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  1. #21
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    I am not leaching out all of the worm casting nutrients, just enough to suppliment the aquaponics system. The goal is, and I will do this shortly, is to create a system where folks with a minimum investment can supplimently feed a family. Worms little or no cost, seeds a minimal cost, aquatic animals, if they can snag them out of a waterway great, but fingerlings of native fish are available at free or low cost. Very little cost to supplinent for iron or whatever. I am certainly doing overkill with my setup it's test beds.

  2. #22
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    I personally haven't figured out a pure vermiponics closed system, I can't see vermiculture and water conservation in the same sentence. Worms are not crazy about being bathed in their waste. In conjunction with aquaponics this doesn't happen.

  3. #23
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    Quote Originally Posted by rfeiller
    I am not leaching out all of the worm casting nutrients, just enough to suppliment the aquaponics system. The goal is, and I will do this shortly, is to create a system where folks with a minimum investment can supplimently feed a family. Worms little or no cost, seeds a minimal cost, aquatic animals, if they can snag them out of a waterway great, but fingerlings of native fish are available at free or low cost. Very little cost to supplinent for iron or whatever. I am certainly doing overkill with my setup it's test beds.
    Well if that's your goal, it's cheaper to go without the hydroponics portion!

  4. #24
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    Quote Originally Posted by rfeiller
    I personally haven't figured out a pure vermiponics closed system, I can't see vermiculture and water conservation in the same sentence. Worms are not crazy about being bathed in their waste. In conjunction with aquaponics this doesn't happen.
    My worms don't seem to mind it at all. I have a small plastic container filled only with worms poop and worms (they ate everything). They don't seem to care. Maybe it depends on the species/breed?

  5. #25
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    How is their weight and reproduction? We are going for the best of all worlds here, not what gets by, big difference. I believe there is a place where the worms, aquatic animals and plants are all above average. Help us get there UF. Thanks

  6. #26
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    Quote Originally Posted by rfeiller
    How is their weight and reproduction? We are going for the best of all worlds here, not what gets by, big difference. I believe there is a place where the worms, aquatic animals and plants are all above average. Help us get there UF. Thanks
    I just have them as pets on my nightstand... I can say this, I only put 6 in there to start (hand counted), and every time I feed them a strawberry or some small fruit, I can see hundreds of them. I have only had these guys about 2 and a half months on the nightstand. I have been raising worms for far longer than I have done aquaponics, but I have never really looked into the biology or science of it. I just feed them garbage and I collect the poop or sometimes feed a few to the fish to watch the action, nothing fancy.

    They are pure bred red wigglers. I assume they're just run-of-the-mill genetics, also nothing fancy.

    As far as what YOU are trying to do, I think you should be getting great results. You have 2 inputs that yield 2 outputs of nutrients for the plants. We know that we can do it from just the aquaponics; so, your plants should be going crazy. Before I started aquaponics I did something called "window farms" and I actually came up with a simple device that took worm castings as an input and then put the nutrients into the water. It looked something like the inside of a coffee machine (I used a coffee filter). It worked great. The plants grew and I didn't have to pay for hydroponic nutrients from the store.

    Anyway, if you post some good pictures, design schematics, and a written explanation of your theories and practices, I could try to help you figure out what's going on. I am strong in the area of water chemistry and plant nutrients. Maybe put it in this thread or start a new one? I'm sure we can figure it out or improve on it??

  7. #27
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    the red wrigglers i have today are not very large a couple of inches, they do their job. i have observed that they reproduce like crazy during rainy times, a lot of small white young. don't see this when the bed is just moist.

  8. #28
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    Quote Originally Posted by rfeiller
    the red wrigglers i have today are not very large a couple of inches, they do their job. i have observed that they reproduce like crazy during rainy times, a lot of small white young. don't see this when the bed is just moist.
    Are you sure those are worms and not maggots? My guys seem to like it pretty wet. More than moist but less than drowning.

    Reds don't get much bigger than a few inches.

  9. #29
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    Lol no, they are not maggots I know the difference. Haven't you observed the egg capsule hatching? The newly hatched are translucent.

  10. #30
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    I use to culture white worms years ago this was in conjunction with the red wrigglers. I suppliment the blended fruit/veggies with added yogurt.

    As far as the set up; the lava is raising the pH from 7.3 to 7.9 will add a bin of new Zealand Sphagnum.

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