So What About BioFilters In Aquaponics?

Ammonia, Nitrates and Happy Bacteria

It's a known fact that very few plants like any sort of ammonia on them. As a matter of fact have ever seen how your lettuce looks after the family dog has urinated in backyard vegetable patch? A few days after Duke marked his territory on your lettuce, it looks all burned and wrinkled. Too much ammonia is very bad for those lovely green plants. 

The challenge in aquaponics is to reach the perfect balance between ammonia, nitrates and bacteria. I often see these questions asked in our Facebook community regarding ammonia, pH and water. 

The reason why I encourage people to read our magazines, is because we have writers who answer these very important questions people ask often.  I have picked some of the most clever and informative writers to answer reader questions. These people have some very cool ideas and know what they are doing when it comes to aquaponics.

Vlad Jovanovic is an excellent writer when it comes to giving answers to our readers. He is also a wealth of information in regards to aquaponics. Every month he handles the readers questions and answers them to perfection. Actually he goes above and beyond in his research and we are thrilled that people have been so pleased with Vlad's Column. 

  

In aquaponics systems plants do not need ammonia to be healthy. Plants need Nitrates to grow not Ammonia. Yet ammonia is still a problem many people have in their systems. Fish cannot handle a lot of ammonia because it is toxic to them.

So what can you do to make everything work better in your AP System? 

Some of the same principles used in aquaculture should be applied to aquaponics because fish health is important too. What we are trying to do in aquaponics is create healthy bacteria and have a system with very little ammonia in it. Having a biofilter installed in your system is crucial for the best animal and plant health possible. 

Making your own biofilter doesn't have to cost you a fortune to make. They can be easy to create and I have seen some great DIY creations on YouTube. Here is just one video below you can look at.

Another good thing about having a bio-filter is that it doesn't have to be a huge over the top design to be effective in your AP System. 

BioFilters have been called a couple of other names people may know like swirl filters, trickle filters and moving bed filters. You may have also seen a containment system working on a home backyard Koi Pond. For anyone who knows about breeding fish, filters are essential for maintaining their good health. This is pretty much the same principle that needs to be applied in aquaponics too.

For anyone selling AP systems they should be encouraging you to either buy a biofilter for your system or learn to make your own. If the person isn't suggesting a workable biofilter added to your AP setup, then find someone else who recommends this. If anyone says you don't need one, walk away and find an instructor who recommends this type of set-up. Even a small home aquarium tank, has a filtration system attached to it. This helps keep the ammonia levels down and provides cleaner water for the guppies or goldfish. 

Download this PDF for some excellent advice from the University of Arizona on a Biofiltration‐Nitrification Design Overview Overview by James M. Ebeling, Ph.D.

And here is another one you can read up on: Fish farming in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) by Louis A. Helfrich and George Libey, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Virginia Tech

Here is just a part of the read in this download on Biofiltration: 

The biological filter (biofilter) is the heart of the RAS. As the name implies, it is a living filter composed of a media (corrugated plastic sheets or beads or sand grains) upon which a film of bacteria grows. The bacteria provide the waste treatment by removing pollutants. 

The two primary water pollutants that need to be removed are:  

(1) Fish waste (toxic ammonia compounds) excreted into the water and 

(2) Uneaten fish feed particles.

The biofilter is the site where beneficial bacteria remove (detoxify) fish excretory products, primarily ammonia.  

So as you can see it is a crucial part of running a healthy aquaponics system. Smaller counter top AP systems can still have biofilters which would be more like the filters you buy for aquarium tanks. 

You have fish to care for and they rely entirely on your expertise to exist. Care for their health in the best way possible by installing a biofilter in your AP system.  Sign up for some of the most updated and best information around by joining the ASC Magazine today. Subscribe to the Lifetime Membership. It's a one time fee and then no more debits. 

http://aquaponics-how-to-guide.info/oto/

Warmest regards 

Victoria Kelley

Editor of the ASC Magazine