Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Nope, just went into hibernation. I haven't made any progress with my wicking system, but have removed the gravel from one of the barrels and use it to rear duckweed and watercress floating freely in the water.

An interesting observation. In my small greenhouse I have 3 tanks. A Tilapia brood tank where my 35 females and 5 males produce a steady stream of about 2000 fry weekly for resale, a "reserve male" tank in which I have about 30 males which I keep in reserve to relieve the males in the brood tank when they get tired and an IBC where the young fry are grown for about 4 weeks before being moved out to the farms. I have recently started feeding all 3 tanks with both duckweed and watercress.

Here's the interesting part. Neither the males not the fry seem to enjoy their "greens" and I often still find it floating on the surface the next day. The females (and the males for that matter) in the brood tank devour the greens and will eat whatever I put in the tank within about 5 minutes, literally tearing the watercress to shreds. Now why would that be, I wonder?

The answer for the "females" is obvious ,, they read in Womans day that a diet high in "greens" reduces birth defects.

Hum, I wonder if in the breeding tank, the females must eat anything ASAP before they are brooding again (they must get really hungry during the time they are holding eggs and fry.) I noticed that over summer when I placed about 12 tilapia into the duckweed tank, if I didn't feed them well, they would completely consume the duckweed in a week. If I was feeding them well, the duckweed cover would last. Then again with the females, perhaps it is something like pregnancy cravings (gotta get the right vitamins to survive the brooding?) Might be interesting to know if a tank stocked with only females and no mating going on has the same effect on them eating their greens.

I have noticed that if I place greens into a tank with only a small number of tilapia, they don't eat it but I I place greens into the cage with lots of mixed gender fish and the water is warm, they tear it up. I actually often use the greens to monitor my feed levels as temperatures fluctuate. If I throw a turnip leaf it and they tear into it by the next time I wander past the tank, I know I can up the feed rate. If the leaf stays intact, I leave the feed rate as is or if there is any leftover I know to shut off the feeder.

The fish in my cage are mixed gender. I haven't had the urge to sex the fish so I can't give results about all male fish and salad eating.

As to the fry, well they got that protein hunger and are probably far more interested in eating anything that smells like meat to them.

Back to the whole topic of wicking systems. I have been known to place lots of plant pots into certain beds of my system so they can wick water up from the bottom. Works very well for starting certain types of plants (so long as rodents don't go digging up the compost in the pot to eat the worms out.) Anyway, as far as I can tell, the compost has not hurt my system though I suspect it could cause issues if too much of the compost were to get washed into the system. I definitely like having a gravel filter between the pots of compost and the water returning to fish/sump tanks.

HI SYNAPTOMAN

NEW MEMBER TO THIS FORUM
I CAME ACROSS "A SOUTH AFRICAN SYSTEM" TODAY
LOOK'S GOOD

MY BEGINNING

I started after reading an article on aquaculture in the farmers weekly a local magazine here in South Africa.
From never growing plants or fish I started.
In my garage
250 tilapia for +- 1 year
I kept the fish in 2 baby pools that each could hold +- 1000 litters water.
Had a bio filter and when my nitrates got high let the water on my grass.
Replaced water as and when water parameters got out of hand.
Learning the water chemistry side of things as going along.
Never really killing fish but believe me as learning more you realize
How much you did wrong.
Then another article on Aquaponics in the farmers weekly.
I added a grow bed and I grew tomatoes 3 m high.
From here there was no stopping.
The bug had bitten
I started doing research on line (min)
Printed some of Dr_ James Rakocy study’s on aquaculture and Aquaponics
Then designed my system as basic as possible.
dam/grow beds/duckweed sump/pump return on a level switch.
Min/water and electricity.
Gravity fed 24 hours per day.
In my grow beds I used from small (6mm-25mm)
Not removing solids with filters but daily by hand in my grow bed where the water entered into my stone’s in my tray. (I have now added plastic baskets that works well.)
My stones in the grow beds now are 25 mm (going up size for size to find what works best for the water flow and filter.)
With this I find that it is better to plant your seedling into a small plant holder of sort,
to help with the anchorage of the plants.
My grow beds were +- 1.2 meters wide and 6 meters long.
That I then changed to +- 300mm x 200mm x 6000mm.
Makes a lot easier from the management point of view.
I do everything myself and only spend min time with system.(+-2 hours per day and that will be travelling to get there included.)
My system runs like a merc no problems and min maintenance
This is a hobby that has grown into a monster that I love.
I have never had to buy fingerling again.
The system runs itself and min cost and time.
In the system i have grown peppers,tom,spinach,beans,garlic,lettic,sweetcorn,bazil and more .........
Into my grow beds I added earthworms (red wrigglers) and that is a plus for my plants and fish.
The worms do good in the system as long as there is fish waste to eat.
Vermiculture was another article in the farmers weekly that grabbed me.
I now have a small earthworm farm. I feed worms to the fish and sell to the locals. (compost bins.)
I make my own vermicasting which in turn I use as mix/spray on my plants.
Sustainable
Now
+- 3 years later I find all these Aquaponics forums on line.
What a bonus
Me being new on these forums I have learned and verified a lot of unanswered questions.
This is a path that I walked with no help +- 3 years and to be in the company of people that are trying/and doing the real thing is very good and helpful.
I will be posting photos as soon as I have worked out how



THIS IS THE POST I USED IN MY INTRODUCTION

HERE ARE SOME LINK'S TO PHOTO'S OF MY BEGINNING

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... %20garage/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... l%20setup/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... mmer/2008/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... mmer/2009/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... mmer/2010/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... RM%20FARM/

http://s894.photobucket.com/albums/ac14 ... %20system/

Hi Folks,

have not been here for while ...

Still have a little AP system running ...

I love cape gooseberrys.

I was only introduced to them last year ..

I think that they are great plant for Ap in WA ..

I think that they are a problem for gardeners though (like mint!)

so easy to grow, very prolific and a wonderful taste. But can take over!

I bet these fruits are very high in vitamins and minerals.

So containment may be the key for this one..


I have a header tank (tall bucket) - feeding a cocopeat system -

water is pumped from the goldfish tub to a header tank three times per day in winter .. maybe 6 times per day in summer .. ... the header tank fills and gravity feeds to individual pots in containment buckets which drain back to the goldfish tub...


Seems to work really well with minimal electricity consumption.. only pumping for 15 min x 3 times per day in winter and maybe twice as much in the summer...


No Koi or Goldfish deaths for two years even though the pond is a small tub.

Cape gooseberrys are doing well, basil, tomato, corriander all have done very well last year even if it s small scale...

Regards


Johnnie

Long time no hear Johnnie.... good to see you back...

Gooseberries are a lot like mint. Super-easy to cultivate in AP or in your garden but spreads like wildfire. The berries themselves are delicious and can be eaten fresh or made into jams etc. Easier to control than mint though. The roots are not as invasive.

Hello Synaptoman,

Where you able to post some details about the "liquid solar insulation" that you mentioned in a previous post?

Any updates Synaptoman?

'Bout time you did the bump rounds Charlie, I was beginning to think you were slipping.

Hehe, I can bomb a whole arsenol of them if you like mate