Pond Hydro/Aqua Ponics

Need multiple ideas going in case something doesn't work or is too hard/expensive.

Note the self-proclaimed "Project Inspector" approving of the progress.

Idea for hydroponics pulling water from pond.

Extra bucket. Only fish are mosquito fish due to them being lung breathers and not needing aeration. Water lettuce is for water filtering naturally. Will use this for when duckweed arrives.

Still not done with the landscaping, but functional. The chairs also serve a purpose. The one on the right is storage for spare parts and the one on the left currently houses the plug for the waterfall's pump. Eventually, the chair will be scooted to a slightly better location and the big main solar panel will be held over it by two trellises. The batteries and inverter will rest inside.

Inside the chair on the left. Cut a hole for the water pump's cord to be pulled in. This way once everything is done, the cord can be buried and out of sight/harms way.

Obviously not done, but functional. Had an algae boom, but other than that, my water is still clear.

Front outside edging is using retaining wall blocks with built it holes. I filled the holes with good garden soil and put Hens&Chicks. These provide some low decorations. Since they are outside the waters edge, these are succulents and require less water.

The wall edging inside. I know a lot of people would fuss at the "un organisation" of this, but the spacing is done on purpose. This allows for the young fish to hide. Also, it makes for less bricks for me to buy :-)

Note the mini retaining wall for my oops judging my landscape....

My aquaponics testers. This is a mix of two kinds of lettuce and some corn salad.

My hydro-tub. A bit of a mushroom attack. This may be why aqua/hydro-ponics don't use soil...

Build plans for Hydro-tubs. Gravel allows for water to flow freely within the tub. The pine-straw is a natural filter to prevent the soil from washing away through the gravel. The soil for growing media (rethinking that....).

My two Taro/Elephant Ears in my waterfall. You can see the one on the left is about to have a new leaf.

New 20w pump kit just arrived and is bigger than it looked online. VERY happy. Will have to wait to install due to it raining right now.

Tilapia fry have arrived! They are currently in my quarantine tank.

Setting up the 20w solar panels.

After setting up 20w solar, had to stay to make sure things were working. Sun was going down, so it was running off it's battery back-up.

The pump's attachment got lost, so I had to rig another attachment. It works.

Set the panels to catch both the morning and afternoon sun.

Tiny carrots starting.

Tiny carrots starting to show between the artichokes and lettuce.

Upgraded the tilapia over-winter tank.

Upgraded the tilapia over-winter tank.

The lettuce is looking great. Still hard to see the little tiny carrots. Artichokes look happy.

Aqua-lettuce is getting bigger fast.

I have a few regular pots with lettuce seedlings with their toes in the water too... Looking good :-)

Marmorkrebs - aka Marbled Crayfish Arrived yesterday. Only half of what I ordered survived the trip... even though the seller sent extra. No response from seller if refund or replacements for dead.

Marmorkrebs - aka Marbled Crayfish Don't mind the snail jelly-eggs. My ornamental Cray (Blue) loves snails, so I put these girls in my snail breeding tank to revive from being mailed.

Finally put up the main solar panel.

Main solar panel is up. This is the view from my patio. That viney-bush looking thing is grapes.

Looking great with my big panel up. Will have to put more braces between the trellis' holding it up though.

My start to a solar water heater... Not working yet, but it's been cloudy today. I may have to add more hose and turn the pressure down so it goes through slower.

Inside the small bench. Two solar batteries, a solar charge controller, an inverter, and the battery pack to the hydro's pump.

Aqua lettuce is a bit bigger today. It likes the cooler weather we've had.

Greens are slow right now... I hope they get big enough. Nights are getting cold which may be the reason for the slow growth.

HydroTub growth. I've already harvested enough lettuce for a salad.

I don't think the carrots are going to make it by winter.

Attempt #2 for a solar heater. The other tubing didn't work. I think it was too thick and insulated the cold water too much. New hard, thick, black tubing. I think this one will work.

Solar attempt #2+ I laid a layer of black bubble wrap on the water. The wrap is already warming in the sun, which is a good sign. If it works (for the water), I will add a few more strips. Just leaving enough room for the fish to reach the surface when they want to.

Mommy-to-be Marmorkreb! She's the first to carry eggs and she's got a LOT of them.

Mommy-to-be Marmorkreb! She's the first to carry eggs and she's got a LOT of them.

Mommy-to-be Marmorkreb! She's the first to carry eggs and she's got a LOT of them.

Baby Marmorkrebs are so tiny, they are impossible for me to catch on camera. The little black dot in the green circle, is a baby. The snail doesn't even notice it is there...

Need seed starting cups? scrape out the coffee from your Keurig cups and use them. Leave the filter on to prevent your soil from flushing out or blocking the holes.

Need seed starting cups? scrape out the coffee from your Keurig cups and use them. Just poke extra holes in the bottom for drainage.

Baby Crayfish. The tubes are sized for an adult crayfish.

Tilapia are still growing good... keeping temps cool so they don't outgrow the tank by Spring.

Duckweed bins are frozen solid. RIP to the mosquito fish that were in there. 13° when I got up this morning. 1° wind chill.

The pond is keeping the lettuce from freezing.

The artichokes are smaller, but they are still trying.

As all the rain water buckets and duckweed bins are frozen solid... the pond only has a thin layer of ice that only covers about 3/4 of the surface.