Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Couldn't wait any longer... it was delicious...

Looks good

Gave a couple of trout to "Schnapper Steve" a couple of weeks ago... he writes a regular fishing commentary in the local newspaper...

He's also the president of the localfishing club, and club champion for about the last decade or more...

And a KEEN trout angler.... like, he'll drive 500km, walk another 30km... and stand in a freezing cold river all day... just to catch a trout...

He knows his fish... especially his trout... Caught up with him today and asked him what he thought....

"Bloody beautiful mate... great colour, really meaty.... called my neighbour over to try some.... he reckoned they were "excellent"....

He was so impressed that he's going to start an AP system at home so he can grow his own....

And he's going to do a write up for his next column....

Was that from yesterday?(picked)
Good time for harvesting fruit and veg for the next week.
And planting

Yep, picked yesterday C1....planting (lots) tomorrow...

Mmm!

I hate that bastard Sod/Murphy...

With my daughter away from Friday night through until this evening... I took the opportunity to shot up to Natfish at Grafton... to catch up on some unfinished modules from last year...

Had my mate Dean look in and feed the fish over the weekend... no dramas...

He called me about 17:00... as I was on my way back home, I told him not to bother checking things... I'd do it when I got home...

Picked up the daughter and suggested take-away for tea.... then decided we'd eat in instead....

Got home just on dark.... to find the shade cloth on the trout tank torn to shreds....

And the pipe I'd repaired previously.... cracked.... and about 400mm of water left in the tank... and a dozen or so trout upside down...

Revived a few... and put the other nine out of their misery....

Downside....

Nine dead trout...

Upside...

Nine fresh 500gm trout in the fridge...

Remainder of trout happily swimming around in nice fresh water...

Able to get a look and rough count of remaining trout... 100+... most around 500gm+...

Will do, what I should have done a while back.... and reconfigure/replace the damaged plumbing from the last incident... tomorrow...


So the conclusion I've reached... given that temps are starting to drop off...

Is that I can probably carry trout right through summer....

Provided ...

I stock... to size and number (biomass)... for the tank.... and trout oxygen requirements...

That oxygen is an ABSOLUTE MUST for trout.... lots of it...

And that while I've been able to maintain the trout through water temps up around 25-26 degrees for a day or two... with judicious water changes, in combination with weather changes... to bring temps down...

And altered feed rates to suit temperatures...

I've been able to maintain the trout through summer... without loss of condition...

But with markedly slowed growth rates...

Oh Boy, You wouldn't be happy with that. Im trying to get hold of your knowledge because I am trying to get backup system happening before i have power outage!

Trout on there Rupe

I'm glad we like catfish though since our water will likely be up to that 26+ mark by May and stay that way till November. (And water changes don't help me much since even in winter the water comes out of the well between 22 and 24.)

Anyway, rock on!

Hey Rupe how are the barra going i am busting to see photos mate

Rupe, how the heck do you deal with the basil root balls? I have a pretty good sized plant that has a pretty large root ball. I can't see how you fit it all in the hydro system??!!

In hydro.... the roots spread longitudinally within the channels... and aren't generally a problem...

Unless the Basil (or other plants) get to around 700mm+...

Here's an example.... the main stem (broken off) is situated over a hole.... so you can see that the roots only span about halfway toward each accompanying hole.... but have grown thick and widthwise ... to fill the channel...





Taller, more extensive rooting, or longer life-span plants, such as tomatoes. peppers etc... are usually grown in wider/deeper channels...

And while I'm at it... my spring onions are looking more like leeks...

thanks rupe, mine look like that, I think the root ball might be a bit bigger though. Maybe different species or less available nutes in my system.

The roots of the basil in my pipes can get plenty big enough to block up the channels, I have to yank the plants out and prune the roots every so often to avoid overflows.

I think Rupe has some magic going on there.