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jackalope
02-20-2009, 01:47 AM
Since there seems to be no thread to introduce yourself, or that explains to the casual surfer or lurker just what Aquaponics is, I thought I'd speak up and start this thread ..... hopefully, I'll still be around tomorrow ;) I just hope I don't go over the 60000 character limit, or I'll have to split this into two posts. So, if'n I am, please introduce yourself, and tell the rest of us who you are, where you're from and how long you have been doing aquaponics.
That way, we know pretty much who we're talking to.

jackalope
02-20-2009, 01:47 AM
Hi,
My name is Jim, I’m married and have two sons left. I use the Linux operating system on my computer. We live in an old Saloon, which we are (slowly) remodeling into a home. Up until a year ago last November, I was a carpenter here in Central Montana. I was told that I'm "too old to work," jobs are scarce here so I had to file for Social (IN-)Security. Ever since, I've been poking around looking for ways to reduce our expenses -- I had given hydroponics a glance several times in the past, but never really dug into it very deeply, since it was about raising food, and I always swore I'd never have anything to do with a garden again (My step-parents used weeding, fertilizing, and hoeing in the garden as a form of punishment). But I digress ....... – things/times have changed now ---

Finally, I’ve come across something that I believe in and will work for me (i.e. no weeding, hoeing or fertilizing) ......cheaply ..... so I've been working at gathering together the necessary materials to build an Aquaponics Garden right inside my home/saloon building.

For those that don't know what I'm talking about, Aquaponics is pretty much a self-contained gardening system that re-uses the water over and over, rather than sending it all down the sewer pipe.

It's like hydroponics, but instead of buying expensive organic nutrients, you pump the oxygenated wastewater out of a fish tank and into a grow bed, and the grow-bed filled with media becomes your nutrient reservoir utilizing the oxygen, ammonia and fish waste. The fresh veggies and herbs are grown in the grow-bed filled with media (I'll use lava rock and/or pea gravel). In the grow bed, there is a helpful bacteria called Nitrosomonas that converts ammonia and fish waste to nitrites, then a different helpful bacteria, called Nitrobacter that converts deadly nitrites to nitrates which is basically fertilizer, which fertilize and oxygenate the plants and viola!, you’ll have organic lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, etc. After the water gives the nitrates and oxygen to the plants, it goes back to the fish so they can start the process all over again. All this is a very simplistic explanation, (I'm not a rocket scientist, ya know), but hopefully you get the drift. When the fish grow up, you can eat them and then start over with a bunch of fingerlings (or start your own hatchery and raise your own fingerlings), and the cycle goes on and on. For those who are squeamish about eating fresh veggies and herbs that have been fertilized by fish waste:

Friendly Aquaponics FAQ”
How often do you exchange the water in the system or have to sterilize it?

Because the re-circulating Aquaponics system is a dynamic mini-ecosystem, it has a tremendous degree of stability. When changes occur in pH, nutrient level, ammonia levels, and other indicators, they change slowly over a period of days or even weeks. When changes do occur, such as pH getting increasingly acid, the correction is easy to administer. We have never had a fish or plant disease episode in a year of operation in the tropics (UVI - University of Virgin Islands). Our current two-part hypothesis explaining this is: 1. Because the water quality in the re-circulating system is so high (low levels of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, and a high level of DO) the fish are supported in having naturally strong immune systems, and 2. Because the plants are getting an organic, chemically complex nutrient solution from the fish effluent water, they are healthy and don't develop or harbor diseases as easily as hydroponic plants grown with man-made chemical nutrients do.

Of course, you could always go buy your veggies and herbs at the Grocery store, or dig a few holes in the ground, put in steer, pig, sheep and/or chicken waste, plus many of the chemical fertilizers and insect poisons, and raise your veggies that way, just like the commercial farmers do.


Friendly Aquaponics FAQ”
Can I do aquaponics with pigs/chickens/rabbits, or include them somehow in my aquaponics system?

The problem here is E. Coli. For humans, there are 13 very irritating strains of E. Coli and one that can kill us. All come from warm-blooded animals (pigs/chickens/rabbits), which fish are not. Although there are E. Coli everywhere, and there are thousands of different strains, the ones fish generate are not the ones that harm humans. I know, I drank a couple of quarts of aquaponics system water. It was lucky I told my wife (the biologist), after I drank the water, she would have squashed the idea flat if I'd told her before.

There is really no way to include these animals in an aquaponics system. The standard organic rules for animal manure require that a field have at least 120 days between the last application of animal manure to it and when harvesting occurs in order to safeguard the consumer's health. So you can use these animal manures safely in dirt farming if appropriate times are observed between manure application and harvesting.

You see, fish waste is no different than any other animal waste, except this way you don't have to worry about E.Coli, you don’t have to handle it and get your hands all sticky, go to the nursery to buy a bag or two of it, etc., etc.

So far, I haven't got my system completely assembled; money is tight, but hopefully it will be in operation in the next couple of weeks. A few months from now, I'll be eating fresh, homegrown, organic veggies, and a few months after that I'll have fresh carp in my freezer. Carp are cheap, don't require heated water, can live outside in a frozen-over pond as long as they have oxygen pumped in to them, and they have fins and scales (a personal requirement for any fish that goes into my mouth). My system will be a flood and drain system with siphon-drains on one level and bell siphons on another. I won't be using any timers, so the pump will run 24/7. This has to be inside the house, because of the wicked winters here, but it only takes up a 2' x 4' space. I figure I can raise about 20 or more veggies and herbs at a whack, and I’ve already got expansion plans to increase that by double. I've got 11' ceilings in here, so far I'll only be up about 6 feet, so I've got room to expand, which will triple or quadruple production. This way I can have some fresh veggies (and fish) year round.

Anyways, if there are any aquaponicists here that want to discuss Aquaponic fish, plants, systems, designs, plans etc, let's talk, because I never want to stop learning -- even if I’m “too old to work”

JeffW
02-20-2009, 07:34 AM
Welcome Jim !

My mother was born in Billings so I have relatives in Montana--great state and smart people. I drove West to East and back again twice in my 66 Mustang while serving in the Navy in WA I drove from WA to MI and I found out how big Montana really is...it is HUGE!

Also it is good to see people interested in aquaponic's and also "this" web site since this is place that "all are welcome" I could see that the day I came here.

Good info you have and please stick around--oh and pics too Jim :)

Jeff
MI

JCO
02-20-2009, 08:07 AM
Well Howdy Jackalope,

:D And a big old age WELCOME from me and a few others here at the DIY corral that are basically in the same boat….S/S etc. Unlike some places, strangers are always welcome here. Sounds like you’ve got a pretty good handle on starting your AP system.

I have to admit though, I’m very curious about this saloon you say you live in. Is that like an old west saloon or a more modern version, what we call a bar or tavern in our non-cowboy states? Also, just how big is this place that you will have enough room to set up an AP system in house?

I went with a friend to an auction in West Arkansas a few years back, they were selling off equipment from a company that went belly-up. The building was one story and 600,000 sq. ft. all open under one roof sitting on 50 acres with a beautiful deep water creek running down the side of it. I dreamed of owning it and carving out a small corner inside and enclosing it for living quarters and the rest for indoor pools for raising Tilapia and then cover the 50 acres with green houses. Big Dreams HUH?

What type of fish do you intend raising or maybe I should say what will they let you raise where you live? How ‘bout taking plenty of photos and tracking your project stage by stage and then we can put it on the main DIY sight as well as tracking it on the forum. Keep up the good post. :mrgreen:

jackalope
02-20-2009, 02:31 PM
Thanks for the welcomes.

@ JeffW - Yes, Montana is huge, it's a beautiful state (despite the freezing weather), we got 2" of snow last night, so old man winter isn't through with us just yet. We go to Billings (106 miles one way) for all of our major shopping, so we only go there once a month, however during the winter, it may be once every two months. Our winters sometimes last until May, so we're hoping this one ends early this year. Oh BTW, were you stationed at Whidbey Island, Bremerton or in Seattle at the Pier (I think that was Pier 99, or something like that.

@ JCO - Howdy back :-) The Saloon we live in was established in the early 1900's (The County can't seem to make up it's mind whether it was 1904 or 1908). It has been a Buffet, saloon (several times), house of ill repute, hotel, ice cream shop, restaurant etc. over the years. it isn't real large, about 20x75 feet. I hope you get your dream place someday ...... I've given up on mine, I'd have to win a $500 Million Lotto to get what I want, and lotto is a sucker's game.

As I said in my intro, the AP setup will only be taking up about 8 Sq Ft of floor space, next to a window. Once I get it set up, I will attempt to take decent pics and put them up. Right now, I will be raising Goldfish (Carp), that I can get at Petsmart in Billings for $.12 each. I figure they will be eating age in a year or so (I'm getting a head start on them).

My hope is that we can get more introductions, as it seems more familial if we all know something about the people we interact with ;)

wolfracer
03-02-2009, 02:44 PM
Hello from Kansas!
I am new to this concept but I hoped to be posting pictures of my build soon. I have a 275 gallon IBC which i am going to put in a 10x12 greenhouse, that I have installed radiant heat in the floor of. I am planning on using rubber made totes with loop siphons for grow beds and a 1 pump in the a sump for return. I am still building the greenhouse but the radiant heat tubing and concrete went in last weekend. I am planning for 50 -75 tilapia which I think is about right for a system this size.
Anybody know what strain is the most temperature tolerant and where to get them?

JCO
03-02-2009, 02:55 PM
Well now, another State heard from. Welcome Wolfracer and I love your avatar. Kansas is a great state...has to be...my daddy was from Topeka. I don't know what kind of man he was...he never made it back from WWII but he did something right when he made me. :mrgreen:

Anyway, glad to hear from you and we all hope you will stick around and spread your knowledge in our direction and maybe we can help you out along the way.

Again WELCOME TO THE SHOW..!

JCO
03-02-2009, 02:57 PM
Oh yes, as for your question about the Tilapia....our resident expert on them is Badflash. He lives in NY and so he can tell you how to raise them where it's cold 8-)

wolfracer
03-02-2009, 03:04 PM
Thanks for the welcome! I am a newbie at this, but the concept makes sense and I love to tinker! so I will probably leaning on the members for more info that I put out, untill I get up and running!

JeffW
03-02-2009, 04:39 PM
Hi wolfracer ---good to see you here and welcome :)

And Jim sorry I am slow responding I guess..yes Whidbey Island 4 years in a squadron :)

badflash
03-02-2009, 04:58 PM
Temperature tolerance is a relative term. Blue Tilapia O. aurea are the most cold tolerant, but they stop growing, just like most tilapia, when temps are below 70 and they tend to get sick. They can stand 40F for some days, but that is about it. If you can't keep water reliably near 80F, tilapia are probably not your best choice.

I only know of one supplier of them in small quantities.
http://www.miami-aquaculture.com/tilapia.htm

mommyhen42
03-02-2009, 10:04 PM
Hello everyone.
I am Sheryl although my id is mommyhen42 I have had this for awhile so don't think I am 42 or think so....???
Anyway yes, as it says I am a mommyhen... my son gave me that name when he was growing up, our house was the neighborhood house... you know how that goes.

Anyway to Jackalope I wanted to say that you should consider staying away from lava rock in your system... that was the first I tried and while it is wonderfully porus it WILL tear up your hands when you go to replant. It likes to interlock with it's neighboring pieces and is very difficult to shuffle around... Instead consider all purpose or pea gravel instead, or if you have to mix all purpose with the lava rock as it breaks up it's natural tendancy to lock together and does make working with it easier but it is still a royal pain in the you know what

Ok, that said, I think I introduced myself in another part of the board index, but here goes again.
I am an "empty nester" as they say...LOL but I love not having the kids here, I am finally free to play with whatever projects interest me. Right now my current project is Aquaponics... I LOVE it! I am a MGyver in that I love to go look at things then go home and build it out of whatever I have laying around the house...

I have several systems going right now and have started a meetup group about aquaponics and other things green you can read about the group here http://www.meetup.com/sustainable-aquaponics/

I have a little 6x8 greenhouse that I set up to run Aquaponically from a 60 gal fishtank that is currently the home to some juvie koi that will eventually go into one of my decorative ponds I built in the foyer area of the house. I have several systems that I made in the greenhouse including a riverbed system that hold 100 plants I made from pvc downspout http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/ww218/mommyhen42/finishedsystem.jpg I also have 4 flood and drain tubs and a 5 bucket dutch bucket system in there all running from the 60 gal tank. There are also 3 10 gal rubbermaid totes with kitty litter pans on them for flood and drain, I use them to start seeds, there are a self cloning crayfish Procambrus sp. in each tub. I also built some of those hydrofarm style buckets and have 2 in there with asparagus in them. I use the water from the tank to fill those and drain them weekly and put the water back into the tank...
I also have other systems in my aviary building, including a riverbed system that uses 2 2ft sqare trays that have water continuously pumped over them, these have various lettuces growing in them and have florescent lights over them. I am also playing with deep water culture using the fish in the water...

Lots of ideas to play with... but the Riverbeds seem so far to show the fastest growth in the plants.

gotta go for now but here is my quick intro
Stay safe
Sheryl

JCO
03-02-2009, 10:16 PM
Hey mommyhen, how 'bout some photos of those self cloning crayfish Procambrus sp. in the crayfish section for us to take a look see :mrgreen:

mpugh5@aol.com
03-04-2009, 11:18 PM
hello, my name is michael and i will be lurking ,gradually acquiring the components that i need to begin the
process of setting up my operation. checked my emails and finally found my log in info so thought i would
make my self known. i can say that i have been reading the post here and truly appreciate the effort that i have seen here by the posters on this forum. grassroots are definitely needed. some of us need to have things
spelled out to us. once again thanks for your efforts and i will be around.
michael

JeffW
03-05-2009, 06:06 AM
Hi michael :) -> WELCOME

This board has something all the others does not, it is not dominated by pressure. Some places
I was not comfortable posting feeling like I had nothing to offer. Not the case here though you
will be happy you came ;)

SHERYL I saw your website and you are active getting people to meet locally.
We help people use the internet to get off the internet and form community.
Meet ups make a difference in people's lives and can change the world.
Our local farmers market managers and people such as myself are getting groups started
in town doing this and anyone is welcome. It is held at local ma/pa restaurant so everyone benefits.
Anyway my hats off to you and the forward thinking you have.
We try to keep politics out because it does no good..only adds negativity to the meeting.

Great pics too!!!

mommyhen42
03-05-2009, 11:18 PM
Hey mommyhen, how 'bout some photos of those self cloning crayfish Procambrus sp. in the crayfish section for us to take a look see :mrgreen:
I think I have a photo on my computer, I will have to check and get back with you
Sheryl
I bought them off a guy on ebay, there are several people there now selling them, but whenever mine get around to cloning, I will be happy to pass them along to responsible people for shipping + a little for my trouble... not at all what they are selling for, which I think is rediculous for an animal that is reported to average 100 young every 28 days or so.... Not for the faint of heart...LOL

ttyl
Sheryl

jackalope
03-05-2009, 11:41 PM
Well, it looks like I've been a bit deficient in welcoming others .... My apologies to wolfracer, mommyhen42, mpugh5 for my ignorance. I've kinda spaced out the introductions thread (and I was the one who started it :oops: :oops: :oops: . I'm looking forward to learning from all of you, as well as others here who are more advanced than myself. I've got my system up and running now with Goldies .... hopefully, by the early part of the summer I will have some Tilapia and crawdads for fish food, (along with redworms and Black Soldier Fly Larvae), so we'll see how that goes ;) Best laid plans, and all that stuff .......... We've got 11 starts going now ... lettuce, and a few surprise packages (can't remember what I planted), and tomorrow, we'll be transplanting squash, cukes, herbs, watermelon, spinach, and more. Soon, this Saloon will be wall to wall with fresh veggies (I hope!). Once again, welcome wolfracer, glad to have you aboard :mrgreen: ; mommyhen42 nice to have you here, please share your experiences and wisdom with us; and mpugh5 I'm glad you're here, ........ everyone here is here to learn, whether from an expert, or a novice .... if we give up on learning and understanding, what is there to life?

wolfracer
03-06-2009, 09:16 PM
mommyhen42
what size is your greenhouse? I am currently setting up a 10 X 12 with radiant heat in the flooring. By the way my wifes name is Cheryl.

wolfracer
03-06-2009, 09:21 PM
Hello Micheal I also like the low pressure of this site.

mommyhen42
03-07-2009, 12:11 AM
Hello wolfracer

Mine is considerably smaller than yours... 6x8 from harbor freight
I have some plastic things that are like connect X that we had as kids... They are joined together with 2x2's and each set builds a 6x8 greenhouse... This spring I intend on building at least one of the 3 kits that I have... for just Tomatoes and peppers

I used to raise wolf hybrids so I love your username
Not an animal for most people.... scary in the wrong homes... hate to see them advertized in the paper...

Now I have German Shepherds of german working lines.... great graceful animals

I am envious of your greenhouse! :mrgreen:

take care
Sheryl

wolfracer
03-07-2009, 08:24 AM
The 10 X 12 Green House I'm Trying to get built is also from harbor frieght . The kansas Weather is giving me fits trying to find a calm day to get it assembled. I guess I'll work on grow beds instead. I have attached a picture of the radiant heat tubing in the pad frame before my son and I poured concrete.

mommyhen42
03-07-2009, 10:05 AM
Helllo Wolfracer

how will you be heating the water?

My family always complains over the water bill even though I told them that the neighbors is twice ours...LOL

wolfracer
03-07-2009, 12:18 PM
how will you be heating the water?

Various methods, I'm planning on solar with a large storage tank and electric backup. This is all a big science project for me. I love to tinker with stuff. We want to prove the radiant heat concept along with wind and solar stuff, so I thought I would combine all this on a small scale with aquaponics since I am really interested in the self sufficiency aspect of this. I am going to start a build thread in the backyard system section.

JeffW
03-07-2009, 05:23 PM
Hey I was reading about those Black Soldier Fly Larvae..they sure can make compost
in a dang hurry! Worms are great but those suckers eat everything and anything.

great pics wolfracer..please keep em coming..we all learn from each other it's neat that way :D

badflash
03-07-2009, 07:54 PM
BSF have advantages, but they are not very efficient. Less than 10% return compared to almost 100% fom worms. The big difference is that they consume stuff worms can't, and do it in a hurry.

They eat dead meat, like left over fish parts, raw manure, and just about any sort of garbage. I'm going to keep both.

JeffW
03-08-2009, 04:01 PM
Oh well that makes a diff then..I like worms anyway ;) 10% :o not good sounds like
they are in a hurry and don't eat their meals well? :lol:

badflash
03-08-2009, 04:40 PM
I'm looking forward to experimenting with them. They produce huge amounts of "tea". I'm thinking that the tea can be used to make methane for power and then the resulting liquids will make super fertilizer. Check my post in Bioponics for where I'm going with this.

JeffW
03-12-2009, 07:46 PM
I will ...sounds good!

blaster1
03-22-2009, 02:58 PM
Hello
I'm George from South Africa.
I've been breeding tropical fish for quite a while.
I've also been planning a local community project to help the locals grow their own food.
I stumbled across aquaponics a little while ago & have been experimenting with it in my fish room on my big grow out tanks. It worked like a charm & I realised using this system with the project would be ideal.
Well long story short, my bussines plan is in with the local govt for a grant to start the project & so far they have allocated land for me. We are just waiting for the final red tape to be cleared.

badflash
03-22-2009, 03:16 PM
Welcome aboard! I'll be looking forward to seeing your project. Got any pictures you can post of what you've done so far? Post in the appropriate area of the forum so it gets the attention it deserves.

JCO
03-22-2009, 05:51 PM
Welcome to the SHOW blaster1...we greatly appreciate your post and are eager to be kept up to date on your progress and what you are doing to get everything set up. :mrgreen:

wolfracer
03-22-2009, 07:18 PM
Hello Blaster! please let us know how your project is going and good luck!

mpugh5@aol.com
03-22-2009, 09:18 PM
hello blaster one newbie to another :roll: :lol: :roll:

aquaarche
04-10-2009, 06:46 AM
Yes, Montana is huge, it's a beautiful state (despite the freezing weather),

hey Jack, I was wondering how about raising brown trout instead of gold fish. they are legal in Montana they do well in cold weather.

My grandfather had a farm in Wisconsin he had German browns they got huge in just one summer.

anyway, just a thought

flout
06-08-2009, 06:25 PM
Flout here!

Just wanted to introduce you to my work. After 17 years developing and building dosing equipment for septic systems. I am branching out to the AP/HP field.

Here is a construction technique I explained to badflash for CELLULAR PVC LINED PLYWOODor OSB GBs, FTs, and HTs:

Get a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood or OSB. Contact cement a sheet of 1/8 or 1/4" cellular pvc sheet** to it. 1/4 would be better for the abuse from digging and moving the grow media around. Solid pvc may also be used.

Cut up the finished sheet on a table saw to the sizes needed. Set the blade to the thickness of the pvc and set fence at 7/8" for 1/8 sheet or 1" for 1/4 inch sheet. . Rip off the plastic only where the ply panels will join. The contact cement allows the strips to easily pull away. Gorilla glue and pneumatic staple the joints. (Nail or screw ok but slower). Caulk the plastic seams inside with THICK bodied pvc glue such as Christies Red Hot white pvc cement.Glue and staple a 2x3 or 2x4 rim around the top . Staple thru the 2x3,4. Choose a staple or screw that will not reach the plastic. Give the wood a good coat of exterior paint. I put a plastic angle around the top rim to keep the plastic sheet from pulling away from the rim.

If you prefer, you can build the tank bare and glue in the plastic later. Doing it first ,however, is more thorough and more accurate.

**INTEFOAM Cellular PVC sheet: http://www.modernplastics.com/intefoam- ... 3543c651e2 (http://www.modernplastics.com/intefoam-pvc-foam-expanded-sheet-p-1031.html?osCsid=d63175f28f4f167c8d11943543c651e2)

FLOUT

Moderated: Please check the rules ;) see # 9 - advertising, URLs - Thanks

badflash
06-08-2009, 06:29 PM
I'm looking forward to seeing how this works in an AP setting.

Looks like the Flout overcomes the problems with bio-fouling. If it can handle sewar sludge, it should handle fish growies.

Definitely looks like somethng I'll try.

jackalope
06-09-2009, 06:57 PM
Yes, Montana is huge, it's a beautiful state (despite the freezing weather),

hey Jack, I was wondering how about raising brown trout instead of gold fish. they are legal in Montana they do well in cold weather.

My grandfather had a farm in Wisconsin he had German browns they got huge in just one summer.

anyway, just a thought

I'm growing Guppies now ....... I'm not doing very well in the veggie dept ...... it looks like we may have some tomatoes and possibly some peppers .... th squash and cukes have only given up male flowers, so I think they're a bust .... the watermelon gave up the ghost, and out of four bush bean plants, we've got a total of about 5 beans :( All but one lettuce died, and it had about four leaves on it and suddenly went to seed. The parsley did fine, for the one plant that survived, and the wife took everything else that I hadn't killed and put it in dirt, where it is doing great ....... as an aquaponicist, I make a real great lawyer :lol: :lol: This will be the last heirloom seeds that we buy from Irish Eyes ....... :roll: :roll:

Right now I've got about a hundred feeder guppies, and I've just started introducing some fancies, in the hopes that I can sell them to pet stores and recoup some of my money ...... I'll use the male feeders for fish food, and keep the females for breeding as I get more fancy males ......... somehow, this has to work out!!

jackalope
06-30-2009, 08:30 PM
i just looked at your location on the aquaponics map and, boy'o'boy, you sure live way out in the sticks! How many people live in your town?

About 96 registered voters ;) and 25 kids in the school K-12 ....I don't have any idea of how many are under kindergarten age .... I only know of one.

Do you know every single person in your town?I try not to know too many :lol: Naw, actually, this is a cattle rancher's town, if you don't own a ranch or work on one, you're pretty much personna-non-grata .... If you say hi, they'll nod, or say hi, but it's obvious you're not in 'their class' and if you've got Cherokee heritage ......... (We've got several res's here in Montana; Sioux, Crow, Blackfeet, Flathead, and I think Cheyenne, so they're not too fond of those that were here before them) ..... ;) ..... I'd say that probably 50% to 75% or more of the 'townies' are older .... on Social Security like myself, very few families, and getting to be fewer because they tend to buy up any land that's for sale so 'outsiders' won't move in. My son and I just lucked out and bought our places from former outsiders, and the properties weren't necessarily up for sale when we found the sellers .... we got them at good prices, so the mortgages are low .... as a matter of fact, my electric bill is almost twice what my mortgage is ;), but even then it's hard to make it on a fixt income .........


So, as a carpenter how far did you have to travel to the job sites? When I lived in Kalispell and Bigfork (on the West Side of Montana next to Flathead Lake), I just traveled the immediate area, but the costs are so high there, we retired over here. If Construction picks up, I may be able to get work in Billings (110 miles South) - good thing I've got a Class A to live in during the week ;)

Lisa urban farmer
09-14-2009, 12:50 PM
;) Hi my name is Lisa and I live in Florida(Tampabay) I have a 1000 gal koi pond and a 1300 gal pond .I am planning on taking the 1000 gal and take out the koi and put in Talapia and then make some form of aquaponic system of it.I would like to produce prawns also.I am in the planning stages now.The ponds are in full sun but I can use shade cloth over them if necessary.I would like any imput as to what kind of grow bed to use to also do the prawns.I have 2 small 5x6 1 ft deep ponds next to each pond and would like to use those to start,they waterfall into the big ponds which really airiates the water . Any suggestions will be appreciated. I also raise meat rabbits,quail,pheasants and have hens for eggs. I am trying to make us as self sustainable as possible .Is there something I can do for organic food for the Tilapia that I can make here at home? :?:

badflash
09-14-2009, 08:34 PM
Yes, check out Black Soldier Flies. They love fresh chicken manuer and all sorts of wastes. Tilapia quickly lean they are good to eat. So do prawns. Koi and Prawns or koi and tilapia >4" work OK together. For either you need deeper water in South FL. They need to be able to shelter from the sun.

Check out Epcot. They'll give you all sorts of ideas.

Chicken manuer can also be used to fertilize ponds to create an algae bloom that tilapia can feed on.

jackalope
09-14-2009, 10:00 PM
;) Hi my name is Lisa and I live in Florida(Tampabay) I have a 1000 gal koi pond and a 1300 gal pond .I am planning on taking the 1000 gal and take out the koi and put in Talapia and then make some form of aquaponic system of it.I would like to produce prawns also.I am in the planning stages now.The ponds are in full sun but I can use shade cloth over them if necessary.I would like any imput as to what kind of grow bed to use to also do the prawns.I have 2 small 5x6 1 ft deep ponds next to each pond and would like to use those to start,they waterfall into the big ponds which really airiates the water . Any suggestions will be appreciated. I also raise meat rabbits,quail,pheasants and have hens for eggs. I am trying to make us as self sustainable as possible .Is there something I can do for organic food for the Tilapia that I can make here at home? :?:

Hi Lisa, Welcome to the forum .... glad to have you here! Sounds like you've got the start of a huge aquaponics system going for you. I kow nothing about the prawns, so I can't help you there - but i'm with you on the Tilapia, that's the way to go as far as fish, in my estimation. With you living in Florida, you should be able to find a lot of Duckweed, waterletuce, azolla, and other plants that the Tilapi would eat ..... in addition, I have Guppies that I allow to swim with my Tilapia fingerlings .... as the female Guppy gives birth, the young can swim for a haven of plastic plants floating on the top ..... but the Tilapia usually are faster than them and intercept them ..... eventually, the Tilapia will get too large for the Guppies and eat the females and males, and that will be the end of that food fest. As the Tilapia get older, I plan to put the Marmorkrebs into the tank, and as they have their young, that will give the Tilapia more fresh food. They will also eat lawn clippings (non weed-treated or fertilized), lettuce, spinach, and other green veggies from what I've read. Just a few things I can think of to keep my tanks as "organic" as possible.

Another thing ..... if you could grow algae, hey love algae ;)

Again, welcome :!: :!:

yuganthan
02-19-2012, 01:32 AM
i am new to aquaponics help me how to build it

davidstcldfl
02-19-2012, 06:09 AM
Hi yuganthan, welcome to the forum.... :D

The best place to start is ..."Aquaponics 101" by oliver. Lots of great info there.... :)

urbanfarmer
02-20-2012, 10:02 AM
Greetings Earthling, and welcome to the addiction! :mrgreen: