Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

This year we are a little late on collecting our trout fingerlings. It is the final weekend before the trout farm has a month or so holiday. So while we were there we decided to go fishing. 3 nicely sized. 1.7kg, .760, .400. Filleted and crumbed the large one, smoked the medium one, and grilled the small one.

Now all we have to do is to remember to feed the new babies.

Anyone who is into trout simply must visit and fish lake Taupo in New Zealand. We just spent the weeks on the land of the long white cloud and finished our journey on a boat fishing the deep clear waters with downriggers. Snared 8 beauties, 7 stayed for dinner. Biggest was nearly 2 kg. These fish have flesh the colour of tasmanian ocean salmon, and it is because of teh crustaceans they eat. They were quite possibly the best tasting fish I have ever eaten, not only because the charter ride cost $600) lol I will post pics when we sort through the 1200 on the camera

Mmm booked to go and will put that one on the to do list.

Guys you should have saved the fish, taken a photo with them next to your tank, and entered it in this years "who's got the biggest trout" comp.

didnt think of that.....

A mate who only posts her very rarely has just put edible sized trout into his system so I know who will have the biggest, if they survive that is

Adelaide recently had some reasonable rain fall. Here is a photo of what happens when the ground has become waterlogged. We sit on grey clay, and our yard is known to hold the water in winter after a decent storm. We currently have no sump on our system.

My arms are too short to reach the rest of the water. This is what is left after a week of waiting for the final amount to subside.

On a positive note; you've now got the opportunity to add the drainage!

Same as our place...good luck with it, I feel your pain.

This year Adelaide has been reasonably luck with the weather, it is only just starting to warm up. We have started the yearly culling. We did however start our trout a month late this year so the fish are smaller than previous years.

We have now secured the sump back into the ground, although during the last rain storm we developed a blocked storm water drain. Got the plumber in. We have a tree root in the drain. Guess where that is........yep thats right, it is directly under the fish tank in around the middle of the tank. Just as well we have 3 - 4 months of no fish to drain the tank, fix the leak. While we are at it, might has well close down the beds and give them a good clean out.

here is a couple of photos, we dont have much in veg in this year. After last years performance with the tomato roots, i'm not allowed to put tomatoes in the system....might sneak in some self seeders...do you think he will notice

We will smoke and freeze the fish.

Nice work guys

here is todays effort. 37 fish 13 to go, if we can catch them

Hit a bit of an issue over the last couple of months. We had to call in the plumber cause the toilet and bathroom plumbing was blocked and coming back at us. He commented that there was a problem that wrecked his machine more than once, so we had to call in the big guns (those who look after the city sewage pipes). They said there was nothing wrong with the piping. oh well, the dunney was flushing now so that was the main thing.

Month later, heavy rainstorm, gutters back flowing into eaves, back yard filling with water..........called in plumber again. Seemed to be a blockage under the fish pond. Tree roots aparently.

Emptied tank, lifted tank, tree roots visible at ground level doing a vertical dive straight down into the piping. Call council, we dont have trees on the inside of our fence line. We fill in the paperwork, and select option b. Would much prefer to keep trees and put in some root guard. Council man rocks up.......one look trees are going. One has been planted ontop of the main stormwater drain and sewage connection for the whole street.

Plumber came back and repaired all the piping.

So.. our system is currently empty, we no longer have shade on the greenhouse (will have to think of some fancy solution) and no fish and still waiting for the plumber to return and fix their ***up. they are on Christmas break.

Hope everyone has a fantastic new year in 2013.