Foam Blocks?

[livinontop]

Hi there:
In watching youtube videos on Aquaponics, I saw someone using "foam blocks" to help filter out some of the solids in the water entering the growbed. Is this a good idea, or no? Thanks!

[Wendy in BC]

livinontop, it would be helpful if you could provide the link to the video. Foam can be many things, some good, some really not good

[Yabbies4me]

Hi livinontop,

In watching youtube videos on Aquaponics, I saw someone using "foam blocks" to help filter out some of the solids in the water entering the growbed. Is this a good idea, or no?

A lot of AP'ers put some kind of filter material directly below the water in-flow into their GB's. The coarse filter mat material used on top of aquarium bio-filters is good, or even one of them green scourer pads used for scrubbing dishes.

Cheers, Yabbies.
.

[livinontop]

Really? OK.....I just remember the video of Murray digging into the pebbles and coming out with these yukky mukky hands and remembering how he thought that was "a good thing" so wondered about it. Thanks Yabbies!

[Yabbies4me]

I just remember the video of Murray digging into the pebbles and coming out with these yukky mukky hands and remembering how he thought that was "a good thing"

Not Yukky!... Yummy!

Even with a filter below the in-flow you'll probably still get build-up in the bottom of your GB... that's why worms were invented!

That's why Murray loves it... worm food translates into worm poop... which translates into more nutrients... especially trace elements.

Cheers, Yabbies.
.

[Hotrodmike]

Aaron
I don't think I would worry too much . If you had a heavy stocking load you might think of a prefilter but short of that the beds the worms etc will take care of ya . Don't sweat the lil stuff or like Yab's says you can worry bout thing that will never happen
Have A Kind Day
Mike

[Murray]

If things are so bad that one needs to put little bits of whatever to catch stuff coming into the grow beds, then you need to add into the system somewhere, a dedicated filter, even as simple as a settling trough or tank. Home systems, correctly stocked and constructed work just fine using the grow beds as the central multi function system. The idea is to keep things simple and safe, but if you want to tinker and fiddle and experiment then there are all kinds of inventions that can be attached/added to a home system.

[livinontop]

Gotcha.....thanks guys. Murray, you're our guru! Haha...we're going to do the totes, just like your video and PDF shows us! Our son is framing the greenhouse now! Sooo excited!