Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

yeah thats it, all i could think of was daffodills or daisys but i knew it wasn't them

Just searched nutritional value of dandelions and found this:

The nutritional value of the leaves can be found here
http://www.answers.com/topic/dandelion-green
(2 grams protien per one cup leaves....not very high)

Dandelion Root
The root of the Dandelion is used to help restore liver and gall bladder problems. The herb also helps to ease bloating and general upset stomach feelings, constipation and eases the symptoms of gall bladder problems. Dandelion contains much more nutritional value than many other vegetables or herbs, being particularly high in iron, minerals, proteins, choline, insulin, pectin and is very high in beta carotenoid content. Dandelion is therefore an extremely gentle tonic for the liver and for gall bladder problems. It can help quicken recovery from jaundice and for toxic conditions such as joint and skin inflammations.
(http://www.wellbeingcentre.com.au/Herbal-Medicine.htm)

okay, that is one weed - now for the other 100!

Murray,

Silver Beet will grow in your gravel beds (and just about everywhere else too) and will provide high quality greenfeed for your fish (and just about everything else, too). If you can keep the wogs off it and grow it somewhere where it's in light shade, you can grow it year round.

I can't quote the protein level (probably not that high) but it has just about everything that's good for people and animals in it.

Here's some information on Swiss Chard which is virtually the same thing as Silver Beet http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... ce&dbid=16

If you feed a high protein accompaniment.....like earthworms, maggots, or mealworms.....you should have most of what you need for a balanced diet for omnivores like Jade Perch.

You'll need to chop it up pretty fine......and put the stalks into the compost bin.

Silverbeet grows very fast even in dirt, if you had say 20 plants you can easily harvest the outside leaves this actualy promotes growth, like pruning shrubs i guess. I use this system for my chooks in summer fresh supply of greens.....................However I dont know the nutrient requirements for fish, being an Aquaponics Virgin

What about legumes? They have a high protein value. Would be interesting to see if they would grow in an AP system. I really like the idea of a circular system where a fair percentage of the inputs are derived from within the system.

I'm putting up the towers that I made last week and it struck me that one or two of them growing fish food wouldn't detract too much from human food production. I'll 'sacrifice' a tower or two and see if can grow a bit of soya bean or something similar.

I have planted a coulple of beans in my growbeds which have just germinated - when there is some growth I will post pics

In my classroom mini system I have 1 bean gfrowing which has flowered - but as there are no ways of polinating flowers right ow there will be on fruit

Gary D, Thanks for the info on Swiss Chard. I have been feeding my Jades Silver Beet and Bok Choi for some days now and adding just a very minimum of native pellets. They clean up the greens in quick time. I actually spotted one Jade come to the surface and drag down a big hunk of silver beet, it , the silver beet piece, popped back to the surface 30 seconds or so later a bit worse for wear. Going back 20 minutes or so later all the silver beet was gone.

AM, can you not "paint brush " the flowers to pollinate them?

I suppose i culd - but I only knew that it had attempted to reproduce when a bright and awake student pointed out the dried up flower on the bean plant... pollin lasts for a while so I will keep an eye on the plant from now on...

if i remember correctly form yr 12 chemistry, don't legumes take nitrogen in from the air through the leaves, and excrete it through the roots into the soil. Im not sure what form the nitrogen was in, but would that mean legumes would put nitrogen back into the water

i could be totally wrong with this....but i just have a feeling

Some legumes attract nitrogen fixing entities that grow as nodules on thier roots and absorb it from the soil and hold it. You can get stuff to innoculate them as well so that it does happen. I remember some of that stuff from Ag College. I assume it would work the same way in a hydro/Aqua system as well. Correct me if I am wrong though by all means.
Cheers Alx