Our product: the A5! Only two in circulation! Rare item!
- ahsaquapals
- Mar 10, 2019
- 2 min read
The
Amazingly
Adventurous
Alternative
Aquatic
Apparatus
We set out to create an improved aquaponics system that we could build and donate to organizations in our community. The “A5” spreads our message of safe, locally produced, sustainable food across our county! Our improvements to the system made it:
Low Cost
Space efficient
Constructed from easy to find, locally sourced parts
Easy to upgrade
Low maintenance
Space Saving Design
Our system design incorporates four tanks with constant water flow. In order to save space, we placed the solid and biological filtration units, commonly kept adjacent to the fish and underneath the raft tank.
Locally Sourced Components
The biggest obstacle in constructing a larger scale aquaponics system is finding the necessary large tanks. While there are commercial aquaponics tanks, these are extremely costly and will need to be shipped in most circumstances. The two largest tanks on our system were made from a converted IBC tank, a very common liquid storage container that can be found almost anywhere on the used market.
We cut the top off of the tank, cleaned it, and used the two sections as a fish tank and a hydroponic raft tank.
The filter tanks/sump were both made from plastic commercial garbage cans. We simply washed them and added the necessary plumbing.
Our structure and plumbing were all made with standard lumber, PVC pipe and fittings, and flexible drain tubing that can be found at any hardware store.
Low Cost
One of the biggest things designing and building our own system improved was the cost. The system we obtained through our school from Nelson and Pade retails for around $5000 and still requires assembly. Here’s a breakdown of the cost of our system.
Lumber, structural components ~$150
Tanks: IBC + 2 Commercial waste bins ~$150
Plumbing: Pipe, fittings, valves ~$100
Pump: $60
Total Cost ~$500
We were able to create a system with roughly the same production capacity as a retail system that costs 6-10x as much.
Easy to Upgrade
Given the relatively standardized components, upgrading this system can be as simple as adding another tank, and plumbing it into the loop. With a little ingenuity, you can add a larger sump, additional raft tanks, and even more fish tanks. This allows the user to fit the system to their size, cost, and maintenance constraints that they have.
Easy to Maintain
One of the largest drawbacks of aquaponics is the labor demand. The simplicity of our system makes the tasks associated with maintaining the system quick and easy. Other than feeding fish and caring for plants, all the user will need to do is flush the filter tanks and bio-media periodically to prevent build-up of solid waste, which is made easy with the drain valve on the bottom.
Want to build your own A5? Contact us and we'll set you up!
Comments