Browse Forums Eco Living 1 Jul 04, 2009 1:22 am I guess this is the place for this I am a fan of Backyardaquaponics, in case you didn't know ...and as it happens, a job came along The ponds will have trout added and the gravel( hydroton), is the bio filter. The bio filter is the Growbed for veggies Back Yard Aquaponics Don 006.JPG there is a fair bit to go... The system will produce about 1500kg of Trout in a season. Though, the fish are a byproduct the veggies are the main focus. My seed system is in it's 2nd year and about 1/10th of this I still have tomatoes ripening in the open. Thats a good thing. My trout are getting close to 200g another month 300g may be more Smoked trout and sundried tomatoes in lime juice Don's place 013.JPG it started with these But should end up with these (these are my second season) The hope is to reduce embedded carbon by reducing transport and knowing the origin of your produce. I know this size system is not possible for everyone, but geez I'd like him as a neighbour. Just thought FWIW Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 3Jul 04, 2009 10:07 am Hmmm curious - must really like eating trout!!! Seriously, can this be done on a smaller scale?? Is there a reason that trout is used?? I only ask as OH wants a marron pond on the property. Do you have any good linkies as you have me intrigued Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 5Jul 04, 2009 8:17 pm kristofw How much land's needed for this ?Chris The space required is from a window sill small aquarium( 50ltrs) growing herbs and up... Many have a 'family system' of 4 beds 2m x 1.4m x 300mm and a 3000ltr ft and sump of 500/1000l. Total area of less than 20sq mtrs... Producing : all the tommies you need, beens, corn, carrots, brocolli, caulis, Ah and strawberries Most every thing else. Maya_Papaya Hmmm curious - must really like eating trout!!! Fish I like I can grow trout and they grow fast fastest probably and the best FCR(food conversion ratio) of 1:1 I can come home grab my scoop be selective take 2 trout prep them smoke them and be eating the most delicious meal in an hour that is after I have harvested some AP greens and veg or salad... quite humbling Seriously, can this be done on a smaller scale?? Is there a reason that trout is used?? I only ask as OH wants a marron pond on the property. Do you have any good linkies as you have me intrigued I have marron with the trout.. the marron are big though put juveniles with trout or the trout will thank you very much. Casa2 What a great idea. Like Chris, I'm keen to know how much space it takes up. It depends on the area available and I must say this is very addictive so a small system becomes a pilot project for the ever increasing system The rule of thumbs is it takes about 12 months to return a profit and there is no tax, only fish food, power and water. Power cost depends of course the size system you have Enough for now Look up backyard aquaponics can I do this http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/portal.php Regards onc Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 6Jul 04, 2009 8:51 pm Thanks onc_artisan - looks really interesting Mmmmmm fish, marron and home grown veggies Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 7Jul 04, 2009 9:24 pm Hehe often Marron are a bit testy and need more stream like conditions... Duly provided Sand/clay/gravel bottom of fishtank Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 9Jul 05, 2009 12:21 pm Good point Yak_Chat Regs very different throughout the country so u need to consider these too at design Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 10Jul 05, 2009 11:05 pm A fascinating concept. Are there sustainable sources of fish meal? What are the initial capital costs? What are the ongoing annual costs e.g. fish food, power supply, maintenance? How much time is devoted each week is required to keep the system in working order? Are there any restrictions or modifications to how, where or when this system can be implemented? Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 11Jul 05, 2009 11:27 pm most of those are variables D69. have a look at the forum over at backyardaquaponics... Most of those questions would be answered for you in no time by flicking through some system threads Lots build their systems from available materials. I spend about 10 minutes a day collecting vegies and feeding the trout. And 1/2hr watching the fish don't do anything to the water other than add some water if needed. Fish food can be made fresh each da...then you know the contents Food cost about 2.50 kg of fish, so not too bad, fish cost me 90c each. pump costs about $2/day power and $1day amatized 18 months My system will produce 150 kg trout 80-100kg tommies, 50 ears corn, 1500 carrots, 30-40brocolli, 30-40 cauli, 10+ kg peas, 10kg beans 10-12 kg straws, kohl rabi, beetroot, capsies, more letuce than you can poke a stick at. ... and heaps more that is my 4 bed system 3000ltr FT & 1000ltr sump onc Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 12Jul 06, 2009 1:24 am An interesting post from a thread about the economics and sustainability for aquaponics. The current problem is that to grow a fish you need to feed it a fish. http://www.aquaponicshq.com/forums/show ... stcount=37 Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 13Jul 06, 2009 7:32 pm dymonite69 The current problem is that to grow a fish you need to feed it a fish. Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 14Jul 06, 2009 7:44 pm Yeh well, that is total crap I don't feed mine any fish meal... So don't believe everything you hear Try this site instead www.backyardaquaponics.com based in Jandakot WA... has about 3000 members world wide There are all kinds of ways to get protein Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 15Jul 06, 2009 11:11 pm onc_artisan Try this site instead http://www.backyardaquaponics.com This site is in desperate need for an easy to navigate faq section with evidence based summaries. Are there any well referenced research articles on Aquaculture? In relation to the question I had above. What kind of alternative fish feeds have been used and in what circumstances. What was their ease of implementation, degree of success, costs involved and expected yields. Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 16Jul 06, 2009 11:49 pm Sorry dymo... There is a search function You are probably correct about the site being hard to nav'. The site is about closing the loop of the food cycle We minimize as much as possible to reduce the outside input. So not aquacuture where the water 'runs to waste'. Since I am on this forum to hijack it would be inappropriate. I find 'view new topics' to be quite relevent for the day, at least for the aussies. Also reading through 'members system' / faye system /C1s 4 bed 3kl system/ F&Fs system, TCLynix system , jaymie & axl system and how they overcome issues to simplify their systems and their successes and failures Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 17Jul 07, 2009 12:16 am onc_artisan The site is about closing the loop of the food cycle We minimize as much as possible to reduce the outside input. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the concept. Whilst you are fish farming you might as well put the effluent into good use at the same time providing a natural mechanism of maintaining the fish environment. The same argument goes for my household. While I am consuming part of the world's resources I might as well put my sewage through a water-recycling unit and help feed my fruit trees. I can reduce additional external inputs but I can't bring them to zero. My point was that there no such thing as a balanced economy or perpetual motion machine Even the sun will eventually be extinguished. Conservationism only slows the inexorable loss of natural resources, it doesn't sustain them indefinitely. It seems well accepted that world wide fish stocks are being depleted a rate faster than can be replenished. AP or no AP, there may be a time when fish and chips will no longer be on the menu. Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 18Jul 07, 2009 12:35 am The thing is Dymo, we are not fish farming - we are growing veggies, the fert just happens to be nitrate.. beautiful converted from nitrite a byproduct of Ammonia. ( the nitrification process) The thought of pouring water into the ground to make things grow to eat doesn't cut it, to a degree And i would have to disagree with you regarding AP and fishstocks... I will be doing my best to ensure availability and food for my family Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 19Jul 07, 2009 1:06 am onc_artisan the fert just happens to be nitrate.. beautiful converted from nitrite a byproduct of Ammonia. ( the nitrification process) And i would have to disagree with you regarding AP and fishstocks... I will be doing my best to ensure availability and food for my family You feed a fish with something that makes a wasteproduct that then fertilises the vege. My question is what is that something and what resources were required to make it. If it was soybeans then where did you get the fertiliser to grow that? What about feeding the world not just your family. Re: Eco living - Bringing food production home! 20Jul 10, 2009 9:40 pm Last question first dymo If I can feed my family then I can share that knowlege and ppl can do what they like with the info, ...if they help feed the world that is good Any food you eat will have water and carbon embedding. Transport and infarstructure, profit packaging and waste. So don't go all high and mighty and expect perpetual motion. I am real and there is a cost, some people would prefer to be at work, leave the kids and misses to 'keep house' and all, others would be happy to share time and have the joy of growing/putting food on the table If impovrished nations drowning in debt & being shafted by the multinatiionals can't feed their people, then it is up to the people to feed themselves or starve... Even worse to be fed food, Picked how long ago, from who knows where, grown under what conditions, by $$$s driven people and pay a premium for the privilege to drive down to the shop, then go for it. I no complain tis a free country, well sort of Aquaponics is about bringing food production home. Plain and simple, just like Dad's veggie garden and chooks, cept now I have fish to eat. I know and choose the origin of the ingredients ...and love the flavours of fresh picked produce We get the option of picking 1 tomato or 1 stick of celery or a few lettuce leaves whatever. Remember, this is for ppl in all situations balcony units for highrise to large family systems on a small suburban block. It is or isn't for you. Where you are coming from is where you are going to... I would be wary. Is you site demilished but nothing else done? Sounds like liquidity problems to me. Our builder did the same. Got hundreds of thousands of dollars of… 2 15390 3 5580 Can anyone suggest a house layout where the kitchen-dining - living runs the length across the rear of the house left to right where our best view will be we… 0 4345 |