Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I'm surprised this hasn't come up anywhere yet, but who's aware of the MASSIVE commercial set-up here in Perth growing Silver Perch and Tomatoes?... for over two years now!!!

The Tomatoes are sold on the local domestic market and most of the SP's exported to Vietnam... supposedly there's a big demand for them there as they are ideal for steamed fish dishes.

It's not a recirculating aquaponic set-up, rather the water and fish waste from what looks on the googly to be about 15,000 - 20,000 sqm of ponds, stocked with SP's, is treated to extract maximum nutrients, filtered, and then used as irrigation water for a massive open field tomato growing operation. By my rough calculations looking at it on the googly, when finished there'll be somewhere between 500,000 - 600,000 sqm of tomato production...

...

The "purists" would suggest that isn't aquaponics.... but it's not essentially any different to the Tailor Made operation...

Been one like that running in Adelaide for years ask Stuart he used to sell them silver perch

link ?

There is no link... I'm guessing they're into growing tomatoes and fish... not telling everyone about it!

Stuart from the now defunct fish farm told me about then they were Vietnamese I think they bought something like 15000 silvers off him

Wonder what they do in winter? Just stop growing toms and run water to waste or change to a winter crop.

From memory they had a 1 hectare dam they just pumped water in from bores the fish did there thing and they watered with it

This is good to know, raises the question what is ap. Any pointers as to a fish/openfield ratio?

*edit 1:50 to 2:60 in the first post.

Aquaponics is the integration of aquaculture and hydroponics. There some people like to narrow the definition but any form of integration is probably a good thing and more sustainable than doing this separately.

The only time I get concerned about definitions is when I need to specifically communicate something. It then helps if we can agree on what words actually mean.

Some people say that the Priva commercial system in Holland, the Tailor made system or other variations are not AP but since they are the combination of AQ and HP what are they if not AP?

Aquaponics is part of integrated agriculture and what these guys are doing may not be AP but it is integrated agriculture and it will use less resources to produce more food so we should encourage them if we get the chance.

I would call it a terrestrial tomato operation fertigated with fish effluent.

If you use soil, it is not hydroponics (and thus not Aquaponics)...which by definition is "soiless culture".

For those interested in semantics this opens up a can of worms. In Australia you can not get organic certification for hydroponically grown produce. By regulation certified organic produce must be grown in soil.

The guys at UES tried to get around this by planting their plants in little soil/compost filled pots in the NFT gutters. According to their website they managed to get certification for their prototype farm but so far haven't managed to get it for their commercial pilot.

The can with the worms in it is: if they have their plants in pots containing soil does that mean it is not hydroponics and hence not aquaponics either?

Personally I don't care my hats off to them but the certifying bodies do and it seems at this stage they are calling it hydroponics and hence not certifiable as organic. Therefore we can call it aquaponics but if they get their certification we'll have to stop.

Oh the silliness of hoop jumping.

UES don't call their system "aquaponics" anyway Stuart.... and they'd escort you off the property if you did...

Of course not because then it would include hydroponics and that would be naughty

It's got more to do with the desire to not be associated with the "single closed loop".. and the "commercial aquaponics" hobby farm model Stuart....

That and the view that they don't see any benefit whatsoever in marketing their concept, or produce... as "aquaponic"...