Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

The systems are running pretty good. During the off season will get the new system finished off. Lots adjustments to make. Need to get all of the fish sold and out of the tanks.

All of the fish are sold. Tanks are empty and had a final harvest of lettuce. Now is time to relax for a little bit and then back to fixing, more cleaning, upgrading some stuff. Gotta add more grow beds, and get more biomedia. Need to set up air and the aquaponics to the new system and make sure everything is running smoothly before the new crop of fish come in. The masonry heater fire box needs to be repaired or redone. The bricks take a beating from the fire.

I was doing deep water culture using net pots with expanded clay balls. It worked really good but cleaning things out, a lot of the balls were stuck to the roots of the plants. I had just started one pot with a mix of extra balls and charcoal and the seemed to work really good. I think I will be going to using charcoal as when I am done and it is root bound I will just throw everything in the compost pile.

hey quick trout question? Do you think that i Could raise some in a 2x2x8 foot pond? Or would that be two Small?

Which measurement is your depth? I have had people get trout for their garden pond and some come back every year. The main thing is to keep it cool during summer.

If it's 2 ft wide by 2 ft deep and 8 ft long - The tank has enough volume but I think it's a bit narrow for them to be comfortable, I'd go with some other type of fish in this tank.

Here is a picture of the crop that I had going when I shut down the system for the year. I still need to get pictures of the new system up. Been so busy the last couple months. Hopefully get them up in the next week or two.

how big are the trout by the time you sell them for pond stock?

Usually they are between 3 to 6 inches. Graded to various sizes.

Crazy how fast they grow! I need to get in on hatching my own!

They do grow fast. I don't know where you would find eggs to hatch. My supplier's minimum order is 15,000 eggs! Hatching and getting them to swim up stage is the hardest part. In Saskatchewan there is a program where the wildlife people give different schools 100 eggs to hatch out and grow. They then release the fish into what is called a stocked trout pond for the public to fish.

Canada is so awesome and I'm not just saying this because our Trumpster's repugnant behavior, it's programs like these that make Canada a wonderful country.

Brian, please keep your politics to yourself. Pretty sure most forums including this one have a strict NO Politics rule.

Got back to my place for a weekend. Lots to do and planning and figuring things out.

Well back to setting up my place for the upcoming fish season. Lots of building going on.

What do you do with old ceramic air stones? I have some that have broken a few times and are coming to the end of their usefulness.