Hello!
I've been reading threads here for several months. My wife and I have slid into a lifestyle both of us absolutely adore and are addicted to: "Urban Homesteading"... She's an Oregon certified Master Gardener, volunteer teaching at the local university She's lived off the grid on an island for 3 years, is also a master "canner", Hunted, cleaned and canned/froze her first Elk when she was a young teenager, catches 30lb Salmon as I watch them pass by my rod, built and paddled a canoe for 4 months/3,500 miles from Montana to the East Coast, as smart as a tack and thought my gift of a worm farm and a HD chipper/shredder were the best gifts she's ever received! ...and, she wears black dresses very well and you'd never know there was this "rustic side to her by looking...
As for me, I'm the technical one. Originally from Los Angeles, motion picture special effects artist, prototype developer for items ranging from deep sea (more then 5,000'!) diving camera housings to toys your children are probably playing with right now. I've worked with solar and wind generating, have a shop that lacks very little... When people ask:'What do you do?" I respond with: "I make stuff"... The list includes wind tunnel models for Northrop/Grumman, kinetic public sculptures, shavers... Awarded top ten designs from Time Magazine and business week's silver design award. Oh, and on the side, I design, manufacture and sell electric powered UAV's...
Please know... I am NOT bragging here... Just wanted you to know who is behind some of the wild ideas I have planned for our Aquaponics projects... We are getting ready for spring with a new set up for chickens and rabbits. The fish were an obvious move.
We just received two IBC's that look like new! (Used one time for food thickeners). We also have a 1,500 gal koi pond in front that is getting re-purposed. 3,500gph pump now runs a waterfall with stream. Once the IBC's are set up, we're transferring the koi to the tanks while we empty the pond (lined), and remove all the decorative rocks to add more volume. The outflow from the pump will be plumbed back into the opposite end of the pond and the skimmer/filter will be re-designed with bio-balls and assorted filtration elements. An air pump will be added as will a solar heater. The current plants have overtaken the pond. They will be removed (and SAVED) and replaced once we fill the pond back up.
We plan on raising catfish in the pond (decision based on cold water tolerance and our love of the taste of catfish.) The IBC's will be stocked with Tilapia. My goal for the IBC's is to focus on raising as much Tilapia as possible. Chemistry will be controlled by variable flow (and back washable), filters including a vortex filter with a drain. (Remember? She's a master Gardener (now equipped with a compost making shredder and a worm farm! LOL!) The filtration should help with overstocking the fish (not going nuts, but definitely planning on making out). (I've already got the power-out backup system (T105 battery banks running a 2,000watt inverter and charged from a plug in smart charger. I also have a home made 12generator designed to run on a small 50cc gas engine just to top the batteries along with ample solar panels to cover the aquaponics electrical needs even if there are a few days without sun...
Whew!
Me thinks this was a lot for an introduction?
Too much?
Too late! *smiling here*
I also love to write and taking a break from my current project by sharing is just what I needed after putting in a couple of weeks of 18hr plus days (including weekends!) Deadline is next week!
Well, I just registered today and submitted my first thread regarding the use of used automobile radiators as a heat collector for solar water heating (Concerned about the antifreeze that was in them.) I don't think it's posted yet as I was informed that a moderator needs to review first (totally understandable...)
I must say... I've been to a lot of forums on all sorts of subjects and I have never found one so polite and helpful as this one...
Again, Many thanks for all the info you have shared. It has been so appreciated! I hope to return the favor in kind as we build our systems, sharing details with lots of photos.
OK... enough! I REALLY need to get back to work! LOL!
Richard
Backyard Aquaponics
