Hi folks, So much to do so, little time... sounds like a retiree speaking? That's me. How is it I never did or wanted to do any of this sort of stuff when I was younger (and much more fit)?
Now I'm as excited about getting into aquaponics as a kid with a new toy.
At the moment I have a small (500lt) fish pond into which, about 8 months ago, I put 25 small comets. I then added 15 marron fingerlings(?) about 50mm long. Some marron were lost after climbing out but the fish were doing well until one morning I came out to feed them and there was only 1 biggish fish left - compliments of a hungry egret.
Lesson learnt. Protect the fish. I aquired more goldfish and 5 Koi ranging in size 150mm to 400mm, and protected them with an old prawning net. Within a week there were 3 marron lying dead on the bottom of the pond. Another lesson learnt. Insufficient filtration. So I bought a 20ltr bucket and fittings and built what I hope will be a reasonable biofilter.
Next stage will be growbeds and reticulating the pond water through them. That's why I'm here, to find out how the experts do it.
Other hobbies & pastimes:
Homebrew beer - of course
Growing vegetables
Dragging the 'van around the state a couple of times a year
accompanied by the missus and Jessica our whippet
Meeting twice a week with other old f*rts at the Men's Shed
Cheers folks
But I wasn't feeding them anything specific, I think they get by on whatever is floating around in the tank, and each other...