10-gallon Aquaponics System Manual - SWF - Aquapons

17 Pages·2012·2.78 MB·English

10-gallon Aquaponics System
Manual
Introduction
The beauty of aquaponics is in its simplicity.
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Construction of a home aquaponic system
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requires some research to become familiar with
basic system components.
We will show you how to construct a 10-gallon
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aquaponics system using a step-by-step guide
with photos.
Materials List Tools
Safety glasses
10-gallon fish tank
Power drill
Water pump (at least 100 gph)
Wood spade or hole saw drill bits (2 7/8"
Opaque plastic tubing
and other sizes as needed)
90° Polypropylene elbow (barbed fitting)
Scissors
25" PVC pipe- 25ft in length
Opaque 14-Liter tote bin (food grade)
Air pump & air stones for 10-gallon tank(optional)
Aquarium gravel (optional)
Plumbers Silicone- sealant
3" Net pots
Hydroton clay pellets
Grow light
Introduction to Materials
Remember that aquaponics is very flexible in size, scale, and
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design.
Feel free to substitute materials and use different sizes and
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scales, as long as you follow the main concepts of
aquaponics.
We will provide detailed information to guide you through
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the process, enabling you to use a variety of resources.
1. Condition Your Water
Chlorine is added to the tap water in many municipalities to
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kill bacteria, so you must dechlorinate the water in your
aquaponics system to avoid harming your fish or bacteria.
To dechlorinate your water, simply clean and fill two five
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gallon buckets and let the water sit for 24 hours.
The chlorine will evaporate over this time.
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2. Choose Your Location.
● You can place the system wherever you like--just make sure there is an
electrical outlet nearby (both your pump and your grow light may need
to be plugged in).
● A window will provide plants additional light, although it is not necessary
if you have a sufficient artificial grow light.
A note for the tabletop aquaponics users:
Make sure to use a sturdy table. When the system is put together and running it will
weigh a lot because water weighs a little over 8 pounds a gallon. With a 10-gallon fish
tank and a 14-liter grow bed (about 3.5 gallons) your system will weigh over 100 lbs.
Make sure to have your table and tank positioned exactly where you want them before
adding water.
3. Place Your Fish Tank.
● After choosing a location for your aquaponics system, place
your table and 10-gallon fish tank.
● If you have some aquarium gravel, put in a ½ inch layer on the
bottom of the tank. This will aid in filtration by providing more
space for beneficial bacteria to grow and will improve the
overall well-being of the system and its inhabitants.
● Do not put in the water or fish yet. Those will be added later.
4. Assemble Your Grow Bed
● The grow bed is the tote bin where your plants will live and grow. This
requires some assembly before it is put into the system.
● First, you must assemble the growbed's piping. The drainpipe (PVC pipe)
will keep your water level at a certain height in your bin to keep it from
overflowing. The drainpipe also brings the water back down into the fish
tank.
● Drill a hole in the bottom-center of the grow bed that is the same diameter as
your PVC drainpipe. We recommend a 25" drainpipe that is 2ft in length. You
should be able to push the drainpipe through the hole, but there should not be
any extra space for the drainpipe to fall through. Even though the drainpipe is
placed tightly, you will need to use plumber's silicone as a sealant to prevent
water from the grow bed from leaking out from around the drainpipe.
After the bin is assembled, place it on the aquaponics stand. The bottom of the
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drain pipe should be between 1-2 inches above the gravel in your fish tank.
4.1. Assemble Your Grow Bed
● Now that you have the drainpipe installed, you will need to drill holes on the top
of the grow bed for the net pots. You will need a power drill and a hole saw drill
bit to create the hole.
● The hole should be just wide enough for the net poles to "sit" in, but not too wide
so that they fall through. Make an outline using a pencil where you will place the
net pots to space them out accurately before drilling.