Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thank you! There used to be some one named bioagfarmer over at PRI, he was a round-up enthusiast, and a bit of a shitt stirring numskull, altho he was also extremely knowledgable about soil, and your moniker was similar. I was worried....

I hope to build a good AP system, too, tho maybe not as ambitious as the large system I had hoped for initially. The problem has been the solar panels, but we just received a sizeable quantity of donated solar equipment (880 watts) ffrom BP for a new classroom here, so maybe we can get more equipment to build an AP system. If so, a substantial barrier has been removed, so I am rekindling my interest, which had been dampened by the fiscal impossibility of getting into aquaponics (HEY, GUYS, KNOCK IT OFF! OR I"LL SEND VEGGIE BOY TO BEAT YOU WITH A STICK!) "Sorry, Guv! We just heard that word and had to do what we do!" "Yeah, like, mister, we promise, won't happen again!"

(I think I'll just use "AP" instead of saying aquapo.... um, that word, or, we'll have those annoying enthusiasts jumping up and down...)

Anyway, with luck, I'll have photos to show some day!

.
Maybe if you whisper aquaponics

:blob7:

- nope, thats worse

Hahahahahahaha!

Hey good to see you around big C.... Hope you and your family had a great festive season..

Thank you, Joel! We did! how was yours? D'ja get our email w/photo?

Like I said earlier, I am, again, all fired up about aquap..um, AP, because we may be able to get more solar panels from BP. The guy I dealt with was super nice and very supportive donating for ourclassroom, and I imagine that an AP system is even cooler than a classroom.

Have been reading through many of the posts, but... wow, LOTS of good info here! Brilliant!

Whens the next course? I might be able to swing a plane ticket....

C

VB, are there any bio-pesticides available for those waving emoticons ?

Jannet, would DE work on them? Shred them up good.......... LOL

DE won't work. They're too tough. Only recourse is a machete.

Hi Steve! Is this the guitar playing StevieWevie, owner of the Last of the Red Interceptors? Or a different Steve?

I am controlling them by not mentioning It Which Shall Not Be Named! Henceforth (and forthwith) It Shall Be Referred to As AP, and then we don't have to beat the poor little boogers up....

maybe Steve's flame thrower? :violent3:

or Les' chainsaw

Na, different Steve, C...

Hello Christopher
I used to scuba dive in your neighborhood. Especially nice to leave a Michigan winter to the warmth and sun.

I am an electrical engineer and will start my aquaponics this spring in a 700 sq ft greenhouse with 3000 gallon fish tank system. I will run everything from 12 volts hoping to switch to solar electric in the future. I figure I need about 240 watts of panels to support my system. I will have a better idea when I get operational. I have about 240 amp hours of 12 volt from my deep cycle golf cart batteries. The four batteries only cost $200US ($50 each). That is my night/cloudy day backup. I already have my solar charge controller ( a Xantrex C40 charge controller $130US ). The charge controller takes good care of the batteries and maximizes use of the solar electric charging.

In any case, I would be pleased to discuss operation of aquaponics with solar electric with you as you wish. My circulation pump can do 1200 gph at 6' of head with only 120 watts of power. My air pump does 2 cfm at 4' with only 80 watts. I will use an embedded controller computer to manage energy use. Embedded controls is what I have done for a living and it pleases me to employ it for this purpose. I think your operation would be easier because of the warmer climate. The cold in Michigan would require great amounts of energy for heat and light in winter, if I tried to maintain the same plants and warm water fish. I will run my operation with plants and fish that can handle cold and I use a very insulated greenhouse that maintains above freezing without heaters.

Welcome to this great forum. I have learned a great deal here and the people are very cordial.

Ok so googled it up and here are some links for the water motor

Link One

Link Two

Another question. What kinda verticle drop do you have on the river? Probably not much as you can canoe up it i see.

Would you be able to divert some flow of the river and then make it drop from a height?

And something else to think about. We use a large diameter water wheel (could use a turbine) to pump water with a manual pump. Its not the most effiecnt but it gets the job done for closed systems. For our main water supply we use hydraulic ram pumps but the need about 30 feet of drop to be efficent and the would not work in a closed system as they return only 10-20% of the water.

JT

..

Hey christopher check out link two on the right hand side they are offering this.

OFF GRID TV
We are preparing a UK TV series for possible broadcast next year. We are looking for people who currently live off-grid anywhere in the world, and for people who want to live off-grid but do not yet do so. This might be in a community or an individual situation.
Please Contact
tv@off-grid.net
+ 44 7971 543703

Thought you might be interested in this as it is always good to get extra help!!!

JT