Aquaponic Systems and Kits - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-28T13:16:54Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/aquaponic-systems-and-kits?groupUrl=thegoodthebadandtheugly&commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A81432&groupId=4778851%3AGroup%3A31154&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThe muddy flavor in many fish…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-15:4778851:Comment:3067482012-03-15T23:44:22.079ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>The muddy flavor in many fish is actually often found in fish from clear water and it can often be traced to algae instead of muddy water. Trout naturally has a stronger fishy flavor, some people like, some don't.</p>
<p>Tilapia and channel catfish have such a mild flavor that whatever you cook them with will overshadow whatever flavor they have. Bluegill are also very mild. Seems to me that most of the "warm water fish" have a more mild flavor and the cold water fish like trout are going…</p>
<p>The muddy flavor in many fish is actually often found in fish from clear water and it can often be traced to algae instead of muddy water. Trout naturally has a stronger fishy flavor, some people like, some don't.</p>
<p>Tilapia and channel catfish have such a mild flavor that whatever you cook them with will overshadow whatever flavor they have. Bluegill are also very mild. Seems to me that most of the "warm water fish" have a more mild flavor and the cold water fish like trout are going to have a stronger flavor.</p>
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<p>I think having the fish very fresh or at least frozen very quickly after kill/processing is important. I know many commercially processed fish are going to have more time from pond to processing to freezing since it takes time to truck the pond full of fish to the processing plant and time to process a whole truck load of fish so there will be more stress hormones and time to go "off" in that process than at home from an aquaponics system.</p> I keep learning... I reckon w…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-15:4778851:Comment:3067472012-03-15T23:13:19.838ZDon Goddardhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/DonGoddard
<p>I keep learning... I reckon what you're saying makes sense, and if restaurant trout tastes 'muddy', it's likely got that flavour somewhere in its environment. So, if it's a clean aquaponics environment, with no mud, then it's reasonable that it likely won't taste of mud. I've never tasted aquaponic fish, so I can't do a comparison - I assumed the flavour would be universal, and inherent to the species. Maybe I just went to the wrong restaurant to eat trout.<br></br><br></br><cite>TCLynx…</cite></p>
<p>I keep learning... I reckon what you're saying makes sense, and if restaurant trout tastes 'muddy', it's likely got that flavour somewhere in its environment. So, if it's a clean aquaponics environment, with no mud, then it's reasonable that it likely won't taste of mud. I've never tasted aquaponic fish, so I can't do a comparison - I assumed the flavour would be universal, and inherent to the species. Maybe I just went to the wrong restaurant to eat trout.<br/><br/><cite>TCLynx said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://aquaponicscommunity.com/forum/topics/aquaponic-systems-and-kits?groupUrl=thegoodthebadandtheugly&commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A306686&xg_source=msg_com_gr_forum#4778851Comment306686"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>I've never through of the fish we grew in aquaponics as muddy. They are in clean water and we never even purge them. I think the biggest part is that we net them from the tank and immediately kill and process them so there is no sitting in a holding tank stressing out in a boat which I think probably causes off tastes far more than the fish being "bottom feeders"</p>
<p>Heck my catfish happily come to the surface to eat food.</p>
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</blockquote> I've never through of the fis…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-15:4778851:Comment:3066862012-03-15T21:55:16.408ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>I've never through of the fish we grew in aquaponics as muddy. They are in clean water and we never even purge them. I think the biggest part is that we net them from the tank and immediately kill and process them so there is no sitting in a holding tank stressing out in a boat which I think probably causes off tastes far more than the fish being "bottom feeders"</p>
<p>Heck my catfish happily come to the surface to eat food.</p>
<p>I've never through of the fish we grew in aquaponics as muddy. They are in clean water and we never even purge them. I think the biggest part is that we net them from the tank and immediately kill and process them so there is no sitting in a holding tank stressing out in a boat which I think probably causes off tastes far more than the fish being "bottom feeders"</p>
<p>Heck my catfish happily come to the surface to eat food.</p> Thanks, TCLynx. I was mullin…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-15:4778851:Comment:3067212012-03-15T16:34:49.541ZDon Goddardhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/DonGoddard
<p>Thanks, TCLynx. I was mulling some of those same ideas around, but lack the experience to get it clear in my mind. Thanks for making it so understandable. Perfectly logical, when I think about what you've said.</p>
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<p>What part of the world are you in? We're thinking of setting up in the Okanagon in BC, near Vernon, so we'll be heating water. We're not big fans of trout, which may be a better local option, but we'll be going with Tilapia, and maybe a few Large Mouth Bass to…</p>
<p>Thanks, TCLynx. I was mulling some of those same ideas around, but lack the experience to get it clear in my mind. Thanks for making it so understandable. Perfectly logical, when I think about what you've said.</p>
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<p>What part of the world are you in? We're thinking of setting up in the Okanagon in BC, near Vernon, so we'll be heating water. We're not big fans of trout, which may be a better local option, but we'll be going with Tilapia, and maybe a few Large Mouth Bass to control population. Never tasted bass, but I understand it's pretty good eating. Trout are too muddy tasting for us, although catfish is a bottom feeder that I've found (in the limited number of times I've eaten it) to be not so strong or earthy as trout.</p>
<p>Don</p> Hi Don,
Another part of t…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-11:4778851:Comment:3047152012-03-11T06:58:03.541ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Hi Don,</p>
<p> Another part of the reason that the Nelson and Pade kit advertizes high stocking densities probably also has to do with where their methods came from which is based closely on the UVI style of aquaponics where they feed a lot of food to a lot of fish and therefore have to remove solids from the system to keep it stable. This is ok if you have a soil garden or composting system that really wants all that fish waste and your aim is to grow more fish.</p>
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<p>And the…</p>
<p>Hi Don,</p>
<p> Another part of the reason that the Nelson and Pade kit advertizes high stocking densities probably also has to do with where their methods came from which is based closely on the UVI style of aquaponics where they feed a lot of food to a lot of fish and therefore have to remove solids from the system to keep it stable. This is ok if you have a soil garden or composting system that really wants all that fish waste and your aim is to grow more fish.</p>
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<p>And the other side of the coin is the media based systems which generally don't remove the solids from the system and therefore you don't need so many fish or to pay for so much fish feed in order to grow the same amount or even more plants. In the media based systems the bio-filtration, solids filtration, worm home and plant growing space is all combined into one component making the systems simpler and in my personal opinion, more appropriate as a backyard garden if that is your aim (though I personally think 300 gallons is a more appropriate small fish tank size for my climate and fish choice.<a style="cursor: pointer;"><img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Smile.gif"/>)</a></p> Hi Sylvia,
Thank you for ta…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-07:4778851:Comment:3030712012-03-07T21:30:03.424ZDon Goddardhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/DonGoddard
<p>Hi Sylvia,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thank you for taking the time to reply so thoroughly; I believe what you are saying, and I suspected (even though I am not a fish expert) that 215 one-pound fish would have an excruciating existence in 200 gallons of water. I find that your book and nearly every comment I've read on this website, from you and others, smack of integrity, transparency, and good will.</p>
<p>I really feel strongly about food sustainability, and because I grew up in a small…</p>
<p>Hi Sylvia,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thank you for taking the time to reply so thoroughly; I believe what you are saying, and I suspected (even though I am not a fish expert) that 215 one-pound fish would have an excruciating existence in 200 gallons of water. I find that your book and nearly every comment I've read on this website, from you and others, smack of integrity, transparency, and good will.</p>
<p>I really feel strongly about food sustainability, and because I grew up in a small Saskatchewan farming town, the spirit of community amongst AP folks is heartwarmingly familiar. We're all just neighbours, after all, and we're better off if we help each other while we try to make a living, rather than misleading folks so we can gather a big pile of virtual money, the worth of which is questionable.</p>
<p>I'll continue to reseach and read; I'm very happy and grateful to find this site and all these brilliant folks sharing their ideas!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Best regards,</p>
<p>Don</p>
<p><br/><cite>Sylvia Bernstein said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://aquaponicscommunity.com/forum/topics/aquaponic-systems-and-kits?groupUrl=thegoodthebadandtheugly&commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A302764&xg_source=msg_com_gr_forum#4778851Comment302764"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><div><p align="left"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial"><span>HI Don. First let me say that I truly respect your due diligence process and wish that everyone considering purchasing an aquaponics system would ask questions like you are! As the manufacturer of the AquaBundance systems I feel compelled to answer your questions, but I hope that others chime in as well.</span></font></span></p>
<p align="left"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial"><span>The most obvious answer is "yes", it is in part because of the extra filtration equipment. Because their system is a DWC/ raft system they need to include solids filtration equipment and remove fish solid waste from their systems. This could be why they estimate an hour of maintenance per day, while our system is closer to 5 - 10 minutes a day. </span></font></span></p>
<p align="left"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial"><span>But even with solids filtration it defies reason that an amateur, home gardener can produce over a pound of fish for every gallon of water in four 50-gallon tanks. A professional aquaculture operation would have a difficult time producing results like that in an optimized system with tanks 100 times that size. I believe that experienced aquaponics folks will back up exactly what I'm saying. This is simply not realistic...even for a system that costs nearly twice as much as ours for the same amount of plant growing space.</span></font></span></p>
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<div><span>Furthermore, our focus as a company is very different than our competitors. Our mission is to serve the needs of home aquaponic gardeners in North America, whether they be DIYers through my book and our other educational materials, test kits, and plumbing parts, or folks like yourself looking for high-quality turn-key systems. We plan to earn your trust and your long-term business by not making unsupportable claims about our systems. We are a completely open book through social media, this community site, my book, and blog, opening our company and it's products up to public scrutiny every day. I hope you take this into account when you consider which company's systems to pursue.</span></div>
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</blockquote> HI Don. First let me say tha…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-07:4778851:Comment:3027642012-03-07T03:06:25.447ZSylvia Bernsteinhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/SylviaBernstein
<div><p align="left"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial"><span>HI Don. First let me say that I truly respect your due diligence process and wish that everyone considering purchasing an aquaponics system would ask questions like you are! As the manufacturer of the AquaBundance systems I feel compelled to answer your questions, but I hope that others chime in as well.</span></font></span></p>
<p align="left"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial"><span>The…</span></font></span></p>
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<div><p align="left"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial"><span>HI Don. First let me say that I truly respect your due diligence process and wish that everyone considering purchasing an aquaponics system would ask questions like you are! As the manufacturer of the AquaBundance systems I feel compelled to answer your questions, but I hope that others chime in as well.</span></font></span></p>
<p align="left"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial"><span>The most obvious answer is "yes", it is in part because of the extra filtration equipment. Because their system is a DWC/ raft system they need to include solids filtration equipment and remove fish solid waste from their systems. This could be why they estimate an hour of maintenance per day, while our system is closer to 5 - 10 minutes a day. </span></font></span></p>
<p align="left"><span lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"><font face="Arial"><span>But even with solids filtration it defies reason that an amateur, home gardener can produce over a pound of fish for every gallon of water in four 50-gallon tanks. A professional aquaculture operation would have a difficult time producing results like that in an optimized system with tanks 100 times that size. I believe that experienced aquaponics folks will back up exactly what I'm saying. This is simply not realistic...even for a system that costs nearly twice as much as ours for the same amount of plant growing space.</span></font></span></p>
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<div><span>Furthermore, our focus as a company is very different than our competitors. Our mission is to serve the needs of home aquaponic gardeners in North America, whether they be DIYers through my book and our other educational materials, test kits, and plumbing parts, or folks like yourself looking for high-quality turn-key systems. We plan to earn your trust and your long-term business by not making unsupportable claims about our systems. We are a completely open book through social media, this community site, my book, and blog, opening our company and it's products up to public scrutiny every day. I hope you take this into account when you consider which company's systems to pursue.</span></div> Hi Folks,
I'm in Victoria, BC…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-03-07:4778851:Comment:3026832012-03-07T00:34:22.513ZDon Goddardhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/DonGoddard
<p>Hi Folks,</p>
<p>I'm in Victoria, BC. I'm very handy, but time is limited, and I'm considering a turnkey system. What I've scrutinized fairly closely so far are the Nelson/Pade systems and the Aquabundance systems. I bet this question has been asked many times, but I've searched for related posts on this site and haven't come up with anything...</p>
<p>I note that Nelson/Pade claims a harvest of 215 pounds of tilapia from a 200 gallon tank, while Aquabundance claims a much more modest 40…</p>
<p>Hi Folks,</p>
<p>I'm in Victoria, BC. I'm very handy, but time is limited, and I'm considering a turnkey system. What I've scrutinized fairly closely so far are the Nelson/Pade systems and the Aquabundance systems. I bet this question has been asked many times, but I've searched for related posts on this site and haven't come up with anything...</p>
<p>I note that Nelson/Pade claims a harvest of 215 pounds of tilapia from a 200 gallon tank, while Aquabundance claims a much more modest 40 pounds. Can you explain to me why there is a difference to a factor of 5, between these otherwise similar systems? Is it the additional filtering tanks supplied by the more expensive Nelson/Pade system? Is it hype? Has anyone here see/used/purchased the Nelson/Pade equipment?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>Don</p> Thanks for that, Claude! Cu…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-12-16:4778851:Comment:2658792011-12-16T15:34:39.692ZSylvia Bernsteinhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/SylviaBernstein
<p>Thanks for that, Claude! <img src="http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad93/ucsycybersmiley/11.gif"/> Customers like you are what make our business so fun.</p>
<p>Thanks for that, Claude! <img src="http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad93/ucsycybersmiley/11.gif"/> Customers like you are what make our business so fun.</p> Not that this probably comes…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-12-16:4778851:Comment:2658762011-12-16T15:26:04.045Zclaude saundershttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/claudesaunders
<p>Not that this probably comes as any surprise to anyone, but I purchased a variety of AP equipment from theaquaponicstore.com, and I've been very happy with it and the support I got. I like that I was able to assemble my own variation of a system from parts just as easily as buying a single full kit.</p>
<p>Not that this probably comes as any surprise to anyone, but I purchased a variety of AP equipment from theaquaponicstore.com, and I've been very happy with it and the support I got. I like that I was able to assemble my own variation of a system from parts just as easily as buying a single full kit.</p>