Aquaponics - Nutrient Film Technique or NFT

One of the best things about setting up an NFT or Nutrient Film Technique aquaponics system, is that I get to use PVC yet again. I dont know why, but I love the stuff.

As far as I can tell, Nutrient Film Technique, involves planting plants into little pots that sit in a channel with a thin layer of nutrient rich water flowing at their roots. The water is only one or two millimetres deep, so most of the roots have plenty of access to the air they also need.

I'm guessing the water migrates at least part way up the roots in that way that water does, but who knows.

Oval cross section NFT PVC tubes

Some time ago I got hold of these two PVC, oval cross section pipes.

They are currently sitting in the rafters of my shed, but I think its time to pull them down and incorporate them into my life in a more meaningful way. Not that I have anything against sitting in rafters if that's what you're into. But for me and my PVC, its all about getting down and being attached to a fence or something.

I have no idea where to get the cups from so I'm not sure If I'll have to make them or if they are an off the shelf kind of prospect.

Either way I'm going to have a go at this NFT caper, and see If it might be a way to get some additional real estate for my strawberries.

The plan, at this stage at least, is to attach them to the fence behind my little aquaponics system.

With a little slope built in it should be possible to pump water up from the fish tank (hose drawn in orangy-brown*), have it flow through the top tube, and empty from the left into the bottom tube(sloping slightly to the right), where it would then flow to the right and empty back into the grow bed or directly back into the fish tank.

Those green things are my stunning illustrations of strawberry plants.

See how they thrive?

Thrive plants thrive.

Plans have a habit of changing around here, but it should work. If it does work, I should be able to move the strawberries around, so that when they put out runners (strawberry plants put out runners (runners are little baby strawberry plants sent out on a stem to set up home next door to the original plant (generally speaking a very sensible way to reproduce compared to all the carrying on everything else does))) I can set up a situation where there are vacant spots on either side to accommodate the runners.

[Edit from the future - there is some additional material on NFT ]


* Yeah! That's a colour!