DIY Vertical Aquaponics System

08/04/2019 DIY Vertical Aquaponics System - GROZINEGROZINE
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DIY VERTICAL
AQUAPONICS SYSTEM
DIY / Hydroponics / April 7, 2015
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DIY Vertical Aquaponics System

How To Build Your Own Vertical Garden
A DIY vertical aquaponics system can be a very rewarding weekend project. While setting up the
fish part of the equation may take longer, as the necessary biology takes time to establish in the
system, you can build hydroponic grow tubes inexpensively that will work great to take care of the
plants you grow as part of your aquaponics system. A DIY vertical aquaponics system can be set-up
to fit just about any sized aquaponics project, big or small. The system design we use here is very
flexible and can be adapted for use in back yards, patios, greenhouse or even indoors where grow
lights may be used to replace the sun. The system can easily be used as a hydroponic growing
system if you want to get growing plants vertically without raising fish-additionally, it may even be
converted to aeroponics with a few minor tweaks.
Vertical Growing System Advantages:
Many more plants can be stacked up in vertical rows in the same square area, lots more
yield potential in the same space
Plants tend to finish compact and of very high quality, uniform plants can be harvested
more frequently
Vertical systems keep plants off the ground, no bending over to garden
Easy to automate and move vertical tubes to different areas or straight to market
Minimal materials and complication in system construction, inexpensive and reliable
construction
Easy to customize for your prefered cropping style and layout
Very flexible, can operate outdoors, indoors with lights or in greenhouses. Great for Urban
Farming.
***UPDATE April 28th, 2015: Video clip (below) of Our DIY Vertical
Aquaponics System planted with Genovese Basil, from both Cuttings
and Seedlings (as a comparison–stay tuned with our Daily Social Media
Posts)
DIY Vertical Aquaponic System, Tilapia and Basil
GROW
PART
DIY Vertical Aquaponics System ready to plant. Notice both sides can be used in this
arrangement, while keeping an existing established aquaponics bio media grow system.
What Can You Grow in a DIY Vertical Aquaponics System?
Lots of types of plants thrive in Aquaponics. Usually lighter feeding plants like leafy greens or
herbs are a great place to start. Beans often work well too. Larger heavier feeding crops like
tomatoes can also be grown, but typically require a more mature system that has had time to
accumulate the necessary micro biology and sufficient organic residues in the biomedia. When
Aquaponics systems are managed properly, no outside fertilizer materials are required. The
system is self contained and sustainable and often uses less water than conventional
gardening methods. The fish are an added benefit, and can be grown for eating later or for
beauty. Tilapia and Koi thrive in many climates as part of an Aquaponics system.
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How To Build A DIY Aquaponics System, Step By Step

Before you begin: building your plant growing system is one of the last steps in setting up a
successful Aquaponics system, so please make sure you have all of your other considerations
met before proceeding. If you choose to grow plants only via Hydroponics using the vertical
system outlines, that works great too.
Materials & Tools:
measuring tape
aeropon
permanent marker or pencil
support system to hold up tubes (we used cedar) casey jon
actively circulating aquaponics tank or hydroponic reservoir (pump, tubing, tank, etc)
crop lightin
3″ diameter or larger plastic pipe, we used PVC here, about $15 for a ten foot length locally
end caps for you choice in plastic pipe diameter ( ) one per tube essential oil
hack saw
frazer love
torch (small butane type is best) or a heat gun
wooden dowel, diameter will be your planting hole size-we used a shovel handle grow lights
bucket, cold water, cloth
1/2″ diameter pvc pipe (conduit) in 3-1/2 inch lengths, two per tube grows
1/2″ X 5″ carriage bolt, washer and nut- two per tube hydroponic e
adjustable wrench
Hydro
drill, 1/2″ bit, 7/8″ bit
2 adjustable clamps
saw horses or work bench hydroponic

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sandpaper (optional)
silicone sealant or appropriate adhesive jordan
biofilter media (hydroton, grow rocks, LECA, shale gravel, etc
Nutrient
plasma
plasma
Step One:
revolution
Cut the pipe you will make your grow tubes out of to your desired length. We found five foot
lengths make good use of material and are still easy enough to handle when filled with urb
growing media like expanded clay. Using a grinder wheel on a circular saw works great, but a
hack saw gets the job done too. Next, you’ll want to square up and determine where to mount
the tubes into the vertical support system once you are done. Mark where you will need to
attach the tubes the support (to bolt-thru later). Then mark where and how many planting
sites you will want per tube. Think 360 degrees here–the beauty of vertical growing and
making great use of space!
Step Two:
Clamp the pipe down at each end to your working surface. Make a slice just through the wall
of the pipe at each planting site you want to create using a hack saw. The length of the cut
should be about the final width of the planting hole size you want when finished. Note where
you will need to drill holes for creating bolt guides to hold the tubes to the support system
later. Double check your configuration and placements against the support system one final
time before proceeding.
Step Three:
Make sure you have a bucket of cold water on hand with your cloth ready. Your dowel, the
piece you will use to form the planting hold in the tube should be handy too. You’ll need to be
able to work quickly with the material once you’ve heated it up. Carefully, using a torch or
heat gun, heat the area where you have made the cut with using the hack saw earlier. Keep
the torch moving, and do not use a strong flame or the plastic will scorch easily-never keep the
torch in one spot for more than a second, and heat a little beyond the edge of the cuts; the
material will need to stretch here too. Once the plastic is soft (you can see it with practice),
slide the dowel or handle in, on the desired angle and evenly pry the planting hole open, with
a rim on the outsideof the tube. Place the cold wet cloth over the insertion, with the dowel
still in. Press firmly and evenly with the cold cloth. The hole sets quickly.
Step Four:
Once you’ve got all your planting sites formed on the tube on all sides, drill out the where the
pipes will attach to the vertical support system-a 7/8″ diameter hole saw made a snug fit for
our scrap lengths of PVC conduit, which we used adhesive to seal up. Alternatively, robber
grommets could be used, but at four per tube, that adds to the cost significantly. This is an
important feature, so the system doesn’t leak at the connections to the vertical support.
Metals with galvanized coating should not come into contact with aquaponics water or
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the system.
Step Five:
Drill out some 1/2″ or smaller diameter holes in your end caps, one end cap per system. The
more open the better, just making sure it will hold in the size of growing medium you are
using. Using two or more stainless steel
screws, secure the end cap onto the bottom end of
your vertical growing tube.
Step Six:
Fill the DIY vertical aquaponics system tubes with your growing media. Since we had an
established system which we were converting in part to vertical, we had seasoned (biologically
active) growing media to use, so if we wanted, we could plant right away. Otherwise, your
system may have to run aquaponics water through it for a month or so before it will work well
in growing plants. Using hydroponics methods, sterile media is preferred ,and you can plant
right away.
Step Seven:
Attach the vertical grow tubes to your support system, using the attachment locations you
marked earlier and have drilled out. This is where you run the carriage bolts through the
couplers you created. The head of the bolt should be in the wood or metal framing member,
and a washer before the nut on the opposing side of the vertical growing tube you have
fabricated. Tighten down using a wrench firmly, but don’t overdo it and crush your coupler.
Step Eight:
Install your watering system to deliver water from the aquaponics tank to each of the growing
tubes. We used 3/8″ tubing and connections in a “ring” connecting all of the tubes together.
Each of the tubes drains independently, straight back into the aquaponics Tilapia fish tank
below in our DIY vertical aquaponics system. Even if we have a link, everything is positioned
over top of the tank, and should simply fall back in. A leak that drains your system dry while
unattended would spell disaster–this is something to address in basic aquaponics system
construction. The system is now ready to grow in, with the aquaponics water or nutrient
solution (vertical hydroponics) running constant.
Tags: diy aquaponics, vertical aquaponics, vertical gardens, vertical growing, vertical hydroponics
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ERIK BIKSA GROW TRIALS +MORE HYDROPONIC GEAR REVIEWS GETTING STARTED
Erik Biksa has been writing about and discussing hydroponics growing,
related technologies and cropping methods since 1999 in a variety of
professional publications and platforms globally Erik has travelled the world
learning and teaching modern growing techniques and technologies and is
appreciated by many growers for his informative yet hands on approaches.
Presently, he is the Editor at Grozine Hydroponics Mag.
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Vertical Growing System Advantages:

DIY Vertical Aquaponic System, Tilapia and Basil

What Can You Grow in a DIY Vertical Aquaponics System?

HOME Learn BASIC

How To Build A DIY Aquaponics System, Step By Step

Materials & Tools:

saw horses or work bench hydroponic

Share On Facebook Tweet It

PREVIOUS POST NEXT POST

AEROPONIC TRANSPLANTS AQUAPONICS CUTTINGS

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

DIY Hobby Aquaponics Vertical Hydroponics, Part Hobby Sized Aquaponics

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