Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I giess it depends which end you're looking from DP

Cudos Rupert, ffor being the only one to properly understand the problem, and find a simple solution. :-)

I love the duckaponix idea!

My other half is really keen on getting some chickens but I was wondering if I should try to steer him to ducks instead? How do their eggs compare? How bout their destructiveness in the garden if you try to use them for insect control?

Ducks are better in the garden than chickens, eggs are quite rich served straight, however because the male is quiet and the eggs are fertile I have hatched most of mine thus far and have the joy of 8 cute little ducklings now.

Despite the 4 urban cats that frequent my yard because I have a breeding pair of large multi use Silver Appleyards I have not had to house them or worry about them.

The downside however is the poo, but hopefully using duckaponix technology the duck experience can be made more pleasant.

However get chickens and ducks both serve a purpose, I also keep a Chinese silkie rooster and chickens and my neighbours have been great, the rooster has a special quiet night box until 8:30 each morning though when I let him out.

PS regards my system per question below I will post up hopefully within next few weeks when it goes together and is all working!

How is your system design progressing Ev? You realize that your poo problems might be getting a bit worse with 8 more ducks, they might be cute now, but soon they will be poo factories...

Ducks will eat most of the garden, however i believe that chooks will do the same. You must accept the trade off. Peovided they have plenty of green fodder they will leave the less desirable stuff alone. We have 50m of kikuyu lawn thet they enjoy eating. They leave the tomatos, parsley, oregao, citrus etc alone. Lettuce and spinach aree a delicacy and if you feed them those by hand you may lose a finger.
I another part of the garden our 4 week old ducklings ran out of grass and ate everything in reach including a citronella plant. At least the po did not smell bad for a few days.
My ducks solved my fruit fly problem. Fruit fly pupate in the ground, and the constant nuzzling in the ground under the fruit trees destroyed or ate all the pupa. This occured in one season. Infestation to nothing in one year with no spray at all

was alimatising about 10 tiny bass in a bucket of water with duckweed today, then i remembered the duck and chooks were out. hope i didn't loose too many!

Hey, Duckpond!

How is it going? Water still clear? I figure ducks are about 5x as "productive" of wastes as fish so would need 5x as much growbed, but that is just a BOE estimate. How about a reality check?

Pictures too!

So many ideas, so little time!

Ducks and chooks all have their own personalities(percululiarities).Two of mine love eating one of my roses (one only ,they leave the rest alone!!)
Chooks in the garden?NO. They scratch around eat everything and what they dont eat .t hey they dig up.Ducks do much less damage,they control snails etc and FERTILIZE the soil. Not saying I hate my chooks ,its a good feeling to have them fly on my lap then my shoulder ,peck my nose ears etc then shit on my shoulder.The fish I have cant do that but i love them too.Animals are so much easier to live with than people! Had my say sorry about the hijack and hope you have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and all goes well 4 you next year (YEARS) Colin
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Colin,
is there any reason for putting half a blank page after the message

Sorry bout that Ell,not very computer literate!.tend to press the wrong buttons (shift enter)at times. waste of space i know but ill try to do better inthe future!!!!!!

No worries, was trying to find an image or something and wondering if I had missed the punch line

The water is still clear, but i'm having problems with a gasket seal. It leaks badly, so i have to see ehat i can do over the break.

I am very impressed your inovation DP and have a friend who is keen to go down the duckaponics path.
We have read every word and have a rough design ready so any chance that you can repost the photos of your system, or new pics?
The original ones are no longer viewable.

Pics reposted