Solids Removal in Aquaponics Solids removal is an important part of any aquaponic system. Raft systems are not only very space inefficient, they also require a lot of mechanical solids filtration to keep them functioning properly. In raft systems this becomes expensive- you have to use some type of filtration to remove solids so that your raft beds don’t accumulate waste, your DO doesn’t crash, and your plant roots stay healthy. Media based techniques on the other hand, use the media bed to remove solids. Here at Bright Agrotech, we use our ZipGrow towers as mechanical filtration, sending almost all of our solids into the tops of our towers. Redworms and bacteria take it from there, breaking up the solids as quickly as they accumulate. Media-Based Aquaponics Systems If you’re already using a media based system, then solids probably won’t be an issue for you, unless your stocking densities are too high, or your medium is too fine. If your stocking densities are too high, you’ll be producing more waste than your media bed can break down.

Solids Removal in Aquaponics

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Actively removing solids can be costly in most aquaponic system designs. Here are some great techniques to remove solids from aquaponics system.

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Solids Removal in Aquaponics

Solids removal is an important part of any aquaponic system.

Raft systems are not only very space inefficient, they also require a lot of mechanical solids filtration to keep them functioning properly.

In raft systems this becomes expensive- you have to use some type of filtration to remove solids so that your raft beds don’t accumulate waste, your DO doesn’t crash, and your plant roots stay healthy.

Media based techniques on the other hand, use the media bed to remove solids.

Here at Bright Agrotech, we use our ZipGrow towers as mechanical filtration, sending almost all of our solids into the tops of our towers.

Redworms and bacteria take it from there, breaking up the solids as quickly as they accumulate.

Media-Based Aquaponics Systems

If you’re already using a media based system, then solids probably won’t be an issue for you, unless your stocking densities are too high, or your medium is too fine.

If your stocking densities are too high, you’ll be producing more waste than your media bed can break down.

http://www.brightagrotech.com/

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ZipGrow towers in a 55 gal system

If the medium itself is too fine, then the waste can impede the flow of water through your bed, cloggin0g things up and causing the water to go anaerobic.

This happens because the decaying waste consumes all of the dissolved oxygen. This is one reason why it’s important to use larger media sizes (not pea gravel or sand!).

Our medium is rather coarse (93% void space), so it allows water to travel freely through the material, even when there are lots of solids present.

Raft Systems in Aquaponics

If you have a raft system, then you’d better invest in solids removal equipment. This reduces the overall nutrition in your system, but if you have proper mineralization tanks you can still maintain relatively high nutrient levels.

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