PUMPS MODULE 6 QUAPONICS DESIGN COURSE

For domestic systems a submersible centrifugal pump,

located in the sump is usually used. For commercial
systems an external transfer pump is better because
their design makes them more robust and efficient.

In choosing a pump you look at the water flow capac-

ity in litres/gals per hour and the head, or how high
it can pump. A home system will usually be 4,000
lph/1000 gph and have a head limit of 3m/10ft. At the
maximum flow it is at zero height and at the max-
imum height there is no flow. So it is important to
ascertain how high you need the water to be pumped.
Frictional loss from water travelling around corners in
the pipes, also affects the head. So always over size
the pump for your requirements.
38

Diaphragm aeration pumps are usually used in do-

mestic systems. Linear piston air compressors are
good for off grid 12/24 volt DC systems. Regenerative
air blowers are used in commercial systems.
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VOLUME OF AIR REQUIRED MODULE 6 QUAPONICS DESIGN COURSE

GOING SOLAR

The fish tank air requirements;

Every 200 liters of water needs 15 litres per min of Before deciding to put your Aquaponics system on
air delivered via airstone/s (this needs 2 - 75 x 35 solar you must gauge your requirements. Measure
x 35mm airstones with 6 or 10mm barb to handle the wattage of all your electrical equipment, pumps
15LPM of air, or each 75 x 35 x 35mm medium pore airblowers, fans, heaters etc. Calculate how many
airstone with 6mm barb can deliver each 7.5 LPM of Watts per hour you need for all them running at the
air for every 100 L of water. How these are arranged same time.
is decided by the designer.)
The amount of sun your solar panels are exposed
For a moving bed bio filter there are the same re- to (and hence how much energy they will generate)
quirements as the fish tank. depends upon:
The orientation and tilt of your panels.
For DWC beds 1 sqm = 10 LPM of air (typically we will Whether there are shadows cast over your panels
use a 75mm x 35mm x 35mm medium pore airstone (due to trees, buildings etc).
with 6mm barb for each sqm of growing area.) The number of daylight hours (depends on location)
The intensity of the sunlight (depends on location)
Media beds do not need aeration because they are The number of hours of full sun vs cloudy days (de-
flood and drain. pends on location)
35mm x 35mm x 75mm
with 6mm polybarb, medi-
The amount of solar charging time, has to generate
um pore air diffuser.
(1” x 1” x 3” with ¼ “ ) enough storage of power for at least 24 hours.
How many panels are needed to create that much
energy?
How many batteries that will only be discharged 40%
will you need to store that energy ?
What sort of charging controller will you have?
Will you use AC or DC pumps?

You also need to consider a diesel generator as back

up, which can service the systems electrical require-
Fish Tanks ments. This needs to be automatically switched on
30 LPM-300mm with 10mm barb (1CFM-12inches- when the battery power has reached its limit.
3/8inch barb)
Bio filter Here is a site from the US Dept of Energy, which may
15 LPM 10mm (.5CFM-6inches)-3/8inches)barb be useful to give you an idea of your solar potential.
DWC 10LPM -75mm with 6mm barb (.35 CFM-3inch- You can enter your location even if you are not in the
es-1/4inch barb) US. http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/
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NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES MODULE 6 QUAPONICS DESIGN COURSE

The most well known hot compost method is called

the Berkeley Compost Method developed at Berkley
University California.
http://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/compost_rapidcompost.
pdf
In India they have adopted this method and called it
Shivanish Fertiliser. Instructions can be found here:
https://billionsinchange.com/solutions/agricul-
ture/#!/instructions

Compost tea is usually created by floating a bag of

compost, somewhat like a tea bag in water and
The main source of nutrient for Aquaponics systems
oxgenating it for 24 hours. This creates a rapid multi-
is fish waste. However fish are fed on food that is
plication of microorganism. The resulting tea is then
suitable for them but leaves some deficiences for the
sprayed onto the plants
plants. The main elements which can become defi-
cient are Calcium (C) Potassium (K) and Iron (Fe)
In Aquaponics we don’t need to make compost tea
separately. Compost can be placed in a netbag into
The macro nutrients of Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P)
the mineralisation tank. The mineralization tank is
and Potassium (K) are basic requirements for plant
acting like a compost tea unit, airstones are doing the
growth. Aquaponics has a lot of Nitrogen but may be
same thing to the microbes in the fish waste. By add-
replete in P and K. Calcium (C) Magnesium (Mg) and
ing compost here, we add additional nutrients which
Sulfur (S) are micronutrients that are also required
supplement the fish waste.
for healthy plant growth. Calcium is also sometimes
replete in Aquaponics sytems. These minerals can be
added specifically to the system or products based on
kelp can give a general tonic to the system and add
the extra micronutrients needed.

Another alternative is to make compost tea. Com-

post contains the full spectrum of plant nutrients.
The minerals present in the composted material are
available in the compost tea. The more varied the
material used in the compost the wider range of
nutrients. Additions such as rock dust to the worm
farm or compost can be made and the minerals and The leacheate from a worm farm can be also added to
trace elements added will be present in the tea. Kelp the system or diluted and sprayed onto the plants as
is another valuable addition to a compost. a foliar spray. This leachate is often called worm juice
and like compost it provides a wealth of nutrients and
If using compost it should come from a hot compost minerals. It is the enzyme in the worm’s digestive sys-
which reaches temperatures of between 55-65 C. tems that allows all the nutrients and trace elements
(130-150 F). This ensures material is broken down to become water soluble, therefore readily available
rapidly and pathogens are killed at these tempera- for plant life.
tures. No manure from meat eating animals should be
used in the compost.

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PLANT NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES MODULE 6 QUAPONICS DESIGN COURSE

Leaves on the left indicate deficiencies in multiple nu- Blossom end rot is when the base of the fruit where
trients. The addition of PowerFeed, a seaweed extract the flower would have been, appears to rot. This indi-
with fish emulsion, results in healthy new growth. cates a lack of calcium. This occurs on tomatoes and
Initially PowerFeed added 120ml/4ozs per 2500litres capsicums. When adjusting pH, add calcium to the
(660gal) every 2 days for a period of 1 week will fix it. system. Calcium however is only available to plants if
Then a maintenance dose of 120ml every 2 weeks can there is sufficient potassium in the system. So an ad-
be added. PowerFeed doesn’t affect the fish, though dition of potassium may be necessary to allow for the
the water may colour. New growth will appear healthy uptake of the calcium. Another reason why calcium
and old deficient leaf growth will fall off the bush. may not be available in the system is because of cold
water temperatures.

In tomatoes, an indicator of potassium deficiency is

when the flowers do not fruit and the flower stems Pythium also referred to as collar rot or root rot is
are bent. Add potassium hydroxide or potassium car- when the plant rots from the base. It is caused by a
bonate as a foliar spray. fungal like organism and rarely occurs in Aquaponics.
It is more likely to occur in soil based media or potting
mix. If it does occur, plants should be removed and
destroyed. It is highly contagious so washing hands
and implements is an essential measure for prevent-
ing its spread. Good aeration in the raft beds and
around the plants prevents it from occurring

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BRIX TESTING MODULE 6 QUAPONICS DESIGN COURSE
A Brix test is is a measure of the percent of dissolved
How to use an optical refractometer:
solids (Total Soluble Solids ) in a given weight of
Squeeze sap out of a plant with a garlic crusher
plant juice. A Brix meter works through refraction.
Put 2 drops on the prisim
It is based on the principle that light passing through
Close the prisim cover
a liquid bends or refracts. The denser the liquid the
Point the refractometer to a light source
more it refracts.
Focus the eyepiece by turning the ring to the right or
left
The density of plant sap is mainly due to sugars which
Take a reading from where the light and dark fields
are created through photosynthesis. The higher the
intersect
simple sugars in the plant juice it is believed there is
also a higher mineral content in the plant. Crops with
a higher refractive index indicate a greater specific
gravity or density and thus more simple sugars..

A refractometer can also be used as a guideline to cal-

cium availability in a plant. When you look through a
refractometer, the colour demarcation on the vertical
brix axis indicates the brix level, and should not be
sharp and distinct. The goal becomes to ensure that
this dividing line is indistinct and “fuzzy”. The more
diffuse this line, the better the calcium levels.

CHART DEVELOPED BY DR CAREY REAMS

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45
PEST MANAGEMENT MODULE 5 AQUAPONICS DESIGN COURSE
There are a number of ways to manage pests in
Aquaponics systems. Synthetic poisons can never be
used. Pests can be eliminated from plants by creating
a physical barrier in an enclosed greenhouse. Keeping
control of what comes into the greenhouse will avoid
pests being introduced.

Sticky yellow traps which attract flying insects, can be

installed and are effective.

Ladybird Beetles (Chilocorus Circumdatus) prey on

hard scale insects such as white louse scale, red scale
and San José scale.

Integrated Pest Management techniques can be used

to control infestations. Beneficial insects can be
introduced into the greenhouse at different times of
the year. It is always better to have a regime in place
rather than wait for a big infestation.

Benefical insects can be bought online. In Australia

they can be bought from https://bugsforbugs.com.au.
This site also has good information on pest control.

Green Lace Wings (Mallada signata) are a good gen-

eralist predator. They prey on: Cryptolaemus is another lady bird beetle that preys
Aphids (various species) on soft sale insects and mealybugs. It’s common
Twospotted mite Tetranychus urticae name is Mealybug Ladybird. It is a native to Australia
Greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum and in its larval stage it looks a bit like a mealybug.
Scales (various species)
Mealybugs (various species)
Moth eggs and small caterpillars

The Mexican Bean Beetle a type of Ladybird Beetle

that eats plants and can be identified by the 16 dots
on its back. It is to be avoided.
46
SPRAYS FOR PEST MANAGEMENT MODULE 5 AQUAPONICS DESIGN COURSE

Botani Gard 22WP contains a fungus, beauveria Neem Oil is derived from the Neem Tree native to
bassiana. Many strains are found worldwide in the India. It will kill all bugs and the fish too if it gets
soil. They control insects by growing on them, secret- into the fish tank. Spray the neem solution on all the
ing enzymes that weaken the insect’s outer coat, and leaves, especially the undersides where insects like
then getting inside the insect and continuing to grow, to hide. Once mixed with water the neem oil starts
eventually killing the infected pest. It is added to breaking down, so it has to be used immediately. It
water and sprayed on the leaves. It only kills the adult works by suppression of the insect’s appetite (they
pests so has to be reapplied as more pests hatch. starve to death) and it restricts their growth.

Home Made Sprays

Chilli and garlic sprays can be applied on the top and
bottom surface of leaves. However it is best to be
quite specific as they will also kill beneficial insects.
The chilli will effect the fish so it can’t be allowed to
get into the water.

Chillis are blended into a paste and steeped in water

overnight. The liquid is strained and diluted. Spray
on the top and bottom surfaces of leaves.

Dipel contains Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). It is a bac- Garlic is boiled up and left overnight and then
terial stomach poison for all caterpillars. It is mixed strained and the liquid is diluted and sprayed onto the
with water and sprayed onto both sides of foliage. It plants. Garlic is good for killing soft bodied insects. It
must be ingested by the actively feeding caterpillar has to be used when it is made as it loses its effective-
which dies 3-4 days later. It is not a contact spray. It ness if kept. It is a contact spray.
is totally safe for beneficial insects and the fish. It is
broken down by sunlight within a few days, so repeat- 1 tablesooon of Back Strap Molasses diluted with 1
ed applications may be necessary. litre of water is a spray which deters caterpillars and
doesn’t harm the system. In fact it feeds the microbes
in the beds.

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