Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

nice set up, should be quite productive.

I know Rup, anything could happen from here, like my trout supplier could let me down...

I hope it will be productive cause apart from the effort and expense, I've told the world at large how wonderful it will work and I've already got my eye on my trout smoker (which can be used to make nitrate-free bacon incidentally).

Well, Murphy say that for every situation that is talked up apriori, there is at least 50% of that talk up volume achieved in disappointment.

I have a proof somewhere, but I can't be bother digging it up

Seriously, if you put the hours in, a system that size should pay for itself in fish and veg in 4 years (delending on SS gb cost!!!) But you will get much more value out of it, especially with kids around.

On the 4x faster growth rate you asked about earlier. When all the plants are a similar size, you get fantastic growth rate. But I find that when you start mixing very young plant with very large/old plants, the young plants can get stunted, due to competition for nutrient, and the larger plants' root system diverting water flow.

Wow how did you make those growbeds?

My husband works next to some stainless guys and they owed him a favour. I was going to buy plastic ponds from bunnings for $250 each the they were so small I was resenting having to fork out. Then at the last minute I had a brainwave. Id ask the stainless guys for a quote. They only charged for material and we gave them extra cause they spent 11 hours welding poor buggers. Including courier we got them for $2000 and they were more than happy.

Was a lot to fork out for my 1st system but its at the front of the house so I wanted it to be at least a little aesthetically pleasing. Hubby is going to deck In between the "U" so I will have somewhere to sit n have a cuppa. He's alas going to put timber around the sides so it shouldn't look so sterile. Will post pics ASAP.

But tonight I broke myself. I went to the gym this morning and then shovelled 2T of scoria into the beds using a 30l stock pot. Felt find at the time but now I realise why I work in a lab and not in landscaping. All those muscles I never knew I had! Gunna pay tomorrow.

GOLD - all of it

Nah... most of it's stainless...

My muscles say most of its scoria

Pictures please

Here he is Jay-man..

Hes full of rocks

Wasn't it she posting this time....this is confusing

Eeew that is revolting. Eeew!!

Best Mother's Day ever. Plumbing done and timer on and pee ponics in action. A few choice veg just to get me started while I figure out how to direct sow. I have some seed tape lying around so I will try that for the lettuce. The rest to come at my leisure. Not a bad life really is it?

My enthusiasm has rubbed off at my kids primary school where we will shortly be setting up a similar (albeit smaller) system. I feel a bit "born again". Freaky...

Happy Mother's Day to my fellow APeers