10 gallon planted aquarium+aquaponic bog filter bed (indoors)

[Gooberfish]

So I thought I would share my new summertime experiment. I have a 10 gallon planted aquarium, and a 30 L plastic bin filled with pea gravel and bog plants that I use as filtration. During the school year I did this with edible plants (basil, radishes, lettuce, bok choy, parsley, strawberries) but failed miserably by not having sufficient light and too many seeds (this was my 1st attempt at any kind of gardening). So now here is version 2 of my ventures into aquaponics:

My aquarium (acting as my indoor pond)




The fountain pump in the aquarium on the far right pumps water into my bog bed twice a day for 30 min each. I'm currently on vacation so I hope it's all still functioning properly when I get back haha.








Lights:
2 75 watt 6500K bulbs + 2 23 watt 2700K bulbs, 12 hours a day 8am-8pm

Plants:
Mondo Grass, Water Celery, Yellow Eyed Grass, Miniature Horsetail Rush, Forget Me Not, and in the bottom front right I have Lobelia Cardinalis seeds sprinkled in with 1 transplanted sprout.

Any additional comments, questions, suggestions are most welcomed. I'm still fairly new to the forum but so far I like what I've seen from others, so I thought I'd contribute my water gardening experience.

 

[addy1]

I grow some indoor veggies with florescent lights, for good plant growth I use a schedule of 18 hours on 6 hours off, the lights are all right over the tomato plants, around 2 inches or so.

I use those little compact ones also, just have to watch they get pretty hot, if the plant grows into it, it will burn.

That looks like a neat set up you have.

 

[Gooberfish]

18 hours on, 6 off. Hmmm I might raise it to 14 when I get back. My dad cautioned me about the brightness of the lights and that the police could stop by and make sure I'm not growing any marijuana. I could make some more friends at school if I did that hahaha.

 

[addy1]

18 hours on, 6 off. Hmmm I might raise it to 14 when I get back. My dad cautioned me about the brightness of the lights and that the police could stop by and make sure I'm not growing any marijuana. I could make some more friends at school if I did that hahaha.

Laughing they might, but if you are not growing you will be fine. My plants do the best with the 18 hours of light. I am trying to keep them out of the living room for a while, we have great sun coming in, but get tired of walking around my indoor veggie garden.
The closer the lights are to the plants the better they do too. I had ripe tomatoes in the winter from the plants.

 

[taherrmann4]

I have a 75g planted tank. I just recently removed most of my stem plants as they just collected debris and algae and replaced them with 2 tiger lotus plants and a java fern.. My lotus have taken off, I was fertilizing the water with a liquid fert but about a month ago switch to a capsule and that has made things a lot easier and they are growing so much better.

Good luck.

 

[Gooberfish]

UPDATE: Plants are showing signs of life. Mondo grass is starting to flower. Forget-me-not plant has grown taller and hopefully will flower soon. Water celery has shown signs of evasiveness potential with shooting stems off.

I thought my lobelia cardinalis seeds had sprouted, but they turned out to be romaine lettuce seeds I spilled in the moving process. Whoops lol. I transplanted my cardinal flower that I had started in the spring. I also added a chameleon sprig that's showing signs of a comeback. Yellow-eyed grass is starting to perk up too.

 

[addy1]

Neat, they will take off and never stop! Looking good

 

[j.w]

That's cool that they are growing good for you!