Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

All growing well CRT. Now its time to expand

Totally amazing. Love the natural incline being put to use.

Do you know what type of tilapia you are growing and what their aprox. weight was when you caught them? What are you feeding them? 1 kilo tilapia sounds awsome. How long did it take for them to get that Big???
What is the average temp of your water ??
I have to know these thing, I can't help it!!??!!

The tilapia are the common run of the mill around here, but I am getting some red ones too. I have no idea of their weight when we started, but they were large. I just buy by the kilo from someone's pond. I have another 1,000 liter tank, we fill it and just go to a neighbor who dips out excess tilapia or guapote. Usually I pay very little.

Average temp of the water is probably 25 Centagrade - it varies hardly at all during the year - unlike Michigan.

I am feeding the fish concentrado for fish that we buy at the local feed store - lots of people raise fish here so it is readily available.

And if you didn't know, I don't do anything (except some harvesting when I check the system) everyone else takes care of it for me.

We are so busy right now one of the things I really like about the system is that it is much less work than any other garden I have ever had (including hydroponics) - now perhaps that is because I don't do any of it... but it does seem to be very, very simple to run.

It has gotten boring to check the water - it always comes up almost neutral and ammonia is non-existant and nitrates are doing well also. One thing I do is periodically use some water in the nursery - I could really use a lot of folar spray and I may have found out how to produce it for free.

Well, we did just buy a backhoe...

Strawberry towers are next on my list. But, our plumber is up to his neck in projects right now - he should become available in another month or so. Perish the thought I would get my hands dirty...

The truth is that I am so busy with everything that I really can't do it myself so I do have to wait. And I don't want to distract our plumber from doing the last details in our house - and he is the electrician too, and the new mechanic's garage has to be wired and plumbed and the extension to the woodshop.

I was just happy to squeeze in the aquaponics system in truth. In just a few weeks we are moving into the new house which will be finished, and then I will be able to play with the aquaponics more - maybe.

New picture - the cucumbers are threatening to take over Costa Rica...



And it isn't just vegatation - there be CUKES!



Notice the netting - a cuke arbor - I figured it would make it easier to harvest - we do this with squash down here. (oops, with most of you, it would be up here, wouldn't it...)

This is a single Zuccini - 8 weeks old

WOW

obviously a good climate

Yeah - it is pretty incredible. Would you believe I only have 15 fish? Granted, each one is probably 1/2 a kilo or more. I keep watching for lack of nutrients for the plants - but there sure isn't any sign.

And I am a bit afraid to go with more fish until we are back up there. After all, I don't want to lose a worker to a "Little Shop of Horrors" or something. I can just imagine explaining that to the Ministry of Labor...

I had an idea recently - which of course always starts trouble. We have a very large greenhouse for our seedlings for our plantations. The aquaponics produces some incredibly good water for watering them. I am thinking of connecting a large aquaponics system to the nursery, to use the excess nitrates from the aquaponic system as foliar spray. I need to do some more work - but it seems feasable.

During the off season, I would increase the number of vegetables to consume the excess nitrates.

All vegetables (of the Northern type) are brought in from 2+ hours away in our zone - so there is a market for every vegetable I could grow - and there is no organic vegetables available at all. We are just over the hill from a pretty sizable foreign community that would be very excited to get the vegetables we are growing - if I am willing to share... Restaurants too.

Totally awesome

One thing that really helps is that our soil (air, etc) is always warm - about 25 centgrade. This means, it is just about perfect for growing things. Give enough water, nutrients, and things just grow like crazy.

There probably isn't a better environment for growing squash, tomatoes, beans than here.

Hi!

I am new to this list and I am also living in Costa Rica, San Francisco De 2 Rios to be exactly!

I read all posts from this thread, learning a lot! I would like to start an aquaponics system just big enough to raise fishes and plants to feed me, my wife ans to give away to friends.

I have a hard time to find a nice tank of around 1000 liters at the right price. I read in one of your post:

Okay, first a picture of 3 1,000 liter tanks for fish and sump. Theses costs 60,000 colones each (roughly) or about 120 dollars USA. They were originally used to haul miel - in other words, concentrated sugar cane juice.

Some ideas/questions:

1) Any tips or hints on where I could spot one in the Central valley?
2) Or do you have one, just one that you could sell to me?
3) Any half barrels left? The ones at $4.00 each that you bought and were already cut in half?

Thanks for any help, suggestions you could give!!

Roger Pilon
Costa Rica

Hi,

Almost any building supply will have them, like El Colono. Also, around many towns there are places dedicated to just selling used ones of these - like in the central valley, etc.

For example, if you leave the Central Valley heading toward San Ramon, I think within 5 kilometers on the right hand side you will find a whole bunch of barrels and tanks for sell, used.

We are about 3 hours away from the central valley, not sure you would want to drive all the way out here just for a tank - and you have much better selection than we do.

By the way, quick update, I have shut down my system in preparing for system number 2. I will install it near my ponds which have the ability to generate power (a water wheel and pump) without electricity. Also, refilling will be automatic as well. My experiment went very, very well, now I am making changes so that the irritations I had with the systems are designed out of it.

Electricity and sound of pump was one. Another was needing to keep track of the water level. Both will be solved in the new and improved system.

Last but not least - it was too small.

Nice to see you back CRT... and to hear that AP system #2 is on the drawing board

Keep us posted... especially if this one is going to be "bigger" ...