Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ron, lucky LKB (Les) isn't hosting the meet, as a newbie you'd be required to produce you "gravel washing ticket" before he let you in

See you there!

I heard that

does chainsaw sharpening get you associate membership???

and that also

As I mention I have been a Hydro grower for many years.
Hydro relies on cleanliness
Bluestone is my preferred medium which takes a heap of cleaning before use, admittantly I use no where near the quantity that appears to be required by AquaPonics.
I have tried many mediums to grow in but Bluestone has been may favorite because of it's weight and ability to support tall and heavy plants and it's apparent nuetral effect of the nutrients and of course great draining.
I have to undergo some major system revisions to change my Hydro setup to AP, I use drip feeders and root sprinklers depending on what I am growing to supply Nutrients to the plants, these no doubt will block the moment I try to add fish effluent into the system.
I feel at this time that I have a really good ratio of Air to Fluid delivery to promote fast and Healthy growth.
I am eagerly looking forward for the next 6-9 months as I design, build and experiment with the things that do and do not work and then the tweaking and fine tuning then finally expansion.
I have a 5 year plan to supply Trout, Barra, Cod and fresh water crustaceans plus seasonal and non seasonal fresh vegi's sustanably to the table.

Ron, Jim should be able to give you some good tips, i'm fairly sure he used NFT in his hydro so the chnage over was easier. But i'll let him do the talking

Ron i have also been into hydro for a few years i run 8, 6 metre nft chanels that are gravity fed,and drain back into a sump with a submersible pump to pump nutrients back into 1000 litre tank.
I am going to change 4 chanels to aquaponics after this season.and i dont think it will be much trouble.
Jim.

ANy new takers for the Victorian meet?

Hi like Ron, I'm a new boy too and would love to meet some of the personalitys behind the comments I've read.
Trouble & strife is a little hesitant but most likely will come if I promise "on oath", severl times, to behave myself. (Life's tough
!)
I don't have any set up yet and not that much in the way of knowledge about AP but hoping to gets something set up.
We live at Gordon, that's about 25K's east of Ballarat at a height of just under 600 meters above s.l.
Last year our range of tempatures went from...snow on the ground to around 40 >< deg.
Does anyone know of a fish that comes with its own wet suit?

Malcolm T

Leatherjacket????

I'd like to come along to a meet if it isn't too far from melbourne.

sunbury is not far will post details soon

Better check and see if F&F has wheelchair access, alternatively he could use the front end loader to move you about - just trying to be helpful, these centurians need a bit of TLC

Righto all you vicks the victorian meeting 18 days to go 28 th january at (address removed) lunch time on pizza and home made beer will be served and a few snags for the kids .Would like to know no/s [so we know how much pizza dough we need] if tis a fire ban we can still run on gas so its definatly on

Hi F&F anything else you need eg toms.cucumbers,or what ever,best toms i have ever grown.going to semi dry some yhis weekend.
Jim.