Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Challenger Tafe in Fremantle will conduct a weekend Aquaponics course on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th. The course will suit both the beginner and those more experienced in Aquaponics systems.
Areas that will be covered will include :

System components and design
Water quality monitoring and maintenance
Fish selection, handling and health
Plant selection and health
Growout systems
Profitability and potential pitfalls of Aquaponics
Commercial systems
Greenhouse designs and low energy systems

A tour of one of the largest hatcherys in Australia is included and people wanting to purchase and take away Barramundi or Black Bream fingerlings can do so.

Lunch on both days will be provided.

To enrol and/or find out more details please contact Jenny Pond on 92398007 during normal office hours

Thats Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th of June

Is the course designed from an aquaculture perspective Tony.. or an aquaponics perspective?

Aquaponics perspective but given the fact that the fish are critical to the overall success of the systems, not only in the supply of the nutrients to the plants but also having a sufficiently high stocking density to make any commercial system profitable, then the fish side of things will be covered in sufficient detail.

Fair enough... so this course is designed with a "commercial" aquaponics focus then?

What commercial model will you be presenting?

In a two day course with so many areas to cover the emphasis will be on covering the main concepts of aquaponics. We will look at commercial systems particularly the raft system and the NFt system. However the course will not be going into these in any great detail. It is planned to do a more detailed commercial course for those who want it later in the year. Commercial aquaponics is on another scale altogether and introduces a whole new set of problems and issues.

Hi tony, don't want to be a pecker, but will you be heading the course?

I noticed your emphasis on the fish side of the ledger...
The fish are the firt producers only...
The veg is worth way more than the fish...
always will be.

Hi creative1,
yes i will be heading the course and yes you are quite right the plant side of things are usually the more profitable. I intend to cover both areas as much as possible and of course there is a third partner that most people either don't understand or forget..and thats the bacteria..both good and bad!

Cool tony, just out of interest, what do you reckon the minimum temperature for B Bream sruvival is?

My guesstimate is 10 C. I'm really not sure as at Fremantle the are in ocean water that ranges from 14 C in winter to 24 C in summer. However they have been put into freshwater ponds at places such as Wanderin and it is brass monkey country down there..even in summer

My Natfish course reflects the nature of the industry over here in NSW... as such it tends to emphasise pond based aquacuture systems and operations...

Most of which doesn't translate readily to aquaponics... and any mention of aquaponics tends to draw either looks of puzzlement... or information that is either non-productive or down right wrong...

I did do the RAS course, which was benficial, but limited in application to AP...

Whereas your operation seems to be more RAS based systems... more akin to aquaponic concepts...

No way I can get over for the course Tony... but would it be possible to get the course notes, powerpoint slides etc.... after the course has run????

PS... does Challenger actually run aquaponic systems at the Tafe???

Hi Rupertofoz,

yes we have an aquaponics system and i have been involved in helping set up systems locally in a community centre and high school. I agree that while many of the concepts of a RAS system are involved in Aquaponics they are not the same and the latter has its own particular required knowledge and skills. As for sending you a copy of the course notes I can't see a problem after the course.

Must be really handy for the TAFE having a bloke like Joel, with vast experience of aquaponics, and the BYAP shop with working systems... including a commercial system... to draw upon... and show students...

Does the course include a tour of the BYAP shop as part of the agenda??

Yes as a matter of fact Rupertofoz I was talking to Joel recently and we discussed coming to Backyard Aquaponics over the weekend of the course. I saw Joel today and I took his large Barra away to Tafe as it is getting too cold now for this species outdoors. We will replace his large Barra for the smaller Barra that we have coming on later in the year. I can use his larger Barra in our aquaponics system as we can keep the fish warm over the winter months.

Is this a "one off" Tony... or is the TAFE looking to perhaps incorporate "Aquaponics" as a fully structured course module??