Commercial Aquaponics – Why is it not pervasive?

[davidstcldfl]

Check out this style of green house. Looks like it would help in your heating battle....
http://energyfarms.wordpress.com/2010/0 ... ese-style/

http://www.roperld.com/science/solargreenhouses.htm

Here's something else to consider...
SHCS...How It's Done..!


Keep your fish and veggies warm, says the guy that lives in FL and gets cold @ 75.... :P

[David - WI]

I like the idea of the solar greenhouse, but I'm still not sure it's cost effective if consider the cost to build it and provide supplemental heat.

On a chilly mid-February night, the temperature inside their greenhouse remained 10-15 °C (18-27 °F) warmer than outside. The effect was even more pronounced in Manitoba, where indoor temperature on a cold February night remained 30 °C (54 °F) warmer than outdoors.

I suppose it depends on what your "target" temperature is.

It was -6°F here this morning so "54°F warmer than outdoors" is only 48°F... when it gets down to -22°F outside the water in the greenhouse would be frozen! (We occasionally have -30°F temperatures.)

The cost for supplemental heat to maintain 75°F might still be very high?

[davidstcldfl]

I like the idea of the solar greenhouse, but I'm still not sure it's cost effective if consider the cost to build it and provide supplemental heat.

The cost for supplemental heat to maintain 75°F might still be very high?

Heating to 75F in a 'cost effective manner'.... Most folks can't even do that with their house...

Did you look at the 3rd link I posted on Subterranean Heating ?
SHCS...How It's Done..!

Combine that and a solar green house, that's about the best as it's going to get.

Looking at your winter tempts.....forget the greenhouse.....move to FL... :P

[bsfman]

Looking at your winter tempts.....forget the greenhouse.....move to FL... :P

Way cheaper in the long run!

[davidschaffer]

What do you all know about yellow perch? I am sure they take longer to raise then talapia but I believe they are much more tolerant of the cold. What I could do is keep the water at ideal perch temps for 9 month of the year and focus on cold weather crops like spinach and Kale for the the coldest 3 months letting the water drop to the 50's or so. I am going to do some research on this and report back. The idea would be that if I can make a living off of the cold weather produce, The perch harvest every year and a half would be the bonus. Also, I was just reading that Talapia can reach market size 1.5lbs in 9 months. Is this true? Nine months of 75 degree water might not be to hard to maintain.

[davidstcldfl]

What do you all know about yellow perch? I am sure they take longer to raise then talapia but I believe they are much more tolerant of the cold. What I could do is keep the water at ideal perch temps for 9 month of the year and focus on cold weather crops like spinach and Kale for the the coldest 3 months letting the water drop to the 50's or so. I am going to do some research on this and report back. The idea would be that if I can make a living off of the cold weather produce, The perch harvest every year and a half would be the bonus. Also, I was just reading that Talapia can reach market size 1.5lbs in 9 months. Is this true? Nine months of 75 degree water might not be to hard to maintain.

Dave, Please start your own new thread for this question(s). Maybe in 'BACKYARD SYSTEMS" or in "FISH...?" section.
It's not your fault... I should of said something sooner. We have almost a page and a half way off topic, from the original thread content.... ...

[godspeed007]

I am a cattle rancher in Oklahoma and I have been waiting for a market to arise in order to invest in Aquafarming. My only issue tht needs to be resolved is "where do I sell my Fish". There is a very active cattle market nationwide which allows for an easy sale of livestock almost every business day. This discussion has not addressed in detail an outlet for production. The last thing I want to do is raise 10 or 20 tons of fish and have no place to sell them. That is the biggest issue with a commercial fish farm today. Quit frankly, I do not want to invest millions and raise a bunch of fish and then have to create a market for them after I did my part already. As for the commercial Fish Farms online today I would guess that they belong to pre-existing Companies in the fish wholesale market, ie; Gortons, Stoufers,ect. The gentleman that stated earlier in this discussion that a market would need to materialize is exactly right, there is no place to sell at the end of all of your investment and time. Is anyone aware of a Company in the US where you can call them for pick up or you can deliver an iced down load of fish for sale?

[davidstcldfl]

Hi Godspeed, welcome to the forum...

Yours is an interesting question. I don't know of any companies off hand...?
I even did a quick search of fish processors in OK...I didn't see anything...?
You might consider contacting your local Cooperative Extension office. They may have info on processors and you might even get some contact info for others doing aquaculture in OK.


I was curious about aquaculture in OK and I found this, written by OK state U....
http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare ... 201web.pdf
They start right in on the realities of trying aquaculture. I don't see 'when' it was written...?
I did learn that you have paddlefish there. They mentioned about possibly raising them for their caviar. Too bad the females can take up to 10 years before laying eggs.

[dancinhrblady]

[quote=Neil H]

I live in South Africa at the moment

What are your ideas for aquaponics?

was waiting for that Q

your points on a system designed for the local environment and capital available are valid

but what if we as a community designed what we think is a good commercial AP system ....... there is vast experience in this forum ... could be fun .... disclaimers would be very NB though

its a funny thing AP we think it is this new technology and a wonder method for farming and dont really want to talk about commercial plans and operations because we think it is this trump card .... so we work in isolation .... but at the end of the day the more commercial AP projects there are the better our understanding the more this will be main stream .....

discussing plans are the first port of call .....[/quote:3ep25rvp]
Actually... there's nothing new under the sun... ever hear of the 'hanging gardens of Mexico City'? They were doing AP when the first conquistadors hit... so, no. It isn't new...
However, it isn't 'western' particularly, either... i.e.; it isn't traditional. Traditional farmers can do things to increase yield the bankers understand...

There are some real commercial systems on the market right now. Why aren't there more? Money. The folks that are willing... or that have some experience, haven't been able to get funding.

For the most part, bankers think that traditional is more 'control' able... they're wrong, but they are the ones that make the decisions about the money to float a big operation. We are talking a roughly 1mil. to do an operation that would turn out 1800 lb of fish, and, say 28K produce every six weeks... and do you have an idea the square footage required... even if one uses towers for 'small' leafy greens?? You are looking at mechanics, plumbing, insurance, monitoring, licenses, packaging, transport, rent, power (even if you do renewable-- still have to do the installation...) and training personnel.

So, say, you need 1.5 mil to start, and roughly six weeks to get cycled... another six weeks to start producing greens... then 4-6 months before you have sale-able fruit or veg... and at least 8 months to have sale-able fish.

Once you are running, the pay-back would probably exceed expectations... expansion would be able to go to the roof tops, {my suggestion was to utilize empty grocery stores... they already have a separate meat section that would work for processing... loading docks, water, a/c, and the capacity to open up more 'window space' so one could avoid grow lights} and you'd be so incredibly 'low carbon' for the neighborhood you are located in...

Which brings me to my next issue-- and may actually be a part of our problem moving from small to commercial scale. We would supplant the local groceries. They may be chains, but they ain't gonna be happy about a system that supplants their carbon-heavy model. They are in place, they have clout in the community... and would not look fondly upon our endeavor.

Just my $.02.

[bcotton]

I've heard of hanging gardens of babylon


brian