Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Here's how my big (planted) aquarium looks now. (I scrubbed off the algae, even though I hadn't figured out why it was growing the way it was. I was tired of looking at it.)

The snail population is exploding to match the growth of algae and the increased fish population. The pointy ones are Malaysian trumpet snails, which are scavengers and don't eat plants. They're also livebearers. I never knew there were snails that didn't lay eggs.

The other snails are bladder snails. They weren't invited, and at first I kept killing them because I thought they would eat my plants. But they kept multiplying faster than I could kill them, and I eventually realized that despite there being hundreds of them, my plants were looking just fine. Apparently that whole plant-eating thing was a myth. They do seem to like algae, though, so I've decided to make peace with them and let them stay. (It was going to happen anyway.)

Here are a few of my fish.
I've always wanted to have a huge school of neon tetras, so I decided not to put in any big fish, and just have lots of little ones. There are forty neons so far. It's hard to get a photo, though, because they're shy, and whenever I get close with the camera, they all jump behind the rocks and hide.

They're "green" neon tetras. They're called that because they're more purple than regular neon tetras. I swear, that is what the fish store guy said. They don't look green OR purple to me. They look blue. When you put them next to a regular neon tetra, the regular one looks teal. Which seems a lot closer to green than blue (or purple).

But anyway, I like them. Even if their name makes no sense.

I created the Invention Engine to put a stop to the stream, dam it up and enforce some discipline into the mix.

Dave Barry could be onto something

I wish you'd get around to documenting your invention engine. I really want a chance to try it out before senile dementia sets in.

Yeah, it's going to be a few years yet

It's part of my retirement plan

Can I have your aquarium please?

(you never know if you don't ask)

The shipping cost would bankrupt both of us!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'm pretty sure I'm older than you. That means it will be too late for me to benefit from it. *sigh*


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I need to figure out how to do this. I am VERY good at growing algae!

http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/ ... video.html


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Really??!? It does actually work???!?

Except for the bit where they used (probably) fossil fuel based fertiliser to kick it off, I'm impressed.

Which means I now have to take that first example seriously.

We live and learn.

That looks like a lot of work. Maybe I could convince the algae that my 275-gal IBC is a very large water bottle.

I like how, at the end, it basically goes, "extract the algae using a French coffee press, and then use it for biofuel." I'm thinking there might be a few more steps to that part.

All of the other steps can be found on that website. My favorite is he Honda accord that runs on thrash. It is fun watching them roll through Oakland with a junky car with a gassifier straped to it. There would be no need for us to add fossil based fertilizer. We have all the nutrients we need in our system water. I though about building something like that, then harvesting the algae for fish food, as algae is tilapa's preferred food source.

Dang, another reason I need to use tilapia in my system...

What likes duck weed? I'm pretty good at growing duck weed, too.

So, I found a fish store in Portland that's willing to order me catfish fingerlings, but have run into a hitch. Seems the buyer is too ADHD to remember to call his fish sources for pricing for me, and I'm too ADHD to remember during business hours to call and remind him.

I really need a personal secretary.

So what kind of fish would... Oh! Shiny!