Our full kits are made for the ultimate ease in assembly.  They are pre-assembled & do NOT require any drilling or cutting.  Our goal is for you to be up and running quickly with no need for a trip to the hardware store for a plumbing part. Our largest series, Sanctuary, are designed to allow expansion of your growing area later. 

Genesis is our most affordable system & uses a smaller 3'X3' grow bed.  It does not expand into the Sanctuary Series but is great for those looking for a compact system.  Genesis is available in 2 models, G-11 & G-22.  The G-11 yields 11 square feet of grow bed space while the G-22 gives you 22 square feet.  Genesis is the only kit we sell that does not include the clay pebbles for the grow bed.  In an effort to keep it as affordable as possible, you can use in-expensive gravel available locally.  Everything else is included in this plug & play set up including: Pre-cut & ready plumbing, tank stand, water test kit, heirloom seeds, cycling nutrient, temp gauge, oyster shells & much more.

The Sanctuary Series is expandable from 2 to 8 grow beds!  This is our most versatile kit and ships COMPLETE with pebbles, and everything you need to get going.  It ranges from the smallest arrangement of 32 square feet of grow bed space up to 128 square feet.  They utilize a hybrid combination of pebble bed bio-filters with floating raft beds all of which are 4'X4' in size.  This allows maximum plant growth from a 300 gallon fish tank.  The most popular variation in the Sanctuary Series is the L-32, it consists of 1 pebble bed and 1 raft bed with all the expansion capabilities to add many more grow beds later.

Layouts & Variations
    Fish Tank measures 51" front to back, 42" wide and 35" tall and is 300 gallons
    Large Clay Pebble & Raft Grow bed measures 51"X51"X13" deep and is 100 gallons
    Small Grow beds for the Genesis Series measures 45"X45"X12" deep and is 75 gallons 
In looking at a space you want to place a system in, use the above dimensions & keep in mind they can be arranged in a straight line, U-shape, or L pattern.  We like to keep a 16" walkway between grow beds but for a tight space those can be reduced to 12" or eliminated. 

There are many ways to set up your system.  The important thing to keep in mind is how large of a system do you need and what space limitations do you have.  

    1.)  How much food do you want to produce (how many people)?
    2.)  How much space do you have to place the system in?

  To answer how much food, lets calculate the production amounts.  A well managed system could produce 10 pounds of produce per square foot of grow bed space per year.  So if you want to feed 1 person an average of 1 pounds of vegetables per day, then that would be about 36 square feet of grow bed space needed.  This does not include the fish, which will work out to harvesting about a 1 pound fish every 4 days (on a system in full production mode) or so depending on your stocking density, water temperature and type of fish.
     To answer question 2, take a look at the space you have, how much produce you want to grow & then you can see what configuration will work.  One rule to keep in mind is that the pebble beds must sit to the left & right of the fish tank and a floating raft tank must feed off of a pebble bed.  
    A Grow Bed refers to a Clay Pebble or gravel bed for growing,
    a Raft Bed refers to a floating Styrofoam raft for growing your plants


           Here are some standard layouts:

                                                          Sanctuary & Genesis Series 
The Genesis & Sanctuary Series systems look the same but vary a bit in design and how they can be expanded.  Both use the same 300 gallon fish tank available in 4 colors.  The Genesis Series is a more compact system using easy reach 3'X3' grow beds and a direct drive water pump without the use of a sump tank.  Genesis kits are available in 2 models, the G-11 & G-22.  Sanctuary Series & Genesis Series kits will not operate or expand with each other. 
     The Sanctuary Series use full size 4'X4' grow beds & sump tanks.  They can be expanded into very large systems with numerous variations.  They use a combination of clay pebble grow beds and floating raft beds and are very versatile. 

The above kits include everything you need and then some:
 
        Metal stands made from galvanized 1 3/8" pipe with adjustable legs
        Clay Pebbles ARE included in all Sanctuary Series Kits but NOT included with Genesis
        FDA food grade approved Polypropylene fish tank
        BPA free commercial grade hydroponic ABS grow beds
        Pre-Cut & ready plumbing with valves - no cutting or drilling required
        Auto Siphon tuned and ready, simply plug it in
        Magnetic Drive water pumps with encapsulated circuitry
        High Quality aerators for ample oxygen flow to the fish & grow beds
        All Air Stones and black air lines to connect to air pump
        Nitrifying Bacteria from a healthy culture to jump start your system
        DETAILED assembly instructions with LOTs of pictures & explanations
        Owners manual with TONs of information on maintenance & tips
        Access to the Customers Only web page with assembly video & much more
        Daily Worksheet with detailed instruction of what to do daily & track your progress
        Maxicrop seaweed extract, enough to make 1 gallon & often lasts 1 year
        API Freshwater Test kit to test for pH, Nitrites, Nitrates and Ammonia levels
        Level with tape measure built in, the only tool you may need is a screwdriver
        Oyster Shells in a plastic netting for automatic pH adjustment
        Cycling instructions with Maxicrop & Nitrifying Bacteria to get started
        Expansion Ports where appropriate for future addition of grow beds
        Heirloom Seeds with catalog explaining what & when to plant 
        Temperature gauge for monitoring water levels      
        

The above 300 gallon tanks can each support up to 8 grow beds (2 media & 6 rafts).  The most important thing for you to do in preparation for a kit is to have a level place to put it.  The largest system, the Sanctuary 128, you would need a total level area min of 12'X16' or with a nice 16" walkway between the beds you would need 12'X20'.  The legs for the tank stands are adjustable to +or- about 4" but it is still best to be as level as possible.

Our Roto-Molded tanks are USDA & FDA food grade approved plastics that will not leech or cause harm to humans or fish. Careful attention to detail and rigorous engineering has gone into the design of every kit along with years of proven results using the CHOP 1&2 system originally used by Murray Hallam of Practical Aquaponics.au.  

You will need a level place for the tanks to rest and plenty of sunlight. Keep in mind the direction the sun travels and how much will be available to the grow beds. Be careful of overhangs and shade trees that might block the sun in the winter (the sun is much lower in the sky during winter). Depending on your geographic location, a greenhouse usually generates the best results since the temperature can be controlled. If you plan to grow Tilapia, they need the water temperature to be between 55 and 95F. Depending on where you live, you may need a tank heater or for hot places like Phoenix you must keep the tank shaded. Also keep in mind runoff from a roof, do not place any tanks under a gutter spout or other high runoff area.

Your kit will ship via freight because of the size of the tanks.  They ship nested together and although individually the tanks are very manageable, when they ship together along with all the parts & clay pebbles they are quite heavy.  It is best once unloaded from the shipping company truck, to unpack it there which makes transfer of the system to your chosen spot much easier.  A dolly would be handy but not required.  The heaviest component is the fish tank, without the lid it weighs about 70 pounds but can be slid around easily or carried by 2 people.  The fish tank can also fit through most doorways when tilted sideways.  Next to that, the heaviest item is the bags of pebbles which are about 45 pounds each.  

     

Potatoes & carrots are about the only thing that do not grow well in an Aquaponics system.  A Wicking bed may be added to any system to be able to achieve the high calorie food production of these crops.  In fact several may be added depending on how large your system is and how densely stocked your fish tank is.  If you would like to grow more fish then the extra nutrients may be used to power a wicking bed.