Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Howdy AP'ers and Wannabees!

It's been less than 2 months ago that I stumbled across this crazy idea of mixing
fishing with gardening. I'm pretty sure it was a special interest story linked to off
of some news article I was reading offered as a "you might also be interested in
these stories..." It had a video about some high-tech greenhouse in Canada that
was popping out super fine tomatos in the middle of the winter. As things are wont
to do, one hyperlink led to another. Some cool beer drinking Canadian on Youtube
had a bunch of neat garden videos, I think in one he did a shout-out to Colum or
someone else who led me to Colum. From there Colum led me to BYAP and all the
veggie porn combined with what should be called DIY'er/Tinkerer porn as well.

I spent a few weeks studying the basics and then began to plan my build...

I live at 600m on the side of a volcano on the edge of the rainforest in Costa Rica.
We're at 9º-10º latitude N of the equator and have a real stable year round temp
range of 17ºC - 30ºC with as much sun as anyone could wish for. The grow season
is all year long here, but there are different things grown during the rainy season
(May - Nov) than during the dry season (Dec - Apr). My mission began with the
quest for a year round culantro/cilantro supply. When the little super in town runs
out, and nobody I know has culantro in their garden, we'd still have a forest of
lovely culantro that would supply our needs and we'd have extra to share. That
was (and still is) my noble plan.

I've been a technical engineer type all my life, mostly working in some form or
fashion as a clever computer guy dabbling in robotics, VoIP, and anything else
that tickled my fancy. Originally from Texas in the USA, I've been hanging in Costa
Rica for the past long while and I enjoy the jungle and converting my farm into
a beautify green zone. I think this Aquaponics thing will be my next new passion.

The closest big-box hardware store (like Home Depot or Lowes) is about 5 hours
away down and up the mountains a few times. Amazon pretty much doesn't
deliver to Costa Rica. Getting materials and specialized items down here can
be problematic -- but I'm a professional problem solver and optimistic about
my chances of success...

Thanks cool beer drinking Canadian guy (of course I mean Brock,) and Colum, EB,
Brian, and all the rest those hanging it all out on the forum for all of us to see. It
has been an exciting inspirational read so far. I can't wait to cycle a tank and grow
some monster veggies.

See y'all around the forums!

--
Sam

Like the can do attitude there Sam

Here in Ireland we have a year round Rainy Season

Hi Sam, welcome, but watch out, this can be a little addictive.

Addictive? Don't I know it! I've already been staying up late drawing the perfect PVC elbow in SketchUp.
Piece by piece I've designed my whole system in my mind and have adjusted a good bit several times as
reality bursts some of those ideas before fruition by weighing what is likely versus what is ideal. The more
I read, the more my understanding of reality... is closer to reality... jejeje.

I've kicked cigarettes, online gaming and Facebook. I still have plenty of vices, but I've got room for AP.

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys!

--
Sam