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Hydroponic system
http://byap.backyardmagazines.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=782		 Page 1 of 4
Author:  earthbound [ Nov 10th, '06, 11:07 ]
Post subject:  Hydroponic system
Went to a hydroponic farm a week or two ago and had a very interesting visit. He makes his own solution and has large reservoirs underneath his grow areas. The reservoirs of nutrient solution used to have algae growing in it so he introduced goldfish into them, the goldfish have survived well in many of the nutrient tank, keeping the algae at bay by eating it..

One interesting point, he uses an artificial pyrethrum spray for pests and has had very few problems, though he recently used a natural pyrethrum spray and killed all the goldfish and some frogs..

Here are some pics..

Attachments:
File comment: A large section of the growing area has made use of a swamp that would otherwise be fairly useless.. with wooden paths and grow area over the top of a large area of water..
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File comment: Here you see the nutrient tank under the seedling growing area. The same iron sheeting thats been lined with plastic, talk about a cheap tank.... :)
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File comment: Another picture of the seedling area. You can just make out the nutrient tank below the grow area.
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File comment: Seedling table. The same iron roof sheeting as used everywhere else, lined with plastic, it's just the right size for the seedling punnets.. Seedlings are grown in compressed coir seedling punnets filled with vermiculite. when they are ready for transpl
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File comment: NFT piping that he makes himself from 90mm storm water pipe. Steam is injected into either end of the 90mm pipe to soften it, then he squashes it a bit flatter while it's hot.
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File comment: This is water cress growing on a straight table made from roofing iron that the water flows over.
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File comment: Grow area.. He has used roofing tin for the water to flow down, and a gyprock latice. dropping the seedlings into the holes it makes for very easy planting and harvesting.
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Author:  steve [ Nov 10th, '06, 11:10 ]
Post subject: 
VERY interestng, thanks for the pics Joel!

The background looks like my backyard.........................

The watercress looks outstanding!!
Author:  monya [ Nov 10th, '06, 11:14 ]
Post subject: 
That seems like a massive and extremely well thought out operation. What were his views on AP?
Author:  creative1 [ Nov 10th, '06, 11:17 ]
Post subject: 
Far out can someone sell that person some fish ?
and like you said EB those troughs are cheap!1's!!!!!
Good use of scrap, ribbed too.
Author:  Caribean-grower [ Nov 10th, '06, 22:27 ]
Post subject: 
Joel did he mention about the nutrients in detail?

Are there natural that the gold fish could survive?

The system looks so cool we could learn allot from this guy! I bet you tried to convert him to full aqua,

I would have,

It seams that he has all the system requirements except the fish.
Author:  Dave Donley [ Nov 11th, '06, 01:49 ]
Post subject: 
The gypsum board thing is a neat idea, hadn't seen that before!
Author:  steve [ Nov 11th, '06, 05:40 ]
Post subject: 
EB, whats your estimation on number of fish / tank size / kgs that would be required to support that set up Aquaponically?

He maintains quite low NO3 doesn't he? Do you have a PPM?

Steve
Author:  earthbound [ Nov 11th, '06, 09:07 ]
Post subject: 
I have very limited info on his stuff at the moment, I did suggest to him that we sit down and write an article about his systems and he seemed keen, so hopefully there will be further details coming..

So far as the conversion over to aqua, well that got a little confusing, he wanted to keep using his nutrients, yet also wanted more fish in his nutrient tanks.. One of the main points of his whole set up is that he has done it all himself over the years, using cheap home made stuff wherever possible.

But his water costs are absolutely unbelievable....... $1000 a month... :shock: :shock: :shock: Yep, 12 grand a year... I dont even get his monthly bill in a whole year, but then I'm not producing commercially of course...
Author:  steve [ Nov 11th, '06, 09:19 ]
Post subject: 
This batch of photos is my next most show to toher people next to your tomato bush :)

I know its not AP, but it so easily could be! The nute levels are right if his goldies can survive. All he needs to do it wack a couple of 200lt barrels filled with gravel in and then he can start stocking fish, and reducing nutrient addin.

He can keep running it right up to when its a fish only system.
Author:  gnoll110 [ Nov 11th, '06, 13:05 ]
Post subject: 
$1,000 a month sounds real cheap. I assume he has paid for all his own head works?

The $1,000 dollars could be a fixed percentage 'resource rent tax' paid to the state government, based on land value.

Could be a Licence fee or a per volume fee or some combination of the two?

Once you go commerial, the government want its money, profit or not. Sometimes every if you don't use the goods or they can't provide the goods.
A bit like the Sydney Habour Bridge Toll, still collect it, even though it was paid off years ago.


Gnoll110
Author:  steve [ Nov 11th, '06, 13:26 ]
Post subject: 
gnoll, want the 1g per month for water consumption?
Author:  bio-farmer [ Nov 12th, '06, 01:42 ]
Post subject: 
hey eb,

where abouts is this guy located?

i would love to check it out.

cheers
Author:  gnoll110 [ Nov 12th, '06, 04:53 ]
Post subject: 
steve wrote:
gnoll, want the 1g per month for water consumption?

YES*

* conditional on acceptance from advisors, meaning what the accountant, solicitor and business planner (me) thinks. My 'get out' clause for 'the devil is in the detail' problems ;)

My questions are;

How much water does that get me?

What cost pre unit?

Continuity of supply? (A big issue this year!)

What are my head costs going to be to get access to this water.

Where has this water come from?. Is it run-off or bore or oil or mine etc. water?

Show me the contract? (What are the conditions).

Steve, remember, in Australia, generally the limiting issue on production is water. Generally getting capital, land & sunshine is not the issue.

Isn't Aquaponics about maximising production in a system that as closed as possible in terms of water?

Also remember, Backyard players tend to be buying 'retail' standard water. As a 'wholesale' buyer, you are looking at 'raw' water. Think about the differences between 'raw' milk and 'Homogenised and Pasteurised' milk and what that can imply.


Gnoll110
Author:  steve [ Nov 12th, '06, 09:32 ]
Post subject: 
OK, thats were my confusion lay, "retail water" and i realised half way through your post :)

Its easy to forget about the "world" ouside the 'burbs' :)

Quote:
Isn't Aquaponics about maximising production in a system that as closed as possible in terms of water?


For sure! Its one of the aspets of AP. Which is why i think that guy needs to be converted, for his own good :)
Author:  Stuart Chignell [ Mar 20th, '07, 15:36 ]
Post subject: 
Amazing. Some of those techniques I'm allready using (star pickets and tech screws) and others I'm planning to use. It kinda what I was thinking of having above my fish tank but of course on a much bigger scale.

Has any prgress been made on that article EB? I guess you have been too busy. Where was he located?

Stuart
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