Introduction:

[jackalope]

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]

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]

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]

Well Howdy Jackalope,

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.

[jackalope]

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]

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]

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.

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]

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

[wolfracer]

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]

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