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31595 said:
I am so lost right now on what to do for filtration. My original plan was to just build a 55 gallon drum sand filter that will gravity feed into a duckweed bed. But I cant decide what pumps to use, if I wsnt to go solar powered, if I do go solar powered do I want to run a large battery backup or perhaps run with all ac motors and just run off the grid at night. So lost right now

K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Simon

It sounds like you are trying to take on too much at the same time. You are dealing with systems each which require knowledge and experience. Start small. Begin with one system. Start that system small. Work with it, learn it first, then worry about making it larger. Then move to the next system, learing it, and integrating the two. So if you start with aquaponics as your first system, start by getting the flow right before you add fish or plants. When you are ready, add plants, then a few fish. Baby steps.

Unless you already know how to do a solar setup with your eyes closed and one hand tied behind your back, I would suggest that you wait. Since this is in your backyard, just run an extension cord to get started. First concentrate on getting the aquaponics setup. You can add solar in later.

For filtration, use your plants. It is the mutually beneficial cycle between the plants and fish which makes it aquaponics. Without, it is just a regular greenhouse and fish in a barrel.

I'd wondered about your dirt plant beds. I've not seen any examples of aquaponics that I can remember which did that. The soil is just in the way. Either hydroponically float, or use a porous medium like large gravel.

It sounds like you need to spend more time looking into aquaponics and the cycle. Give yourself a break, step back, take a breath, then go watch a bunch of Youtube videos showcasing aquaponics systems.

Start by looking into Will Allen and Growing Power, Inc. for inspiration. Here is a video on what they do.

You can use 1 pump to run the entire system by pumping the water up and then letting it gravity feed.

Then introduce yourself to using Grow Media.

Finally the Nitrogen Cycle. They mentioned bacteria in the grow media video, which is a part of the nitrogen cycle and filtration.

Each of the videos is only a launching point. Watch as many as it takes, start Googling the above subjects and reading up. Ignore large complex systems, find examples of simple setups that you think you can adopt for your own use.

Don't get overwhelmed, don't get discouraged. Instead, get interested and passionate. Let it become a labor of love.

Optional filtration...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPAMreSH7H0