Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks mate, grew out 11 this year, not sure what happened to the other 4.
Checked the temps yesterday and were around 24 but fairly confident they hit 26 during the hot spell we just had. I'm glad I can take down all the shade with these howling easterlies.

Hi Skeg

Your ability to keep your water temperatures low enough for trout for most of the year in the hills is amazing. I dont see much shading on your system. Are you in sheltered location?.

My water temperature has been varying between 25 and 28 degrees, with a few days above 30deg (31 on the 29th!).

I had to pull my trout in October.

Seasons complements!

Gabe

Hey Skeg, just made it through your whole thread, it was a great read. Thanks for posting all the photos and updates. Great veggie growth and great fish too.



Martin.

Wow thanks for the kind words Martin, and for that, I'm going to buy you a beer when we visit Auckland in early March for a family reunion, we'll be in touch.
We've put a lot of effort into the system and this thread so it's nice to get some positive feedback.

Here's a pic of what Jiggy found trying to crawl under her foot in the shower this evening so you don't regret not migrating to Oz. Gotta love it.

Gabe, how's about an update of your fabulous system?
It's great not to have to worry about the temps now the trout are out. We were using umbrellas and the like to shade the gbs and the main ft is under trees and insulated with a regulated inflow with 2 ibcs underground with a fan supplying air to the area. Back in the thread I explain the cooling process, electrically cheap but not so waterwise which was one of the draw cards of AP. Got to 26.6°c @34°c ambient today and I expect higher temps tomorrow with a pair of 39°c + to follow, probably a couple of degrees higher up here in the hills. Our cooling relied on a low humidity (evaporative) which we're not getting currently so I'm glad the trout are out.
I've proved carrying trout through summer here is possible, twice, next is to follow Mattyogas Barra project at minimum cost in AP and am looking for cheap flings. Tell me it can't be done, I dare you.

Just passed 20000 views. thanks viewers, you rock.
AP on 2016.
Peace.

Hey Skeg, great stuff please get in touch before you get here so I'm ready for that beer. Beer always tastes better when someone is buying, I will have to return the favour.

I am from Africa so I am not too perturbed by the millipede (is that what you call them there?) as we get some pretty nasty stuff in SA too although not as many venomous creatures there are plenty of venomous and deadly ones. It makes life a little more exciting doesn't it?

Once I got in the shower there was a small cotton ball lying on the floor when I switched on the shower it exploded into about 3000 baby spiders, they were already hatched and ready to go. Luckily the shower was already on and they all went down the drain.

Yep similar insects in both countries Martin, I had a great time in Africa when I was there many moons ago. Must seem quite tame there in NZ.

Back to topic, plants suffering in the heat and from lack of input. Time for more b&b methinks.

Neat looking critter, we have those in the US as well. FYI - Centipedes have one pair of legs per body segment and long antennae while millipedes have two and short antennae - this one is a Centipede as noted on the picture.

Hmmm, quite interesting that I was taught the exact opposite growing up. I checked online and you are correct.

LOL Skeg, when you're not measuring your fish and posting on line you are measuring the wildlife and posting.

Do you get those little sand scorpions? They live under the skirting boards and hurt like, well a scorpion sting when you stand on them.

I agree it is such a relief to have the trout out and not worrying about the temperatures. Now we just worry about fires!

Life would be boring if we didn't have something to worry about

Hey again Skeg, I have some of the swimming pool cover bubble plastic you can have if you think it would be useful in insulating your tank for the barra (like Matt did). If you are in the southern hills and interested PM me.
ps I had better make sure the War Office has not thrown it out.

Hiya Marc, yep sand scorpions here, always wondered how it felt when they tickled you.
As housing encroaches on the bush land we're doing our best to give the wildlife a bit of a sanctuary on our mini soon to be urban farm. My hoarding tendencies give them heaps of hidey holes much to my partners dismay. Thanks for the offer of the pool cover however I have a few rolls of the pool insulation already housing arachnids...
Before I go down the barramundi avenue I'd need to get another 3k tank at the right price AND clear it with the one who must be obeyed...
Besides I'm now a bee keeper and AP has taken a back seat until this new beek novelty wears off and the silvers grow bigger.
The bee keeping community are a weird mob.

Oh yeah bee keepers are weird alright! A lot of opinionated old school beeks with closed minds. Fortunately there are are a lot of newbies paving the way for a new generation. Seems to me that there are a lot more women interested in bee keeping than AP too.....

So back to topic.
The system has ticked away over summer without much help from me apart from a lot of water top ups.
Tomato's went well until the grubs set in, a few rock melons but the squash and zuccini so we're failures. I've recently added 500ml of Charlie carp and this seems to have given the plants a bit of a boost, it's been slow growing tbh.
The sps have been growing with two floaters for no apparent reasons and I've also added 3 x 25mm koi with the intention for more and eventually on selling.
But to the crux of this update.......
I'm planning an expansion.....
Just one more gb....

Here's the plan.
I have a BYAP bed to add and the plan is to decommission the middle bed, turn it 90° And add the spare bed parallel to it plumb them in using the existing pipe work and running one as a raft bed.
Problem is, is that I run timed f&d and need to put a filter of sorts before the raft sys.
I'd like to get a comparison with a media bed and raft bed off a common feed to see the growth differential. It seems raft systems are out out performing my media beds and I'd like to confirm or debunk.
So I'm thinking a rff or settling tank feeding the raft. I'd like to create a rff beneath the raft gb to minimise the foot print using a sealed olive drum set below the gravity fed water level. Anyone doing this?
Also is anyone running a raft system on f&d?

Trout time soon.

How many trout you stocking this season Skeg? Good going on the expansion.

Hiya peeps, quick update.
Sorry for the late reply Martin. Only 15 trout this year and they are in the small pift system, all growing nicely, we still have trout in the freezer from last year, smoking one here and there. Probably cut back to 10 next year.
It's been cold and wet and windy here with not much happening in the AP patch. The expansion is back on hold as other works around the place has taken priority.... Again...
We had a koi die possibly due to the skretting pellets I was feeding and since changing to koi food alls well.
The silvers are growing slowly and aren't eating much due to the temps. I've stapled shade cloth over the tank to keep the leaves out. Permitemp sort of thing...

I've made a decision not to spray neem or Bt and it seems that the pests are now being controlled naturally. Snail pellets are still necessary though.
Started a couple of wicking pots for potatos which I'm really happy with, more on the cards.