Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

may not be that accurate but only a fraction of the price I spent on the home made,
not counting time making and programing it

got three of them, two on the FTs, there's about two oC difference but I were attributing it
to the FTs and GBs differences - shade / half shade

Steve try all 3 side by side.

will try it, being in different places, they do show different temps, but noticed that it evens out when the temp is coming down

not as close as yours but still pretty OK

What degree of accuracy do we really need, better that licking the finger and poking it in the air

Familiar with that one , also a way to find the wind direction

To hot outside to do much so time for update.
3 var. of beetroot still in the GB and in the basket, last week, already eaten.

The minisys. Povered by two goldies being overrun by Gotu cola ‘Centella Asiatica’ and Bacopa monnieri.

Never had problem with iron deficiency in the other GBs, Gotu cola in this one doesn’t look good.
While the top half of the media is a finer quarts gravel the bottom half is the same scoria as in all other GBs.

Picking few leaves every time I go around but not enough so more drastic action were needed.
Put back only few divisions of each and coriander seeds.

While picking non-AP toms for two weeks already, the AP toms are still green and not many.

Doing great in the GBs connected to the SPs IBC.

The other IBC and the Tub have about 20 cats each so their GBs are considerably les productive.

With the temp rise in the spring the SPs got more active and frightened when approaching so have turned the air on full time to calm them
but it keeps the water murky so I didn’t see any of them for a long time, but caught a glimpse of few cats in the Tub in the evening,
cruising mid level around the tub, about 13 to 15 cm long.
Sorry, no picks.

Looking good. Those beets and tomatoes are tempting. Any idea why the AP tomatoes are slow? Perhaps nutrients?

yes, they're under a shade cloth

Water in the cat's IBC cleared enough to get a (pretty lousy) shot
with temp at 23+ oC they do come to the surface to feed, but not the SPs in the other IBC

Got a 10W (12VAC) pond light from B, put it into the SPs IBC, turned it on and scared the hell out the fish.
T'was only a momentous reaction, could see them quite well in the yellow filtered light but don't wont to leave the light on permanently
so will try to figure out a slow soft start or at least a dimmer to turn the light on slowly.

I use a red torch to check my fish at night. I find that a red light does not bother them at all. You could try a coloured filter on the light instead of a dimmer maybe.

Have no problem approaching slowly with a torch but that pond light is at the bottom of the FT.
It's the moment the light comes on that the SPs would punch holes in the IBC if the walls were any thinner.
After the light is on there's no problem.
The kit comes with five filters, red is one of them. I used orange-yellow.

Dimming In/Out a LED light wouldn't be problem but this one is 12VAC halogen,
could try a dimmer at the 240V transformer side but would be nice if I could get it working automatically.

Been a while, had nothing much to show off and the week before Easter the PC gave up. Took me a while to get back on line.
Except for the roomy Cooler Master case, HDDs and the UPS everything else was rebuilt. Still trying to solve some H/ware compatibility probs. (Lack of drivers for the new Win7.)

In the mini sys. I’m using for cutting propagation Bacopa monnieri and Gotu Cola (Centella Asiatic) are running riot.
Pulled them out twice to replant back with only a litte piece of each.
Taking a nibble when around doesn’t keep them trimmed.

Bottom half of the GB is filled with red scoria and the top is finer quartz gravel.
Gotu Cola seems to suffer iron deficiency, something I didn’t expect.
Gave it a tsp of Iron chelate yesterday to se if it helps or if it’s something else.


The main sys GBs do not look much right now.
Only dwarf sugar peas and radish after gradually clearing them of the summer crops.

In the completely shaded IBC the cats are rising to the top every time when hungry and hear me approaching.
SPs and cats in the over 2 FTs keep to the bottom.
Still far from a plate size.