Aquaponics Setup

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GaryOak
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Aquaponics Setup

Post by GaryOak »

Hello everybody, hope you all are well. i am a huge Aquaponic (AP) nut. I was wondering if anybody was able to manage a puff based AP system. I would imagine freshwater unless you have something incredible happening. Anyway, I don't know too much about the practicality; just want to see experiences, input, etc. Thanks for your time.
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bertie 83
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Re: Aquaponics Setup

Post by bertie 83 »

An aquaponic system would definitely be productive with a puffer in a tank, they are messy high load fish like gold fish. They are not as hardy as goldies though so you would have a high upkeep aqua ponic system which would not be a bad thing though. You would need to stick with freshwater puffers and likely need to use a seperate reservoir for the plants roots as puffers will forcefully move anything they don't want where it is. I have considered a system like this but find using the water from a puffer tank ( ph balanced ) is just as productive but a linked system is in the works.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
RTR
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Re: Aquaponics Setup

Post by RTR »

I used a lot of submerse Crinums with Fahakas. The plants were pre-established in the tank before the Fahakas moved in. Each selected a large clump as a refuge and sleep/nap/rest site - not always in the same place, but around/under the same clump. Other isolated single or smaller clumps might be ignored or might be bitten off just above the substrate. Those unwanted (by the fish, not me) plants were never allowed to grow. The Fahakas would continue to nip them back.

I have also used emerse Crinum species as nutriest sequesters and exporters with strong light. Emerse plants do not oxygenate the water as submerse ones do, but that can be a benefit as the exchange with room air and do not affect water parameters short-term, but do root-extract nitrogen (as dissolved ammonia and as nitrate) quite well. Every 2-3 years those tanks must be reset to reduce the root mass. If untended they are still very effective water purification (under strong light of course) even if the substrate and root mass has increased from 2-3 inches up to 8-10 inches. Such old setups will extract large quantities of nitrogen, but are nightmares to reset. Dense masses of Crinum bulbs are difficult to divide successfully.

For lower but steady nitrogen export I use submerse aquatic plants such as Vallisneria or Sagiteria, harvesting alternate sections as they fill in and trading the plants in to the LFS for store credit. Val is easier and faster for me, but that may depend in part on your local water conditions. Both of those plants are good to great oxygenators for opposite light cycle tanks. Long light cycles are not very effective with submerse plants, as their effective oxygenation is not a large number of hours. Tests w/O2 probes in such tanks commonly show ~8 hours good oxygenation per day, maybe a bit more. If the show tank is well planted but suffers low O2 out of light cycle, two separate plant tanks may be needed. In such set-ups, light cycles may be offset ~ 8hours for each of the 3 tanks. Unless the biolad is quite high, plant nutrient supplement may well be needed in the system.

One of my lurker tanks went quite well with a Palemban'ss puffer in a 40-long with two smallish Swordplants, some Val and a number of Crypts - all kept moderrately thinly planted, with one 20-long tank with emerse Spathyphyllums in mesh pots on reversed light cycle from the display. Water quality was quite easy to maintain with regular partials and little supplement. A heavier bioload would have needed a bit more care or higher light plants.

HTH
Where's the fish? - Neptune
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