diy handbook-rough draft_endless food system

8/9/2019 DIY Handbook-Rough Draft_EndLess Food System

1/42

Rough Draft

Final Version, Video, & Members Area Will Be Ready Soon!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Homepage: www.EndlessFoodSystems.com

Complete Systems For Sale: shop.endlessfoodsystems.com

Like Us At: Facebook.com/EndlessFoodSystems

Subscribe To Us At: YouTube.com/user/EndlessFoodSystems

DIY Handbook

We truly appreciate your interest in Aquaponics and hope you not only have a fantastically

successful experience with it but that you also share your new found knowledge with everyone that will

listen. Only then may we be able to quench world hunger and the many disastrous global effects that

industrialized food has forced upon us such as GMOs, pesticides, & chemical preservatives.

This handbook is designed to go along with the video and should serve as a good point

of reference for you. Rather than teach you how to build 1 specific system, it is our desire to

teach you the specific concepts so you have the knowledge & ability to create any size or style ofsystem that you desire. The information contained here is the culmination of many 1,000s of

hours of research combined with our own hands on experiences. We wanted to put all the

information together into 1 venue that anyone can quickly & easily access.

Choosing the System & Equipment

Designing your system is the most important thing you can do. Spend some time & careful

thought on this part. Can you imagine how terrible a house would turn out if the builder did not

have a detailed, well considered plan before he started? Aquaponics is the same way, if you try

to wing it, the results will probably reflect a poor plan.

Consider the number of people you need to feed or the amount of production you are

wanting to create. In an extremely well managed mature system, you can expect 10 pounds ofproduce for every square foot of grow bed space. Keep in mind that for every 1 pound of fish

you grow, you will get about 10 pounds of vegetables. Look at the space you have and think

about how the sun moves. Is there enough light year round? The winter sun sits low in the sky

while the summer sun is almost directly overhead. Is there runoff from a roof or slope that

could cause an issue? How level is the area? Is there water & electricity close by? If you are

thinking about growing indoors or in a basement, is the weight of the system ok? Water weighs

about 8 pounds per gallon so calculate that in. Entire books have been written on lighting and

the requirements for growing indoors. If you intend to grow inside, you will need to research

what will be needed for lighting. Fluorescent will work but LED might be better suited

depending on your application.

Once you have determined the space you have to work with and the size system you want tobuild, you will need to plan it out. Measure twice, cut once is the old saying, so we recommend

you make sure everything will fit before you buy. Will you be using pre-formed grow beds from

a hydroponic dealer or building your own? There are a few components that every system will

need regardless of the type of tanks or bed: water pump, air pump, plumbing, siphons. The


2/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





tanks you use can vary tremendously though. Following is a range of what some different type

systems will cost.

Fish Tank & Grow Bed Material Expense Labor __________

Used IBC totes Cheapest Highly Intensive

Wood frames using pond liners Very Economical Highly Intensive

Polypropylene fish tank & ABS grow beds Moderate Easiest

Fiberglass fish tank & grow beds Most Expensive Easiest

We manufacture Polypropylene fish tanks & ABS beds in a very simple kit form. In this

handbook, we will illustrate how to build a less expensive wood frame & pond liner system.

Before we get into the building though, it is important to go over the core fundamental rules.

Basic Aquaponic Rules

There are some basic guidelines that must be applied toward any size system. If you adere to

these, then success with aquaponics should come easily. Using these rules, you can create your ownsystem ranging from a 1 gallon desktop decoration to a 10,000 gallon community system.

Ratios

1.

Fish Tank to Grow Bed Ratio 1:2 for media beds and up to 1:4 for floating rafts.

a.

For a media (gravel or clay pebble bed) you do not want your grow bed volumes to be more

than twice what your fish tank volume is. Example: if your fish tank is 100 gallons, then you

can have up to 200 gallons of grow bed volume.

b. How to calculate volumes: Length X Width X Height. So if you build a grow bed 4

X8X1 deep, you would multiply 4X8X1=32 but that is 32 cubic feet of space not gallons. To

convert it to gallons, you would multiply 32 X 7.48 since there are 7.48 gallons in 1 cubic

foot. So the actual gallons for this growbed would be 239.36

2.

Grow Bed to Sump Tank 1 :

a.

The sump tank volume needs to be a minimum of of the grow bed size. So if you have a

239 gallon grow bed, then you would need a sump tank at least 119 gallons in size.

b. It is ok to daisy chain sump tanks together but be sure to use a large diameter pipe like 2.

3.

Water Pump GPH

a.

The general rule for a water pump size is that the gallon per hour or GPH should be a

minimum of twice what the gallons of the fish tank are. For example, if you have a 100

gallon fish tank, then you would need a 200 gph water pump.

b.

Always try to use a magnetic drive water pump, they will last longer.

4.

Air Pump (Aerator)

a.

The safe starting point for aeration is to have 1 cubic foot of air (28 liters) for every 300

gallons of fish tank water. So if your fish tank is 100 gallons, then you would need aminimum of a 9.3 liter air pump. The air pumps are rated different ways so you may have to

do some math!

b.

You cannot have too much air. If you plan to have floating raft beds, you will need to have

air blowing into those beds as well. Without air in a floating raft, your plants will die.


3/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





c.

Higher altitudes will need more air than lower. Check with the folks at Aquatic Eco or a local

aquaculture farmer for details.

d.

Warm water release oxygen faster than cold water, so it could be that you need more air in

the summer.

e.

A DO (Dissolved Oxygen) reading of 3 ppm (parts per million) is the minimum oxygen you

need for the fish.

f.

If you are going to have floating raft beds, they will also need aeration in them. Without it,

the plants may suffer or die.

5.

Floating Raft to Fish Tank Ratio 1:4

a.

If you are planning to build a raft system with or without gravel beds, then you can increase

the ratio to a 1:4. So for every 100 gallons of fish tank volume, you can have up to 400

gallons of raft grow beds.

b.

Side note- Many questions come to us about the use of rafts without the pebble beds. If

you pump the water directly from the fish tank into a raft bed, it may work for a short

period of time. But after a while, there will be a build up of solids on the plant roots which

will suffocate & kill the plants. The fish tank water MUST be filtered, either through a gravel

or clay pebble bed, or the typical swirl/complex filitration systems out there. In our opinion,

it is much easier & more efficient to just use a gravel bed as your Bio-Filter.6.

Plants to Fish 1:10

a.

This will vary a lot, but you will have much more vegetable production from your system

per pound than fish. On the average, for every 1 pound of fish produced, you will have

produced 10 pounds of vegetables.

b.

How to adjust? When you start out a system, everything will probably be very small. You

start with baby fish & baby plants & they grow together. More than likely the vegetables

will grow faster than the fish so you can supplement the lack of nutrient with Maxicrop

Seaweed extract. Another possiblility is to go ahead & purchase or find a few larger fish that

can produce enough ammonia to satisfy the plants.

Tanks1.

Fish Tank parameters

a. It is best to keep a fish tank at a minimum depth of 18.

b.

Better if the water level remains constant rather than constantly increasing & decreasing (as

in placing the water pump in the fish tank)

2.

Grow Bed parameters

a. The best depth for a grow bed is 12. You may vary from this somewhat but 12 has proven

to be the best.

b.

In using an auto siphonflood & drain type system, it is best not to exceed 250 gallons in 1

grow bed. Let that be the maximum size.

3.

Sump Tanks

a.

Not many restrictions on the sump, just keep in mind that you need to be able to access it to

clean it or access the water pump. Also remember that anywhere sunlight hits water, algae

will grow, so you may want to cover the sump tanks from light.

The above guidelines can be used to create any sized system or configuration there is. The overall

water volume of a system will be much more stable if it is larger than 250 gallons. An outdoor system

less than 250 gallons may have big temperature and pH swings which is not good for the fish or plants.


4/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Now lets discuss the type of fish tanks and grow beds. There are a few materials it is best to stay away

from as they could leech bad chemicals into your water: Galvanized tanks and plastics with a recycle #

of 5 or 7. Most of the water tanks out there are polypropylene and are as safe as can reasonably be

found. When using a pond liner or plastic liner to build a tank you can find a lot of information on what

specific types of pond liners to stay away from and which ones to use. As a general rule, an EPDM liner

is safe to use. Pond liners can be found at large hardware stores, some Farm & Ranch stores, and at

landscape or pond suppliers.

Fish Tank Sources: Farm & Ranch Stores, Cattle Water Tanks, such as Rubbermaid Tanks

Aquatic EcoSystems, carry the real thing- polypropylene & fiberglass fish tanks

US Plastics, carries a huge inventory of different kinds of tanks

IBC totes, generally can be found used locally, try Craigslist.com

Make your own: Pour concrete in the ground or use pond liner in a frame work

Grow Bed Sources: Farm & Ranch Stores, ask for: Bunk Feeders, Bunk Liners, or Sheep tanks

Hydroponic Retail Stores, ask for large reservoirs- they may need to order it for you

55 gallon barrels cut in half or IBC totes with ends cut to 12 deep, Craigslist.comMake your own: Using a pond liner or other materials you can build a frame work

Sump Tank Sources: A 55 gallon barrel laid on its side with a hole cut in the top works, Craigslist.com

Same sources as above for the other tanks.

There are many ways to configure how the water flows in a system and it really depends on the space

you have to work with. If you are building a massive system in a 3rd

world country, you may want to just

dig a large ditch on a sloping terrain & line it with plastic for your fish tank, then on a slightly higher

elevation do the same with your grow beds. Then you place a pump in the fish tank & pump it up to the

grow beds. For most applications in the backyard though here are the main systems:

This is very simple & works well. It is best suited for a very small system, less than 200 gallons. The

problem with this design is that the water level of the fish tank will constantly be going up and down.


5/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Also, it will take a lot of the fish tank water to fill the grow bed so it must remain small in volume. It is

impossible to configure a 1:2 ratio, much less even a 1:1. Think about it, if the fish tank were 100 gallons

and the grow bed were 100 gallons, most of your water would be pumped out of the fish tank! In

reality, 50% of your grow bed volume will be taken up by the gravel so you can calculate about half will

be for water (example, if your grow bed has a 100 gallon capacity, then really only half that would be

water- the other half is the gravel). This leads us to the next system, using sump tanks:

This system has many advantages. Although slightly more complex, the water level of the fish tank

never varies. The water pump outlet line is split, part goes back to the fish tank & part goes to the grow

bed(s) using valves. The grow bed auto siphon triggers & flows back into the sump tank again. The best

part about these systems is that the grow bed can be at any height, even lower than the top of the fish

tank since it is not draining back into it. Additional grow beds also do not have to be exactly level with

the one next to it:

Now you can see why this design is better, you can have any volume you choose and at different heights

without effecting the fish tank. With multiple grow beds like this, you would probably need a larger

sump tank. Below is a good example of a perfectly balanced system and how it would all flow. Notice

that the sump tanks are all the size of the grow bed above them and the total grow bed volume is 300

gallons, or twice what the fish tank is making this a perfect 1:2 ration system. The sump tanks in this


6/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





example could be 55 gallon food grade barrels turned on their side and connected together using their

factory bung hole and standard PVC fittings.

Plumbing:

The standard water line coming from the pump is . The drain line from the grow beds dumping into

the sump tank is usually 1 to 1 and the daisy lines to connect sump tanks together is 2. As for what

type of pipe or fittings to use for plumbing, we like the standard white PVC pipe that is available at

major hardware stores. It is NSF-61 certified and should not off-gas or cause any harmful leeching. It is

also readily available and very inexpensive. Just a few notes on the plumbing, we have had trouble

using the no-kink tubing in the pond lining section of the hardware stores. It is the type that has awire wrapped around it to prevent it from collapsing. They will work with standard hose fittings but

they almost always leak. A better solution is to order a special type of flexible PVC from

www.FlexPVC.com. They have a no-kink, flexible tubing that will fit the standard PVC fittings & a host of

other hard to find pvc fittings.


7/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Auto Siphons vs Timers vs Constant Flow

There are a couple of ways to run the water through the grow beds. A constant flow system is where

you would trickle the water through the grow bed constantly. The problem with this is keeping oxygen

to the plant roots. This will not work well for a gravel bed but would work perfect with a floating raft

bed IFyou are using a filtration system before the water comes into the raft bed.

Timers, a lot of people use timers but there are many potential problems. They are more complex

with mechanical parts that can fail. If a timer fails, it could also cause a catastrophe by flooding or

draining a tank depending on how you have it configured. Timers also tend to wear out fairly quickly.

Auto Siphons are the most reliable and overall best design. They have no moving parts, will last

forever and are just about fail proof. The problem with siphons is getting them to work right in the first

place. There are lots of tricks and ways to set up your siphon & we will cover them all.

An auto siphon is a device that once water overflows the interior pipe (upstand) it creates a siphon

effect that will drain the reservoir until air is sucked inside to break the water flow. For a technical

explanation just google: bell siphon. The siphon consists of 3 main parts, Media Guard, Bell, and Up-

stand

The cap on the media guard should be loose and easy to remove. The cap on the 2 bell should be

sealed tight. The up-stand should be about 1-2 below the surface of the gravel. The slots in the 2 pipe

that allow the water to flow in should not be higher than 2 from the bottom of the tank. Most of the


8/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





time, the above system will work but here are a couple of extra things you can try in case you have

trouble with a siphon getting started or stopping (triggering & breaking). Just a few rules, the drain line

under the upstand MUST go downhill. It cannot have any uphill areas in it. The drain line under the

upstand should have an elbow on it to slow the flow down a bit.

Siphon tricks:

1) Adding a vent pipejust outside the grow bed and extending above the water line of the auto

siphon can often help with issues:

It is also important to note that the drain coming out of the siphon always needs to have a 90 degree

elbow on it to slow the water down a bit. Just going straight into a sump or fish tank can sometimes

cause problems.

2) Bell Hose Break


9/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Slowing the speed of the water flowing into the grow bed is the main control to adjusting the

siphon to cause it to break its suction.

3) Drain Line Diameter

The hose trick will break the siphon once the

water level goes down. It allows air to be sucked

into the top of the siphon. Be sure to drill a hole

slightly smaller than the tube diameter so it has

an airtight fit. Do not over tighten the zip tiesaround the bell & tube as it would crush the

tubing & stop the air from flowing. The bell hose

break will only help to stop the siphon, it has

nothing to do with the siphon process starting.

One minor detail that is SUPER important, cut the

end of the tube at a 45 degree angle. This will aid

in breaking the water surface & allowing air to

flow in.

If you are using a up stand, it may be necessary to

immediately increase it to or larger. Sometimes evenusing a up stand, it is better to go right into a 1 or

larger drain line


10/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





4) Siphon Triggering

Using a male reducer at the top of the up stand will help the siphon process to begin. The larger it is,

the easier it will start. Also, the smaller the up stand pipe diameter, the easier it will start. As water is

flowing into the grow bed and filling up, the speed it comes in will determine if the siphon starts

(triggers). If you want the bed to fill slowly, then you need a large opening on top of the up stand to

create a venture effect. If you want to fill the bed faster, then you may just want to use a pipe alone,

with nothing on the top. As a general rule, using a up stand with a 1 to Male Reducer threaded

into a NPT to Slip Coupling is the best method:

5)

Control

The speed at which the water is flowing into the grow bed is the ultimate control over an auto siphon.

It often takes a very slight adjustment up or down to get it to work right but once it is dialed in, you

should never have any trouble with it. Occasionally, shoot some high pressure water through all the

lines & siphon to keep it clean and trouble free. A fast water flow coming in will easily trigger or start

the siphon process but if it is too fast, the siphon will not break (stop). On the other hand, water coming

into the bed very slow will make it easy to break the siphon but then you may have a hard time getting it

to trigger. You will need to find the happy place in the middle. For our production systems using a

up stand, a flow rate of one gallon in 1 minute and 20 seconds is perfect. We can vary up or down by 10

seconds and the siphon will still perform correctly. For a up stand the flow rate per gallon will need

to be higher at around 1 gallon per minute.

Tips

1.

Never use copper tubing or connectors, it is toxic to fish

2.

Mount the air pump above the water level if possible. If the power goes off, it could create a

siphon effect and short circuit the pump. If the pump must go below water level, add a check

valve in the air line to keep water from flowing back to the pump.


11/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





3.

To help with water temperature, in the summer place the air pump so that the air it pulls in is

cool- possibly from a concrete slab. In winter, place it close to a heat source so it pulls in warm

air. This will help a little with the water temperature of your fish tank.

4.

Do not put large plants close to a drain line or daisy line in your system. The roots may block it.

5.

Try to only use plastic fittings & valves. Nickel will corrode very quickly.

6. Dont plant climbing plants in a place where they will shade the rest of your growbed & block

your other plants. Put them on the back side & use a trellis or other overhead system to make

the best use of the vertical space.

7.

Pick beans a little bit early/young. This will keep the plant producing beans. If you allow the

beans to mature, the plant may stop producing.

8.

Add raw milk if you can find some on a weekly basis. This will increase the BRIC counts of your

plants. It will nourish the plants in awesome ways and drive away bugs that might try to eat the

plants. Most bad bugs cannot digest an in-complete protein or sugar.

9.

If you are using gravel for a media, test it with vinegar first. Using a clear glass, put a sample of

the gravel in vinegar. If it bubbles, there is lime present in the gravel and it will keep your pH

elevated all the time. Find some gravel that will not bubble.

10.

In a young aquaponic system, there will probably be a potassium deficiency. Until the system is

9-12 months old, it is good to add chelated iron and potassium. If your plants are growing &looking great but not setting fruit like they should, it may be due to a potassium deficiency.

11.

If you live at a high altitude, you will need more aeration.

12.

Do not use citric acid like lemon juice to adjust pH down. It will kill your beneficial bacteria.

13.

Sunlight on your fish tank water will kill nitrites.

14.

If your pH stays above 7.6 you could be getting nutrient lock out. This is where the plants are

not able to absorb the nutrients in the system because the pH is too high.

15.

If you are on city water with chlorine in it, you must filter that out or allow the water to sit in a

separate tank for 3 days before adding it in with the fish. The fish can handle small doses, but

not large ones.

We will now begin our build. There are a million ways to build a system using the parameters

we have outlined so far. This simply represents a simple and logically sized system that could be

built mostly from local hardware or farm & ranch stores. It could be that you want to take

elements of this design & add your own parts, thats wonderful. Maybe you want to set your

system up like this but use bunk feeders for your grow beds rather than building them, again

that is fine. We just wanted to give you some detail on how to actually build a system of some

caliber. We will first build a basic & simple 4X8 grow bed and 300 gallon fish tank and then

expand that system to its maximum adding two 3X8 grow beds. Here is what the finished

product will look like, keep in mind it could be stained dark or light or painted any color you

choose.

Pic of final

Here is the basic foot print:


12/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Here is a look at the finished product, this is the full size system with un-treated wood. A dark

stain with a glossy sealer would look awesome.

Front View


13/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------






14/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Notice how the boards go together. Every bed is basically the same.


15/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------






16/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------






17/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------






18/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





You will need 2 sump tanks to handle the water volume coming from the grow bed:


19/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





We assume that you have some mechanical ability or else you would not be trying to build this system

therefore we will not detail out every little step. Following are several pictures to help you get a visual

for how it goes together and a material list.

DIY Parts List Pond Liner System

The only parts you will need to order will be the items from Aquatic Eco Systems, now known as Pentair.

Their phone # 877-347-4788 and the website is www.aquaticeco.com

Full Size System: Source Part # Qty Cost Ea Total

Fish Tank 300 Gallon, Rubbermaid etc TSC, Farm & Ranch 1 365 365Gravel for Media Landscape Supplier Cubic yds 3 yards 40 120

Uniseal fittings, 2" Aquatic Eco Systems & online U-200 1 5.41 5.41

Bulkhead Fittings, 2" Aquatic Eco Systems & online BFK-20 3 7.44 22.32

Bulkhead Fittings, 1" Aquatic Eco Systems & online BFK-10 3 5.35 16.05

Water Pump, 400-800 gph Aquatic Eco or Pet Supply store 1 60 60

Air Pump min 30 liters per min Aquatic Eco or Pet Supply store 1 50 50

Air Stones, 2"X3" Aquatic Eco or Pet Supply store 4 4 16

Air Line, 1/4" Hardware store or Pet Supply 12' 5

API Freshwater Kit Hardware store or Pet Supply 1 25 25

4"X4"X8 Hardware Store 8 8.23 65.84

2X12X8 25 10.69 267.25

2X4X8 17 2.55 43.35

4X8 sheet of 3/4" thick plywood 2 32 64

Top Trim board, 1X2, Spruce 24 1.98 47.52

Pond Liner, a 13X20 will work (measure twice, cut once!) 1 99.97 99.97


20/42


21/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





2X4X8 6 2.55 15.3

4X8 sheet of 3/4" thick plywood 1 32 64

Top Trim board, 1X2, Spruce 10 1.98 19.8

Pond Liner, a 6X10 will work (measure twice, cut once!) 1 35 35

Screws Box of Torx Exterior 5 pound boxes, 3" 1 30 30

Paint or Stain and brushes.

PVC: 3/4" Schedule 40 pipe feet 10 0.23 2.3

3/4" Valves 2 3.05 6.1

3/4" Elbows 3 0.39 1.17

3/4" T's 2 0.42 0.84

3/4" Cap 2 1.05 2.1

3/4" Male Adapter, slip X MIPT 1 0.39 0.39

3/4" Male Reduc 1" to 3/4" 1 0.4 0.4

3/4" Flexhose, no kink 3 1 3

3/4" Female hose fittings 2 0.61 1.22

3/4" Loop Brackets, in electrical section 3 0.35 1.05

3/4" Hose thread to PVC adapter 1 1.55 1.55

1" Schedule 40 pipe 2 0.58 1.16

1" Elbows 2 0.41 0.82

1" 45 degree 0 0.65 0

2" Schedule 40 pipe feet 12 0.78 9.36

2" Elbows 2 1.95 3.9

2" T's 2 2.15 4.3

2" 45 degree fitting 4 2.65 10.6

2" Cap 1 3.65 3.65

4" Cap 3 2.55 7.654" Pipe 3 0.75 2.25

3 Pipe- need 4 & 4 caps 4 4 16

Total 982.14


22/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Pictures to go along with the video:

Here is most all the lumber needed Fish Tank

From here forward, please refer to the video for more details and instructions. These pictures are tohelp you visualize how the system goes together.

Make sure the fish tank is level Lay the 2X12s on top for now


23/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





The gap at the front is 8 from the lip Gap at the back is 16 roughly

Screw the outside wall boards on as shown Screw in the ends and flip it over

Attach the cross supports, 2 from the end so they can secure from the top as well

Now screw the 3 Caps onto the center cross supports


24/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Attach the end caps to the 3 pipe Now insert them into the caps attached to supports

Attach the legs & level it up Now assemble your sump tanks & add a 2X4 to the top


25/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Notice how we secured the 2X4 from the top. Drill a hole about 1 to 2 deep then drive your 3

wood screw all the way down into the 2X12 below it. Use a piece of plywood for the bottom.

Drill the hole for the 1 tank fitting BEFOREyou line the tank with the plastic or rubber.

Now install the liners & nail on the 1X2 top trim Slide the sumps under with drains to the outside


26/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Components of an auto siphon or Bell Siphon Attach the tank fitting and siphon parts

Install the 1 drain line under the auto siphon as shown

Slide the fish tank out from under the grow bed enough so you can get to it. Use a 3 hole saw &drill a

hole, then insert the 2 uniseal. Lubricate it & then push hard to get the 2 pipe through. Be sure to

knotch out or slot cut the bottom of the overflow line at the bottom of the fish tank so it can suck the

water up out of the fish tank & dump it into the sump tank. Sump


27/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Place the water pump in the sump tank on the left side & attach the kink free hose. Then finish the

plumbing as shown. When satisfied, secure the pipe with the loop brackets to hold it in place.

Connect the 2 sump tanks together with the 2 pvc line & using the 2 bulkhead fittings. It is best to drill

those holes BEFORE you put the liners in. You can bury the line if in dirt, or use a few 45 degree fittings

to adjust the pipe so that it sits flat on the ground. Then it will not hurt it if you step on it.

To finish the 4X8 Bed, add the air pump and you are ready to fill with water. Adjust the auto siphon by

using the valvesMore water flowing into the growbed will all the siphon to tr igger (start) easy but if it

comes in too fast, the siphon will not break (stop flowing when the bed is empty). If the flow is too

slow, it will break easy but may not ever get started. You must find the happy middle area & dial it in.

If you are going to add the additional 2 grow beds, then continue on:

Assemble the 3X8 beds as shown


28/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Attach the cross supports 2 from the end then screw them from the top side. A pre-drilled hole is good

Level the legs & square them up, if you are setting on dirt, use a concrete block to prevent rot.

Cross supports are set 3.25 out so the 4X4 legs will be flush. Attach legs & install liner & top trim

Now build the second 3X8 bed and the sump tank to go underneath it. The large sump tank is put

together exactly like the small one we built earlier. The dimensions & sizes are:


29/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Your system is close to being finished. Just need to attach the plumbing for the additional grow beds

and sump tank added. Please refer to the video for a better understanding and the extra photos here.


30/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------






31/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------






32/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Water Pump


33/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------






34/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





The success of your Aquaponics will depend on several factors. In order to maintain a continuous food

supply, it is important to plan ahead and plant seedlings at the proper time. Some plants like tomatoes

will produce for up to a year while lettuce is fully harvested after 30 days or so. Depending on the time

of year and climate will determine what & when you grow specific plants. It is important to performregular maintenance on the system. It is important to understand that you are actually growing 3 main

things: Bacteria, Plants and Fish. The bacteria are often overlooked but they are the real reason these

eco-systems are possible.

Maintenance

Daily: Check the water & air pumps to make sure they are working

Feed the fish

Check for bugs on the plants

Weekly: Check the water level of the sump tank and top off

Use a soft bristle brush to scrub the sides & bottom of the fish tank and sump tank(s)

Give a quick scrub to the water pump to keep the water flowing good

Test the water with an API Freshwater test kit & adjust water if needed

Monthly: Use high pressure water to clean out all the lines. (just shoot water through them till cle

Use a soft bristle broom or brush to scrub the bottom & sides of any raft tanks.

Add 1/2 cup of Maxicrop with Iron to each media bed directly under the water flow valv

6 Months: Scrub surface of the air stones with a hard bristle brush, then drop in a bowl with Equate

denture tablets overnight to soak, then rinse off

Air pump filter, located on bottom, pop out plastic cover & air filter & clean with soap &

Chlorine:

Initial fill up and topping offBe sure to use a chlorine filter if your water source contains chlorine. It is

ok to top off the system with somechlorinated water although it is not the best. Chlorine can kill your

beneficial bacteria and even your fish.

Water Temperature

Important for the bacteria and fish. It is best to keep the water temp above 50 degrees on account of

your bacteria, especially during the cycling phase. Once it is established, do not let the water freeze.

Depending on the type of fish you are growing, this can be a bit tricky. For Tilapia, it is best to keep thewater temperature above 55 degrees and do not let it exceed 90. Shade in the summer and tank

heaters in the winter. If your water temperature stays below 60, it can take a long time for the system

to cycle and become safe to add fish.


35/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Cycling

There is quite a lot of information online concerning how to get your system started and some of it is

conflicting. It is easy to become obsessed and stressed over daily levels of pH, Nitrites, Ammonia etc.

The easiest way we have found to get a system started though is to fill up the system, turn on the

pumps & pour to 1 quart of Maxicrop seaweed extract into each clay pebble media bed on day 1.

Also pour in some nitrifying bacteria into the media bed(s). Allow the pumps to run 24/7. It works best

if the water temperature is between 75-85. Then go ahead and start your seedlings or transplant some

plants into the system from a nursery (be sure to wash as much dirt as possible from the roots as they

can carry diseases into your system). Do NOT add fish to the system until at least day 14 when your

water is safe. Test the water and pay most attention to the ammonia level and the nitrite level.

Indicator Safe Range Adjustment

pH 6.27.8 Down, add 2 tbl Vinegar(diluted, to media bed). Up using 2tbl baking soda/lime

Ammonia 0 to 3ppm Stop feeding fish, in extreme cases, drain 50-90% of water & replace w/ fresh

Nitrite 0 to 3ppm Down: Add 1 lbs salt per 100 gal & allow sunlight to strike the water

Nitrate 0 to 150 This is your plant food, to lower add plants, to raiseadd fish

Water Temp 55 to 95 Heat with tank heaters or other means, cool with shade or extra aeration bars

*When adding salt, lime, vinegar, etc, it is best to dissolve & dilute in water first & then slowly pour inAdd salt solution to fish tank slowly, everything else add under the water inflow of the clay pebble bed

Start Up

Once the system is full of water (fish tank, sump tank and raft beds-if any), it is time to adjust the water

flow into the clay pebble media bed(s). Using the valve(s), adjust the flow of water into the bed so that

it will trigger & break the siphon correctly. This may take a little time and patience.


36/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Once adjusted and flowing properly, the auto siphon generally does not need any more tinkering. If you

notice the bed not filling & draining correctly, check the water pump and auto siphon for debris.

Regularly remove the siphon cap and inspect the bell siphon and up-stand inside. Its a good idea to

keep them clean so there are no issues. If the water flow slows down and causes the siphon to stop,

check the water pump and make sure it is not clogged up. Baby fish or debris can sometimes clog it.

The water pump cover snaps on and off.

Balance It generally works well to start with small fish & plants in the beginning. As the fish grow &

produce more excrement, so the plants are growing & require more nutrition. It takes a minimum of 6

months for an endless food system to begin to mature. After 1 year your system will operate extremely

well as by then all the micro bacteria has colonized. Managing the system is best done using the Nitrate

level. If it is over 50, then you probably need to add some more plants or harvest a fish. If your Nitrates

are below 20, you should harvest some plants or add some more fish.

pH & Oyster Shells To naturally buffer the pH up, use crushed oyster shells or egg shells (microwave

the egg shells fist to kill any bad bacteria). Place them inside pantyhose or other net-like material that

will allow water to flow through it. Bury them in the clay pebbles underneath the water flow. As the

water becomes more acidic, it will eat away at the shells and buffer the pH up automatically. The

natural pH balance of shells is 7.6. To raise the pH more significantly, you can use: Lime, Baking Soda or

pH Up sold at hydroponic retailers. Try to keep your pH below 7.1 as much above 7 can lock out the

nutrients available to the plants. A 6.4 to 7.0 is optimal. If adding lime, use 2 tablespoons for a 300

gallon tank, added to the clay pebble media bed. If the water you use to top off your system has a high

pH, that may be enough to keep your system in check without adding any lime or shells at all.

pH Down To lower the pH, you can use vinegar. Do not be alarmed by the pH in the first7-14 days as it will fluctuate as you get the system cycled for the first time. A mature aquaponic system

will naturally drift to an acidic level & that is why we use the shells as indicated above. Sometimes it is

necessary to manually lower the pH. In very small doses, about 3 tablespoons per 300 gallon fish tank,

you can lower the pH over a few days. Hydroponic retailers also sell a pH down solution that may be

used.

Ammonia We recommend simply pouring in some Maxicrop to get a system started but

there are other ways as well. Powdered ammonium chloride or liquid may be used. In a crisis situation,

human urine may be used as well to get a system cycled in the beginning. The ammonia takes the place

of the fish excrement & feeds the system. Using fish from day one though could be dangerous as

ammonia spikes can occur that could kill the fish in the beginning. After the water is cycled & stabilized

(can take up to 6 weeks) it should be safe to add fish. If you manually add ammonia, be sure to do it in


37/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





VERY small increments. I would start with1/2 teaspoon and see what happens 24 hours later. Even then

take it easy on the ammonia.

Nitrites The ammonia or waste in the system is first converted into a Nitrite and from

there converted into a Nitrate. If you get a massive Nitrite spike of over 8ppm, you can open the cover

of the fish tank & allow sunlight to kill them off for a day or so. Sunlight will lower the Nitrite level andalso adding some pool salt will help. Add pool salt at a dosage of 1.5 pounds per 300 gallons, mix it first

in warm water then slowlyadd to the sump tank. Salt in small doses is beneficial to the fish and as long

as you keep it below 3 ppt, it should not hurt your plants.

Nitrates In the long run, testing for pH & Nitrates are the most important. It is OK to

have a Nitrate reading above 100 ppm and anytime it gets above 50 you may consider adding more

plants or harvesting a fish. Nitrates are the food we are looking for to feed the plants. Let Nitrates be

the regulator of how many plants or fish you have in the system. Harvesting a fish will remove

ammonia & ultimately Nitrates from the system. Adding plants will consume more Nitrates.

Maxicrop Always use Maxicrop Seaweed extract with Iron. The 2 elements that the

system will always need are Iron and lime (eggshells or oyster shells). Yellow colored plants are an

indication of a lack of iron. A young system will be lacking in Iron & Potassium Bicarbonate so it is not a

bad idea to add them to the system every week or so until it is 6-9 months old. Potassium will help your

plants set their fruit if there seems to be an issue. Maxicrop also contains tons of trace minerals so its a

good idea to add some on a monthly basis, cup per clay pebble media bed.

Insect Control You cannot use chemicals to control insects in an aquaponic system or you

could kill your fish. All products must be organic and not harmful to fish. Believe it or not, but if your

plants are getting everything they need and are not deficient in any way, most all bad bugs will leave

them alone. Most bugs can only digest an incomplete protein. Here are a few excellent ways to battle

bugs:

Raw Milk- if you can get raw milk, add 2-3 cups to your clay pebble bed(s) every week or so.

This will raise the BRIC level of your plants to a higher sugar content. Most bad insects cannot digest

sugar like this and they will move on.

Molasses- mix a cup with 1 gallon of warm water, a few drops of dishwashing soap & sprayonto the leaves of your plants. This will also raise the sugar content of the plant and being on the

exterior, the bugs will get a taste & move on quickly. It is perfectly fine to spray this as often as you like.


38/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Neem Oil- there are several pre-mixed solutions available online or at your local hydroponics

retailer. Just follow the directions depending on what kind you have. Neem oil will not hurt beneficial

bugs generally.

Good Bugs- Ladybugs, praying mantis, Nematodes, etc. There are several beneficial bugs

available at Amazon.com or you can order from your local hydroponics retailer. This is a great way tofight off many of the harmful insects that might find your system.

Safers Soap- mix with some Maxicrop & spray on the leaves. Kills aphids, spider mites,

whiteflies & mealy bugs

Our own Mix: 1 Gallon water, 4 drops dish soap, cup molasses, 1 tablespoon chili powder,

cup Maxicrop for a powerful spray & can be used daily.

Earth Worms Once the system has cycled and become stable, put some red worms in your

media bed. The worms will quickly breakdown any solids and turn it into natures finest fertilizer. They

can easily be found at fishing stores, or online- Amazon being one place. They are in-expensive and will

reproduce on their own without your help!

Fish Tilapia is the most common fish used in aquaponics for several reasons. First of

all they are a tough fish that can survive poor water conditions and many types of issues that can arise.

They are omnivores meaning they will eat meat and vegetation. They are very fast growers reachingplate size in 8-9 months. They are one of the few fish that actually eat/absorb algae through their gills.

They also breed easily without much work on your part. They thrive in warm water and do well up to

about 88 degrees but can withstand water warmer than 95 although not recommended. If you live in a

colder climate where it may be very difficult to keep the water above 55, you might consider a cold

water fish such as Trout. Other fish to consider are catfish, sunfish or blue gill. Game fish such as bass

or crappie are slow growers and can be finicky. You may want to check with your local game warden or

state wildlife service center to find out if there are any restrictions in your state on Tilapia.

SALT BATH One trick to preventing diseases from affecting your fish is to give any new fish

brought in a salt bath before adding them in with the rest. Most all fresh water fish can tolerate somesalt water for a short time. The salt will kill parasites & infections without harming the fish. Place them

in a separate tank with a mixture of 2 pounds of salt per 25 gallons of water. Regular salt like you would

use for a swimming pool or water softener will do or you can use sea salt but do not use table salt. It is


39/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





good to have a hospital tank for this, use it for new or sick fish. You can give them a salt bath for 1

hour at a time and up to once per week.

Where to Buy? Tilapia can often be found locally through Craigslist. There are probably other

aquaponic systems around you that have an over-abundance of fish. If so it would save you shipping

costs which can be excessive. Good websites we have found to purchase fish are: www.FishKis.com,www.TilapiaDepot.com,andwww.TilapiaSource.com.

Stocking Densityshould never exceed 1 pound of fish per 3 gallons of water. Most agree that a

comfortable density is between 4-7 gallons per pound of fish. The more pounds of fish you have per

gallon, the more aeration is needed. You can never have too much air blowing into the water so always

lean to having too much rather than too little. The aerator provided with your kit generally produces

more air than what is typically required. To get a bit more technical, a DO (dissolved oxygen) level

greater than 3.0 ppm at 1000 and 70 degrees is best. The higher the altitude, the more oxygen is

needed. Colder water needs less oxygen than warmer water, or we might say that hot water releases

the oxygen faster. Hint: in summer place the compressor on the ground or concrete to blow cooler air

into the water. In winter place the compressor close to a heat source so it can send warm air into the

tank water.

Fish Food, there are several ways to feed your fish. If you live in the south east where there are

lots of insects, you can hang a small light over the fish tank to attract bugs at night. Growing earth

worms or soldier fly larvae is an option for many. During the summer months if it gets too hot to grow

much in your climate you can dedicate a raft tank to growing duckweed. Harvest it by squeezing out the

water and freezing it to store and feed during the winter. Of course you can also just purchase your

feed. There are some online organic non-GMO fish foods, one we have found iswww.Fishkis.com. Not

only do they have great fish food but they also sell high quality tilapia.

Feedingyour fish. It is good to use floating food so you can see how much they are actually

eating. If there is floating food left after 5 minutes, then back off feeding so much. Extra fish food will

decompose & add to the ammonia in the system. It is best to feed small fingerlings a starter feed that is

designed for them and switch as they get older. It is best to feed morning and night. They will eat more

& grow faster in warmer water but for Tilapia it is better to not exceed 90 degree water.

BreedingTilapia is fairly easy, in fact it will probably happen all by itself. To prevent having

unwanted babies, you can add a few catfish to the tank. They are bottom feeders and will take care of

any eggs laid. If you want to control the breeding, place 2 adult females & 1 adult male in a separate

tank that is at least 25 gallons. Put two 4-6 diameter and 10 long pieces of PVC pipe in the bottom ofthe tank. Place a floating basket with small openings (like a laundry basket with the slit openings all

around it) in the tank. You can zip tie some Styrofoam or pool floatation noodles to the top edge of it to

keep it floating. Put some fake plants that will float on top of the water in the basket to provide shade

and cover. The small baby fry will flee to the safety of the basket and hang out in there until they have
http://www.fishkis.com/http://www.fishkis.com/http://www.tilapiadepot.com/http://www.tilapiadepot.com/http://www.tilapiasource.com/http://www.tilapiasource.com/http://www.tilapiasource.com/http://www.fishkis.com/http://www.fishkis.com/http://www.fishkis.com/http://www.fishkis.com/http://www.tilapiasource.com/http://www.tilapiadepot.com/http://www.fishkis.com/


40/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





some size on them & you can transfer them into another tank. You could also just float the same basket

in your main fish tank to allow any fry born there to have a place of safety and grow.

Maintenance About 1 time per week use a soft brush or broom to agitate the sides and

bottom of your fish & sump tank. This will clean off any debris & the pump will send it to the media bed

for processing. In about an hour your water should be pretty clear. Avoid a lot of direct sunlight on the

water as it will cause algae to grow and kill nitrites. Algae will rob your system of nutrients and oxygen.

Pipes- it is a good idea to take a high pressure hose or nozzle and run water through all the lines

in the system on a monthly basis. This will clean out any build up. It is especially important to keep the

auto siphon lines clear.

Rafts- the Styrofoam rafts already have a top coat of high quality latex paint. It is best to recoat

them every few years depending on your climate & growing conditions. The bottoms can also be

coated. If you find an excessive buildup of matter in the raft bed tanks, they can be rinsed out orvacuumed and the water given to other plants or your traditional garden if available as it is a great

fertilizer. If you get mosquitos in your raft beds, put guppies or mosquito fish in them. You may want to

put a net or some type of filter over the drain though to keep them from washing into the main fish tank

or sump tank.

Crayfish, Crawfish, etc- DO NOT put crayfish in your raft beds, or anywhere close to your

Endless Food System. They will take over and eat everything.

Water Top Off- The only water the system loses is to evaporation. Although not recommended,

in small doses it is ok to use city water which contains chlorine. If you need to top off the system with a

large amount of water, be sure to use a chlorine filter or let the water sit in a holding tank with the lid

off for 3-4 days. This will burn off the chlorine so that it is not added to your aquaponic system and kill

good bacteria.

Anerobic areas- Occasionally, there could be a large root ball that develops on a plant that

blocks up part of the media bed. If you see a strange drop in pH, it could be due to this. An aerobic area

of your bed will kill all the beneficial bacteria, it must be removed. Tomato plants are bad about this

after they are fully matured. Often a tomato plant will produce for a year or more but may need to be

removed because of its massive root system. Never put a long term plant (tomato, cucumber, etc) closeto your auto siphon as its roots can block it all up.


41/42

Rough Draft


---------------------------------------------------------------------





Tips:

Fill any un-used net pots in your floating raft beds with clay pebbles to keep the sunlight from

reaching the water and causing algae to grow.

Do not place any large plants close to a drain line or where the roots could block the flow of

water. Regularly check your lines & auto siphons for roots that may block them up.

Be aware of tall or climbing plants and put them on the back of the bed, farthest from the

sunlight so that they do not shade the other shorter plants that are in the grow bed.

Pick beans, like bush beans, when they are still a bit young. This will keep them producing. If

you allow the beans to reach full maturity, your bean plant will stop making beans.

Trim the lower leaves off tomato plants and trim any 3rd

branches. When a branch or Y occurs

cut any 3rd

branch from the middle. The plant will make healthier and larger fruit this way.

Depending on your set up, it is a good idea to drill an emergency overflow hole in your media

bed. If your auto siphon were to become blocked, an emergency hole drilled toward the top of your

gravel bed in a place where any water would flow into the sump tank or fish tank is a good idea.

Place your aeration compressor where it is blowing cool or warm air into your tank depending

on time of year. If it is winter, place it close to a heat source so that it blows warm air into the water. In

summer when you want cooler water, put it on a concrete slab or other cool place but if it is locatedbelow the water surface, you will need to insert check valves on those air lines. If the power were to go

off, a siphon could begin which will ruin your pump & drain the tank (this has happened to us!).

You probably only need 1: Cucumber, Tomato, Jalapeno, Bell Peppers, Bush Beans, etc. They

continually produce and will probably give your family all you want. If you plant 5 tomato plants, you

may end up having way more tomatoes than you can possibly eat.

Leafy Greens grow best in the rafts: Lettuce, Chard, Arugala, Kale, Basil, and the like. Some root

crops also do great in the raft, Beets, Onions, Raddish, etc. (but NOT potatoes). Many leafy greens &

some lettuce has a very high protein content, upwards of 17%!

Grow your fast growing short plants in the rafts since they are very easy to harvest & plant.

Grow anything tall in the media bed so the root structure has some support. You can also tie onto a

trellis for support.


42/42

Rough Draft


Too our knowledge, you should never have to clean out a media bed or change it. If an aerobic

root ball develops, take it out & everything should be good.

If growing outdoors in a greenhouse, flow with the seasons. Grow cooler weather plants in

winter and warmer plants in summer. No need in trying to fight mother nature!

We invite you to visit our website oftenwww.EndlessFoodSystems.comas it is constantly being updated

and added to. Your members area password is XXXXXXXXand this will give you access to a world of

detailed information, FAQs and more videos. We hope you have wonderful success with your system

and share your knowledge with those around you. If enough people could become aware of

aquaponics, there would be no more World Hunger!
http://www.endlessfoodsystems.com/http://www.endlessfoodsystems.com/http://www.endlessfoodsystems.com/http://www.endlessfoodsystems.com/

diy handbook-rough draft_endless food system

Documents