Potted Media base Gutter Growbed Aquaponics Update 31st Oct 2015

It has been three and a half month since the gutter set completed, this is a video update on how the set is doing. 


The barrel gutter set is a later addition just about 3 weeks old.


Below is a video update of the setup.

Another Pump Failure

Guys.... WE HAVE A SERIAL KILLER... :)

Another failure with same symptom, wire damage. Look closely at the wire few inches from the pump body, sign of being nibble.


This is the second pump that fail the same way in the same tank, never had happen before. The tank was not new and I had pumps in it before without any problem.

First it happen : Here as photo below.


Initially I thought it was the pump build quality, then could it be the wire chafe against the fibre tank. The pump has been use before and the tank is not new, no failure of this nature.

I know rats love to chew on wire, sometimes we can find them electrocuted while trying to munch through the insulator. But this wire is underwater, and rat don't do scuba dive.

One possibilities... its the Pacu that did it. Only this tank has Pacu fish and I only started doing pacu this year. I never had this problem before.

Wiki on pacu : Here


Photo above from the web of a Pacu fish.

Single Barrel Gutter Growbed Set Completed

Single Barrel set with mini #guttergrowbed that I started building last week completed below is the photo update of the final build.


Siphon installed a above, it's the same 15 mm siphon that I was experimenting for the last 1 year or so which I can safely says it's good.


Siphon close up.


Potted media in place for trial running.


Water inflow is a simple "T" with elbows on the end preventing it to slip and drop off. Water pump use here is Astro AS1000, which rated at 1000 Liter per hour with 1 m head.


The actual first flush of this setup, it works like a charm. The far end is water feed from pump using this style of coupling.


With instant plants from adjacent #guttergrowbed. This set I may use initially as a seed starter and once it has fully mature I will see what to do with it. One of the growbed I may not use pots, this is to test the siphon with full growbed setting.

We'll see in few months how this small simple low cost unit function.

Total cost approximately RM 160.00 that's USD 38.00 inclusive hydroton and pots.


Titbits 6th October 2015

What's happening to my aquaponics today.


Kailan in the #guttergrowbed getting bigger, altho they are generally thin by normal standard.


Only four pots of Kuchai in the gutter, and all are fine. Cut and gave away as usual.


Two pots of lemon grass showing good root growth.


Mint goes without saying, they had to be constantly trimmed to keep under control.


One of the rosemary cutting I planted earlier didn't survive, redo and wait.


Kailan in the CRAFTS set doing well too, there is one grasshopper feasting on it. Only one, so it's ok. Don't think this little fella will eat much after all, as long as it doesn't "call home" I'm okay with it.


Cili Bara producing chillies as they should, has to keep a close watch on fungus infection.


Making a mini #guttergrowbed set with a barrel as fish tank from surplus gutter that I have laying around.


Leeks surviving and showing root growth, will wait and see what happens.


And last but not least, I bought a flower pot stand, those waist high unit. It's for me to work on potted growbed without having to strain my back doing it at ground level.

BTW.. The haze is still bad, it starting to affect my aquaponics plants.

Doing Rosemary Update

Last 20th September I planted few Rosemary cuttings in three pots, one didn't make it.


The base plant still available and get few more cuttings to redo it.


Progress with this plants is very slow.


Together with earlier cuttings.


Single Barrel Gutter Growbed Set

Making a small single barrel #guttergrowbed set from surplus gutter. Six feet of gutter leftover from earlier set cut into two and endcapped.



After hot glue the ends, do a leak check to ensure all in good order. I had to redo and check it few times due to leaks, but the fix is simple enough to do.



Two 3 feet gutter resting on the barrel, this is one of the remaining barrel that I use for the craft barrel set. No additional support required as long as small plants are planted in this #guttergrowbed.



I intent to put pots in one of the gutter and direct hydroton in another to test out. Since it's small, it will be easy to clean if needed.

All that's left to do now is installing the siphon and water pump.

Fresh Tilapia Batch

Another batch bought from nearby nurseries fresh stocking, they are red tilapia fingerlings about 2" in length and I paid RM 20.00 (US $ 4.50) for a hundred.


As usual for any new fish going into the tank, let them float in the bag for 15 to 30 minutes, for the water temperature matching and then they can be let loose in the new place.


One hundred tilapia running around in the new surrounding, and will only feed them tomorrow after they stabilized.