Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Jezz that's gunna make it hard to run an AP system then Kuda.... I've heard of fishless cycling but "fishless" aquaponics?

hehehe funny rupe. I want to farm fish, just not be a 'fish farmer' acredited and initiated if you have to lose 100,000 1,000,000 fish! no thanks, I'll just grow em up big and strong, no farming done here

Some pics of your visit would be cool

I received an email from CalAnn Farms today. They are going to hold an open day on the 15th of March. They hope by then the weather will be a bit more pleasant and they won't lose heat everytime the greenhouse door is opened. They have been overwhelmed and amazed by the number of requests to visit their operation. So looks as though I will have to be "P"atient...

cool, i'd like to see pics of that operation

Hopefully I will have some photos to post this afternoon after the open house. First thing this morning I have to do a chore for the missus that I was supposed to do last night, then I can go check out CalAnn farms operation. And maybe get some fish from them as well

Well I went to the open house a little more than a week ago. The Meyer family have a small operation growing basil hydroponically and grow capsicums aquaponically raising tilapia (a nile cross purchased from Louisiana). They were not real keen on showing their methods or on pictures being taken.

Jeff mentioned that he uses a wood fired boiler to heat the greenhouses. Uses rootzone heating in the basil operation also. The fish he raises for a specialty market that prefers a darker fleshed fish. No purge necessary. They use a regenerative blower for the fish tank aeration. Five years running and he has never cleaned out the huge grow out tank. One fry tank is in loop with a f&d bed growing lettuce all the other growbeds growing capsicum are in loop with the grow out tank. Feeds 35lbs of feed per day and harvests approximately 150lbs of fish per week I think is what Jeff stated.

The three pictures I took and have now been given permission to post by the Meyers:

Don't know why they were being so secretive..... nothing new going on there from what I can see ....

Think it might be that I mentioned that I am going into the business also?
Jeff mentioned the trial and error processes he went through~ that could have some bearing on it as well.

nothing new at all Rupe. simply a S&S styled operation. Fish water pumped to the beds then drains to a sump (that has floating rafts included) where it is pumped back to the fish tank. I could have offered a lot of advice to them on how to improve their grow operation...they could have offered me advice on the local market.

Jeff did give me his phone number and told me to give him a call if I needed any help or advice.

Not all bad then DRD... nothing wrong with a bit of networking

Great photos DRD

Nice pictures. How big is the green house?

The peppers are beautiful!

Thanks for the photos DRD. How are the GB's made?

I just love how they prune those peppers! I gota learn how to do that. Are they tied up?