Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I figure my first post should be an introduction. But, I would like to start by thanking you all and congratulating you on such a great forum! I've already spent days reading over things and have many more days ahead of me. There is a tremendous amount of information on here.

So to the introduction, My name is Robert, online I'm rassd71. I see at least one old friend from this world wide weird here. Good to see ya MeanCoyote you ol' desert rat!

I've been interested in aquaculture for quite some time. Specifically raising redclaw crayfish. I began seriously looking into it a couple of years ago. And now I'm at the beginnings of a redclaw crayfish farm. The past year things were put on hold as my wife and I built our own home. Now the house is mostly done and it's time to set up the farm. Our home and farm are located in the high desert mountains between Palm Springs and either Los Angeles or San Diego in southern California. We're up at 4100 foot elevation. The summer daytime temps average the mid 90's*F or mid 30's *C and the summer evening lows around 60*F or 15*C. The winter temps are another story with daytime averages around the 60*F or 15*C and night lows from Dec to Feb averaging around 30*F or just below 0*C. Those are the average temps, it can and has gotten to the 115*F or 46*C in the summer and as low as 20*F or -6*C in the winter. So, as I'm looking around the internet to make my final decisions regarding the initial setup, and I found this site, now I've decided that aquaponics is the way to go. I don't want to start my questions until I've gone through enough of the site to not ask the ones that all newbies ask over and over again. So for now, I just wanna say 'Hi'!

Welcome rassd.... sounds like you've got some significant plans bubbling around your head mate.....

Feel free to put them out..... you'll be sure of many knowledgable replies from this forum.

Hi Robert..

Boy you get cold in winter at night... If you're wanting to go with redclaw you'll probably need a greenhouse and possibly some heating for winter..

Have fun with the reading....

Hey Robert, sounds like fun plans, good to have you here

welcome robert

Thanks guys. I'll get it worked out the best I can and then post my ideas for input and improvement. My initial concerns were about the winter lows, but after the major heat wave we had here a couple of weeks ago, summer highs might also be a problem as I lost my biggest male right after a moult and the only thing I can figure is it was the stress of the heat.

My initial system will include breeding tanks and a large grow out tank with grow beds, right now I'm thinking made from blue barrels, all of which will be in a windowed shed to retain heat in the winter, as well as to keep the critters out.

Welcome mate - great to have ya here - looking forward to pics and updates as your ideas and system/s develop

Welcome Robert. Always great to see another AP'er in the making. Your right about the great folks here. They are always ready and willing to help. Good reading.

Hi rass, welcome to the forum...soon have you up to speed and dishing out advice to newbies that follow you.

Looking forward to reading your thread on redclaw
what! - you haven't started it yet...

Welcome Robert!

you are just over the hill from me. my summers are hotter and winters about the same. im at about 4300' i think. its your ideas that got me thinkin of raisin fish long ago. now that things are getting back to normal after the fire, im setting up a "permaculture system" the plan is to have fish, rabbits, worms, chickens, aquaponic, and dirt gardens all helping each other to produce food.

welcome buddy,this site in not just informative,its imaginative ,plus you get a laugh now and then too!.
colin

Hi Robert,
I know of at least one other member who is close to you geographically. His name and screen name is Michael_Ferrini. He would be a good person for you and Shawn to network with. Mike is a little further south of you, closer to Diego.
Kevin

Well, I'm glad something I said over at BHM had a positive affect on someone!

As for the redclaw thread, what would you like to know? It seems that most of the folks on this forum are from 'down under' so I'd be preaching to the choir! I'd love to get yabbies as they are more temp tolerant, but they are a big no no here. Might also try some Marron at some point. As well as finfish, no ideas as to what yet.

im in the process of getting a permit to keep tilapia and redclaw. the tilapia looks like it will fly, but dunno bought the redclaw.