The big tank window
A large aquarium set into the lab wall, with a flood-and-drain grow bed above it. The column tank, grown up.
Sketch of the plan, not a photo. Not built yet.
What it is
A tank built into a wall so it can be seen from both sides, with a grow bed above that floods with tank water and drains back down.
It is the far end of the aquaponics road that starts with NS-001.
Why build it
A big loop is more stable than a small one, and more useful: more water, more plants, more room for sensors.
It also raises the serious questions. Weight, leaks, access and what happens when the power goes out.
The plan, step by step
This is the plan as it stands. Steps get rewritten as the build teaches us things.
- 01
Finish the small tank first
Nothing here starts until NS-001 has run long enough to teach its lessons.
- 02
Get the structure checked
A wall with a big tank in it carries a lot of weight. That needs a qualified opinion before any cutting.
- 03
Design the flood-and-drain loop
Bed size, drain method, pump and overflow paths, all on paper first.
- 04
Tie in the safety controller
Leak detection and shutoff from NS-004 become requirements here, not extras.
- 05
Plan the access
How to clean it, feed it and fix it from both sides of the wall.
Column tank aquaponics
A small acrylic column tank turned into a standalone mini aquaponics loop: tiny pump, clay-pebble basket on top, a pepper plant above, small fish and shrimp below.
Water-station safety controller
Leak detection and automatic shutoff for the lab plumbing, with tests that prove the shutoff works before anything is trusted to it.