Just completing Aquaponics System

Discussion in 'Off Grid Living' started by Seacowboys, Feb 26, 2013.


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  1. Troy brownrigg

    Troy brownrigg How my next home will be constructed!

    I live in Dudleyville Arizona, which sits on the largest water table in the state. I've got a 55 acre goat farm. With endless supplies of manure I'll build a green house, and use the endless supply of water I can pump with solar power. The idea of excessive evaporation here using a green house really not a factor. Temperture inside the area might be a bigger one. I'm thinking misters or continous spray for a cooling affect. The fish part seems to have alot of issues to affect it . One last year we had 9 degrees here for a week straight which means everything would freeze up big time. I don't know if the 115 degrees in the summer would be another issue. I was think raising Talipia for fish , maybe later.
     
  2. I love your aquaponics setup! I think this is the easiest and most sustainable way to grow a large crop organically. It looks beautiful! In my aquaponics setup I wouldn't have the issue of ash floating on the breeze like you did because mine is inside my greenhouse. Maybe you could make a mini sun shelter for your fish to protect them from environmental pollutants like that? This is self sutainability at its best people! I haven't actually planted my seeds yet (waiting for the last of the parts in the mail), but I was told by a long time aquaponics expert as well as biologist that the pH in the water should never really stay above 7 for long periods of time. Fluctuations of anywhere from 4.5-7 are OK, as long as it doesn't stay too high or too low for too long. This is talking about the plants of course, fish can tolerate a different range of pH but if you want your plants to be healthy, make sure it doesn't change too fast, go up to high or down too low. Great setup! More people should be doing this!
     
  3. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    I had major fish kill last week when some chlorinated water got left on and over-flowed to my pond. That was a real shame to see eating sized catfish, bluegill, and black crappie floating about. I was truly surprised at the rapid growth of the fish though, as I had not began harvesting them. Presently, I pulled the pepper plants and have a huge bed of strawberries, onions, tomato plants, and watercress growing. I just installed a florescent lighting system on a timer to insure 16 hours of light per day inside the greenhouse. Probably will put in a small space heater that kicks on when the temperature drops below 60 inside.
     
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  4. cjsloane

    cjsloane Monkey

    Very practical in AZ. Aquaponics is very popular in dry Australia.
     
  5. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    I have strawberries coming in now in one bed, onions, lettuce, and spinach in another and tomatoes, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts in the other bed. We had a bumper harvest of cabbages and peppers.
     
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  6. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    I have noticed a number of slugs eating my strawberries, and now aphids and stinkbugs attacking my tomatoes and cauliflower. Since I can't use insecticides (would kill the fish), I have resorted to using little cups of beer for the slugs; apparently they like to party, and much like my step-son, do not know when to quit, so they fall into the beer and drown. The aphids and stinkbugs required a little more creativity. I decided upon using predatory insects to do the dirt work for me. RH had told me about these vicious biting Ladybugs that apparently have a voracious appetite, that frequent the North East, so I just order a few thousand of them from a Bugs R Us, along with six egg modules that should each hatch between 200-600 praying mantis. Now there is a guard force of meat-eaters to take on the stinkbugs and aphids!
    I bought these bugs on Amazon, and have endured all sorts of biblical plague comments and questions, but if it works, then I can deal wit a few thousand biting ladybugs, I got a bee suit!
    RH, I watched one on my arm for a half a hour, continually berating it, calling a dyke and even the c-word, but couldn't get it to bite me....I am starting to think you might have been pulling my leg?
     
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  7. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Nope, they only sneak attack....
     
  8. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    You must be getting the gentile southern cousins who coyly try to seduce their victims before nibbling on their tender spots. Northeastern ladybugs immigrated from the Asian countries, probably came with the Hmong when our government made the decision to settle them in the northern climes of the US. The Asiatic ladybugs that we know have morphed into Lizzy Borden-like killers.
     
  9. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Lady bugs, no matter where they come from, are gentle creatures. But they do get hungry, and aphids are like bacon to them ---
     
  10. Troy brownrigg

    Troy brownrigg How my next home will be constructed!

    I'm in Duddleyvill Arizona, I'll start my green house system in November, I can't do much when it's 107 degrees out. Instead of plastic I'll use a shade cloth material. and a mister system to cool everything off. I have unlimited water from a well that is solar powered.
     
  11. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    Okay @Seacowboys , we got away from this thread for some time. I really am interested in the FISH side of things. I understand you had 3 rather different setbacks; ash, cane toads, and chlorine. Question is; Did you ever harvest and eat any fish out of this endeavor? Also were you able to carry on producing food and fish over the winter? Inquiring minds want to know.
     
  12. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    Yes, I have several meals of fish, not the number I would have produced without chemical intervention and predatory birds (Icabob Crane, may he rest in pieces) and still have some rather nice catfish and bluegills in there awaiting their fate. I had cabbages, peppers, lettuces. onions, and broccoli throughout the winter. Banned maybe 3 dozen pints of jalapenoes and eleven quarts of sauerkraut, not counting the cole slaw and Bavarian Baked cabbages we fixed. I would have grown more, but needed the space for early tomatoes and strawberries.
     
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  13. cjsloane

    cjsloane Monkey

    Here's a tip, stick the root end of your scallions in your grow bed. New shoots will sprout in no time.
     
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  14. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    With my scallions, nothing left to stick in the ground by the time I finish with them. Root end is the best part
     
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  15. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    I've heard of that trick, too, but haven't seen it done. Just the last bit of the "meat" with the roots still on is supposed to sprout. What it takes to make it work, I don't know.
     
  16. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    I believe I heard it works with celery also.
     
  17. cjsloane

    cjsloane Monkey

    I just stuck a celery plant in the other day. Other root crops will work too like carrots.

    RightHand, you don't eat the carrot tops, do you?
     
  18. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    I always re-sprout my scallions, celery, and pineapple tops.
     
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  19. ditch witch

    ditch witch I do stupid crap, so you don't have to

    I do the scallions like that, but haven't had luck getting celery to restart.
     
  20. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I use the carrot tops in soup. Most flavorful
     
    Motomom34 likes this.
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