Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Looking good OBO

There some nice looking fish, have you eaten any yet?

Not the Perch - quite a few are ready though.

good work, you need anything from down this way taken up there? Leaving Xmas morning around 6ish

Nope unless you got some more Perch

I'm not far from gidgy

Apparently water cress sells for $25kg. You can't eat it from the wild because wherever there are cattle grazing there is a chance you'll get liver fluke from it, so it's all comercially farmed... and of course it lovvvvves water....

Water cress went mad in my system, I reckon it'd go mad growing all over that mesh. And at $25kg that's a cover that could quite literally pay for itself.

Good money , but possibly only at certain times of the year, and I wonder how much a grower can expect...?

I know that basil gets the same price, but it;s only when generally its out of season for most growers.

Hi OBO & all, b4 all this council stuff gets too silly, & although i'm an old aged newby here with no AP experience, i've had 30 "odd" years of this officialdome gone wrong with tourist parks, country kitchens, meat precessing & packing & so on....so heres a bit of advice i can give with confidence to OBO & anyone getting into the "commercial" side of things - the biggest cost u will experience is in processing the fish. my advice is simple - DONT PROCESS them - sell them live to whomever wants them. Health Dept approved Fish Processing is hugely expensive - all stainless steel & health audits ect - dont go there. sell ur fish live -= no permits needed - let the buyers clean them - no law about a householder cleaning fish at home, but lots of law about commercial premises. eg a butcher shop can cut up meat, has to have separate approved area for filleting fish - been there, got the t shirt. i looked into smoking trout for sale - no way i haven't got 20 years left to get through the red tap. If it gets too sticky another another avenue maybe the "hobby" line.

May not apply to OBO, but for others thinking of "selling" anything from AP system, there is a provision in ATO about turnover of a hobby can be up to $25,000 i think b4 attracting tax.....under this provision u can sell products from ur hobby to recoup costs without attracting I/tax. - just a thought.....

OBO ur an inspiration to me, i mess about doing all the planning, thinking, worrying then eventually get started (ie 3 years building & planning my trout pond -) u surely r a man to get in & give it a go - may the force be with u & ur vegies & fish outgrow the plot.....
cheers ST

Hi ST - yes I agree that going the processing route is too much of a hassle, especially when I have such a good market for live fish. My council application is based around the sale of "wet" fish only.

I have been in contact with people in the restaurant industry here in Kalgoorlie, and they want as many fish as I can provide them.

On the subject of Water Cress, what is it used for mostly? I am assuming salad? And will it survive full sun in Kal? I am looking at shade structures for the tanks, but they are pretty expensive - if the 'cress can grow quickly in sun it would be ideal.

I got all the mesh finished, just needs to be trimmed up neater.

Greatings from Bali

Water Cress in one of my gb's grows really fast but did get knocked back by the sun. Has since re-grown again. Train it over a mesh table beside the gb and just keep cutting it. Fish and chooks like it too.

I am sure you wont, but dont drink the water

OBO re shading, bunnings have some 90% shade sails (sunsmart brand or something), 5 x 5 metres (square or triangle) for $49 (seen em as low as $29 on special), 1 year warranty, s/s fittings, and so on. I reckon you could use some of that pipe to rig/weld up supports and make it look good in the process. I've had some of these sails up at my place for 2 years 24/7/365 and they don't look like falling apart any time soon.

You need more of those Filter units ....may have a couple spare and I'm heading up Sat arvo or Sun morning.

Yeah mate, i'll have them, you need a bed ?

Nope....got one organized but if we get on the gas I may crash over you working Monday?