Build a vertical aquaponic veggie & fish farm for small yards & houses

This low-cost vertical aquaponic system can grow leafy greens, herbs and raise fish for a small family year round, and it fits in a 5' by 3' space. Sean Brady, the aquaponics projects coordinator at the Center for Sustainable Aquaponics and Nourish the Planet in Loveland, Colo., showed us how to build a system from scrap he found around the greenhouse. We published a version of this how-to guide at engineeringforchange.org, and it's one of the good ones, so we'd like to share it with Instructables, too.

What it is
A vertical aquaponic system grows vegetables without soil in columns above a fish tank. By growing vertically, you can produce about twice the amount of plants as you can with a hydroponic system of the same area. One five-foot tower can produce more than 200 heads of lettuce per year. And it uses a small fraction of the water needed to grow crops in soil.

The system puts fish waste to work as fertilizer for crops. A small pump draws nutrient-rich water from the fish tank to the tops of the vertical columns. The water trickles down through the roots of the plants, gathering oxygen from the air as it falls back into the tank. It releases almost no waste and, because it's soil free, there's no need for fertilizer or most pesticides. Also, if you do it right, you won't have to clean the fish tank much.

You do have to replace lost water as needed, power the pump and feed the fish. Try raising crickets for fish food, or buy them flakes. It might not be too hard to power one of these pumps with a small solar panel or some other renewable energy. If anyone has an idea, please share.

This is how to build Sean Brady's low-cost vertical aquaponic system This build is for the simple design in the cover photo, and we're including pictures of other, fancier systems built with mostly the same materials to show what's possible. For credit, Brady took all of the photos. For more information on aquaponics, please see CSA's and NTP's sites. 

Materials
You can use these or swap out anything for whatever you have on hand. Measurements are in feet and inches. Sorry, rest of the world.

*Pipes
15-20 ft. of 4-in. diameter PVC or ADS
Four 4-inch elbows
Four 4-inch T connectors
*Two 50-gallon drums
*15-20 ft. of pex tubing, or aquarium tubing
*Plastic cups
*Strips of cloth, such as burlap sack, cable ties or another fastener
*Scrap wood
*Two rolls of electrical tape
*Pumps
One water pump - the size depends on how much flow it would need. An aquarium pump is enough to keep the flow going.
One air pump (optional). The system can aerate itself but it can produce more if it has an air pump.

Tools
*Power drill or hand drill
*1-in hole saw
*3-in hole saw

Build time 
About two hours.

Recommended plants and fish
Leafy vegetables, tomatoes and herbs do well in these systems. So do flowers. You can experiment to find which do well and fit your needs.
Tilapia and trout do well, they grow quickly and they're delicious.

Step 1: Prepare the base pipes

Cut the pipe into six 1ft. sections for the sides and two 14in. sections for the ends.
Drill two 3in-diameter holes in each of the 1ft side pieces.
Drill a 1in-diameter hole into the side of one of the end pieces.

Then assemble the pieces with electrical tape

Tip
You can use any kind of durable plastic or pipe, not just what's pictured.

Comments

[nidobrito]

So, does anyone figured out how the biofilter of this system works?

[jaybiwafu]

Got a lot of wonderful tips reading this page and I learned a lot. Gotta find those materials and start building my own. :) More about aquaponic fishes? click here

http://farmingeek.org/farming-how-to/how-to-start-aquaponic-farming/how-to-keep-your-fishes-in-an-aquaponic-system

[loriroyer1811]

You say to hang burlap strips for roots to adhere to, but how do you get the plants to stay in there? Is there rock in the vertical tubes? How are they started and what are they put in to stay in place until the roots take hold?

[Engineering for Change]

You would put the lettuce plugs or whatever kind of plant into the holes you've drilled in the PVC. Here's a link to the kind of plugs you could use for example: http://www.harrisseeds.com/storefront/t-PG_Plugs.aspx

The root-end of the plug would be touching the burlap strip and the roots would grow into it.

[amc21769]

I do not know if another person submitted this comment yet, but, you need to focus on one type only. In the pictures you show three difference kines of aquaponic gardens. Please focus on one type. Also provide all pipes sizes and lengths. This is a great idea with lots of potential but it is very confusin.

[ronbo1969]

I have a water system that has been running for a year and a half trouble free...the only thing i have to do is add water as needed. My plants thrive and so do my fish. I currently have over 25 fish of different sizes. I am using Koi and my set up has approx. 450 gallons of water. The filtering system works great without any issues what so ever. I am fixing to add my piping for my aquaponics system now that I know my fish and water filtering system works properly. If you would like more info on my set up let me know. I will also be adding photos of my piping in the future.....it is a unique and experimental system.

[Engineering for Change]

This looks awesome. You should post an Instructable on how to make it.

[lmorrow2]

Ps, a step by step video would be amazing, thanks

[lmorrow2]

Thanks for the great idea however I have an idea that with make it less labor intensive as far as adding water to the fish tank when it is necessary. On the ends of the fish barrels, up high above the water level, add a simple swamp cooler water valve and float switch
. U would simply need to drill 1 3/8 in hole for the water walve and incert it into the top of the barrel with the float switch in the tank and u can adjust the float switch simply by bending the metal bar on the float. works just like a toilet bowl swith that shuts off water at a certain level excepy simpler and way less expensive. Less than 10 dollars for the float and switch. U wouls need 1 setup for each fish barrel. Then plumb in the tiney water lines that feed water to each switch.
U will pehaps need another special valve to attach to your main water soarce. These valves are about 6 to 8 dollars at Home depot. If it were me id figure out a way to Y from this valve so u need only one of these valves. The Y then feeds each fish barrel switch perspectivly.
All parts are available at HDepot incluging the tiny black tubing which is very cheap...Thanks again, Phil Riddle

[wdyasq]

The pump MUST have enough 'head' and flow to keep things circulating.

I have a flood and drain system (not raising fish) that took a few weeks to get established.

Fish must meet the requirements of the local climate or provisions must be made to make the climate required by the fish/system.

In Texas, (DFW Area)at times the system will get too hot to support many fish or produce many plants. And, in the winter, the tanks will freeze. Neither is good for tanks or fish.

Ron

[biggestdog420]

solar.

[gaiatechnician]

I suggest that you add some of the good points of pallet gardening into your system!
I am doing a pallet garden which is a box made from old pallets and lined with polythene and so far it is nearly all soil based with water cycling into a little reservoir. It actually works pretty well. I use T-Joint airlift to pump the water around and so far, the only time it screwed up is when I added beet water (from boiling beets). It seems to have jelled up. This didn't stop the pump, but it made the fluid thicker and caused backflow issues (Guess I should have had the U deeper). I used 3/16 tubing and probably 1/4 inch would have been better.
I plan to use it extensively next spring under a big coniferous tree. It sucks every drop of moisture out of the soil but provides shade from the really hot summer sun.
Brian

[315tiye]

You never really explain how the watering system works on this unit. Where and how do you connect the incoming water? I have made a tube for the drainage but I am perplexed as to how I get the water to run through the tube. How perforated should the cups be to allow the roots to grow through it?
Thank you in advanced for your answers to my questions.
Tiye

[Smitty75]

For feeding the fish, you might suspend a couple of fishheads
in a screen above the water tank. flies will create maggots
which will fall into the water and feed the fish.

[rubyslpr]

Or you might consider breeding meal worms (in a small container of oat flour) and (sea monkeys) brine shrimp. Remove the live shrimp from their environment with a dropper so a minimum of salt is transferred.
b

[Engineering for Change]

We'd like to do some kind of clean-energy-powered pump, too. We'll look into it.

[rubyslpr]

How about human power? :) Using my system above, drain (small holes covered with burlap) water from the BOTTOM of the fish tank into a container and pour the contents into a container above that flows into your tubs... no power required except elbow grease!
b

[Sun Spirit]

That would be great. If you had a solar-powered pump, and you used the vegetables you grew to feed the crickets to feed the fish, you could close the loop!

[gpatton1]

How big do the fish need to be when they are put into the tank? I assume you can't just throw in minnows right away... or can you?

[rubyslpr]

If they're all the same size, you can. Make sure you acclimate them to the tank first, by floating them in water from their original environment (plastic bag) for several hours before releasing.
b

[Jezter Long]

I'm fairly sure you can. I was told that you start with a large number. Some eat more grow faster than others and therefore get eaten sooner making room for the other fish to grow. With tilapia he had to get catfish to help keep the population under control. The plant side to that benefits because they need a certain amount of fish waste in the water for food. He didn't mention if he what happens if there is too much.

[thruxton666]

What a great idea! Will this work indoors? How many Trout or Tilapia can you keep in a 55 or 110 gallons? Do you need a water chiller? Do you use a substrate?

[rubyslpr]

Tiliapia and/or trout will not do well in 110 gallons. I have a 250 child's wading pool and it was suggested i keep 1. That's right--only 1 fish. However, I can put 200 bluegill fingerlings in the pool for MUCH LESS and they are quite happy. The eating is just as good or better, the whole system stays cleaner and healthier.
b

[Jezter Long]

There is a balance you need of fish to plants so the plants have enough to eat and filter the water enough so your fish don't get sick.

[sh1n0b1]

I don't know where you live, but trout requires cold water.
I'm in AR working on the same kind of solution but can't use trout due to the water getting too hot. A water cooling system needs added for it to work.
Just my 0.000000002 million dollar worth.

[rubyslpr]

Think of native Arkansas fishes such as the yellow perch and bluegill. We are in Red River County TX near the AR line and both of these species do very well, especially in small setups.
b
BTW, I don't have a pic and I'm not at the house right now but, we just use a large child's one piece (hard) plastic wading pool with river rock in the bottom, a small tiered structure and rubbermaid type tubs with aquarium sand. I use a fountain pump in the pool to pump water up through aquarium tubing into the top of the tubs. The tubs are on a slight incline with the low end over the pool, with a drainage hole about 1/2" from the bottom. Plants are started in baskets with rock wool or other hydroponic medium and the baskets set in the sand. The sand is an amazing filter and helps hold the nutrients. The water simply cascades from the overhaning holes into the pool below. Good oxygen and the fish love the motion of the water.

[Engineering for Change]

This build is in Denver, Colo. Part of the challenge in colder areas is to get the system through the winter. We saw a system that heated the water, rather than the entire greenhouse, and it saved tons of power, especially compared to dirt farms in greenhouses right next door.

Cooling the water, though, hasn't been an issue. We'll ask about it...

[Ryutso]

Where would one go about getting the live tilapia, cod or trout to put in the giant barrel?

[rubyslpr]

All of those you mentioned take much more space to be healthy than some of our native fish. Bluegill (or whatever crappie is native to your area), perch, etc. are good. See my comment above about the bluegill. That's what we raise.
b

[Jason_G]

I know there's places online you can buy'em and have'em shipped. I filmed an aquaponics presentation where the speaker, David Pennington, addressed this (I believe towards the end).




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec4bZRhFEVg

[pragmatic jim]

I was all gung ho about this, until I found that it is next to impossible to get tilapia fingerlings in Ontario Canada. I wonder if goldfish are good to eat.

[rubyslpr]

Jim,
Tilapia don't do very well in Canada--they are tropical. They die when it gets cool and they need a lot of space, comparatively. What kind of native fish would do well? Here (Texas USA), we use yellow perch and (crappie) bluegill. Both are mild tasting, like the tilapia and as clean. The perch are fine and do well in the aquaponic environment and give almost as much meat as the tilapia. The bluegill are smaller but they tolerate the cold better and they don't mind crowding. It takes about 3 average sized bluegill to equal the edible portion of 1 tilapia.
b

[JC22]

Bluegills!!!

[rubyslpr]

yes!!

[315tiye]

I am trying to drill the 3 inch holes in the pvc pipe but the drill keeps kicking back. Any suggestions. It's very dangerous and I don't want to give up. I'm almost there!
Thanks!

[moonchylde]

Have you tried a hole saw?

[315tiye]

I was using a drill with a 3" hole bit but had bad technique. However, my boyfriend drilled the holes successfully.

[BrunoGallas]

For this almost 200 L of water "garden", how big is your water pump? How many liters per hour does it?

thanks!

[Da Person who plays paintball.]

Would it work to just use vertical pipes, and then have pipes at a slight downward angle extruding from them? I am not exactly sure as to how the water flows through the system.

[Da Person who plays paintball.]

Forgot to include this, but couldn't you also add a plastic sheet to collect the water released by the plants through respiration?