Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Sorry for the fish.

But very nice systems you have built there.

Cheers

Been a bit. In the last month or so the following has happened:

Harvested 15lbs of butternut squash.

Am still picking cayannes almost daily.

The black eyed peas are almost dried on the plants and ready to harvest. I am looking forward to putting the dead plants into one of my ground beds and deep mulching so the worms can have at it this winter. Should be excellent for corn and cukes next spring. Maybe some amaranth as well.

I cleared and planted one Grow bed with Collards, Brussel Sprouts, and Kale in preparation to over winter the system.

My raft system never took off... just not enough sun getting to it. So,, I moved it, and will try it again next season. I have been giving the bio filter water religiously to my avocado and papaya seedlings so that they have a fighting chance to over winter in a lean too green house I am building against the house. I am hoping the radiant heat from the brick veneer will keep it bearable. Farmer's Almanac is predicting a cold one this year. We shall see.

Haven't killed anymore fish. They are eating well and have grown noticably. Given another season, many will be ready to eat!!

J.B.

Rebuilt my deck recently and decided to take a shot at some of JT's wicking beds. Waste not want not.



Ready to install the bed liner and figure out the reservoir. My neighbor rebuilt his deck and the refuse is just taking up space in his back yard. Going to ask for it to make the other two beds before the new year.

All for now. Revamping my failed raft system in a new location as well. Lots forthcoming.

J.B.

Used yesterday's warmth to make progress on the wicking beds in the front yard.







Still figuring out the "Grand Vision" for the front. A food Forest and free range for the neighbors comes to mind. Food is free after all.

Also finished up the move and retooling of my failed DWC system into a constant flood annex.



A local hauling Co. was having a special on buff river gravel, so I got a 5yd dump... Lots of gravel to use up, hence the use in the wicking beds, and will be doing the pathways around the WBs in gravel I think.

J.B.

I really like how you have added some style to your tanks. Have you encountered any problems with your river gravel? Do you know if it is a quartz or silica type gravel?

Hey JB....

Looks good.... I accept money orders, cashiers checks and cash LOL

JT

I have not had any problems with it. It is mostly (99.8%) quartz (SiO4), there are the errant pieces of petrified wood and the occasional piece of granite or unidentifiable sedimentary rock, but not enough to warrant me picking anything out... Silica is SiO2 and makes up quartz since the oxygens are shared to form the oxygen tetrahedra in SiO4. Hooray for inorganic chemistry



Check is in the mail...

They have to look good, they are in the front yard... The food forest is finally spilling out of the back yard. I will unite my cul de sac yet with my garden!

J.B.

Recent developments include:

My super awesome, loving, and understanding wife allowing me to move a 75 gallon aquarium into the unfinished master bath to breed blue tilapia this winter.



The established dual 80 gal rated aquarium filters didn't make a dent in the conversion of wastes, so I did a hasty bucket bio addition. Luckily, I had all the fixings around the house and in the PVC bone yard. Given a week or so; I hope to be done with the 25-30% water changes I have been doing every other day.





Bio media is 3/4 clay pebbles and the top 1/4 is some established filter pads and mesh all held under with ceramic tile cuttings from the unfinished tile-work... I should finish that shower sometime. AP addiction always getting in the way.

The tilapia males (2) are turning pinkish and excavating nests, the females (5) are getting their bars, so, I am hoping to have some babies in short order.

P.S. I have my appropriate permissions for tilapia

J.B.

Whoops wrong question...I meant to ask if you had any pH issues due to trace amounts of calcium carbonate. Your gravel looked varied in composition so I was just curious if your gravel had any limestone based stones that would buffer upwards....obviously not, thanks for clarifying!

Very nice and neat system.

What went wrong with your DWC? You said not enough sun, but why did you turn it into constant flood?

No PH issues at all. I do keep Oyster shell grit in stockings in the sump of the mature system though. More for blossom end rot prevention as opposed to a PH buffer.



It was a mix of things [not associated with the system itself]: Mostly, not enough sun in the area I built it; the deck finally rotted and needed rebuilding; I got the "bright" idea to try the tilapia route come spring; decided constant flood would be great for fast growers like water cress, pepper cress, water spinach, and malabar spinach, which can double as green tilapia feed.

J.B.

Nice system J.B. and lots of useful info. Best of luck!

Very nice system!
It is good to see that you have the appropriate permissions for tilapia I am curious if you had any restrictions? I was limited to Nile tilapia only so went with the red varient. I am interested because if you dont have similar restrictions, I may see if I can get other species eventually. I'm just south of you in Red Springs!

Some more updates:

Got the two wicking beds filled and one planted.

My local hauler was having a special on "top soil", really Sand loam, but whatever, it just gets better every year with worms, rock dust, and organics added all the time

Got 6 Cubic meters delivered for $20/Meter.


Got them filled, with the help of my awesome Mother, who was visiting to meet her new grand daughter. Grandpa was unable to make it this time.





I had some settling occur with the rain last night, but nothing a few bucket-fulls won't fill quickly.