In todays SketchUp Archive I wanted to come up with an extremely simple and cheap design. This would be perfect for someone just getting started with aquaponics. It can be built in less than an hour and for about $50. The only tools it requires are a drill and a hand saw.
The buckets that are used for the fish tank and the grow bed are 20 gallon HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) buckets with rope handles. I found some of these at K-Mart for $5 each. The stand for the grow bed is made out of a couple 8 foot redwood 2 x 2s. If you choose to use some sort of LECA (Hydroton / Hydrocorn), that will be the most expensive part of this system. I built one of these and used 3/4 inch river rock that I got for free. Just make sure to do the vinegar test on the gravel to make sure it doesnt have limestone in it. Limestone has a high pH and will cause problems with pH down the road. You can find a 160 GPH pump on Amazon for $13 that will provide more than enough water movement. How you set up the plumbing is up to you. You could go with a siphon assisted flood and drain setup, have a constant flood setup or have a timer assisted flood and drain setup. Whichever route you take, the plumbing for any one of those setups shouldnt set you back more than $20. So if you want to build a cheap and easy system this weekend, give this design some thought.
Let me know what you guys think and if you have any design inputs in the comments. I spend a lot of time making these and every model is to scale and every measurement is exact. You can literally open the file, use the measuring tool and get every exact measurement you need to build this unit. I will put the link to download the SketchUp file at the bottom of the post. If you choose to download the file or if you just like the blog and would like to see more stuff like this, please leave a comment or share the blog on one of the social media site links below. It really helps me out and the more the blog grows, the more cool stuff Ill be able to share with you. (Build it at your own risk of course, Im not your daddy nor am I responsible for you. These are just fancy drawings and I cant guarantee they will work, they are here to try to help you out in your aquaponic endeavors)
Hope you enjoy!
Download Link:
Cheap Starter Aquaponics System
Here is a picture of a system that I built for my office utilizing this design. I already had an aquarium at my office and I wanted to convert it into an aquaponics system. I modified the design slightly so the fish tank became the sump tank. The sump pumps water into the fish tank which then overflows into the grow bed and the grow bed then drains back into the sump. I have some summer squash growing in it this system right now. It has been about 3 weeks since I transplanted the seedlings into the system and they are doing great!
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