Aquaponics How To
Flood and Drain system
Where to put your system?
Before you do anything look for a suitable space to put your system. Some question to ask yourself:
- Is the ground reasonably flat?
- Can I get electricity easily and safely to the pumps?
- Can I easily cover the system where I am going to put it?
- Will the noise of the pumps and running water upset my family or my neighbours?
Is the ground reasonably
flat?
Aquaponic systems use pumps but they also rely on water flowing by gravity. While it is possible to engineer them on sloping ground it adds a degree of complexity and we recommend that you avoid sloping ground as much as possible.
Can I get electricity easily
and safely to the pumps?
This is an important consideration before you start building.
You should not rely on running extension cords for long distances
across your yard - it is dangerous and prone to failure. You need
to make sure that you can plug your pumps into a safe power
outlet.
Can I easily cover the system
where I am going to put it?
The cover for the system does not
have to be a solid roof - although that is what we did in one of
our systems. The system should be covered adequately to prevent
water from heavy rain flooding it if you are doing a flood and
drain system. In our continuous flow system it has no cover and the
rain does a great job in filling up the tank. So make sure if you
want a cover either temporary or permanent then the area is
suitable.
Will the noise of the pumps and running water
upset my family or my neighbours?
No, the pumps are not that loud - however you would not want one outside your bedroom window. Yes, you do have to run the system all night long in order to make sure that ammonia does not build up and oxygen levels in the water does not drop.
Photos are of aquaponic systems built and/or maintained by Martin and Kerri