Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

G'day Dr Bee, did you end up getting your Yabbies? If you get stuck I have some in my pond you can grab. There's not many left but I did see some today. I'm out in Stratham

Cheers Muzza

Thanks Muzza.

Haven't got any yet. Busy the next few weekends, but will pm you to get your details and maybe pop in around Anzac weekend.

Removed my tomato plants and thinned out the strawberries to make room for the seedlings on the weekend.

None of the lettuce or spinach seedlings took, so all dead now. Have put in some seeds instead to give them a shot.

Only success was with the tomato seedlings from the squashed tomatoes. Growing strong, and handled relocation to their spot for next years growth cycle. Have raised the bed height a bit to get more surface area of rocks in the bed. Need to raise the syphon height a bit. Maybe the seedlings weren't in deep enough to get moisture, maybe they weren't mature enough to get transplanted. Didn't have four leaves yet, unlike the toms.

Got some brochilli and chinese seeds spruoted, but not yet at four leaves stage.

Stopped feeding the silvers few a few days as the water was pretty murcky after poulling out all the plants. Fed them this morning. They didn't wait for me to leave. I guess thats a good sign that they haven't completly gone off their food, but then it was almost 30 degrees the last few days, and not too cold at night yet.

Boys wanted to eat them over easter, but have decided I want another year out of them. Get a decent bit of meat off each. Would like them to be as big as the BYAP fish but can't see that happening. Had to eat Atlantic Salmon from Tasmania instead. Lovely baked in oven for 20 min with a crust of basil and breadcrumbs on top. Well done Mrs Bee..

Seeds are germinating well.

Toms are looking really strong. Basil is growing like trees.

Need to get some more in now as the old stuff is going to seed. Can you still eat it if it goes to seed?

Water still murky, but fish are eating all the food. I have cut back on feed as there isn't much greenery apart from old strawbs and basil.

A fortnight later and the growth continues.

One of the tomatoes passed away, but the others survived transplant from where the tomato got smashed. Another sprout coming up next to the toms. Could be more tomatoes or maybe a beetroot. Chilli seeds now in there too. One of the mulberry branches with new shoots.




The Bok Choy and brochilli seedlings have burst out of the gravel. Don't know whats what, as my seed planters use a random planting action and don't follow instructions well. Will let them grow out a bit more then arrange them in a functional layout. No signs of lettuce yet though. Its meant to be winter lettuce. Have put more seeds in bed and some in seed raising mix. Maybe a dud batch of seeds.



Silvers keep growing, and smashing the food. They are eating alot more than they did in March. I think the warm nights and mild days are keeping the water temps stable.

Looks like the Mulberry trees have managed to transplant okay. I didn't think about their placement when I originally put them in about a month ago, and moved them when I pulled out all the old tom plants. I was worried when the leaves fell off, but now they are growing new shoots. Wonder when they will have enough roots to plant in ground? Maybe they could go in barrels, except I don't think wife wants them right next to cloths line!!



Sorry about orientation of photos, I forget to take in landscape when using the phone.

Dumped a few loads of water direct from the GB into some containers to try and get rid of some of the fines. Still plenty murky in the tank after that so I am trying to come up with a design of swirl filter that I can maybe run once a week to clear out some of the fines out of the tank. Trying to work out how I can position it out of the way so its not an eyesore.

Plants are looking good after less than a month since planting as seeds. Heaps of tomatoes coming out from where I squashed a couple of cherry toms. Ahh phone died on weekend and don't have software on this thing to down load them. Damn.

Still no lettuce come up, seeds in seed raising mix slowly coming up. Going to try seeds in paper towel direct sown in GB next.

Fish do exist!! Must be feeding time 14 of 15 in shot

Tomato plant after two months, baby chillies off to the right. Two weeks since planting seeds.

Bok Choy and Brocoli Seeds planted one month ago. Need to be thinned out now.

Eating Bok Choy after just 6 weeks. That experiment worked well. Need to plant more and get a system of rotation going.

Snow Pleas planted 2 weeks ago providing shoots already. Who said things slow down in winter. I need another grow bed.

Yeah I know, photos tomorrow. Had too much fun with the family yesterday. Great Autumn weather, kicking football, playing cricket, and throwing frisbee down the beach. Few beers back home at sunset with in laws and watching kids doing stunts on trampoline.

Mulberries on the little shoots I planted too!!

Tomato sprout is now massive. Hope it gives me heaps of toms come summer.

Good rains last week filled up the fish tank. Have access to a blue barrel - no Nat keep your bloody hands off it. Will get it full over winter and used it as top up water. Going to plumb it in and use it as a swirl filter/rainwater tank.

Looking great Dr Bee. There is never a dull moment in aquaponics or the need to expand!!
I found that growing the big stuff like tommies in my main growbeds took up so much space and shaded the rest of the bed and those around it that I ended up expanding into blue barrels. That way I can grow big tommies away from the other plants and if they fill the barrel with roots it is easy to take it off line and clean it. It also meant I could arrange them facing north to get the advantage of the winter sun!!
So the question is not whether to use the blue barrel you have to put rainwater in but how many more you need to buy!!
And stay away from Nat, his addiction is contagious .

Should have spread them out. oh well!!! Thinning them out by eating them.

Mullberry going gangbusters in the strawberry/tomato jungle.

Looking great Dr Bee. Love the growth on the strawberries. I can't even get them to grow!

Looks like you have confused the poor mulberry as it should be going dormant It will be interesting to see if it keeps going and the fruit matures.

The leaves have started to fall off the other shoots. I thought they must be on their way out. Had forgotten they are deciduous. Hope they get through winter, and then I can plant them out.

What a fantastic thread Dr Bee. Much appreciated.

Regards, Martin.

Martin,

No probs. I am enjoying sharing my experiences.