Quackington Haven Quackaponics

(Click pictures to enlarge)

Our prototype Quackaponics system has developed out of necessity. Initially we got ducks, then we dug a duck pond, then we discovered it very quickly turned into a stinking pool of foulness. A solution was required.

 

I have always been keen on Hydroponics and interested in Aquaponics. I have had a hydroponic system running in our greenhouse for several years.

Hydroponics is the process of growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid, with added nutrients but without soil. I have always used a nutrient flow system. Essentially running water with added essential nutrients across the plants roots for about 15 min in the hour.

 

Aquaponics uses much the same technique but the nutrients are in the form of fish poo. So water from a fish tank is pumped through the system, micro organisms in a growing medium such as lava rock convert ammonia in the waste into nitrates that the plants feed upon.

 

In Quackaponics, the ducks swim on the pond, poo in the water, this solution is pumped through the system where the same ammonia to nitrates process happens, the plants absorb the nitrates and clean water is poured back into the pond. So far so good.

 

Quackaponics is slightly more complicated as the ducks also trudge great quantities of mud and grit into the pond. To reduce the amount of grit getting into the system I have added in a swirl filter. This is essentially a black bin in which the water pours in at an angle causing it to swirl around, the heavy matter us pushed to the outside where it sinks in the slower moving water.

 

I decided to mainly use floral types of plants this year to add some colour to the duck zone which is mostly a muddy patch. We do however have some tomatoes and Chilies in there. There is no reason why all the slots couldn't be edible plants.

 

As we have no mains electricity in the garden and Western Power wanted the best part of £2000 to install it, we built our own solar generator, which powers the entire system. We have two 285W solar panels that via a charge controller charge 3 110Ah leisure batteries. An inverter changes the current from DC to AC, essentially mains electric. (Though we can run DC too).

Our current big issue is Algae in the pond. Whilst it is fairly harmless, it does turn the water very green and of course uses up lots of valuable nutrients. I am experimenting with Barley straw and lavender at the moment, which both inhibit algae growth. I really needed to get them into the pond much earlier though. \oh well, there is always next year.