Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I just read something about social responsibility, something else and then... $18 for a pint? Are you serious? You guys are in the wrong game, get into home brew!

Seriously yes it is an expensive set up (especially initially) but perhaps you are growing more than you give yr system credit for? I pick stuff every day, not always to make a meal but a herb here and shallot there. I used to buy all that stuff and the prices are so absurd ATM, looking at Gunnas post, he weighs all inputs and outputs. Be good to do that for a year, pop on the woollies website and cost it all up.

And my smoked trout beats anything in their plastic bags...

But I have life to live and many many more projects to start and probably not finish.

When I'm retired tho...

Fly In Fly out. Many mining sites in the remote areas of Western Australia are manned by flying their personnel in and out to remote camps, that have small huts for sleeping in, and a few amenities. Some a bit grander than others.

There are often no towns nearby, and it is viewed by the mining companies, as easier (and probably cheaper) to fly their staff in and out, rather than try and build a town, and have to worry about trying to get families to live remotley, provide infrastructure such as shops, and schools, and Police....

It creates some social issues . Dads away from home for extended periods, kids without a role model at home...

Many, not all, then come back to their home towns and are happy to spend big on what ever. Problem for the rest of us, is that or normal wage is earned over maybe 40 hrs. These workers are away for sometimes just 8 day, often 14 days, and work 12 hour shifts, so evene if their hourly rate is no different, they come back with substantial coin. They also get site allowances....

This seeming unbalanced wage creates alot of bitterness, and jealousy. It also means that the general population back in the main towns expect to get the same rates of pay as their brothers up in the mines, and businesses need to pay more for wages, and then charge more for services. Service and quality don't necessarily go up accordingly!

IMHO It works really well if you have a goal, and no kids, but alot of people get stuck in the routine and end up spending big, owing bucket loads to the bank, and can not escape even if they wanted too. I have friends who are working 4 on 1 off, earning alot of coin, with the goal to own their modest house in Bunbury in a few years, and then to retire to normal wages back down here. It is a hard slog, but after 1 year, they are more than 1/4 the way there. Me I'll still be paying my mortgage when I'm 60!

Back on Topic.

Troutman, Its bad news about your losses, but I didn't hear any whinging or whining from you , just the bad news of a slight hiccup in the supply lines.

I have just harvested my first Silver Perch. I had been warned, that they will taste like the pellets, mud, ... and a few other things, but they were great. The wife was sceptical, but said it was good. But now she wants me to grow some trout. I hope your stocks will be sufficient to provide just a couple of fingerlings to mix with my now 2 1/2 y.o SP's.

Just finished reading the thread. Sorry to hear about your losses TM.

Interesting that Godwins Law appeared to materialise so quickly in this thread:

"GODWINS LAW is an Internet adage asserting that "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1" [2][3]—​ that is, if an online discussion (regardless of topic or scope) goes on long enough, sooner or later someone will compare someone or something to Hitler or Nazism. "

Annoys the p**s out of me.

Back to topic, there is no reason not to increase your prices in times of loss. It is hard to forget when Cyclone (Yazi, was it?) went through banana country and prices went from $2 a kilo to $16 in a fortnight.

These things happen, and you cannot always foresee that your backup may be inadequate until it happens.

I work in data recovery, and most people do not realise how temperamental hard drives are until you have one fail and there is no second copy.

Feel for you Troutman.

Hi Troutman, Sorry to hear of your losses it would have been heartbreaking to walk into that.

Happy to pay the extra so you can recoup your costs. Its still the best deal for trout fingerlings in the state especially when you consider delivery my door is included for a very modest charge.

Do not let others get you down with insensitive and unhelpful comments when all you where trying to do was advise your customers of your dilemma.

Hi Tm I purchased 20 trout off you a couple of weeks ago, it was only a thirty minute drive from bunbury,and I don't care if they we're more money ,its good to no your not far away.and you have been great in giving me tips along the way.I will be supporting your business in the future.cheers.

Bummed out for you mate, a loss of any fish is never a good thing.
Happy to go ahead with my order and with your new pricing.

Official head count now done and 68% of those in the recic tanks were lost. Luckily I run around 40% of the trout in flow thru tanks and gravity keeps working all the time.

Good work Troutman,

Don't let one flog get you down. His lack of grey matter speaks for itself.

Troutman, what fish is that you are holding in yr profile pic?

It's not him.....

A legend is destroyed.

lol.. He's admitted it a few times, I think for memory it's the world record rainbow trout.... ?

Sorry for the losses Trouty, fish kills suck... No other way around it.
Also, IMO charge what you have to. The market sorts its self out. If its too high, people won't buy. Simple as that.

I breed my own fish but we can buy tilapia fingerlings from a large supplier for $0.02-0.10ea. I see them for sale every day on Craigslist for $1 ea. People pay it so the ads stay up. Needless to say im going to start selling fingerlings this year

Actually its not the world record anymore, his brother caught a bigger one of some 48lbs.
http://www.laketrout.org/world-record-rainbow-trout.htm