Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I thought AP was a brilliant idea from the first time I saw it. Here was a great way to produce foods in my own home and recently I found out it may help the environment in other ways.

I recently finished reading the two books from Peter Andrews: Back from the Brink and Beyond the Brink. These books opened my eyes and encouraged me to seek out a forum on his ideas I found the Natural Sequence Farming (NSF) site and been reading through it.
The main focus of Peters books seems to be on the role and movement of water in Australia. One of the things that intrigued me was his description of how Australia used to be, and still should be, a series of stepped flood plains, it was described as - a stepped diffusion broad ache hydroponics system. This struck me as this like flood and drain GB's.

On the NSF I found an interesting discussion on the work of Dr. Jan Pokorny. It talks about two water cycles the familiar large cycle of rains from the sea but more importantly the small water cycle of terrestrial based rain. Our current water management and agricultural system have been leading to net outflow from land based water storage to the sea. This imbalance is disturbing the rainfall patterns over most continents Australia included. The main damage is done by loss of plant cover and draining of water.

What I realized is that our AP setups allow us to use and retain water on the surface and to produce plants that can then be not only used for food but can also provide mulch as ground cover for developing better and more dirt gardens. I know it is small stuff but millions of small stuff can amount to significant effects.

Lets say that we live on an area that has encroaching desertification as we setup AP setups we can produce an edge zone where we hold water and increase plant growth, this growth can be used to support other plant life in the area by improving mulch cover and providing nutrients over time this edge zone could move gradually pushing back the dryer unproductive area. In the same way AP could be used to increase surface water retention and plant cover over large areas of cities, all of which helps support small water cycle.

Post about Dr. Jan Pokorny and his work.
http://www.naturalsequencefarming.com/f ... .php?t=309

I have no doubt about savings.

i recently discovered AP while doing a permaculture design course..

the people teaching the course were convinced that we had to improve soil and hence grow our food in that...

but not everyone has soil or land or a nice relatively flat area to grow their food...

that is why i think AP is a fantastic way to become or reclaim some self sufficiency..

it combines protien and veges in a very compact area...and can be done relatively cheaply!! i am really stoked to have found this and excited to incoporate this to mine and othes lives..

the permies et al believe that sustainable lifestyles are the only real answer to the crises of climate and economic we now face... aquaponics will have a huge role in providing that sustainability..

cant wait ...

Have you seen my system, aLH?

Yeah Novaris... the Natural Sequence Farming idea is brilliant... and could rescue many farming areas that have become marginal due to poor water and farming practices...

A return to a natural sequence of "flood and drain"..... perhaps another "proof" of the concept of aquaponics...

hey c1

thanks

yes had a look at your system... it looks awesome!! how were the fish and fresh water crays?????

one thing i see with AP and permaculture is that the ideals and principles are the same... but how one gets to the end is a totally different journey..

everyone has something they can do better or different to others...so everyones setup is different... but they are still APers or permies..

its really cool.....

Cheers.
Well the remaining trout (5) are kind of a test.
We may have made it through the hottest part of the year
...and I would like to keep just trout and marron year round.

always better, always lessons to be learnt,
but good to start with a working basic system...

oops a bit OT

im very glad to hear that this is the way of the future.... as some aspects of life need teachers to show the way and leaders to find a way forward

you may find that in the very near future because of the current cost of veggies ( and i only expect them to go up in price and the quality down ) everyone will return toat least supplementing what they buy with wa
hat they can grow and store ( and im still looking at solar for low cost elect.. too )

i still think that if we all use what resources are left wisely then the earth population can continue to grow

i also see that the spacecraft of the future could easily incorporate this concept to cscrub the CO2 from the air as well as provide clean water and fresh food for the crew whilst on long voyages

i see a great future for aquaponics ... we will always need food .... and more economical ways to grow them too

my 2 cents
Mal

The only problem with stella aquaponics Mal is how the hell do you get the water back into the growbeds after the flood and float cycle...

........magnetic water maybe......

Same way they go to the toilet, a really strong vacuum?

Same way any really advanced space station is gonna manage long term. They will have to spin to have enough syntrifical force to provide a little simulated gravity.

I was only thinking yesterday.. how life imitates art... or specifically fiction... science fiction...

Laser weapons are now a reality... several research groups, including the Uni of Queensland have demonstrated the "teleportation" of matter....

And know... "data crystals" and "holographic storage is a reality.... "Help me Obiwan Kanobe..."

http://www.inphase-technologies.com/tec ... p?subn=2_1

And another group is actually due to release a "holographic" storage cartridge (data crystal?) next month....

http://blogs.zdnet.com/storage/?p=313

I know they have been testing out growing some plants in space but does anyone know how they are dealing with the logistics at this point in time because I don't think they have a spinning module on the current space station?

Whatever the mind concentrates or thinks about it tends to create.