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  1. #11
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    Re: Knowledge sponge from Illinois

    Quote Originally Posted by Roger R.
    Why would you ever want to move out of Illinois? It's the the best place on earth!

    Central Illinois here.
    Well let's see.... two governors in jail, Chicago politics managing the state, ice, snow, freezing rain, Chicago...

    Been there (owned homes in Dixon and Rockton) and glad I don't have to shovel rain!
    Scott
    Jesup (S.E.), Georgia, USA

  2. #12
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    Re: Knowledge sponge from Illinois

    Accidentally had everything I wrote get cleared.... /facepalm! Okay let's see if I can just write it more to the point anyways... If I want a system that's 50-60 gallons, what is the size of the grow beds? I did see the previous post in terms of the 2 grow bed sizes but the main thing I want to check on here is growing space. Everything I've read is that spacing is less with aquaponics but I haven't really seen much information on spacing anywhere. Does companion gardening exist in aquaponics? With a 50-60 gallon FT... would it be feasible for me to grow garlic, onions, herbs, spinach, beans (pole), cherry tomatoes (vining)? Is that too far of a reach for the grow bed sizes and amount of nutrients they'd get from the FT? Also, would I be able to do a floating raft for herbs in the FT and grow everything else in the GB or would it be best to grow everything together in the GB? Just trying to figure out the whole plan

  3. #13
    Members bsfman's Avatar
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    Re: Knowledge sponge from Illinois

    Quote Originally Posted by kodacakes
    I don't think I'd ever want to eat a crayfish... even my boyfriend says they just taste dirty haha of course that could be that they didn't come from a cleaner water source? Because I've seen some people refer to them as "freshwater lobster." I doubt that's the case but I'm just throwing out things I've read for discussion
    Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, mudbugs, whatever you call 'em they ROCK! Delicious! You gotta fix 'em right - don't over boil! Add a good crawfish boil mix with plenty of cayenne (I like Zatarain's) and some chunks of sliced up quartered lemon to the boil pot! I'd choose them over lobster every time! Rip the heads off them, suck the juice out of the head and then throw the head away! Then, if you pinch the tail of the decapitated crawdad just right, the whole of the meat pops right into your mouth and no peeling is necessary! They go great with a crisp, heavily hopped beer!

    If you've never been there, you owe it to yourself to make a trip to Louisiana and sample some good cajun style crawdads!

  4. #14
    Members Roger R.'s Avatar
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    Re: Knowledge sponge from Illinois

    Quote Originally Posted by bbikebbs
    Quote Originally Posted by Roger R.
    Why would you ever want to move out of Illinois? It's the the best place on earth!

    Central Illinois here.
    Well let's see.... two governors in jail, Chicago politics managing the state, ice, snow, freezing rain, Chicago...

    Been there (owned homes in Dixon and Rockton) and glad I don't have to shovel rain!
    Not to mention we now have the lowest credit rating of any state in the counrty!

  5. #15
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    Re: Knowledge sponge from Illinois

    Thanks for the input! I had a feeling that part of it had to do with them probably being caught from less than ideal water sources. I'd probably mess with a few or so to see how I felt about them. I mainly like that they are a little clean up crew and provide phosphorus to the system naturally.

  6. #16
    Moderator davidstcldfl's Avatar
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    Re: Knowledge sponge from Illinois

    Hi kodacakes, welcome to the forum...
    Here's a small system using a barrel and some of the mixing tubs that Bsfman mentioned earlier.....
    New work @ Sahib Aquaponics

    Just remember tomatoes can get really huge. The indeterminate can easily get 12 feet or longer. The determinates are more of a bush, but even they can become really large. Lots of dwarfs are being developed. The name is still somewhat miss-leading...they can be 4 to 5 feet also.

    Once your system is set up, you can get a jump start by just driving to Home Depot or Lowes and buying a patio tomato. Rinse of the dirt and stiuck them in the media... They can get up to 2 ft or more. Oh...wait...your HD and lowes outdoor centers are probably closed ...or have 'stuff' like snow blowers and snow shovels and bags of rock salt.... :P

    If your doing them inside under lights, you might consider these, they only get about a foot tall.... totems, red robins, or tiny tims. Micro tom is the worlds smallest, at about 8 inches tall. Problem with those is, you'll need 'a lot of light' since they flower. Some of the other guys here can help you on the lighting issue.
    "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan

  7. #17
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    Re: Knowledge sponge from Illinois

    Thanks for the advise and suggestions. I've been figuring out most of everything I've wanted to know through a lot of research and reading. My main question now is just confirming the amount of grow bed space I can have using a 60 gallon tank? I know that I was given a suggested bed size but I just wanted to confirm for all of my plans. Also I hear the general rule for determining spacing for planting is pretty much just the size of which the plant itself needs to grow? Since they're not fighting for nutrients in this kind of system. Can anyone confirm or deny this? I take it I just estimate the sizing of each of space around that?

  8. #18
    Moderator davidstcldfl's Avatar
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    Re: Knowledge sponge from Illinois

    Quote Originally Posted by kodacakes
    My main question now is just confirming the amount of grow bed space I can have using a 60 gallon tank?
    You already mentioned the 'ratios' on the previuos page.
    I think those tubs that bsfman and I mentioned are aprox 20 gals. I would, at least, use 3
    of those. You could even use 6.
    The problem with bell siphons with no sump is, your fish tank's water is going up and down. Even with 3 bells, the water 'could' get pretty low 'if' all 3 were to fill at the same time. With the 6, it would be an issue.
    You could try a 'mixed system.' Have 2 or 3 as bell set ups...they would help filter. Then 3 or 4 more as rafts...they would help use up the nitrates.
    The little system I linked to earlier, has 2 media tubs and one of them is a raft system.
    Quote Originally Posted by kodacakes
    Also I hear the general rule for determining spacing for planting is pretty much just the size of which the plant itself needs to grow? Since they're not fighting for nutrients in this kind of system. Can anyone confirm or deny this? I take it I just estimate the sizing of each of space around that?
    Yes, you are correct.
    In a mature system, there are more then enough nutes, even if the plants are crowded. However, plants do need 'their space' as they grow.
    Space management comes in to play...
    In raft systems, plants are often started in rafts with holes 'very close'. Then as they grow, they are moved to rafts with holes further apart.
    I over-seed media tubs with lettuce, lettuce mixes, spinach, and even bok choys. As it grows, I start to thin it, eating the young plants as 'micr-greens'. This gives room for the others to grow.
    My problem is, I'm spoiled, my plants usually never makes it to 'full grown'...
    "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan

  9. #19
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    Re: Knowledge sponge from Illinois

    For GB ratios being answered are you referring to this?

    A 50 gallon tank supports 6-8 cubic feet of grow bed? I've seen one person say that it's a 1:1 ratio and I've seen people say it's a 1:2 ratio. I'm not sure if that's dependent on people who have higher stock densities in which case I know they have to add things to their system such as filtration... so if the 6-8 cubic feet is the case then you're looking at something that's 3'x2'x1' or 4'x2'x1' or something like 24"x24"x18" (I put this one in because I've also read that you want your FT at a depth of at least 18"?). I've also read various things of 1lb to 1.5lbs of fish for every 5-10 gallons of water?
    Or are you referring to the response given by bsfman?

    I know I want to go with a 60 gallon FT. I see that you're listing multiple beds. Do you think it's better to have several versus one large bed? Plus wouldn't adding more beds just mean I'd probably be better off adding more filtration, etc.? Than just relying on the bed alone as filtration? You brought up another point actually. Would I ever have to worry about the water in the fish tank being at a level that would be too low for the fish? Would I be better off getting a larger FT size but only allowing it to be filled to 60 gallons worth of water?

    I've read that one of the best things you can do is planting seeds along with transplanting started ones. They actually fight for the spot (imagine a developing forest; only the strong survive and get the growth space and lighting), the seeds actually beat out the transplants a number of the time but their roots are a lot stronger, etc. Again this is all proven through years of nature at work. To make this makes total sense. Possibly to some this could be a waste. Then again why wouldn't you want the strongest plants to continue your garden yield from?

    Sorry if I'm all over the place. My mind is always racing with questions and possibilities. Hence all the reading and research.

  10. #20
    Aquaponics 101 Oliver's Avatar
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    Re: Knowledge sponge from Illinois

    Welcome to the forum.

    I would like to invite you to read "Aquaponics 101" on the portal page. Just scroll down.

    Might I suggest you move this discussion to an appropriate area of the forum. This area is reserved for "A Place to Say hello".

    Oliver
    To measure is to know

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