Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

not an old hand yet.... but learned alot from LOTS of reading and asking questions....

I took the answers and applied the good things to my up and coming system....

I have noticed that there are some that are determined to do it their way.... no matter what

and have seen that most of them have failed....

I guess I just dont have the money to blow........ and want to do it the right way with the least amount of problems

jT

I like to learn from other people's mistakes (the whole work smarter thing) but some people really need to try things for themselves. Then again, some don't like to "waste" their time reading about it when they can get busy and do it cause you know if there isn't enough time to do it right, there usually is enough time to do it over.

So ya think Aquaponics is Probiotic by nature too?

Thank you Cyara. I will find time to digest that article. Well, personally, I like to tinker with things and pursue ideas. Not to reinvent the wheel but to improve it. Yes, I have tried many things. Some worked and many others failed. I agree that the micro-organisms used must be specific to the purpose intended. Thank you all for your views. Cheerz.

I agree. New ideas are what gave us the light bulb, the silicone chip.... and I have read that EM has revolutionised soil productivity on some farms.... and to progress to AP is worth the time I believe. Great idea.

Seems not for everyone. But that's OK. Tradition for some. Innovation for others. Space for all. I never want to discourage innovative thought so want to thank you for the thread CG. I am moving this way with my soil and had not even thought to take it to AP! Really neat. I know that EM added to the water of chickens on a local farm cancelled the farmer's need for anti-biotics each month. I was told it is an annual saving of ZAR60,000. Got to be something there!! Hope you will keep us posted if you learn anything new. I would really appreciate it.

I'm not opposed to innovation Cyara, but merely suggesting caution to those starting out in aquaponics...

Establishing a system... and then applying different approaches/ides/innovations allows for some real comparisons... and determinates in case of failures... a measured approach rather than blind guesswork...

Starting with multiple variables essentially means any results are complete guesswork... which hardly advances anything... they may well work, or they may fail... or a bit of both... how will it be determined just which was due to what...

Personally, I believe aquaponics duplicates, or attempts to duplicate an aqautic environment... lately, many of the suggested additives/ideas seem more attuned to recreating a "soil" type environment... just don't really see the major pluses as opposed to the potential negatives myself..

Aquaponics was evolved to be a holistic, pure natural and simple... and simple to manage system...

For those that wont to juggle multiple inputs and micro-manage their systems... go for it... and I wish you all the success in the world...

Me... I'll just feed my fish and watch them grow... and my fish will feed my plants... and I'll watch them grow... and I'll eat both of them... just as I have been for the last two years..

Frankly, I'm becoming a little worried that many "newbies" don't really understand the basic principles of aquaponics... and haven't bothered to do the research... there's been a lot of "unexplained" fish kills in a lot of new systems lately..

You have taken my post personally ROO. I was simply re-dressing a balance. It does not trouble me that you do not agree with me on just about everything. Live and let live. I have learned a lot from my interactions with you that I would not have missed in all the world!

I personally believe that new ideas are wonderful. As CG said... they can fail.... but that is not the criteria. We learn by failures more than successes most times in life. Edison himself is recorded to have said... "Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work." I like that he did so much with his life. He was also recorded in saying: "There's a way to do better... find it. "

I don't think CG... or anyone for that matter.... who puts something out there to be discussed has any intention of discrediting or undermining the wealth of knowledge and experience on this forum. It is that very wealth that seems to generate the enthusiasm to put ideas out there. I always hate to see that squelched by experience. It is surprising what we can learn when open to it! Often from Newbies..........

Efficient Microbes are very holistic, pure, natural and simple. Do they or don't they fit was the motivation for the thread. A worthwhile question IMO.

Perhaps you missed the intent of my post Cyara...


It was never my intention... to "quash" or "discredit" CG's post or "enthusiasm"...


Perhaps my post would have been clearer if I had responded directly to TCL's point...that AP systems are inherently "probiotic" by nature...


A point also raised by others in the thread..




And even Crisgaston...


And ...


And argued that indiscriminant inputs, or inputs based on theory and other applications, such as composting and soil techniques, which both yourself and crisgaston specifically mentioned..

Were either un=neccesary... or potentially dangerous... as have been many other ideas that people have attempted to translate from other sources, usually ... IMO... without really understanding or researching the aquaponics concepts.. or the forum.. and others have agreed with that point of view..



My post follows the thread and previous posts.. for valid reasons.. and continued discussion...

And wasn't directed specifically at you or chrisgaston or anyone else ...

Perhaps you have either not read and followed the thread.. or have just reacted to the fact that I may have posted something which you believe is a challenge to yourself...

As you say ... each to their own"... and as I said... IMO... carrying soil and/or composting techniques over into an aquatic style aquaponics system is IMO dangerous...

And un-neccessary... as demonstrated by the many old established member systems and several years of demonstarted success here on the forum... as opposed by the rash of recent failures...

Have a great day ROO!

Thanks Cyara.. you too ...

Some of our commonly recognized as good practices do play well like soil culture though. Composting worms in the grow beds IMO is from soil and composting practices. AND worms are great little probiotic partners.

So. Try it but please get the system up and running and stable (cycled and fish living well) first so there can be some comparison or results showing if the probiotic additives make any difference and if the difference is good or bad.

In the last 12 months the only thing i have done is feed the fish and planted and eat the harvest [time taken probley 2 min a day ] if i think of it .
Have lost 1 silver perch and 1 trout went for the big swim to the grow bed