Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

them bloody reddies, they are a menace

It will be interesting to hear the wash up at the end of reddies experiments.

+1 initially

My pH was and still is reasonably high...

Had no success in the hydroton.
I planted some last year a gravel bed (blue metal), system was approx 1mth old at time of planting, and they are going great guns this season.
Didn't fruit much in the first season, but left them in, and this year the kids have spent some time in the garden hunting, apparently they are very tasty!
One plant has sent out runners, and they have sent down roots.
Bed is in full sun, no cover.

Hi CD and others, I am no expert on yabbies but they breed like bloody rabbits in my system.I don't know what my PH is and that is just because i am to lazy to check it. I let nature take its own course and just add a little oxygen to my system.The only thing i do different to you guys is provide plenty of HIDES for them as i am told that they are very territorial and this is why they go so well in dams (may also explain the"deaths" of sum half way through moulting its the perfect time to clean up a house mate while shell is soft ).I have hundreds off onion bags and 6 inch off cuts of 50mm agg pipe in side my IBC's. Just a thought at 4 am while having a whiskey after work I hope it's of sum help and i love the look of your house and AP system mate

BTW, the other thing strawbs don't like is salt, so if salting the system, this may also have had an impact on the results.
The system mine did well in hadn't (and still hasn't) been salted.

Yeah. I'm still happy to go with them; they are growing but don't think I'll be eating them before next year.

Hazno - thanks - yep, have never had trouble breeding them yet. Got plenty of hides (bricks and 40mm pipe sections) trouble is that makes the dead ones harder to find and starts affecting the water quality. Just can't help thinking I could have something more worthwhile (or consume less of my time) in there. More reddies ? Trout ?

newfarmer - most things are growing well (e.g. beans, herbs, leeks, etc) just not some, such as the strawberries and spring onions. Water is only salted to 1.0 - 1.5 ppt so is pretty minimal. Will have to wait for pH to stabilise lower before trying strawberries again.

I think dead yabbies in hides could be part of my woes looking a lot like a restart

Hey CD you're quite hope all is ok, I notice your occupation say's slave to mortgage, you will be glad to see another rate rise, that and my cigs going up has me pissed, how's the system?

I know I posted this somewhere else but...
Hey Nocky, why aren't you growing your own tobacco? No harder to grow than tomatoes. Curing is all about being patient.

Good thought CJ but seems I would have to grow a lot to keep me going and not sure you can grow it in OZ without a license, you almost need a license to fart these days so I am sure you would need one, but my Roll you're Own went from $27 a pack to $35, the shock of that will kill me before smoking
Sorry about the hijack CD, we will get back on track eventually

G'day Nocky, and others

No worries on the hijack mate - I'm sure I've done it several times, probably on your thread.

Yeah, I just don't seem to have a lot of forum time lately, and most of that has been on the BYF forum.

Anyway, system is going great - the photos below are a couple of weeks old.

Picked a big handful of coriander from the system on the weekend for a salsa and have been picking basil and thai basil for the last few weeks.

broccolis growing faster than the leeks and lettuces

Work Taking control of forum time
Good to see things are ticking

Yeah - it's just not right. And I don't seem to have any bloody time at home either. Something's gotta change.

Look out for those snake bean's brother....They will take over the system, and if you dont plan and train their run....They will blanket out the sun so nothing else grows....

When I spotted them....I honestly thought your in trouble ANYWAY watch them , they are nitrate suckes and grow so quick, even over 2 days can do some truely amazing growth.......and damage....

Snake Beans IMHO need at least one minute of time and direction EVERY DAY, otherwise they will just take over and go any which way was from the plan !@!!!!! and suffocate every other plant from the Great Sun Shine happening