Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

On a more positive note Meg.... perhaps it might assist if you provide us with the "table of contents" you've already determined...

Well said Roz, I have in the past and will continue to read magazines, books and articles related to AP and I will surely read this one too. If it assists newbies and verifies facts Im sure it will do well.





I too got slammed for much along the reasons you did mantis but it was only an inspirational shove in the right direction as you point out. And here we still are. Books are good but ongoing information and support.... and great people, keep you pushing on and learning... this only comes within forums.

Hi guys,

As for my general background to write such a how-to book about aquaponics, I am a physicist/engineer with over 30 years of experience in hydrodynamic design and ocean engineering, with extensive experience developing new technologies and proving them through rigorous testing.

I have only been using aquaponics since 2010, but have been blogging about my experiences, initially at 3x5aquaponics.blogspot.com and more recently at 365aquaponics.blogspot.com. When the Aquaponics Association was formed in September 2011, I was elected to be secretary of the US Chapter. When the US Chapter was dissolved as part of re-orienting the organization towards its predominantly North American membership, I was asked to stay on with the Aquaponics Association as Director of Policies and Programs.

Regarding the organization asking me to write this book, Penguin will be the first mainstream publisher to put out a book about aquaponics, as far as I'm aware. Penguin Books, founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane, consistently ranks as one of the top-three publishers in major English-speaking countries. Penguin's "Complete Idiot's Guide" series of non-fiction how-to books is published under Penguin's Dorling Kindersley (DK) imprint.

Penguin had originally contracted with Susanne Friend and Tim Mann of Friendly Aquaponics to write the Complete Idiot's Guide to Aquaponics Gardening. However, at the end of March 2012, Suzanne and Tim pled guilty in U.S. District Court to weapons possession and conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 284 marijuana plants. The aquaponics community was outraged that confessed felons growing marijuana would become the "face" of aquaponics, and complained bitterly to Penguin. Suzanne, Tim, and Penguin came to a mutual agreement to end their professional relationship.

An agent working for Penguin scouted me out in April based on the writing and content of my blogs. I understand the agent contacted several US people practicing aquaponics - they may not have looked farther afield. I have the endorsement and support of Sylvia Bernstein, Gina Cavaliero, Murray Hallam, and others in the broader aquaponics community. Dr. James Rakocy, formerly of the University of the Virgin Islands, has agreed to perform the technical edit of the book after I finish writing it. I felt very uncomfortable saying anything publicly about the book until I had a signed contract in hand. Alas, that means I now have only a month until the full copy of the book (with all pictures and diagrams) is due to be turned in to the Penguin editors.

(bulk copy from another e-mail now over)

What stocking density do you recommend, by the way? And I do apologize for the upstand language (and for not realizing I'm the only one in the world who thought CHOP stood for Constant Height of Pond - Sylvia Bernstein caught me on that one). By the way, if CHOP is actually CHIFT-PIST, what is the name for the pump in fish tank - PIFT? That's what I'm calling it for now, since I don't recall seeing other language.

I have to leave for work, but I'll post the planned table of contents and a writing sample when I get home. Ciao!

Thanks for posting your background Meg.... most people here probably wouldn't have been aware of it... and how the "contract" came about....

Great to hear Dr. Rokocy will be reviewing the technical content...

And we look forward to the outline of the content....



Thanks for that info as well.... it was known that Charlie had resigned as the head of the "Chapter At Large... and the Australian Chapter headed by Murray seemd to disappear...

But I'd not seen anything previously posted anywhere... that indicated that the US Chapter had been dissolved... and the Aquaponics Association actually re-oriented.... other than what the structure appeared on the website... which was totally North American orientated...

Chift Pist was the original designation for the methodology... Constant Height In Fish Tank - Pump In Sump Tank....

Murray "rebadged" it as CHOP... Constant Height One Pump...

Thanks for feedback meg

Thank you for your information will look forward to the bits you give us with an open mind. Cheers

Home from work - goodness I dislike that commute...

If you e-mail me at stoutmtc at gmail dot com, I'll send you the pdf. The excerpt includes the current planned table of contents, as well as most of the introduction, the first chapter, and the chapter on fish.

Because the Complete Idiot's Guides moved under the DK imprint earlier this year (right before they asked me to do this), Penguin now hires writers for this series under work for hire contracts. This means I do not retain data rights to the written content I personally contribute to the book, and I will not be recieving royalties. So my interest in reaching out to the community for pictures and permission is to spread understanding of aquaponics, not to garner any personal gain from the venture. Think of me as more of an science and technology reporter about aquaponics, rather than a presumptuous upstart who is claiming to know everything.

So, is there anything I ought to cover in the TOC that you aren't seeing? If you request and read the excerpt, is there any major type of system or major player I ought to highlight or highlight more prominently in the introduction? Since I haven't raised australian fish, have I completely mangled the fish chapter?

Thanks! TOC below:

______________

0. Introduction
....(c)How I tumbled upon aquaponics
........(d)ROKS Cheonan
........(d)Eyjafjallajökull
........(d)Deepwater Horizon
........(d)Moving upwards and outwards
........(d)To DIY or not to DIY
....(c)Footprints
........(d) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
........(d)Water Footprint

Part I: Creating Your System

1. What is Your Vision?
....(c)Creating Your Plan
........(d)Your Goal
........(d)Strengths and Constraints
........(d)Inside or Out?
........(d)DIY or Kit?
........(d)Plants and Fish
....(c)Sample Home Systems
........(d)Vertical Window Garden
........(d)Pump in Fish Tank (PIFT)
........(d) Constant Height of Pond (CHOP)
........(d)Fog Aquaponics
....(c)Sample Microfarms
........(d)Urban Farming
........(d)A farm in the market
........(d)Catering to the Chef

2. Light
....(c)What You Need to Know About Light
........(d)Light Quantity: Lumens
........(d)Lumens and Lux
........(d)The Color of Light
........(d)Hours of Daylight
....(c)Growing Outdoors
........(d)Looking toward the Sun
........(d)If you don't live at the equator...
........(d)Growing during short, winter days
........(d)Shading your plants
....(c)Growing Indoors
........(d)Buying Lights
........(d)Fluorescents
........(d)High Intensity Discharge (HID) Bulbs and Ballasts
........(d)LEDs
........(d)Accessories

3. Water
....(c)Properties of Water
........(d)Desperately Seeking Low Pressure
........(d)The Universal Solvent
........(d)Weight of Water
....(c)Temperature and Water
........(d)Thermal Mass
........(d)Evaporation and Transpiration
........(d)Condensation
........(d)Dissolved Oxygen
....(c)Fish and Water
....(c)Plants and Water

4. Tanks and Tubes
....(c)Fish Tanks
........(d)Food Grade
........(d)Aquariums
........(d)Plastic Barrels
........(d)Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs)
........(d)Stock Tanks
........(d)Specialty Fiberglass and Plastic Tanks
........(d)Bathtubs
........(d)Liners and Sealants
....(c)Growbeds
........(d)Depth
........(d)Width and Volume
........(d)Support
........(d)Drain
....(c)Gutters and Towers
........(d)PVC Pipes
........(d)Hanging Planters
....(c)Plumbing and Fittings
........(d)Bulkhead fittings and Standpipes
........(d)PVC
........(d)Irrigation Poly-tubing
........(d)Garden Hose
........(d)Vinyl Tubing
........(d)Corrugated Tubing
....(c)DIY plans for Tanks and Grow beds
........(d)Excavating and lining a pond-tank
........(d)Building a wooden grow bed

5. Pumps, Sumps, and Standpipes
....(c)Air Pumps
........(d)Capacity
........(d)Diffusers
........(d)Check Valves
........(d)Using Air to Pump Water
....(c)Water Pumps
........(d)Capacity and Head
........(d)Filters
....(c)Sumps and Replenishing Lost Water
........(d)A sump reservoir
........(d)Top up from rain barrel
....(c)Solids Lifting Overflow in Fish Tanks
........(d)SLO I: The Soda Straw
........(d)SLO II: the bottom drain standpipe
........(d)SLO III: the side drain standpipe
....(c)DIY plans for Standpipes and Overflows
........(d)PVC Media Guard
........(d)Inexpensive bulkhead fitting
........(d)PVC Standpipe
........(d)Solids-lifting overflow I
........(d)Solids-lifting overflow II

Part II: Growing options

6. Growing in Gravel: Using Media Beds
....(c)Benefits and Challenges of Media Beds
........(d)Protection from light and solids
........(d)Flood and Drain
........(d)Worms
........(d)Plant Varieties
........(d)Mineralization
........(d)Supporting a rock-filled grow bed
........(d)System Clogging
........(d)pH Properties of your Media
....(c)Media Options
........(d)Gravel
........(d)River Rock
........(d)Hydroton
........(d)Expended Shale
........(d)Volcanic Scoria
........(d)Summary of Media types
....(c)Maintenance
........(d)Preventative Maintenance
........(d)End of life maintenance

7. Flood and Drain
....(c)The Lungs of your system
........(d)Timers
........(d)Indexing Valve
........(d)Flush Valve
........(d)Loop Auto-Siphon
........(d)Bell Auto-Siphon
....(c)Combining Flood and Drain Methods
....(c)DIY Plans
........(d)Water Tower & Flush Valve
........(d)Loop Siphon
........(d)Bell Siphon I
........(d)Bell Siphon II

8. Growing Vertically
....(c)Towers
....(c)Stacked Planters
....(c)Layered Beds
........(d)Design
........(d)Support
....(c)Growing Up and Down
....(c)Trellises and Arbors
........(d)Design
........(d)Supporting Fruit
....(c)DIY Plans
........(d)Hanging water bottles
........(d)PVC Tower
........(d)EMT Trellis I
........(d)EMT Trellis II

9. Growing in Water
....(c)Benefits and Challenges
........(d)Filtration
........(d)Net Pots and Media
........(d)Aeration
....(c)Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
....(c)Deep Water Culture
........(d)Rafts
........(d)Plant Configuration
........(d)What Grows Beneath
....(c)Channel Systems
....(c)Growing in Fog
....(c)Other hydroponic growing methods
....(c)Removing Fish Solids
........(d)Swirl Filters
........(d)Mechanical Filtration
........(d)Letting Gravity Help
....(c)DIY Plans
........(d)Floating Raft
........(d)Net Pot Screen
........(d)Swirl Filter

Part III: Nutrients and plants

10. The Nitrogen Cycle
....(c)Why Cycle Your System?
....(c)Fish Poison: Ammonia and Ammonium
........(d)Non-sudsing Ammonia
........(d)Fish
........(d)Organic Matter
........(d)Worms
........(d)Seaweed Concentrate
....(c)Oxygen-binder: Nitrite
........(d)Nitrosifyers
........(d)Effect of Nitrite on Fish
....(c)Plant Fertilizer: Nitrate
........(d)Nitrifying Bacteria
........(d)Other Suggested Additives
........(d)Chelated iron
........(d)Norwegian Kelp Seaweed Extract
....(c)Altering pH
........(d)Reducing pH
........(d)Increasing pH
....(c)Measuring Your System
........(d)Testing your water chemistry
........(d)Measuring Dissolved Oxygen

11. Which Plants Grow Best?
....(c)Using a Planting Guide
....(c)Strictly Summer Plants
........(d)Tomatoes
........(d)Peppers
........(d)Melons
........(d)Eggplant
....(c)Warm Weather Plants
........(d)Zucchini
........(d)Squash
........(d)Corn
....(c)Cool Weather Plants
........(d)Leafy Greens
........(d)Beets
........(d)Carrots
....(c)Cold Weather Plants
........(d)Cabbage
........(d)Pease
........(d)Maché
....(c)Herbs
........(d)Basil
........(d)Chives
........(d)Rosemary
........(d)Parsley
........(d)Cilantro
....(c)Ornamental Plants
........(d)Flowers
........(d)Aquaponics in Landscape Design
....(c)Floating Plants
........(d)Watercress
........(d)Duckweed

12. Starting and Propagating Plants
....(c)Starting from Seed
........(d)Standard Methods
........(d)Direct Seeding
....(c)Seedlings
........(d)Rinsing
........(d)Transplanting
....(c)Cuttings
........(d)Cutting Correctly
........(d)Encouraging Root Growth
........(d)Transplanting
....(c)Saving Seeds
........(d)What You Need
........(d)Storage and Viability

13. Fish-safe Pest Control
....(c)What is a pest?
....(c)Plants
........(d)Marigolds
........(d)Garlic
........(d)Peppermint
........(d)Lavender
....(c)Good bugs
........(d)Lady Bugs
........(d)Lacewings
........(d)Praying Mantis
....(c)Bacillus thuringiensis
....(c)Sprays
........(d)Garlic fire spray
........(d)Molasses spray
....(c)Teas
........(d)Chamomile tea
........(d)Compost tea
....(c)Beer
....(c)Worms

14. Optimizing Plant Yield
....(c)Pruning
........(d)Rules of Thumb
........(d)Dead-heading
....(c)Training Plants
........(d)Climbing Plants
........(d)Vining Plants
....(c)Staggering Harvests
........(d)Extending Harvest
........(d)Multi-layer Gardening
........(d)Eating in Season
....(c)pH
........(d)Effect on Nutrient Availability
........(d)Plants' effect on pH
........(d)Altering pH
....(c)Treating Nutriient Deficiencies
........(d)Chelated Iron
........(d)Potassium
........(d)Calcium

Part 4: Fish and other Critters

15. Which Fish?
....(c)Why Fresh Water Fish?
....(c)All-purpose Ornamentals
........(d)Goldfish
........(d)Koi
....(c)Al-purpose Pond Fish
........(d)Catfish
........(d)Minnows
........(d)Bluegills
........(d)Yellow Perch
........(d)Other Pond Fish
....(c)Warm Water Fish
........(d)Tropical Aquarium Fish
........(d)Tilapia
........(d)Pacu
....(c)Australian Fish
........(d)Barramundi
........(d)Silver Perch
........(d)Jade Perch
........(d)Murray Cod
........(d)Sleepy Cod

16. Other Useful Creatures
....(c)Purpose of Other Creatures
........(d)System Health
........(d)Pest Reduction
........(d)Food
....(c)Composting Worms
........(d)Red Worms vs. Burrowing Worms
........(d)Population Control
........(d)Harvesting
....(c)Black Soldier Flies
........(d)Larvae
........(d)Harvesting
........(d)BSF Compost Bins
........(d)Pest Control
....(c)Crustaceans
........(d)Freshwater Shrimp
........(d)Gammarus
........(d)Crayfish
........(d)Marmorkrebs
....(c)Gambusiia

17. Husbanding your Critters*
....(c)The basics of fish life
........(d)The birds and the bees of fish
........(d)Feeding baby fish
........(d)Preventing fish from breeding
....(c)When fish are sick
........(d)Quarantine
........(d)Salt baths
........(d)Hydrogen Peroxide
........(d)Cleansing your system
....(c)When fish die
........(d)Not dead...yet
........(d)Diagnosing the problem
........(d)What to do with the remains
....(c)Eating your fish
........(d)Catching the fish
........(d)Dispatching the fish
........(d)Cleaning fish
........(d)Cooking fish

Part 5: Beyond the Basics

18. Greenhouses
....(c)Greenhouse Pros and Cons
........(d)Greenhouse Effect
........(d)Energy Use
....(c)Permanent Greenhouses
........(d)Features
........(d)Orangeries
........(d)Hobby Greenhouses
........(d)Geodesic Domes
....(c)Hoop Houses
........(d)High Tunnels
........(d)Low Tunnels
........(d)Row Covers
........(d)EMT Hoop Houses
....(c)Construction Considerations
........(d)Foundation
........(d)Forming Hoops
........(d)Changing Seasons
....(c)DIY Plans
........(d)PVC Hoop House
........(d)EMT Hoop House I
........(d)EMT Hoop House II

19. Heating and Cooling
....(c)Standard Heat Sources
........(d)Electric Water Heaters
........(d)Electric Space Heaters
........(d)Propane Heaters
....(c)Solar Heaters
........(d)Water Heaters
........(d)Air Heaters
....(c)Wood Stoves
....(c)Rocket Mass Heaters
........(d)Design
........(d)Thermal Mass
....(c)Thermal Mass
....(c)Shade Cloth
....(c)Subterranean Systems
....(c)DIY Plans
........(d)Solar Water Heater
........(d)Solar Air Heater
........(d)Rocket Mass Furnace
20. Automation
....(c)Why Automate?
....(c)Measurement Systems
....(c)Temperature
........(d)Environment Control
........(d)Fans
........(d)Vents
........(d)Food
....(c)Feeders
........(d)Commercial
........(d)DIY
........(d)Temperature Controlled

21. Doing Without Services
....(c)Reasons
........(d)Flexibility
........(d)Community Garden
........(d)Preparedness
....(c)Maximize Passive Energy Harvesting
........(d)Insulation
........(d)Solar Gain
........(d)Wind Power
....(c)Batteries
........(d)Calculating Power Required
........(d)Types of Batteries
........(d)Wiring and Switches
....(c)Solar Panels
........(d)Considerations
........(d)Equipment Required
....(c)Wind Turbine
........(d)Considerations
........(d)Equipment Required
........(d)Small-scale Options
....(c)Wind-powered pump
....(c)Water-powered pump
....(c)DIY Plans
........(d)Greenhouse rainwater collection system
........(d)Wind-powered pump

22. Maintenance
....(c)Daily
........(d)Feeding your Fish
........(d)Checking your Plants
....(c)Weekly
....(c)Monthly
........(d)Testing your water
........(d)Planning your next set of plants
........(d)Purchasing supplies
........(d)Scrubbing down your system
....(c)Seasonal tasks
........(d)Winter tasks
........(d)Spring
........(d)Summer
....(c)Fall
....(c)Renewing your grow beds

23. Integrated Agriculture and Energy
....(c)Integrated Systems Concept
........(d)Waste not
........(d)Adding chickens
........(d)Adding mushrooms
....(c)Creating bio-fuel
........(d)Harvesting Methane
........(d)Salt water and bio-diesel
....(c)Improving Water Stewardship
........(d)Rain Water Gardens
........(d)Grey Water Systems
....(c)DIY Plans
........(d)Black Soldier Fly Compost System
........(d)Bio-digester
........(d)Bio-sand filter
........(d)Grey water system

24. DIY Plans
....(c)Pump in Fish Tank
........(d)DIY Window farm
........(d)DIY Box Garden
........(d)DIY Barrel System
....(c)Pump in Sump
........(d)DIY using Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC)
........(d)DIY using Stock Tanks
....(c)Index to DIY Plans in this book

Glossary

Resources

Thanks for the details Meg! It sounds pretty extensive, how many pages will it be?

My contract requires something like 340 manuscript pages, plus pictures and figures and such. I think the finished book all prettily formatted will be under 300 pages. I am planning to refer people to the forums, certainly. It can be a bit rough and tumble, but there's no better place to hear the latest news. Sometimes that news is incorrect, but there's nothing like incorrect news to produce the "right" news.

I think that sucks... And I think in reality it has nothing to do with any felon becoming the face of aquaponics, but more to do with mob mentality, and people within the industry thinking it's an ideal time to "stick the boot in" to a commercial competitor while they are down. The fact that someone is a felon has nothing to do with their knowledge or ability to disseminate information, and writing a book in no way makes anyone the "face" of anything. (And no, I have no criminal record.)

So does that mean you are now the "face of aquaponics"? How clean is your past? And just who decides what is acceptable and what isn't.

I have no dealings with Friendlies apart from one purchase from them many years ago, I don't agree with everything they say and do, I don't particularly like the way they go about a lot of their business dealings. But the fact that people within the aquaponics community complained bitterly to penguin, forcing their contract to be stopped, makes me ashamed to be part of the aquaponics community.

I'd just like to say publicly that BYAP had nothing to do with that and I certainly don't know of anyone in our business or on this forum who contacted penguin.

That's just low...

I don't know who did contact Penguin.

I did not.

I do know that Penguin doesn't drop authors for their affiliations or criminal history. I have not corresponded with Susanne or Tim since the end of 2011, but that correspondence was very positive. In fact we were talking about me helping her document the work they'd done with plants since the last revision of their Micro System and Table top Systems Manuals. I didn't know why they never followed up, but I can imagine they got the call from Penguin about writing the book around that time.

I know what I said about the complaints because I brought up the fact that Susanne and Tim had been writing the book when Penguin's agent offered me the book deal. That is also why I know that Penguin does not "drop" authors just because they've gotten in trouble with the Feds. But ultimately, I was not told anything about the nature of the discussions between Penguin, Susanne, and Tim leading up to the cancellation of the contract.

I don't know whether Penguin approached Susanne and Tim about ending the contract, or if Susanne and Tim approached Penguin to say they were no longer in a position to complete the book according to the terms of the contract.

I'm quite relieved that I am not going to be getting royalties, because cashing royalty checks would make me feel like I was taking money from Susanne, Tim, and their children.

My dealings with Susanne and Tim have all been very pleasant. Which is one of the reasons I was not OK with talking about the book deal until I had a signed contract in hand. Besides which, several of my friends were also approached about taking over the aquaponics book - and that has created a bit of strain.

I do not have an aquaponics business, so I have no vested interest in any particular business succeeding or failing. I am attempting to give credit as thoroughly as I can, which is why I am reaching out to the forums. As a public servant who holds a position of trust, I have sought legal guidance to make I am not creating a conflict of interest (it helps that they have these ethics lawyers sitting around to help us make sure we don't do anything wrong).

I apologize for not realizing that the "Complete Idiot's Guide" series was relatively unknown to readers of this forum. In hindsight, I see how my initial post could create so much dismay, if you thought I invented the title "Complete Idiot's Guide." Given the nature of the posts following my announcement and invitation, however, I thought it best to explain what the book is and the circumstances under which I, unknown to so many of you, could possibly have been asked to author this book.

Sounds like a book I would buy!

The forums are great but sometimes you need information in a logical order and hunting for information for things you aren't even aware exists means you often head off in the wrong direction or you end up making erronous assumptions.

I am never happy to start a project unless I am sure I have covered every aspect of a topic and with information all over the place you can never be sure.

In your Tanks and Tubes section will you be covering concrete?

Good luck and I look forward to the book

Then please don't spread malicious information that only furthers their troubles.
Don't take this personally, or as an attack on you writing a book, I want more people to get aquaponics information out there, and personally I wouldn't know you from a proverbial bar of soap so I'll just wait till the books out and I can see it..

But, there seems to be a real scramble of people within aquaponics all stepping on everyone else while trying to climb their way up some perceived heap, with everyone quite happy to stomp on other people on their way up.

Good luck with the book. Anything that promotes Aquaponics can only be a good thing, it sounds like it will be well researched.