and squash.

Ok, I feel like a Bob Ross moment, (all take a moment of silence to remember The Man) and say, "Look at the beautiful little fishes just swimming around in their happy little bubbles with their happy little fins. We'll just paint some food there for them. They look like happy hungry little fish."

And we have limping... damn this rainy weather and unlevel squishy ground. Next year I am making a tank foundation.

Another view

Remember the original batch? This is still hanging on and finally producing bigger leaves. LOL a stick Roma tomato variety perhaps... definitely a tough little bugger.

Sweet bell pepper flowers.

You can see the plants get plenty of water even though it looks like just a trickle on the exit end. The water just burps into the grow-beds and you can constantly see crap from the bottom of the pond entering the beds for worm food. By the way, haven't found any dead worms yet. Actually, it's like they don't exist but my coffee ground keep disappearing.

Okra

and more okra... I love okra!!!

 

[WortMonger]

I keep finding these bugs on my plants. Does anyone have a clue if they are good or bad? I also have black ants.

My rain catching/de-chlorinating top-up reservoir.

Ok, here's a pic of the soon to be aquaponic hops. I really wish this was a thread about aquaponic hops, lol. It is about 9" tall now and I am still debating the best way to propagate it. I'm having to be very frugal as it is the only shoots on and out of 4 rhizomes. Cascade seems to like Oklahoma. I promise I will get there... I promise!!!

And one more of the Habanero as she looked yesterday. The original jalapeño's are still there, just not as nice looking as this baby.

The system has been great and still running non-stop. The plants are losing their yellowing and starting to deep green nicely. I think the daily dumping of 3-4 gallons in each tube has really introduced a lot of the worm castings out of the gravel and into the tank, and so back into the grow-beds. So, anyone have any questions or anything about things I may not have covered?

 

[eriktlupus]

that yello and black bug looks like a potato beetle and next to it is some mosquito larvae. a piece of door screen stretched over your non-fish supporting water will prevent the mosquito's from laying eggs in them. aeration by spray is also an option to keep the little bastiges away from the water surface. not a big problem in your maintank as the fish will eat the larvae.

 

[WortMonger]

Found it on a OSU site. It is a cucumber beetle, very similar to the Colorado Potato Beetle. You know, I was taking the picture of the beetle and didn't even notice the larvae, lol. Well, reading it seems like I can control bugs well with picking and squishing. Aphids, however, are going to be a problem though. Were are my friends the lady bugs? I need them to be eating their 50-60 aphids a day.

The screen is a great idea and I will look into that tomorrow. Thanks Erik.

 

[WortMonger]

Well, sort of LOL. I was able to take bine cuttings yesterday before the rain hit. It worked out perfect and they are doing great today. One slumped a little yesterday but by night it had curled back and wasn't limp anymore.

Here they are for their aquaponic début! Both Cascade bine cuttings, with the larger slumping as I had mentioned. At picture-time I was really worried about the big boy I had waited so long to cut. Wouldn't you be a little frightened as well?

Here's an up-close of the cuttings. I simple poked a hole in the bottom of a styrofoam cup and filled it with gravel. It held last night in gusts up to 75MPH, so... yeah I'm happy!

I trimmed off 3 sets of leaves on the tallest cutting and two sets on the other after cutting them at the base 45*.

Here is the Cascade planter after culling bines. I threw the leaves back in for worms to eat or to decompose.

OMG, when I went to take my one bine from the Cascade, I look and there was another long enough shoot (BONUS 1 yay). Well, I look down on the MT. Hood planter and damned if it didn't have this shooting out. Nothing forevere and then this. I'm a really happy camper.

Then, the biggest piece of good news, or a glimmer of hope if you can call it that too! I dig up gently my Zeus rhizome so I can prepare the space for my new cuttings eventually, and I'll be damned if the whole thing was rotted except a section at the bottom that had a couple of rootlets heading down. I went ahead and put it in the soil in front of another window on the house. If she grows then that will give off a great amount of shade in the heat of the summer. They were right about the toms too, I have roots sticking out of my drain on one grow-tube now. They will be moving shortly to another place to grow. If it sounds like I'm bitching... I'm not, I'm pumped!!!!

 

[Mutilated1]

Wow this is a fascinating idea. I have to try this. I really like plants and gardening and I like fish a lot too so this is perfect. I think I can recycle or find most of the stuff around the house somewhere. Just need to find something to use for the fish tank.

Can you just use regular pea-gravel like from a driveway for the grow bed ? I was thinking maybe a 4 foot diameter kiddy pool filled with the pea gravel might be something good to grow in.

Also How big does the fish tank have to be ?

 

[WortMonger]

Rule of thumb for aquaponics is 1# fish/2 gallons water (in the tank)/4 gallons of grow medium. More water than you need is no problem, but if you have more fish than your system can handle then you won't get all the ammonia changed and removed from your setup. It is good to have overkill for bio-filtration media as well. Remember, just a few fish produce enough nitrogen for your plants so they are the main concern. As for the gravel, limestone gravel isn't good because it will mess up the pH of the water. You need inert media in place of soil. Lava rocks, granite, expanded clay, etc... are all good choices. Granite is heavy but was cheap for me. Lava rocks are best IMHO due to porosity and light weight. You don't want the rocks too big or too small when you order them. I chose 1/2", and I have anywhere from that size to granite dirt in the grow-beds. Also to everyone reading, make a grow-bed not a grow-tube. I am missing some of my bio-filtration, due to the limitations of the grow-tubes over what flat bottomed grow-beds can do for you. Your kiddy pool would be great! I thought about the blue one in the pictures, and next year it will be added to the system.

 

[Mutilated1]

Ah I see. So if I used like a 90 gallon garbage can for a tank, then I could probably have 30-40 fish in there, but then I'd guess I would need something bigger than a kiddy pool to grow plants in, and a kiddy pool is just the right size to fit on top of the platform I already have - so I guess its best to have fewer fish.

This is a really neat idea. I'm going to try it this summer, and if it works out reasonably well maybe next year I will build something nicer looking. If you wanted to, you could make a really nice looking pond with like a fountain and stuff to go with it -- kind of like a water feature/bird bath/fish pond that just happens to grow veggies too. Getting way ahead of myself though, for this year I'm thinking kiddy pool on top of a work bench platform, garbage bin for water and fish, and a recycled swimming pool pump and hoses to make it go. Maybe install a drain in the bottom of the kiddy pool to drain back into the fish tank, and buy a few feet of PVC pipe to rig up some kind of watering system on top of the kiddy pool.

Your pictures are really cool - I can't wait to try this.

 

[WortMonger]

You have the right idea! There are complete home water feature systems. Some even have chlorine-free swimming pools in the loop. The system actually cleans the water for swimming. Some of the AP guys use the exact sand filters for their filtration. There are too many multi-use possibilities to mention. I do think Rubbermaid trash cans and kiddy pools would be a really cheap start for anyone. PVC is to cheap to not use for everything as well. I'm liking the idea for next time to use two tanks. Put one on either end of the grow-bed(s) (I'm using the tubes for leafy veggies next year) and connect them so they are always wanting to equalize volume. Pump from one and go to the beds, then the other tank wants to fill the one being pumped from. In turn it is constantly being filled from the first tank from the top. In the non-pumped tank, I will install a false bottom above the drain and fill with gravel. This makes for a massive amount of bio-filtration and then you would just keep adding on as you needed to for fish tanks and grow beds until you reached the limiting ratio. See, I'm already obsessed with next years build, lol.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

What you are doing is truly remarkable.

If I did this however, I think I'd have every cat within 3 blocks fed before the weeks end.

 

[WortMonger]

Thanks Gila!

LOL, you would need a screen then. I have only lost a few fish to unknown things, and as soon as I can get everything situated on the tank I will add a screen to mine.