Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thats very neat!
How did it go?

i ended up making the smoker from the keg I just need to go get a rack from Bunnings and fire it up.

Went like a dream! Works well as a hand warmer also. I used a tomato tin to hold the heat beads and wood - used some wire to make a hangin rack on top...
Only problem is no more fish to smoke - i have to wait fo rthem to grow up...Currently looking at smoked ham tecniques!

Anyway cheers, had just read your thread when i came across the free bottle and thought I might give it a crack!

All good mate... good to see its working well

I havent seen my systems for about 3 days due to work and tonight i got home and went out and had a look.
My kids (under supervision) fed the fish 2 days ago.
Well i looked into my tanks and the first 6 to 10 inches of tank is spotless clean no solids nothing the rest of the tank has the normal thin layer of goo. The fish are very active swimming all over the tank and when i fed them they were all on it like flies to poo.
Now my veges... well they're all going nuts too. My watercress has added nearly half its size in growth almost taking over my chard, my tomato is fruiting like mad, leeks have thickened and peas and beans are going berserk.
In my smaller tank i had the same thing. Clean bottom, no solids at all and quite good growth from strawberries, lettuce and bok choi (not as good but the systems only 2 weeks old.)
Its amazing what a couple of sunny days can do. I cant wait for spring.

Ill post pics tomorrow.

little update... pics later sorry

had a little HSM when my SLO got blocked up with, well, solids and slowly emptied my sump to just above the intake of my pump... wasnt really an issue as everything was totally full from all the rain but at least now i know i have a good 24 hour window before everything goes to poo.

Harvested about a kilo of watercress so far and about to take out about 500gms more Friday for a kiwi mate who loves it.
Harvested about 3/4 kilo of bok choi and choi sum yesterday basically because it was going to flower. Is it the wrong time of year for them?
Because im studying Naturopathy again i have decided to dedicate my kids system to herbs (and a few veg) I have Brahmi, German chamomile, sage, Lime balm, Mint (yes i know it goes mad), I will get some stevia, and try some ginger, maybe Valerian and echinacea. Because the chamomile and echinacea prefer a dry environment i might try timed flood drain.

Im going to attempt to add another bed to the side of the current bed on the kids system giving roughly 600l of GB to 700l of tank. ill post pics when i get around to it

pics later

First fish death today, one of my smallest silvers was found floating. Not sure the cause but i did find some old fish food floating in the corner of my tank looking furry and smelly so i cleaned it all out.

Rats!!! eating my corn and my tomatoes... they wont eat the ratsak in the packets...
any tips other than camping out with a shotgun?
Im so wild, i had about 15 ears eaten and now they're starting on the tommies

I've got rat poo around my growbeds too but haven't noticed anything missing. I'm not growing corn though.
I won't put out any kind of poison for fear of a rat loaded with ratsak falling into the fishtank

i didnt even think of that

Try a live catch trap baited with corn. Drown them in it, dont try to take out alive what ever you do.