Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Great to be in the news .... but 6 months ROI ?

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawa ... lture.html


rgds DJ

Come on Dave... your system would have paid for itself in six months... wouldn't it....

And that's after only... how many years...

Depends on the value of the stuff that you grow in it I guess.

Me personally, money is just a trade for things in life you want, friends, oh no you shouldn't have to pay for them. I mean things like security, roof over my had and fresh food on the table, what more could you want huh?:dontknow:

My small system has given me 3 lettuce so far, so about $400/lettuce, hhmmm got a way to go.
But the first trout, if I get there, will pay for the whole thing in pure satisfaction of having grown an edible fish in my backyard.

You got it rupe , for me this is a hobby and I don't have or expect an ROI. Happy if I can convince the kids to eat vegies grown in fish poo.

But trying to promote this as a direct financial payback activity ... good luck.

rgds DJ

Probably thinking only in terms of the value of the produce (and of course you are going to attache top dollar to the value of the home grown lettuce, not compare it with a head of iceburg from wal mart) And paying back the initial cost of materials to build the system.

Some how I expect they are not counting the ongoing cost of electricity, fish feed, testing supplies, supplements, water, seeds or starter plants, or fingerlings. Cause once you subtract those things from the value of the produce, it will probably take a couple years to pay for the initial investment while also paying for the ongoing costs.

But then most of us doing it on a backyard scale can also count it as a hobby and if were were not spending the money to do the aquaponics, we would probably be spending the time and money doing something else that might not bring any return. So if you were to discount the cost of building the system as the investment in a hobby which is money that would be spent "anyway" well heck suddenly the aquaponics is simply the ongoing costs of electricity, fish food, testing supplies, supplements, water, seeds/plants and fingerlings. Well subtract those from the food value gotten from an AP system and it could pay for itself quite quickly and be returning value to the family above and beyond the call depending on what you grow and how you eat.

However, the most important aspect of growing one's own food in my opinion, is the great feeling of well being and empowerment I get from eating a meal that came mostly from the produce of my own yard. That is actually worth a fairly large investment even if it didn't show monetary reward.

wasnt there another system in Hawaii that got shut down recently, which would most definitely have paid for itself in six months ?

heheh

Ya - that must be the one.

I would of just spent the money on something else shiny if I hadn't built an AP system.

I recon if I would of salvaged the materials needed and built " On the cheap " it would of absolutely paid for itself in 6 months.

But now running this system for just over 2 years, having paid the turn key price and freight ( which was near half the system price !!! )I think I am comming close. Will have anouther spin with Barra in a few months time. Our winter wasn't that cold, so I probably could of had fish through that time. But it was great to have a break from them at the same time.

The dirt garden I have just eats money, and not just a few bucks either.

If I could grow gunja legally in it I would be on my way to my first million for sure

this is my first post here, the same happens to me.. but Hydroponics... here a lettuce cost $1.29, mines are more like $6.00 a piece, but I grow 96 at a time... so it will pay for itself soon! NOT!!!! like 85% of the lettuces go free to family members lol

I saw a video on youtube with Murray in it called 'Aquaponics for profit'

I figure if you scale it up, organize and make it efficient, make sure you have a market and grow top dollar produce, it should definately pay for itself. Can breed fish and use cuttings/let plants go to seed to get new plants. If its tilapia you're farming can even grow duckweed so forgo the fish feed expense.

That being said, the ROI can really not be computed without a specific market in mind so that both costs, materials, electricity, etc. and sale price in veggie markets can be considered.