Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Nice work

Lucky I said it was ok to use the pics when we spoke yesterday..

So are you sick of explaining it over and over again..?

Hey, I see one of the pics I took (but which is copyrighted to BYAP ) ... does that make me a published photographer

Great work there Mc ! so is the system going home now

A publically exhibited photographer AM....

this is a great idea - I am thinking we could put a system together for the spring fair in term 4 this year (like a 200L tank and 2 100L grow beds, all made from blue barrels!)... perhaps put some fliers out for people to take and keep, with the address to BYAP on it

On my way to stardom - watch out some famous guy with a camera here comes AM

hehe, Well the pics worked great because I was able to show Joels really healthy system to poeple and then I was telling them to go to Backyard Aquaponicss for more information etc. Some people were esp interested in the fact that you had a tomato plant that had produced 9 Kg of tomatos etc. Hhopefully some people will jump on and check it out...

I found the 2 * 70Ltr containers were enough for size, dont forget you have to cart it around, fill with water etc etc etc... and 70ltr of gravel is very heavy...

Ys I hope you dont mind I used "some" AP pics. Most were ones I took myself.

I just love the whole community education thing. A lot of interest. Am I tired of explaining it... well lets just say its amazing how it can be shorted down in 15 seconds to get your point across

Line 1
"The redclaw poo into the water... THe efluent gets pumped into the growbed... The bacteria in the growbed converts the poo/ ammonia into Nitrates the plants live on... and clean water goes back to the tank..."

also...

Line 2
"Cut the system in half... aquaculture has to change water and get rid of the effluent... If you dont it builds up and the redclaw die... hydropoics with just water carries no nutrients and so the plants die... So the hydroponics need nutrients and the aquaculture needs to get rid of nutrients... Bacteria are the bridge that makes it work... Join the system together, and then read line 1"

Had that so the kids knew how to explain it... hehe

Nice and simple explanation

Don't forget the tomato plant that produced over 30kg, much better than 9..

30 kg sounds much better, i get 10-15 pounds per plant from my dirt grown tomatoes.

That is a lot of pasta! I eat toms almost every day, but that would be a HUGE amout to work through!

My wife makes this beautiful tomato sauce...

She should chat to Eb then

Mc , it looks like you hit on one of the critical points of doing something different in the educational setting. You have introduced the concept to the public, and a member of a legislative body, and have hopefully gained some of the support needed to get the project going.

Now, can you tell us the news that had you all giggly awhile back?

Kevin

Ok Tannum time for a Tannum Update...

We have decided to build a 6m * 4m Enclosure.

This will be enough in the end to hold 2 * 1000 Tanks and 4 * (2m * 1m) growbeds if we choose.

We want the focus as a learning tool, not just grow heaps of veggies etc... With that in mind we want to help suppliment the learning suport Veggie garden, and also in doing so, we can use the vaggie garden as a control in experiments.

A solar panel will supply 12v power to pumps (so students can work on 12v) to pump the water to the growbeds.

The growbeds will sit on a base of besa blocks rather then frame so that students cant climb underneath and its actually safer.

The system will also have access to a watertank to supply water from a nearby shed.

To start we will be using redclaw, and later move to barramundie, though we have concerns about theft of barra etc.

So space isnt an issue anymore at present. The 12v system will allow other science subjects to use the renewable power for their own experiments.

Planning on shed happening over next 6 weeks, then construction, AP equipement purchase and "Hopefully" term 4 will see the working system.

Planning Pictures will be forthcoming when designs are "finalised".

Yet another good news story.....

Way to go .....

Darn... I wanna go back to skool

"hey Teach! who's that old kid down the back?"