Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Actually I need more than just a fish sitter but that is the start of it. Luckily I have Jazzyplayermark who is close enough to help out in an emergency but unfortunately too far away for me to expect him to stop by every day. I really need to get some more people close to my neighborhood into AP so we can help out and check up on eachother's systems when needed.

So, does anyone have ideas for cultivating APers in the neighborhood? I have a neighbor who is pretty happy to look in on things and check on the chickens but I really need some one close by who can handle cleaning out the pump trap and making sure all the pumps are working right, understand a bit about how it all works, and harvest/eat some of the veggies while they are at it. (all the more reason for CHIFT PIST to avoid that whole pump cleaning every 2-4 days.)

Open house for local garden club. Show them the system and hope a few close get the bug.

+1 for sure

Community newpaper?
Local shopping centre?
Must be a few crew around

IM facing leaving my system completely unattended for a week, so I feel your pain.

However, my filter is self cleaning for the most part so its more a matter of to buy a feeder or to not buy a feeder. BTW TCL, how is that automatic feeder working out for you?

The automatic pet feeders are working well over the two big fish tanks. I have wrapped them with hardware cloth to keep the rats away.

The regular ones are not water proof but they do make a pond feeder version which is a little more costly but is water resistant and has more of a shoot for the feed.

Currently I'm using some little aquarium feeders for the quarantine system and the indoor aquarium. The ones over the quarantine system need filling every day though.

The bug zapper seems to be supplementing the catfish feed nicely. I'll have to get another to hang over the other big tank.

I might be able to leave the system and animals on their own for a long weekend but I don't think I could leave everthing without attention for a whole week. Some one at least needs to collect the eggs and the pump trap basket needs cleaning about every 4 days.

What get caught in the pump trap basket. And what happens if you leave the trap out for the week.

I don't dare leave the trap basket out because my pump is completely able to suck up rocks. Unfortunately some amount of gravel did spill into my big tank early on and as the big catfish swim around it can get moved near the pump intake which will suck up about a hand full of that gravel every time I clean it out. I would think there is very little gravel left down on the bottom but just one bit could kill a pump.

What is clogging the trap basket is mostly fish poo slime now days (the netting over the tank keeps most leaves out and the cage the tilapia are in holds most of the stems of the greens they get till I scoop them out.)