Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all...

I am using just plain old urea. Basically. three small handfulls a few times a week or when I remember in just enough water to let the pumps click over.

The pumps won't work if there isn't enough water due to the float switch.

And I still have an airator running to oxygenate the water for good plant growth.

A bit of seasole, and iron chelate once a month. But that is just a bit of extra, the system probably doesn't need.

And pot ash, for fruit set.

I have to admit, it grows faster and healthier IMHO with out the fish. And, I now have no stress of keeping the fish alive. If a pumps does fail, and one hasn't since I have not had fish ( go figure the odds on that!! ) then the plants are fine until I get a chance to change the pump out.

I have no more concern for water quality, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels as i have nothing to kill, just plants to grow.

Yep... hydroponics is much less stressful in that respect...

Wonder if the worms will move on once they run out of fish poo. You may have to add some organic matter to the gb's later.

there is a years worth of fish crap already in there from when I killed all the worms off from the intro of the Barra

I paniced and tipped bag after bag of salt into the system, killed the bacteria and worms off in one hit. The bacteria returned quick enough, but the worms i dehyrated I think.

I might get fish again later in the year, but i am not really that interested in the growing fish out thing.

If I want to catch a fish, I can walk 4 minutes to the beach and catch a brim or whiting. Walk 30 odd minutes and go a Mangrove jack or small cod.

I may add 50 or 100 Barra for the sake of having fish, and work out a reasonable much smaller amount of urea to add for the same effects.

Very nice indeed,Jessy.

I can all but wish my plants to get that large.

Cheers.

Or get some Koi. When they get too big sell them off and start again.

maybe they are pretty hard to kill, and easy to revive and grow super quick on Barra pellets.

Little poop machines

If you can find a breeder that can give you a good color selection and buy them back when they are bigger. The large ones are worth a bit. They are trying to ban them tho.

Hey Jess, glad to hear it's working for you

But I couldn't do it - I sit and just watch my fish for at least 10 minutes a day - sometimes much longer - very relaxing !

I am starting to clear the jungle, and getting ready to replant the fast growing greens like tatsoi and bok choi. The place is a bit of a mess, but it will get sorted over this weekend.

I would of picked over 15 kg of habanero chilli off of this tree over the last three weeks. And there is still about that again to be taken off.



We had a bit of rain the other week and the weight of the fruit and the small bit of rain started to break branches off the Habanero

That is one of the most amazing habanero plants I've ever seen ! Nice one Jess

Here a few tomato's I just picked. This certainly isn't one of my best crops , but you get that growing heirlooms ....half of one, six of the other.

I wouldn't be complaining for winter, is it the beginning or end of the crop?

end crop.....going to replant and get 2 grows out of one season

Pretty jealous about 2 crops a year, but it's great for you

Why are you taking the tomato plants out though ? Won't they just keep on cropping ?