OT Aquaponics

Dieselrider · Feb 10, 2016

I am not a Facebook user, even with the prodding of my sons and wife. However, if any would like to see some of the stuff that Marci has been working on in the Aquaponics center and see some very nice looking greens growing in the dead of winter (all without soil or chemicals) here is a link to the Farm's Facebook page. I do not know how good it will work for folks that do not have a Facebook account but, it did open for me and I do not. YMMV Thanks and I hope you enjoy the page and maybe you get to learn something.
Facebook Page

Brown Swiss · Feb 10, 2016

My wife and one friend of hers is in the talking/preparing to do an aquaponics green house. My wife is a stay at home mom home schooling our daughter. The green house would be at the friends place since she is the one with funding and more support from both sides of her family, her in laws have been organic/rotational grazing for quite a few years.

paul · Feb 10, 2016

I'm not on Facebook and it works for me.

Looks like a nice setup, wish them well.

> (all without soil or chemicals)

I hesitate to bring this up, but that can't really be. Plants need chemicals to grow, if you don't have soil you need some chemicals in the water that aren't exactly naturally in that water..... I think winter greens locally grown in a cold climate like yours or mine is really neat and good, but I do get confused on how any of that is natural, organic, or sustainable...... Conventional farmers growing gmo crops are manipulating their environment far less with a far smaller footprint than such a heated greenhouse aquiponics setup so that all gets mighty confusing to me......

Its good, but when those buzz words come up it troubles me some.

But all in all, that looks like a nice project, I wish her much success!

Paul

Brown Swiss · Feb 10, 2016

I don't know how it works either, all I know is there is fish in a tank and that water gets pumped over to the plants, and that is suppose to make some kind of ecosystem? I guess!

Adirondack case guy · Feb 10, 2016

I have to agree with you. An example that our local plant guro uses is beets. They are considered high in Iron and high on the list of healthy foods. WHERE do beets get their iron from if there is none in the soil or growing solution in this case???? You can't just pull it out of thin air. I guess iron free beets would be good for people with high iron counts. Boy, did I just stumble on a new marketing ploy??
Loren

oldtanker · Feb 10, 2016

That would have to be a either a small setup or that's one big fish tank with a lot of fish pooping in the water to actually make it work. They next question is then what are the fish being fed? Almost bet it's some type of processed food similar to what you would feed fish in a tank at home. Buying minnows or worms to dump into a tank for feed would get real expensive real fast.

Rick

Dieselrider · Feb 10, 2016

In Aquaponics, the fish in the system poop in the water. The solids are filtered out (Mostly) and bacteria breaks down the fish waste into what the plants need to uptake the nutrients. Those plants in the photos were rasied in that system from seed. The plants are what filter the water and clean it for the fish. We did need to add some iron to get the system "balanced". Don't know if more will be required in the future.

As to the ratio of fish to plants, we will need to add plants as the fish grow. You always need to add young fish into the system as you remove mature fish from the system. The same is true from the plant side.

The actual water usage in this system is about 10% of what it takes to grow the same crops in the field. It is becoming real popular in dry places like Australia.

Dieselrider · Feb 10, 2016

Root crops in general are tougher in this system (not impossible but, not the target). Most things can be grown in Aquaponics but some things realy shine. Greens do well and they are usually one of the higher priced items to grow. Winter is also a nice time for some reasons like- no bugs.

OT Aquaponics

Dieselrider

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Brown Swiss

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paul

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Brown Swiss

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Adirondack case guy

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oldtanker

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Dieselrider

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Dieselrider

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