Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all,

Below are some pics of a makeshift indoor system i have just set up

I set this up partly becasue i was bored tonight, and partly because i had bought a punnet of strawberry seedlings from B a couple of weeks ago that were still sitting on the kitchen windowsill

I used to have the light on above the fishtank anyway, but since i added the filter to the tank and the turbidity cleared up the perch seem to be chasing each other and generally looking more annoyed than before, so i thought why not cut the light down and give the strawberries a fighting chance by creating a "sort of but not quite" floating raft saves me doing the water changes on the tank as well

I had a punnet of snow peas that i bought at the same time, an they had not grown much just sitting in the punnet on the windowsill..............until i dunked them in the tank water. then tehy doubled in size in about 3 days so hopefully the strawberries will like the water too

great idea... look forward to update on this as this is the same thing I am trying with lettuce

I don't know what it is but seeing those roots dangling it the water like that just seems right. Nice

Cool. Steve, you've inspired me to convert the fountain on our deck to a teeny aquaponics demo system. Aquaponics is where you make it...

hahahahaha........ everyone is turning the slightest bit of water into aquaponic systems..... Nice one Steve, you won't have any sand on those strawberries...

Ripper Steve, I'm assuming the perch don't have an interest in the roots as a snack? Looks great, interesting to see if the strawbs get asny fruit post our discussions on their viability for pollenation in a greenhouse. Keep us posted

I am confident I could convert the one bathroom into a fantastic indoor aquaponic system (hell, it has the pond already)... could replace the fluro with growlox ones, add another tank, a little woodwork, all topped off with a visit to the courts to sign evorce papers
I am not alowed to bring it inside, if I do all hell will break out!

LOL. yes, i can picture it now. its summer, someone brings two buckets of water outside to water the front garden.......the phone rings and distracts them. They come back outside after five minutes to find one of their buckets has fish in it and the other has gravel and plants, plumbed up to a solar pump. "Damn you aquamen", they cry.
LOL

I probably would have seen faster growth with lettuce, but i didn't have any on me, or the peas, but i din't have the height.

Will keep you posted. ha ha posted, get it? (i'm in a laughing mood, sorry )

Have not seen he perch picking at the roots, and they were hungry when i came home. Its funny, once they are comforable with you and the light levels are not too bright, they are very friendly. I was a few cms away fron the tank wall, staring at the roots, then my eyes darted down to find 6 perch almost head butting the glass right in front of my face, scary.

You kissed the glass didn't you steve? Go on, admit it, you love those perch

my secret shame exposed.......................

BTW thanks for all the positive comments. The GF was quite perplexed when i began using a plaster saw on an old polystyrene fruit box, on the loungeroom floor at about 11 pm last night but she was interested and supportive

No shame....
Any good aquaponist needs an understanding partner!!

Still laughing about the bucket comment...

Bit of an update on the strawberries. lots of new growth, i'll let the pics do the talking

I've tried to take them from the same angle for comparison 2 weeks on.

It took about 1 week for the roots to sort of "adapt" before i saw any growth, both above and below.

will be interesting to see what the next two weeks looks like

I reckon they're about to take off.

I generally find they sit, sit, sit, about a fortnight then whoosh. They're off and leaving competition for dead.

Great idea putting them right there, simplicity. Now will the fish take a nibble, i think not but time will tell.

Do you walk round junk stores mentally trying to adapt everything you see into a fishtank or growbed?

I do....

Yes, it must be a stage of the aquaponics virus.