Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I think these are insects what are they, and do I need toexterminate exterminate exterminate exterminate them

You have aphids and lots of them. They are food for the ladybirds and tiny parasitic wasps will lay eggs in them also. When the ladybirds arrive they will clean them up, no worries. In the meantime you can hose them off with a jet of water, most wont come back, you can add worm juice to the water if you like. Another alternative is to remove the plant, or at least cut off that section, this will help prevent the spread, give the prunings to the chooks. Yellow sticky traps are also used to attract and trap them as they like the colur and then get stuck, these are used in commercial greenhouse production. The aphids will suck the sap from the plant and give off a sticky fluid called honeydew, which also attracts ants and can then be follwed by black sooty mould.
You could always just stand back, watch and wait to see what comes, you will learn more about what is going on in your area and how long it takes for the good bugs to arrive.
Don't forget to have the camera handy, that is what I would do anyway

Got a free water change last night. Just over an inch of rain

The library got the backyard aquaponics DVD for me. And I watched it last night. My wife said I could build the tiny system when we have a house. hmmm have to save lots of money

I read in this forum that you could take a cutting from a tomato and strike it in the grow bed. So I tried it and it has worked .

my rhubarb 18 days later and a baby cucumber my first fruit

once again I can post photos. netbooks dont like being thrown to the floor so the HDD stoped working found a HDD in a spare usb drive and a win 7 disk note to ones self dont upset SWMBO when using netbook

My cucumber is getting bigger every day, it makes my wife very happy
this is my system now I have added more tanks to cope with water loss so now total capacity is around 50L, I am using a siphon from the main tank to the aux tank, is working well

my first harvest

my wife ate the cucumber, she says it tastes really fresh and sweet, and has good texture and skin was crunchy

That must be very satisfying jwh, your little system is coming along well, now that you and the wife can see how well it works maybe its time to get some bigger tanks and GB's and try some Barra!

dunno bout barra in tassy, will be leaving QLD in 7 weeks. and with fish regulations in tassy I might have to settle with goldfish.

Just read through your thread again from beginning until now. Hopefully you have gotten the bug enough to keep expanding and adding here and there.
Have you proven to the wife that veggies don't taste like pee? Cucumbers taste like cucumbers, whether grown in animal manure, regular dirt, or fish nutrients.
Good to see a fellow recycler utilizing anything and everything.

Dont forget to sell the veggies to your household.

You can offer your wife a 10% family discount on the normal price for first grade organic produce if you're feeling generous

I think that cucumber just paid for your system so far

I have to justify any money I spend because I've decided that my blog activities should pay for themselves (It borrowed the first 100$ ), we figure its paid for a growhouse and lots of PVC fittings etc. so far

now it's buying electronics components

18 months to 2 years payback on a BYAP system, another 3 months if you borrowed the money and paid interest.

Use the word organic a lot.

And read up on how many pesticides and other sprays there are on a supermarket lettuce. (I asked my brother who worked for CSIRO at the time and he basically said "all of them")

I had a friend who's parents didnt want her to fly to go on holidays soon after 9/11, but I suggested that statistically, it was more dangerous at work than on a plane.

My point is there is always a convincing argument

And it's even easier when its true like it is for aquaponics

AND ONLY PLANT YOUR WIFE'S FAVOURITE STUFF!!!

Faye you are a gem!

I had bugs on my strawberries

They got sticky (the leaves not the bugs)

Ants came

Black mould came

I cut back a lot of leaves but there is still mould everywhere.
and I sprayed with eco rosed water.

Now what do I do?