Richard bray

Step 14.
Attach a male and female threaded to slip adapter through the hole in the fish tank. Use o-rings between them.
Step 15.
Cut a length of 1” PVC pipe long enough to connect the fish tank to the swirl filter.
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Step 16.
Fill the biofilter with plastic bio balls and place a layer of sponge or mesh on top to keep the balls in place. Leave a few inches of space between the media and the PVC pipe.
Step 17.
Build the rafts.

• Cut your floating raft material to fit into the grow beds. Leave some space to reach under the material if you need to lift it out, but try to cover as much of the surface area of the water as possible.
• Cut holes into the raft material that will fit netted pots or rockwool.
• Cut holes for the center standpipe in each grow bed.

Step 18.
Fill the entire system with water. Plug in and turn on the water pump and air pump. Adjust the valves on the grow beds to make sure 20% of the water is pumped into the grow beds, and 80% of the water is pumped back into the fish tank. Check for leaks, and adjust PVC fittings with dope tape if needed. Use 100% silicone to seal any other leaks.
Step 19.
Once the system is running smoothly, begin the cycling process.
While this system uses IBC totes for the fish tank and grow beds, stock tanks, plastic-lined wooden frames, and many other materials can be
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substituted. The plumbing will be similar in any model, although the types of fittings and measurements will necessarily change.
Once your system is up and running, you will need to do consistent maintenance for healthy fish and plants.
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Maintenance & Troubleshooting
An aquaponic system requires consistent testing and maintenance to keep your fish and plants healthy.
Task Daily Weekly As-Needed
Feeding Fish X
Checking Water Temp. X
Water Testing X
pH Testing X
Fish Harvest X
Plant Harvest X
Seed Starting X
Proper maintenance is the key to a healthy system. Most issues with an aquaponic system can be resolved with consistent tests and adjustments before harmful conditions cause a system crash.
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Maintenance
An aquaponic system requires more maintenance than a traditional vegetable garden. It is impossible to leave an aquaponic system unattended for even one day. If you must go out of town, ask a trusted friend to take over the maintenance requirements for a few days.
Feeding Fish
Your fish will need fed every day. The amount you feed will depend on the life stage and species of fish in your tank.
A general rule is to feed no more than the fish will eat in five minutes. If you notice extra feed floating in the system, cut back gradually until you reduce your waste to no more than 5%.
The fish will only produce nutrient-rich waste if they eat nutrient-rich food. Ask your fish supplier for the best fish feed for your species of fish. Cheap fish feed may result in low amounts of nutrients.