Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Got me there Crazycajun... what's a "u-pick" garden??

I don't know about an ap system for you pick but someone just opened a u-pick (customers pick their own produce from field) for a hydroponic set up. The strawberries are grown vertically in cone shaped holders. The cones are arrayed like plant leaves with two cones 180 degrees from each other and each row is off set by 90 degrees as they spiral around the pole. If your area has a history of u-picks they might be acceptable. Here in Fl they were very popular 15-20 years ago but this new on seems to be struggling. Hey, People buy their mushrooms pre-sliced so who knows?

Linda

U-pick strawberries are the only ones I've seen around here in Florida lately and they are all those funky tower set ups and probably Hydroponic run to waste.

I think Charlielittle is thinking of doing a u-pick strawberry farm up in Ohio.

If it can be done with Hydroponics, then it can probably be done with Aquaponics with some modifications.

The success of a commercial venture, I'm not willing to attempt to predict as it is often dependent on location.

As to the bio filter and shells. I suppose it depends on what your pH trouble is. I have lots of shells in my systems (they are the only media for one of the grow beds and they are mixed with river rock for the big system's grow beds.) So far my pH has been steady at 7.6 in the system with shells only in one small grow bed (that system is more mature though.) In the big system Which isn't mature yet and I keep adding grow beds and stirring things up, the pH has been swinging between 7.6 and 7.9 or even 8 (8 is where my well water likes to take things.) I'm hoping that once the system matures a bit more the pH will steady out at 7.6. Then I just need to figure out how to get all the plants to take up enough Iron at that pH.

water was clearing, but now turning green again is this normal when i feed? because this is the only time it changes. have not done any test when i put the minnows in the tank to see if it changes the ph.not sure why it would do so.

If you feed you create a nutrient input in the water, if the tank is exposed to sun without enough plants to take the nutes you get green water.

I'd say you have to plant more plants, or put duckweed, and probably shade the tank from direct light. Don't forget to aerate a lot with green water, it will increase CO2 dilution in water during the day due to photosynthesis of phytoplankton. The other problem can be pH swings between night and day aswell.

If you have tilapia, put some in because they can filter the algae with their gills and eat it.

Stop feeding or slow down a lot until changes have been done.

Good luck

not allowed to get tilapia in my aera do to environmental concerns.what other fish that does as well. would algae eaters for an aquraim work out doors in an ap tank?

No other algae eater as i know of, but try freshwater shellfish like mussels would work well too.

never tryed to grow mussels before. would not know where to start. thought about snails of some kind, but i guess i need alot for the size of my tank. and once they start breading would be impossible to stop.

Shell them and feed them to the fish cajun, that'll keep their numbers down

I think Amacafish is talking about filter-feeding critters that can eat free-floating algae. Snails and the algae-eaters (plecostimus?) scrape off surface algae rather than filtering out suspended algae. Do you have any native freshwater mussels or clams in the streams or lakes down there?

Shading the water will be a far far easier and faster solution.

Plecostimus will help. When it gets warm. Just go buy some from wally world and they will be fine above 55 degrees. Since you have a "big aquarium." I am sure it would be fine to buy some cichlids (tilapia brothers) from an aquarium store. Try some red belly pacu from wally world. They need warmer water probably 65 or better. Make great aquarium fish that will help with algae. Make sure they are big enough the catfish don't eat them.

still have the same water color. have not been able to get to the pet store for those fish. the ones at wally world are to small. i think my large mouth bass will eat them, but my plants are doing fine and growing well. execpt for the ones in the nft system having problems with them. thinking of taking system down and putting in more gravel beds.