Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

In an effort to prepare for a more sustainable future for our family I have come to realize that I must close the loop of nutrition otherwise I will always be buying feed. Here is what I have planed so far. Im trying to get a good workable set of plans that I can execute. Feel free to add anything I might have missed.

Input sun. No output to waste. As long as our waste is going to oblivion we will have to keep adding nutrition from the out side. Now I know that there will always be some things that require purchase as long as we participate in a modern world. My goal is to get out of being a consumer as much as I can.

So, lets start with out own output, aka poop/pee ect.. Recycled gray water and rain water will flush, our black water waste will we processed via a wetlands using cat tails growing starch at the rate of about 7 pounds per plant. The cat tails will be fermented to produce alcohol for a generator and the car. The left over hi quality protein will be fed to worms, fish, and cows. Cow and fish poop along with veggie scraps will be fed to worms and the worms will be fed to the fish and chickens. We will eat the cow, fish and veggies. Algae will be growing in ponds and dried for additional fish feed and perhaps oil. Thats the food loop.

The house is going to be heated and cooled with a ground cool tube system. Lights, fridge, AP pumps, and washer will be solar and generator powered. Off grid.. Supplemental fuel will be from processed waste breads a sweets from local factories and stores processed into alcohol. Hot water will be solar and supplemented with alcohol heating.

So thing to build are:
75 gallon gas tank for mixing alcohol to get E85
Fermentation tanks, 2000 gallons
500 gallon fuel storage
8 gallons per hour 190 proof single pass still
ground tube manifold
Solar water heater
Solar PV install
Solar well pump
Water tower
Large Worm bin
Solar Dryer for drying food, worms, and algae
Algae ponds
2 1 acre cow pastures, clear trees and plant grass, plant grass
Build 1 more 1000 gallon ap system...

Ducks, duckweed, azolla, meat rabbits with their droppings going to the tilapia, BSF larvae to pre-process waste before the compost worms do (ala biopod site's description of BSF -> worm bins), freshwater mussels. Sheep? Goats? Maybe more efficient than cows...

My big plan was to gather school lunch waste and feed it to BSF larvae. Had to recover stepson's retainer in the school dumpster once so I have a good idea about how much of the school lunches are uneaten (most).

I have a small BSF bin already producing about .25 gallons of worms every day. I can see how it would be easy to scale this up. I plan to blend the worms steam out the fat and mix with algae and veggies then dry into flake food for the winter months.

For you or for the fish? Sounds yummy.

I will taste it and get back to you

Its fish/chicken food.

Have you looked into a digester to provide methane for cooking/heating fuel? Might be an appropriate way to deal with black water if the wetlands don't work out so well.

Yes, I have considered it. That might be a great way to pre treat the waste before the wetlands. I just requires a mixing arm or a pumping piston and baffles for a continuous flow version. I will reconsider that.

I've seen some pretty low tech continuous flow systems that seem interesting. Seems that if you are going to use water to get rid of waste, then the digester seems appropriate. I personally like to save the water and not use a flusher at all but humanure composting is not for everyone I suppose.

Has anyone considered growing food-grade mushrooms off waste? Might be worth checking into.

Suggest Moringa and Leuceana for additional fodder,,,,also mix a suitable legume with the grass.

Don't forget Quail as an excellent protein source (eggs and meat).

http://www.mla.com.au/TopicHierarchy/In ... ucaena.htm

Don't forget cattle need to be drenched witha bacteria in order to process Leuceana.

I find wheelie bins make great worm farms.

If you put a bug light/zapper over an outdoor pond you will feed fish free all night and in the morning have bugs to scoop for other fish or chickens. Side benifit is if in the vicinity of the garden far less bug damage to crops. If in the vicinity of house or patio far less bugs to harass you at night.
Grey water from laundry has to many salts and phosphates to feed plants directly. Perhaps would build up over time and even kill cat tail. If you make your own soap or buy natural bars then bath water works ok. Soap such as Zest or lifebouy have to many phospates. Dish soap commonly has phospates and alcohol.
As to biogas digestor, google and take a look at Biorealis systems digester. I am working on one and using a biolet flushless system.
Your working in the right direction. Eved if the world economy dosent go to hell or nuculear war happen... You are taking responsability for your future. Soon instead of sitting around complaining about things you will be in control. Hovever much of your list you accomplish, you will have that much control. You will habitually work on solutions instead of being a victum on valium. Go for it.

"""If you put a bug light/zapper over an outdoor pond you will feed fish free all night"""

NAHHH ..... many bug zappers have 2 X 20 watt flouro's in them PLUS the hi voltage grid ..... 50 Watts per hour for a 12 hour night equals 0.6 KWH ..... so about 8 cents ..... AND how much greenhouse gas used to produce that?

NUTTEN free in this world.

I truly think the BSF trap is far superior , nil on going power usage.

A major problem with bag zappers over your fish tank is the amount of bug bits that end up in the pump. It has blocked pumps in the past.

You're going to build your own geothermal heat pump system?
I want the blow-by-blow on that, WOW!.