Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

didn't forget to look milne, had almost 40mm in 1/2 hour! the system just couldn't cope with that down pour. I used the inspection pipe to drop in a pump to pump it out. The rain and the storm was crazy over the last 2 days. local shopping centre had roof collapse, high school down the road got hit by lightning. 198 kids in the room when it happened, no-one hurt but the building caught fire. Up at our school on the hill, lighting everywhere, had a bolt land not 10 meters from a room I was supervising. Bloody loud and scared the S@#T out of all of us!

Just stiring

Been a while since I last posted. Have had a computer meltdown, but am back on line now. After the last lot of rain, things have been ticking along pretty well. cumbers are at an end, tomatoes are going crazy, basil have flowered so will save for seed, strawberries fruiting again and leaving runners for next season, corn harvestsed with one more crop to come, pumpkin fruiting, watermelon a bit disappointing, maybe next year chose a different variety, lettuce and silverbeet still going strong, kiwi, grapes, rasberries and blackberries growing strong, ready for fruiting next season (they don't fruit first season and should next). My dedicated trout pond is on hold, was waiting for the water to dry up which it did, but just got another dumping so will need to wait again. Did go and buy 50 rainbows and 25 browns for my system and they are coming along fine. Water got to 24 deg, trout seemed to be happily smimming and feeding. Temps should cool down now.

I know photos phots photos. Will do when time allows. Work started a few weeks ago, corrections, syllabus, reports, counselling reports, assignments etc.... coming out of my you know what so time is pretty precious at them moment!

Will provide more detail update soon.

Quachy out.

Quick update:

Been sick as a dog lately with Bali belly - for those who know me, will know that I couldn't afford to get lose anymore weight... well 6kgs later.... was a stick before, now i'm a blade of grass. Anyway, guts are back in line so hopefully all well from here.

In terms of AP - system needing a bit of an overhaul in terms of planting, ready for winter crop. Tomatoes still producing and now have more than enough bottled for winter ready now for the drying. Strawberries got a massive haircut and are now re-growing leaves with some more flowers coming for an autumn crop, corn was awesome with my last batch just about ready for picking and seed saving. Basil went to seed awhile ago, silverbeet and lettuce going strong as always, bush beans just about done and dusted, all of my plants I have had in pot and sunk into the ap have roots everywhere - need to do something about that! Beetroot still going well, capsicum - never ever tasted capsicum as sweet as the ones from the ap! had 4 watermelons, sweet as sweet can be and saved seeds for next year, the other water melons were picked by number 2 son before ripe - cheeky bugger. Pumkin was a bit of a letdown only one fruit, cucumbers went crazy but are well done now, chilli and praprika still going strong, getting another bed ready for more carrots.

Fish - put in trout a few weeks ago 50 rainbows and 25 browns. All going well. Silvers still feeding very storng and growing well, bass very very very very very very very slow growers - better be worth it - cod are much faster growers than they are made out to be, I am thinking that I should have 20-25 of them at plate size by end of summer next year, which will make about 18mths grow out, biggest one is at 20cm. Biggest silver at about 35cm but if ot bigger but way too hard to catch without stressing them all. Silver fingerlings I got in Nov are at about 12cm to 8cm and still feeding very stgrong. Will keep them feeding as much as possible before the cold hits. Catfish are feeding well but are also pretty slow growers.

My dedicated trout system is on hold while I re-configure everything. I am going to decomission my first sytem and use the tanks in my biig system, just not sure exactly the config. They have yabbies in them now from a mates dam. went in brown and now are as blue as anything. had a couple of yabbie deaths I think from other yabbies. have heaps of hides but obviously not enough. been feeding them barra pellets but they seem to grow very slowly - read cannot notice any growth. will take some phots when I can.

quachy out.

Good to see you back on track
Gees 6 kg lighter dont stand behind the closeline post no body will see you

yeah I know! went to bali for brothers wedding came back ok. didn't hit me until a day later. everyone on the trip was the same! One week (6 days to be exact) on a diet of gatorade! couldn't hold any food down, anything I ate either came up or went right through. Doesn't make me want to go back there in a hurry!

Well, it's certainly has been a long time since I have updated this blog! Our summer crop has well finished and pulled up the last tomatoe plant today to make room for more peas. The tomatoe was still producing but the frost finally got to it and I wanted to free up some space, so out it came.

I now have about 90 rainbow trout and 90 brown trout gowing away in the system, with my catfish, cod, bass and silvers wintering. The water temp is dipping to 5 degrees these days and have lost 4 cod, 3 catfish, 3 bass and 7 silver fingelings Not a great deal I can do really, it gets way too cold at night and the days are not really warm enough to get the wate temps up. Did my fist water test since who knows when and the readings are 0 amm, 0 rites and 15 rates. pH was at 6 (well may have been a lower reading, as that the limit of my testing kit). Will go out tomorrow and pick up lots of shell grit and stockings to help buffer back up to the 7 mark. Things are still growing and the trout seem happy as do the bigger cod, catfish and silvers so I'm not too stessed. The plants seem to be fine and growing well also so the low pH isn't too much of a problem at the moment.

Pulled up all of my strawbery plants, very sad day that was. I had transferred some stwberries from my first system, which were not doing so well due to aphids. I thought I got rid of all the aphids, but alas I did not. The remaining lady bettles couldn't keep up and the aphids won over. Damn things! So now no more strawberies for the moment, but have ordered a heap moe to put in which should arrive by the end of the month, ready for spring/summer. By then the remaining aphid infestation should be well gone.

All in all, the vegies have continued to grow well despite the cold weather and we are having regular home gown produce every night. Family fav (except mine as I hate beetroot) is beetroots, cleaned and peeled, halved, wrapped in foil with a good couple of lugs of balsamic and good quality olive oil. Chuck in the oven on the bottom shelf in a moderate oven. I cook the slow roasts on the middle shelf and these beetroot babies go in for just as long (about 2-2.5hrs depending on the roast). Although I don't like beetroot (Hayley's homemade preserves excluded) the smell that fills the room when I open the foil up is amazing!

Anyway, in the mists of building the wood oven (finally) and I will be pouring the foundation tomorrow (weather pending). I have 2 more weeks to get it finished (good luck with that I say) and no funds to work with! Awesome! Will be re-using some pavers Vern gave to me and scrounging as much as I can before asking the minister for a loan.

Q

some photos

I love how the water drops pool on the water drops pool on the brocoli leaves.

Had a trout with a yabbie sauce for lunch today. sorry no pics. Trout was only 190grams but damn tasty! yabbie sauce also went down very very well!

By the looks of things, the trout should really stack on the weight by November. I am hoping for some around the 700gram mark. There are a few larger ones in there at the moment but don't want to stress them all by chasing them around for the sake of catching a few.

Anyway, when I am feeling peckish for trout again (hmmmm maybe tomorrow, but more likely next week) I'll remember to take photos!

Good to see you still going quachy was getting worried thought you may have fallen off the perch

still kicking Milne! just been crazy busy at work both couselling and teaching. had a pretty heavy load this year so far and looks like its going to get worse in the short term before getting any better. the next two weeks will be a good break from the madness at work and I can now get to the woodoven. after seeing yours over a year ago, i'm finally getting going! how is you system going these days?

Q

fish and slab

whats the slab for??

matt

Hey mate, was driving past a school today and realised that i didn't have to slow down to 40 and realised that it must be school holidays! Hearing from you, here, again confirms that!

good to see your system is still going well. I'm finally making progress on my expansion system but now undecided if I'll take on trout this season.