This is my aims.

a) reduce nitrate and ammonia content in oscar tank
b) grow some nice herbs while im at it.


there will be reduced water in the oscar tank, however as the water will be cleaner, im hoping its a fair trade off.



any thoughts?

Its a little experiment which if fails, ill just do aquaponics outside lol.

We discussed this subject some time ago.
Paul has done it himself.
www.oscarfishlover.com/oscar-fish-advice...2&start=36#57111

The thread also contains this experiment in Holland:
www.refdag.nl/artikel/1331022/Vis+kweken+in+tomatenkas.html

I think it can work!

heres a video i seen on youtube just last week, this guys seems to have it sorted

etwee wrote:


nice idea, i had a similar idea one, i edited your picture to reflect it.



back in highschool for 2 years i was in horticulture and i ran our $10k hydroponics lab, it had 16 runners, 50 plants on each runner, and used the Nutrient Film Technique to deliver nutrients, that is such a simple setup, all was required was tubing, a 55 gallon trash can, and a pond pump, and some flow control valves. for this a shitty lil hob 5-15 gallon filter, used as a lift pump, would be MORE than enough water flow for that style of hydroponics, infact all you need is a piece of rain gutter, and a leaf guard over it, cut holes in teh leaf guard, stuff in blocks of rock wool making sure they touch the bottom of the gutter (they actually make "gutters" specifically for that purpose if you want to invest a lil more money), and insert a few seeds into the hole in the rockwool. when they sprout, prune the bad seedlings, save the best one in each hole, and your set. just put it at a slight angle so gravity will work on your side and let the end dump back into the tank and your set. just remember, you really dont need alot of water flow in these things, the ones i setup used 1/8th inch tubing per runner. you just want the bottom of the grow gutter to have a film of water over it. if its pooling in there your going to get root rot.

your idea is good but i see you wasting tank space, also, the plants could only grow as high as the space in the tank allows, and i think the excessive humidity inside the aquarium would have a negative effect on your plants, i think they might mildew or rot. but if you put the same setup on the top of your lid, you could hang a light over the top and adjust it accordingly as your plants grow.

when i get my 212 up and running, im going to try this myself.

Great feedback thanks guys.

Yeah Iv seen Pauls set up. It seems quite efficient. I remember he wrote an article AGES ago how he never did water changes. There was a huge uproar from the community hahahaah.

Win you certainly seem to know what your doing. Im interested in your NFT, as I was previously thinking of a gravel bed or something.. but it would be too heavy. What other mediums can I grow plants in other than rock wool which is light.

A few issues I'm thinking about

a) At the moment theres no way in really raising my light other than propping it high up on blocks of wood. Wont be able to hang it up.

b) Wheres best place to get some guttering? and will it rust?

c) Yes, the humidity is an issue. Ill have to see how it goes

d) with the NFT, would it offer a sense of filtration also? I would have thought the low water amounts will not really filter much.

a) use a stand for the lighting

b) use a plastic gutter material, it will never rust

c) your plants will rot in the humidity of that, and if not there will definatly be a mold issue

d) of course, the plants will remove the nitrates from your water to grow.


coconut fiber can be substituted for rockwool, altho there are other alternatives as well.

www.hydroempire.com/store/index.php/cPat...r4250CFQtM2godhTpsMQ

they got rockwool and coconut fiber here for fairly cheap, altho i personally would use the rockwool as it is inert and wouldnt effect PH.

hey Adrian, nice to know you are in the aquaponics concept. one thing i
notice in your lay out is the discharge point from the mapal bed. it must
be in the other end so that the current will carry all waste in the suction
point and deliver it to the mapal bed itself.

you may consider this scheme too.

Oh god this gives me illegal ideas...

ha ha ha, you still remember that huh! yea, it was 17 months without water change,
just refill whatever had evaporated. and my oscar grew 12 inches too and pangasius
reach the 17 inches mark. since they were part of the food project, you knew what
happen to them

Win wrote:
yes i fully understand this. if you will notice, the mapal bed has
a ridge runner where water flows freely, otherwise, you will have
rotten roots and stalks of the plants.

Foxlarocks wrote:

why? what is in your mind? are you planning to hijack the swimming pool
of your neighbor? no way! the muriatic acid in the pool will kill all
your plants and fishes...

Foxlarocks wrote:


illegal ideas were the entire point of my intrest in hydroponics at first lol...










and yes paul has it right!

oh... i missed that idea. but there was an incident where a green house was raided
because they raised that weeds..... btw, how come people call it weeds where in fact
it is a shrub?