Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

What are you talking about....



Excuse me, but my data including stocking rates, feed rates, design plans, harvest results etc, are all published and available... They are long term results of growing whole "crops" of both fish and plants.

I know a guy who has a masters in aquaculture too, and he knows nothing about aquaponics... I'm a qualified horticulturalist too, but I don't flash it around because it's means relatively little when it comes to designing, constructing and maintaining aquaponics systems.

Hence the smiley

VB-many good points, all in fact.
I don't recall much definitive system generation as most here use what they have /or can get~! beyond EB's book.
Though lots of suggestions, with what experiences have reduced the challenges faced by us in growing our systems.(sometime advice)

I am a little saddend that commercialism has appeared to the degree, though probably not unexpected, as is understood ppl who put energy into a project should be rewarded with an equitable level of return.

that is for the promoters, site admin to determin, should a post be 'headed up' with "advertising content"?

EB for me you pioneered AP because of your love of AP, the influence you had,you were able to show me what you have achieved near to my backyard and I thank you for that.
We all know AP was a success going back eons ago....so what is he issue?
Who is push their barrow a little too hard?
Bring forth a topic/post if u must with a minimum requirement being experience or inexperience.
further than that advertising space is available that every one reads religiously, but I don't think that is free.
C1 rant over

Hi,

Jim Fah gets $30.00 for his smart valves because he designed a product to address an unmet need, made it and put it into the marketplace. At some stage, (in all probability), he risked everything he owned to achieve this undertaking.

His current smart valve replaces a much more complicated (but still quite clever) design.

For the record, I have no vested interest in smart valves and I have never met Jim Fah. I can, however, empathise with someone who has put everything on the line to see a dream realised......only to have to listen to the great unwashed take an uninformed swipe at it.

I note, with interest, the frequent negative observations about business/enterprise that occur on this forum.

Enterprise pays for the politicians, bureaucrats, welfare recipients, employees and everyone else in this country who doesn't sell a product.

Let me remind everyone that, in our society......"nothing happens until someone sells something."

In the meantime, the debate on most other things seems to be progressing well.

Gary

Hi,



Both propositions are nonsense. It seems to me that both parties would have at least half of the puzzle of aquaponics at their disposal.

Gary

Gary - I don't think anybody was taking a swipe at Jim for his excellent smart-valve invention. The issue was more its unproven use in an AP environment and the claims he made regarding other AP methods.

I personally have no issue with commecialisation of AP as such - would likely make it more accessible to everybody if some of the products needed were more readilly available and reasonably priced. The issue is those who seem to be jumping on the bandwagon without sufficient knowledge or experience to ensure their products are suitable for the purpose.

Well for me I don't agree with his statement (JIM), that aquaponics is more difficult then we have been led to believe. That and he states there is no need to monitor the fish water, OH REALLY! He has simply placed a fish tank in line with his hydroponics set up and called it autopot aquaponics. Now if he can show how adding hydro chems is easier then adding nothing (which in my mind seems impossible), I'll eat a guppie!
Its not, for me, that he is doing this at all. I wish him luck in educating folks. Its more that he has to step on conventional AP first as a selling point. Let his system stand on its own not on recirculating AP.
Autopot Aquaponics is not as easy as we have been led to believe. The fish tank make up water will have to be PH adjusted to match the existing fish tank water or it may cause the fish to become stressed and die.
The recirculating pump used for heat may become clogged with alge and bio film requiring removal to clean.
The addition of hydro chemicals vice just using the fish waste is simply a pain in the arse. How many test kits do I need now?

This is my point, each party has LESS than half the puzzle..

Urgghhh... sorry Gary... but it's people (consumers) who buy the product that pay for all of the above!!!

And as consumers (people) and citizens we, individually and collectively have ever right and in my opinion ever obligation to question the validity of any products claims, the safety of the product, and any ethical considerations resulting in and from its production and sale.

To me.. it's all a question of ethics... and I do have views about the current state of social ethics

Perhaps the other recent thread on neo-malthusean theory is a better place to continue this discussion....

That's my plan . My goal is tailored to dense urban environments, maximizing production per square foot (or meter!) and modular.

Still experimenting with setups, but the overall idea is shaping up to be 3 tiered. Bottom tier is fish tank. Middle tier is short plants (herbs most likely) under cool lamps (experimenting with daylight spectrum flourescent), and top tier is large growth and lighting can be natural or artificial.

GBs will be probably be hydroton for weight, flood and drain on a siphon, single pump going from fish tank to top GB.

Foot print will be in the 10 square feet region.

On a production scale I'm imagining a single piece frame. Plug in pump to pre-formed piping in the frame, twist in lightbulbs, pour media in GBs (comes in package), add water, fish, and plants. 30 days later your growth should take off!

Really shouldn't cost more than about $100 US.

virtical growing, at a budget!
C1
The taller plants will require more grow media or trelising

C1, both GBs will be 12" deep, the whole unit should stand about 6' tall. In an average house that leaves 2-3' for climbing plants. Outdoors you can do much more obviously.

cool...

Hi,



Rupert.......and where do you suppose that these consumers get the money to pay for the product? They either sell something.....or they work for someone who sells something.......or they work for a government who preys on both groups of people.

Gary

Gary, I realise that it's somewhat of a chicken and an egg thing...

Mean to say where did the owner/entrepreneur get the money from to start the business that sells the goods to the consumers.... from somewhere else???? i.e he was initially a consumer???

As an aside isn't the sale of ones labour a "product".... so then don't we all produce....

Other than perhaps transactions that "somehow" produce profit by the mere moving of money from one point to another.... i.e banks....

Ultimately even these transcations must be paid for.... guess who pays.... us fee loving consumers.... LOL