Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

great system mate

Ta B&V!

On Saturday I had one of my favourite breakfasts - rye toast, tahini, basil, tomato, salt n pepper. Mmm, yum. Only the basil and tomato came from the AP setup, but that's enough to give me a warm inner glow of satisfaction.

Yum...

Second (linked) system has started taking off. Been doing AP less than a year and very pleased with how it's going. Love this hobby.

AP is a love hate relationship in my house. Me and AP are on the love side.

On the weekend my lovely wife, who is a nurse, had a half dozen of the pretty young lasses she works with over for pre Christmas drinks. At one point in the evening I noticed the whole lot of them had headed out into the darkness in the back yard to have a look at the AP setup. And my 15 year old daughter tells me my strange hobbies don't make me any sexier. Rubbish!

lmfao of course it does

A quick video update. Fish feeding really well. Cucumbers and eggplant growing nicely, and too much lettuce to eat.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Those fish are looking tastey mate

Just thought I'd have a whinge to share my ongoing displeasure with bugs.

I spotted this nice little Mealybug Ladybird (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri) on a leaf on one of my cucumber vines and thought, "Excellent. You are most welcome little one. Now get to work eating aphids". So I watched the ladybird crawl across the leaf, up the stem, and along the vine. Then it reached a spot where some ants were congregating and instantly the ants attacked and the ladybird flew off. It landed on a bamboo stake where it rested while I took the photo.



So I looked more closely at the spot where the ants were and found they were guarding a split in the vine where aphids were multiplying. Bastards! I got a cotton bud dipped in pyrethrum and swabbed the split to send the aphids to have a chat with their maker, but I'm sure there are many others, living happily under the protection of the ants.



Then I noticed there were quite a few dead leaves, flowers, and small runners on the cucumber vines. On closer inspection I found wherever there was a dead or dying appendage there was one of these ugly little brown fellows with white spots. I don't know what they are but the ones I could spot got a touch-up with the cotton bud as well. If anyone knows what it is, I'd be grateful for the info.



Man I hate ants!

I'll be of no help, but will say that bugs are the single largest PITA for me in AP. If only I could spray them with something both strong and safe

I hear ya Dr.
I've just spent half an hour smashing the aphids etc, that were hiding here and there, with jets of water from a spray bottle.
Time consuming but quite satisfying.

What type of water pump are you using Tallman? That water is really hammering out of your standpipes... or were they syphon dumping during that vid?

System looks great

Hi Charlie,
They are "JT JHQ/HQB-3900 3500lph AC Submersible Pump" off ebay. About $50 ea I think they were.
That's the rate the water flows over the top of the standpipe. Is the rate a problem you reckon mate?

After reading the cooking method advice in the "First taste of Jade Perch" post I went ahead and did my first harvest. Two fish, four fillets = fish dinner for one happy family of four.

I had pretty incompetent technique and a knife that wasn't sharp enough, but got there in the end. So here's a vid of the whole process. I have subsequently watched some vids on gutting and filleting technique and hope to do a much better job next time.

Anyway, the Jades were yum, and thanks go to Wildfire who gave them to me in April 2012.