As I said,this began in early spring when we were sorting and getting rid of junk and one of the items was a large, plastic, kids pool table. I really wanted this to work but the fish died and some just disappeared. Coons maybe.

The basic idea was to fill the pool with water. Add fish. Cut thin styrofoam plates to hold the plants. Add the plants and float them on the water. We also added an air pump but by that time we had already lost one fish.

The plants survived but there were problems.

The water turned nasty. Mosquitoes started breeding in the water. I thought the fish would eat them. Of course, they need to be alive to do that. The dogs were snatching the cups and coons or the cat were eating the fish.

                                                                                                                                                 

I still think I can get this to work.

The biggest problem being the changes in weather. We had lots of rain which overflowed the system a couple of times. The dogs then would grab the cups and chew on them and eat the plants. And the fish needed to eat the mosquitoes and to stay alive. The racoons and the cat need to be kept away from the system.

The alternative patterns of cool weather, rain and heat probably were the most detrimental to the system. This will need to be considered in any future outdoor aquaponic systems.

Also, adding a water pump to recirculate the water perhaps through a pvc tube with the plants nested in gravel in it might also help to keep the water clean. I still have the table. Next year, I might just try again.

I began this system mid-summer when it started to look like our first system was failing. Being mid-summer, it was hot and I wanted to create a system that might work indoors all year long. The fish survived this time but the plants started strong and then withered.


The basic idea was to use two aquariums. One aquarium would be for the fish and the other would be where the water would filter throuh a grow bed into the aquarium and then manually recycled to the plants or the fish. The grow bed was a plastic tub that sat on top of the fish tank. Holes were drilled in the bottom to drain into the tank. An indoor grow light would give supplemental light.

This system appeared to work but it too had problems. Primarily, me. I didn't consistently water the plants. Also, we kept taking out water from the fish tank and giving it to the plants and refilling the fish tank with water treated with clorine remover instead of recycling the water back to the fish. I just didn't think the grow bed was big enough to do its job effectively. Eventually the 2nd tank filled up with water and water logged the roots of the plants. The fish however, this time not only survived, they multiplied.




I started researching on the internet, looking for a better aquaponics set-up.  

Here it is January 2009 and I have yet to see this work. Problems have come up from clogged lines to difficulty with seeds and keeping the plants alive.

Do we give up. Not a chance. Instead we have set up a new system. Fixed the problems and are now waiting to see if the new plans will work. The seeds are planted, the fish thriving and all systems are go.

I feel as if I have succeeded in finding at least 20 ways not to do aquaponics. This time I am hopeful to have success. I will keep you informed of the progress. Watch for updates!

Happy homeschooling!

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