Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well the weather is drying up the ground but still a ways away from Driving a cement truck on it so switched gears do work on another system I had been contemplating or at least experimenting with. It won't be true salt water but as close a brackish system as the plants will handle. The Blue crabs can live and even thrive in fresh water but cannot reproduce in fresh water. Several other Salt water fish species can also do fine with low salinity water. I am converting my existing 10x12 greenhouse and 10x12 garden shed to house these. There is only 5' seperating the two so I will run the supply and drain from the fish tank underground between them. The Fish tank will be made from the steel from my above ground pool that the last storm dropped a tree on and a new 4' deep X 8' round liner that came in today. It will be housed in the garden shed. The green house will be all growbeds and sumps made from the IBC's I also already have. Not sure what type fish will be in the FT but the crabs will be in the Sump Tanks made from the IBC bottoms and may have some partitioning even within each due to Blue Crabs are known for caniblism. I understand that Barramundi are rare but available in the states and can take the Brackish water.

Not being nature's friend today...I'm burning all the crap that was in the greenhouse. Wow I had some plastic...nursery trays dozens of plastic hanging baskets, the plastic pots trees and shrubs come in plastic buckets hundreds of the little six pac starters all dry rot/brittle. Along with the tables and other plywood that ended up being stored in there. I figured I get rid of everything to have room for the IBC's. I also had a Dozen or so indoor door frames from my houses in New Orleans. It wasn't until I thru the last one on the blaze that I realized they would have made nice soda can solar heater frames. Well I don't have room to store any more crap so I guess I will make some in the fall.

Tilapia do fine in brackish water.

Looking forward to seeing how this system progresses. I think sea-ponics will eventually be a huge resource for coastal people.

Very true...I have to look thru the regs to see if what I'm doing will qualify. Barramundi aren't listed as an invasive species like tilapia. Not near as much baggage. The main two obsticles is:1 Tilapia has to be contained within a building or greenhouse and 2: all aspects of the greenhouse has to be above the flood plain. I know my house slab is above the flood plain and I have a transit level I can transfer grade with. I'm prolly going to just go with a level of salt channel cats can withstand and go with crabs in the sumps.

There is already a lot of inland salt water aquaculture in the south. Arkansas has some salty ground water that feed ponds that they are raising red snapper, cobia, red drum, and Gulf Shrimp! This is also being done in West Texas, and New Mexico I believe the University of South Carolina's marine Biology group is raising the larva to fingerlings and selling the fingerlings. There are Barramundi farms in southern Florida but I believe they are importing either the Larva or the fingerlings from Australia.

As for Veggies I found this:
http://www.suite101.com/blog/bobcajun/t ... ant_plants
http://www.ussl.ars.usda.gov/pls/caliche/SALTT42C
I will probably have a bed full of Asparagus, Beets, Artichoke, zucchini, and of course tomatos.

Channel Catfish can't handle much salt at all!!!!! I believe both Channel Cats and Blue Gill need < 5ppt. Even a brief period at 6 ppt of salt stresses channel catfish!!!!!!! Salt levels for channel cats should be kept very low normally so that if you must treat an illness or salt up for some reason, then the change up to 3 or 4 ppt will hopefully be enough since you shouldn't go much higher. Channel cats or blue gill are probably a good choice for those people who love strawberries and other salt sensitive plants since you probably won't be running constant high salt levels.

Absolutely. I was referring more to the veggie side of things though. The links you posted had a few species that seem like they will be able to do well. I wonder what other edibles could be produced - things that grow on the coast, shallow sea plants, seaweed, etc.

I was just getting a list but of the common US veggies that may be it. But I would bet there are dozens of Asian varities of veggies that would also grow well I need to do a little hunting. Also this site claims crabs can withstand salinity of .3ppt.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 191417.htm I also found an Aussie site that did some tripple redundent testing where there was 100% mortatality at 5ppt on the 20th day and that a good range was 20 - 35 ppt. I also found a site that claimed many southern tap water tested in the 20-40 ppt range So I'm kinda at a loss for trustworthy info.
I did find this on RAS of blue crabs to prevent canniblism which can be up to 80% in dense populations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI3tQgAW ... re=related

Fascinating! I am very interested in watching you put this together!!

My interest would be seaweed (LOVE sushi and seaweed salad.. not sure the variety) as well as true salt species paired with asparagus, artichoke and other salt tolerant plants...

Very interesting!! Please keep us posted!

CB

I was hoping I could do this without digging but it's not going to happen that way . Greenhouse is emptied out but it looks like I have to go down about 2 feet. Yuk. I may have to go see who's standing in front of the home depot next weekend
I'm leaving in the morning for a week of R&R in Gulf Shores Alabama, Its the Easter week off for my youngest. My college aged oldest is heading out the following week. Same area so should be pretty tame.

I still have to get a timer to work my Armadillo sequencing valve. I'm hoping 2' of head will get me a fairly positive shut off but even if I don't think the leakage will hurt anything. I'm taking the old sloe lap top so I can still yak on the forum. Prolly take a few other necessities like a blender an ice chest of beer and maybe a black iron pot...just in case

Very interesting stuff. I'd love to start a blue crab hatchery. 105 days to maturity isn't too bad, and I eat 2 or 3 every week

Is that it?? Wow! They might be worth the effort... Asparagus beds and crab tanks... Hmmmm!!

CB