Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Somehow my Introduction didn't get posted so here once again.


Hello,

My name is Willy (in full person, not behind my trouser zipper) and I am a German expat living since 13 years in Tapong/Muang Rayong Thailand.
I am 53 years old, married to a Thai working in the renewable energy sector in the offshore and getting a bit fed up with traveling.
I came to Aquaponics due to my history. Some of my relatives from Germany and Holland are farmers using hydroponics and with the coming age, the wish came up to leave the job and start the same my relatives did.
Well here we go.

I have made near Khon Kaen in a small village an aquaponic test farm of 120sqm and after 2 years and 25000 EURO later it went into a full sucess.
We fed almost the entire village...
...until my father i. law's buffalo made the farm equal with the ground.
I was feeding it every day with leafes and after I went for a job it helped itself in my greenhouse...

All what is left is now a high motivated Thai family, the grandparents, parents and uncles with worn out bones from the hard works in the rice fields, sugar cane fields, rubber plantages and their worries about the future of their kids.
The uncle gave us 20 rai (32000 sqm) of land and now we want to give it a go.

BUT, we are aware, that the test system with only ONE fishtank will be not the same as a commercial farm.

Phase one will be another 1800sqm test farm with 8 fish tanks and I reckon there is a bit more to learn as what we learned in our small farm.
Phase 2-5 will be expanding in increment steps each 5000sqm till year 2021.
Thai Aquaponics sticking still in children's shoes by meaning open air or roof covered. This leaves the potential and the plant selection is limited by heat and humidity.
We will go for greenhouses, hence a more controllable climate and green energy by meaning solar power
which gives us the option to produce a wider range of veggies.

I hope I will find here a lot of help to make these planned phases to a sucess.

One lesson learned were the words from my wife's auntie:
Will, the salad grew in 4 week sooo big, are you sure it is not poisonous?

Welcome to the forum Will

Cheers

scotty435

those darn Buffalo! Welcome. Your situation sounds fascinating. Can't wait to hear more as you go along.

Cheers boss,

sure I'll post permanently futher as long here are people want to read it. It is a quite new way in the traditional orientated farming minds of Thailand.
The consumers behaviour is turning already, there are more wealthy Thais, more open minds for new and bio.
It is in these countries time to add some variety to the traditional kitchen.
This cannot beeing archieved with traditional farming neighter traditional nor by heavy priced imports.
We need climate controlled Greenhouses, efficient enough to feed this demand.
Thats why I go this pioneers way here in Thailand and I connect myself to these forums to hear about good but more about the bad ideas of my system plans.
Just a small fault in thinking could be ending in a desaster.
On the other hand it might motivate others in these countries to follow and use ideas that come up.
I hope nobody hesitates to put up his doubts here, right or wrong, many minds will have more chance for a best final solution.

As I stated: I am good in renewables, I have good farmers background with my family behind me, i have excellent marketing cracks in my family and after I supported them with the university costs they turned into diamonds.

But plumbers I have not and I am the lousiest of all. This area, we are still not good enough.
Every suggestion is welcome, a small fault can create a total desaster.
Thanks for you mind and when we reach the target I hope that some here in these forums will be my guest at the opening BBQ by beer and yabbies or at least could use the experiences put together in this thread and follow up the modern way of commercial growing.

Lets go further over my thread found in this forum under:
-start a new family project in Thailand
-in: Commercial Systems

best Regards

Will