Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

We are supposed to bloom where we are planted... I had hopes that we could have some space to experiment with AP, but all that I have is a planting area of 3 feet around the outside of our "villa" (a FL term for a side by side duplex). AND we must receive permission from the BOARD of Directors for any changes outside.

So I started with the permit system for installing a rain barrow. Six weeks later I am still waiting for written approval. The BOARD discussed it at one meeting and tabled it so they could discuss this new idea and determine if I will be breeding mosquitoes.

My second request was to enlarge my back step by two feet, paint the back door and install an outdoor electrical outlet. I had verbal approval on that after the BOARD reviewed the outside are in question and told me where to buy the paint and what color to get. I don't have the written permit but I did the work already.

While I was waiting I set up a system to start "the fishless cycle" in my Florida room. I learned many things about my city drinking water. PH is high. Chloroamines are used and provide a large dose of NH4+ when testing. So I put containers under the roof line to collect rain water, (remember no rain barrow yet!). I was able to collect enough water to wash some river gravel and somr water to start cycling. Then the rains ended.

So now I have torn out my cacti and replaced them with a 20 gallon recycle bin in-ground (FT) with 2 10 gallon rubbermade containers for GB on the ground. I have hidden the growbeds by planting some low growing plants around the front and sides. (Just so the BOARD does not find them objectionable. ) I have the plumbing built out of old hose for the drains and soft black tubing for the pump system. I tried for the lowest cost portable system I could construct in case this BOARD or the next one decides that I am in violation of some rule. (They were not too pleased when I put a tomato plant under my front pole light. But my neighbors ate all the produce when I went on vacation, so no one complained.)

To get water for this system, (no rain) I collect pond water in one of the rain containment areas near the golf course. I would go to the canal but just recently a 17 year boy had an arm amputated by an alligator in one of the canals. So I have been smuggling water to fill my system. I now have about 10 gallons. (Please let it rain!)

I started fishless cycling outside this morning and believe it or not, I have caused a fatality. I put a wire shelf over the FT and somehow a 5 inch lizard ended up floating belly up.
I'll post some photo's and test results after I dispose of the body.

Point out to the board that the fish will make short work of any mozzies CF...

Move away from thoes jack booted thugs as soon as you can! Wow.


Show us photos of your stelth ap setup. A great bunch of ppl on here. You will need to learn the lingo (right mate). What kind of fish did you have in mind?

Too Right Cobber
CityFish sounds bazaar that you have smuggle water, you can have some of our rain, and drama's with the board man you deserve a good system, good luck and don't loose an arm

Fish? I hope to net a few tilapia and introduce them into the system outside. They are breeding in the wild here. With only 20 gallons I can't put very many in. But if you noticed I said outside. With luck, I'll find an aquarium or two for the inside and be able to plumb them to the future GB outside. It depends on my success with the small unit (and the BOARD). Now, I'd like to grow some herbs and exotics in the 2 little GB. I'll plant some edible flowers to cascade over the sides. Our back yard is on the south side.

I've planted veggies in the landscaping with yard long beans around my front pole and potatoes, both sweet and white, in the flower bed. I've tucked a few baby bok choy in, too. We aren't allowed to use a trellis, so I can't grow vertical. And we aren't allowed to plant fruit trees, but I have a banana plant in a pot hidden in the greenery.

I have a running battle with snails over an inch in height. Can I use their shells for buffering? They have to be good for something.

We are pistachio buffs here. I've been saving the shells and I've found that they don't float. So, I going to use them instead of gravel in a small pot. The pot should be light enough move i.e. to bring in during a hurricane. We also have shredded palm fronds that have nearly the texture of woven mats. Since some people use coco this may work as well.

This is a strange community. But near 80% of south FL lives under rules like these.

Let it be - the rotting flesh will add nutrients and amonia to the water By the sound of things you had better fish it out before the body corporate sees it

Looking forward to those pics!

If you can prop a stick or something in the tank so any lizards that fall in will have a way to climb out. I find that rain buckets will often catch a lizard and if there is a way for them to climb out, they will but if left to float in the water for too long, they get tired and drown. I've never had a lizard die in a container with something at an angle for them to climb out on.

Commercial rain barrels have screens over the top to prevent mossies from breeding there. It also keeps out leaves etc. Maybe tell the BOARD that? Or put a koi in. They always go over well with the snooty ones(*).

My city encourages rain barrels, composting, planting native plants, veggie gardens, worm bins...
People ask why I live in such a cola area, but those reasons help me last the winter!

* not at all implying that all koi owners are snooty. Just that snooty people often have koi.

cola area? Wow.
Cold, of course.

Well, we got our rain and my FT is full. It's not really clear water so I doubt that it has cycled. I'm waiting for my timer to arrive so I can install it on my pump. I've been running out to plug the pump in every hour (or so) for 10 minutes. Also coming UPS is an NO3 test kit.

I've stuck a few garlic cloves into one gb and most seed packets say to plant in August in South FL. So my timing should be pretty good. I am just praying that we don't have a hurricane this year. (with my luck, Seeds planted in August. Plants and fish removed by hurricane in September )

That's an interesting set of "design constraints" CF.

I think having the fish inside and the plants outside is the better way, because it sounds like you could never get enough water volume in that space, and if it were only plants outside then it wouldn't be as much of a target for ridicule.

Maybe the outside could use those tan plastic planters, so it doesn't look different than just some flower beds?

Can you hang twine down for the plants to grow on, that isn't a trellis right?

Be careful that the rain doesn't flood all the nutrients away from the system.

I've had a lot of dead birds in our goldfish ponds, I don't know why the birds have such a problem with them. I guess they get wet and then can't lift themselves out over the side...

Okay. The big brown truck brought me the test supplies and the timer for my pump. So here is the latest: After adding NH3 24 hours earlier.
pH 7.6 NH3 .25
NO2 3.3 -33 NO3 20
Temperature 86 F

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