Critical Mass

[badflash]

Pat yourself on the back folks! The forum has finally achieved enough members that we can really start to accomplish something! Its been a long haul, but as you can see we have a lot of new members, and the place is jumping! Keep up the great posts, and lets remember to keep it civil. We don't want to drive anyone off. This has been a very warm and generous place all along, but with a bigger crowd, these sometime get misunderstood.

[David - WI]

So, is the aquaponics "movement" over?

Now that we're seeing a few successful commercial operators the forums (especially US forums) seem to have all but dried up. Instead of 20 posts per day many of the forums have none or one that never gets answered.

I haven't found any place online that "everybody went"... it just seems like much less interest and the few old dogs left only want to talk about "wicking beds" and raising flys. LOL

[Jason]

I have to admit that things have slowed down, but hope that things are just going in ebbs and flows. As to the the commercial operators starting up. I have been following the "Farmedhere" as the operation has started up. I have been hoping that they would put out more information, but it has not happened as of yet. Hoping to be able to have a similar setup at home, but with the cost of one of the lights they are using at around $2000, not sure if the time is right to switch to LED.

Jason

[David - WI]

There are some farms around here that seem to be doing well, staying in business for years anyway.

http://whoonew.com/2013/05/grow-local/
http://www.windydrumlins.com/?page_id=75

I made a little IBC "test" system with crayfish, strawberries, and citrus trees to try out some ideas... but it ended up being in the way (and the crayfish all killed each other) so rather than re-stock it, I took it down.

[Willy]

its an issue in all 4 forums I am in. US - AU - GER.
I have some seroius questions about plumbing stock density and so on for a commercial Aquaponics plan and expected in these forums a lot of heads up.
Non of the pages were answered more as "hello welcome here".
bit disappointing the outcome.
I have made a lot of experiences with a 120sqm test farm that has cost me in 4 years 25000 EUR and i was expecting to gain and give experiences but it seem Aquaponic farmers are a special breed who like keeping their secrets for themselves.
May be I am better off to ask in a housebuilders forum or plumber's page.

Cheers

Will

[Norman]

its an issue in all 4 forums I am in. US - AU - GER.
I have some seroius questions about plumbing stock density and so on for a commercial Aquaponics plan and expected in these forums a lot of heads up.
Non of the pages were answered more as "hello welcome here".
bit disappointing the outcome.
I have made a lot of experiences with a 120sqm test farm that has cost me in 4 years 25000 EUR and i was expecting to gain and give experiences but it seem Aquaponic farmers are a special breed who like keeping their secrets for themselves.
May be I am better off to ask in a housebuilders forum or plumber's page.

Cheers

Will

Not sure that this forum is all that viable.

[Jason]

To be honest, the community is what the members put in. Not all members have the experience, and newer members tend to have lots of questions. The issues is that once they have their questions answered, they tend to disappear and the member who do hang around tend to get tired of answering the same questions. Did I miss a question regarding plumbing, as I might be able to help out. I have built my own house, and even roughed it in for a couple fish tanks. Ask away.

Jason