Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thank you sir...

I can believe your broccoli has come to head so fast! The variety I grow has to get massive before it puts on heads.

I think it is the heat (very warm for April), going to have to keep an eye on them, may bolt. The main heads are not dense like you get in the market. Could be the variety, a cooler weather one, but I dunno for sure. Have also read that they like a soil temp of 65-75F; My water temp has been 75ish, that may also be what is causing them to want to bolt. The broccoli is also putting out numerous smaller florettes along the stem. I think when I cut the main ones, those will fill out to bite size and I'll get a second serving before yanking them.

J.B.

Finally! The Nitrites broke! NEON Purple(>5ppm) to .25ppm in 48 hours. Zero Ammonia. Time to pay a visit to the Hatchery

One month has passed and a lot has happened with the system, namely, we ate all the broccoli, planted kale, cabbages are heading, onions are flowering, and we got Fish! Posting Pics for your enjoyment.

Fish Species in the system now.
Red Breast Sunfish (Wild caught, 'almost' feed trained)
Green Sunfish
Copper nose Bluegill
Channel Catfish

No losses during transport. After acclimation, catfish took straight to sifting and eating what was left in the litter on the bottom of the tank. Bluegill are out of the corners and using the whole water column, even striking debris on the surface. Things look good.

Some more pictures. Copper nose (2nd) and a Green by the SLO.

J.B.

Looking sweet mate! They are interesting fish names.
I'm looking forward to growing cabbage as I can never get it to heart in the dirt garden.

Looking great Jaybee!

Thanks! It appears the tree frogs have found the AP System. We have also had a 30% catfish loss. I know 45-50% fingerling loss is not uncommon in pond culture, but It seems like a lot for AP. Have been testing daily, and PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate have all been optimal. I almost want to buy bigger cats that can stay on par with the 1/2lb sunfish in the tanks already. Or segregate them completely.

J.B.

Catfish have Ich, Salted to 2 PPT. Lost a few, but hopefilly the rest will come out of it.

J.B.

So, I lost my 20 catfish fingerlings to ICH... Did not get the water salted in time it seems. Have set up a quarantine tank now salted to 3PPT so that will not happen again.



The cucumbers have started to take off though. And the Sunfish/Bluegill are doing extremely well. My big Green sunfish had some fungal issues, but salting seems to have those clearing up.

I now understand why AP is Addicting. I started to plumb a new aquaculture system with Koil and Lilly tank for the wife. I have left room for Growbeds at a later date, and despite the area being rather shaded, it does get about 5 hours of direct light in the AM, and then is dappled the rest of the day.



The 300 Gallon tank will house Bullheads or anohter round of cats.



The wifes 100 gallon Koi and Water Lilly Tank will initially overflow into the big tank, but once I figure out how to add GBs, it will go to beds and then to the big tank.

The 55 Gallon drum is the heart of it all, the bio filter. It is bottom fed, vortex with matala mechanical separation and then mesh bags with poly strapping for the filter media. Mid-Column is the offchute for the aeration wand. Bottom feed can be bypassed to top feed in order to back flush the filter... spigot in the front. Everything has a redundant emergency overflow as the eaves channel a lot of rainwater into the system.

I am awaiting delivery of the pump, air pump and stones, and poly strapping. I will sew up the media bags myself with some nylon mesh I have in my sew shop.

Enjoy.

J.B.

Tossed my fish traps out into the creek behind the house just for kicks this week; low and behold... Blue Catfish fingerlings and American eels! Needless top say, I have catfish again, and some good sized eels to boot. Will be figuring out what to make out of the eels here shortly. Yum!

Some more updates.

Cucumbers Zapped the potassium from the system. Adding a lot of bicarbonate to keep it fruiting... they really are delicious.

Decided to add a DWC bed with media pre-filter to the Aquaculture system. The Bio Filter is almost fully cycled and there are Nitrates galore just waiting to be converted into biomass!







...More to Follow.

Biggest of my Brown Bullheads... 1 ft and 1 lb ( 30cm and 430g) will grow him out to 18-20" and 3lbs.



BSF Composter moved to where rain will not enter the barrel.



J.B.

I was wrong with the ID of my new catfish additions. They are not Brown Bullheads.

It appears what I have been catching is a Flat Bullhead. The Dorsal blotch, bi-color barbels, mildly forked tail, and where I am located has solidified it for me.



Reported Native Range.
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factshee ... ciesID=737

They have taken to AP well, will see how they grow out.

J.B.