Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

as am I!!!

As I said.... I think you will see some major developments announced shortly... both here in OZ... and the US...

I guess we'll all just have to wait Jen...

Great looking lettuce there Vlad! Quick question, I know you're using humonia and are planning to switch to fish when it warms up but have you grown plants with fish as the nutrient source in the past?

Great to see you spreading the word in your country

Hey Ryan, thanks. I've only used fish as an input source for plant essential elements on a very small scale (I've been running 3 or 4 small test systems at any given time (and not every one of those have or have had fish), but nothing on the scale of this big-ish system. I figured I'd just cycle with humonia because of some of the obvious advantages as well as the sustainability issues vs. Ocean harvested fish feed.

I mean I can't wait to get the fish in there and all, but on the other hand through experimenting with some of these small systems I've come to the conclusion that the fish and fish feed may just sorta be an expensive input source for plant growth. This includes indirect expenses such as additional electricity, O2, pumping/flow, electrical back up systems that then become necessary, dealing with the solids, additional equipment and maintenance for dealing with those solids, your available choices for dealing with pathogens is narrowed, and some (not all) of the fish safe alternatives are rather more expensive etc...

Many of these things can be mitigated somewhat more or less economically with certain strategies being 'better' than others, for a given situation it would seem. (At least I think some can work somewhat 'better' than others in my particular set and setting)...But at first glance the fish (in my particular market and mind) just seem like really expensive fertilizer compared with other bio-ponic or 'homemade' organic hydro methods. I've been trying to work some of these issues out in a way that makes sense in my particular situation. Because, again...in a sense, I can't wait to get things going with the fish. I just don't want to be naive about it. In want a system that consistently puts out quality veggies and greens. Nutrient deficiencies, pests and pathogens get in the way of that, and fish present somewhat of a challenge in dealing with those issues. Which is fine, because all that does is force you to find workable (safe, healthy and economic alternatives)

Things like "does worm casting tea (applied as a foliar spray) really eliminate certain pest issues...fungal pathogen issues etc...And a bunch of other things that my mind wont rest on until I've 'seen for myself' When it get s broken down into dollars and cents (or sense) and hassle and time/energy vs dollars...The small systems have been wonderful for trying out many of these things first and being able to 'better' and more confidently choose which methodologies to employ in the GH.

I enjoy your honesty and logical thinking Vlad.

Hi guys...Nothing much exciting going on here...just lots more new lettuce, chard, Chinese brassica's and the like. Hopefully in about a month or so the weather will break. I'm getting antsy looking at these cucumber, tomato, and zucchini seeds

Looking a bit nice their Vlad, though the outside doesn't look quite so inviting.

Thanks Faye! Yeah, the weather is still pretty crummy. I have absolutely got to get a propagation house built by next winter. I got a couple hundred straw bales saved up in the barn just for that, and some barrels for a new rocket heater, so hopefully I'll be able to get that done during the dry season. The little propagation hoop house inside the GH just isn't cutting it. Things grow out just fine once they're set out in the DWC's, but sheesh it takes for ever to get to that point from seed the way I'm doing it now. I think I'll scrounge some bubble wrap next time, but I had all this PE left over from years back...The R-Value is horrible on the 6 mil PE. But really I think a nice warm prop house/shed is the way to go. It would be cool to get the FT in there as well, but at this point I think that is just fantasy (I'm just not up for that task).

But first up is a french drain, (or some kind of drainage deal) around the three sides of the GH. I'm not liking the water that is collecting on the one side of the foundation.

mmmmmm... lettuce

Hey guys...Is there anyone in Sidney who sells AP produce?

Not that I know of... why?

No big reason. A long time friend of my wife's who lives in Sidney had asked. Apparently, she likes the idea of AP grown food and was wondering...if or where she could buy stuff for her and her family...

Yeah there should be a company doing that now... but there's no system that can promise good profit as well as good food production year round. I wonder if we should consider "seasonal" marketing instead of thinking of doing a full year thing.