Japan Aquaponics - Micro Aquaponics demonstration model (Mark I)

[Japan Aquaponics]

Hi there,

This week I built a micro aquaponics system to be used as a demonstration of aquaponics to show in schools and to other interested individuals. The neighbours and passers-by (I had to build it next to the small road by my house) all were intrigued!

It is all hand-built and I am using two store bought reinforced plastic tanks - about 50 litres for the fish tank and about 30 litres for the grow bed. It is a simple loop siphon system and so far it is working nicely, but I have added a timer because it has such a quick flood and drain cycle.

Growing medium is half pumice stone and half hydroton. Hydroton is 7,000 yen for 50 litres (about $90 in the US! whereas the pumice stone looks to be equally as effective and is only 500 yen for a 42 litre bag. I suspect that we will be seeing the pumice stone more and more!)

The frame is all made from weathered 2x2, 1x2 and 1x4 boards. It is built like a tank and can withstand a typhoon without batting a screw! The wheels added on at a whim halfway through have proven to be an absolute necessity.

So there we have it. A working demonstration model to use in Japan - there is almost no aquaponics here (yet) but we are working hard to change that!

Any comments or suggestions would be happily received.

AragonJA Micro Aquaponics Plantings - Day 2.jpgJA Micro Aquaponics Plantings - Day 2c.jpgJA Micro Aquaponics Plantings - Day 1b.jpgJA Micro Aquaponics Plantings - Day 1.jpgJA Micro Aquaponics 6a Hydroton Media 2.jpgJA Micro Aquaponics 5a Pumice Media 3.jpgJA Micro Aquaponics 4a.jpgJA Micro Aquaponics 3a.jpgJA Micro Aquaponics 2a.jpgJA Micro Aquaponics 1a.jpg

[Pugo]

Well, Congrats on the system build I'm sure you are going to have fun introducing Aquaponics to the people.. As to the best of my knowledge the Japanese are very health conscious.. So I would guess this could go over very nicely...Keep up the good work spreading the word

[keith_r]

you might want to consider some kind of "guard" around your siphon drain so that you can get at the roots that will make there way into it

[Japan Aquaponics]

Thanks Keith... you are right and it was an oversight of mine from the beginning. The syphon shuts off at the moment but it slurps like nobody's business in its attempts to do so! I was thinking of adding a reducer to the top of the pipe so that more oxygen could get in to help stop the siphon more quickly... but... how to do it easily now that I have buried it in growing media!

Mark II will have a media guard!

Pugo... I have the following arriving soon:

A 1000 litre fishtank, http://www.macroplastics.com/product.../probin-33-s/#
2 ? litre tanks, http://www.macroplastics.com/product...n/probin-16-s/
3 or 4 locally sourced 160litre 14inch high growbeds.

The macroplastics equipment is very high quality food safe plastic tanks that are being donated by the company, so we are very lucky there.

I was thinking of opening this up to the forums, but the question is... what would you do with this equipment? I am interested to hear different people's takes and what they would set up, what systems they would put together etc. A kind of... "what would you do?" question. Think this is a suitable forum question?

Also, I would be really interested to try out the system test recording website - am I able to access that as well by any chance?

[keith_r]

cut a length of 4" or 6" (4" if you have small hands, or a helper with small hands) irrigation pipe in half lengthwise, and you will be able to push it down to the syphon outlet while keeping it against the wall of the growbed, then you can scoop the gravel out of the pipe..

[Japan Aquaponics]

...definitely a job for my wife!

[GaryD]

Hi JA,

Your Pro Bins are very similar to the mega bins that I use for backyard food production.....they have a myriad of uses for urban farming.

Gary

[Japan Aquaponics]

I have updated the system a little bit because of the issues with water pressure and volume going into the growbed that was causing the siphon to have difficulties to stop efficiently. I have added a t-joint and ball valve to the pump and now half of the water goes straight back into the tank whilst the remainder goes to the growbed... slowing the flow of the water and making the flood and drain cycle a little slower and the siphon is now working really nicely.

I would have had the water from the t-join just cascading back into the tank to provide extra aeration for the fish - but this system is in our bedroom and next to where my wife studies... and so she complained about the noise..... and about needing the toilet every 5 minutes dues to the constant water splashing!

I also added a timer so that they system is on for 15mins then off for 15mins. This goes on all day and turns off at night.

JA Micro Aquaponics - amended pipework.jpg

[GaryD]

Hi,

Japan Aquaponics has lost his APHQ password and has emailed me with the following......

I have been incredibly busy the past few months and so have not had much time to check the forum, but I will have some things to add soon. We have just built what I hope is a lovely looking indoor system for a learning centre in Tohoku (the area that was devastated by the tsunami). We managed to design a 1m x 2m system that fit into an IKEA wardrobe, but still has a media bed and a floating raft and a small filter system in it. This was all the space we could use and so it had to be very compact... but the kids love it and the community is really interested in how it works!


Here is a small article that was posted recently about it:
Growing Solutions in Tohoku with Aquaponics | eco+waza -Inspired Green Living from Japan


I will soon add some photos and a description on our own website and on the APHQ forum... if I can get back in!

I've triggered an password reminder for JA........and he'll no doubt enlighten us further when he gets it.

In the meantime.......a tidy little unit. Very Japanese.


Gary

[weldnfab]

clean and neat... looks nice.