Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Nice!!!! Good to see you post again. The catfish look delicious. Nice size, too. What is your typical weight?

I was wondering what the slits at the tail were for, but I see it's for skinning. You use pliers I presume? I just fillet mine so I don't have to skin or clean the fish.

Geographically I think you are the closest person to me on this forum. Your lettuce looks great, isn't it too hot for it to grow well? I guess not. I could use some tips there. I don't try to grow lettuce in the summer. Maybe I should.

Nice modification on the RFF. I used to drain mine until the water ran clear, then pump it through a filter bag into a growbed trying to retain the water. I'm moving away from filters now and trying sandponics.

Gidday Will, nice to see you’re still dabbling in AP and nice fish harvest too, well done.
Winter time here down under and getting lots of rain which is good it’s been a dry few years.
I was a bit late with planting the winter crop this year and after pulling some short term plants that turned long term plants from the beds I’m starting to see an excessive amount of waste in the beds.
Life is pretty much normal here with the occasional lock down and mask wearing, schools never closed here thankfully and I’ve a big yard so the kids don’t go stir crazy during the lockdowns. We’ve had a much better time of it than most other countries but it’s not over yet and it doesn’t look like it’ll ever be with the way things are going. Fortunately I’ve got hobbies to keep me entertained.

Thanks D! They have been over a pound, but I haven't been weighing them lately. I would guess most are about 1.5 lb, and some 2 lb and over.

The tail cuts are to bleed out the fish. The meat comes out really clean and pearly white.
And, yes, pliers were used to skin them.

I've been interested in the idea of the sandponics as well. Getting the right sand does seem tricky though. Too much on my plate to play with it right now. It looks like it's going well so far, I just looked at your thread.

The lettuce with the reddish tint to it is a heat tolerant variety, but I don't remember the name. The romaine came from store bought lettuce. I cut the top off and used it, then stuck the base in the AP. It grew a few harvestable leaves, then bolted. The seeds germinated very well. And it is some nice romaine. It's getting a little leggy.
The beds do get some afternoon shade.I think that helps. Those pics are a few weeks old.

Skeg, we almost got no rain this year. I think it was around 2 inches. I think we had two decent rains. It is a dry one for sure. We have had around a decade of drought years, and some major fires recently as well. I am glad you are getting rain! And, yes, thank goodness for hobbies!

I also halfway cleaned out one bed of some overgrown okinawa spinach and a few other plants. It made room for lots of new stuff. I need to figure out how to not overcrowd my beds for sure, or how to better manage them. Overall I am very happy with what they produce.

I cleared a buch of Old Growth Okinawa spinach from this bed. Planted yellow crookneck squash, a pepper, Cucamelon, kale, beans, and another tomato.

This is about 2 or 2 and a half weeks after planting.

I have a constant battle with powdery mildew on the squash. I've been using a baking soda spray, alternated with Actinovate. it seems like it kinda slows it down.

I used sulfur on some in ground plants, and it worked very well.
Can I used sulfur in AP?
Would it cause any issues??

Here's a few weeks later.

Here is the Cucamelon.

They look like a mini watermelon, and taste like a sour cucumber.
They are starting to take off and producing quite a few.

They are a little hard to find in the jungle the bed has become, but the plants are not getting affected by the powdery mildew so far!

Looking good Will.

I HATE powdery mildew, I am always fighting it; probably due to our high-humidity operations with the plants always having plenty of water. It always takes out my squash, melons and cucumbers. This year I'm trying to improve circulation and see if it helps. I put a small fan on a timer to keep air moving in the late evening through until morning, when the leaves usually have little beads of water around the edges. I still found a leaf with a couple of spots so I cut it off right away. Once it spreads it seems like a death sentence.

Great idea with the fan.

I know for a fact that I don't have good air circulation. And the mildew spreads very fast! I know what you mean about the death sentence. In a matter of days it can spread and wipe out a plant.

Everything ends up very crowded, every time. I have this same issue in soil gardens as well! But, it seems like it's moreso in AP.

Have tried cutting some of the leaves away so there's more airflow?