If you are new to aquaponics, you may wonder how long to run the water pump for?
The water pump of an aquaponics system is similar to the heart of the body. It will distribute the water to the different parts of the system. By doing so, it feeds the leaving creatures. Like the heart of our body, it is important to get the adapted water flow and to run the pump 24/7.
The adapted water flow
The water flow must cover the bacteria needs in terms of oxygen. Indeed, we have a bell siphon in our growbed. Therefore, once the growbed is full, the water will drop back into the fish tank. This flood and drain allows a constant income of nutrients for the bacteria of the system. Furthermore, it also allows a crucial oxygen supply. The water flow must be enough to ensure a good oxygen level to our bacteria. However, it must not be too strong to limit the energy consumption. I offer a method to calculate the appropriate water flow. See the free aquaponics training available at the end of this article.
How long to run the aquaponics water pump for?
Now understand the purpose of the water pump in a growbed aquaponics system. Hence, you understand that it ensures the bacteria oxygen supply. As for all leaving creatures, bacteria need to be able to breathe 24/7. Alternatively, the population of bacteria will slowly decrease. As a result it will leave room for unwanted bacteria responsible for fermentation. If you are using a bell siphon system, the pump must run 24/7.
Timer system
If you are not using a bell siphon but a timer system, then your pump will be on a timer running on and off approximately twice per hour. This option is not the best one. It is not good for the water pump to be turned on and off several time per hour. Conclusion: Select an adapted size pump (follow our free training below) and run it 24/7 in order to keep an efficient system.
You will probably be interested to discover my six steps to build and manage an Aquaponics system. Click here to access for free! Thanks and good reading 🙂
