Hello from Los Angeles

[Ken Myers]

I'm in the San Fernando Valley.  I have not yet starting making a system, just been having my eyes opened over last couple years on climate change issues, food safety issues (organic, gmo, famine potentials), and the like.  I used to enjoy gardening and landscaping my yard as a hobby, but got way to busy at work and it's been years.

So I'm doing this both to reclaim a hobby I loved and to do my part (?) for the planet.  Well, if I can grow my own food and save some money and eat healthier, those are not bad things either.

I'm not sure where to start.  The options are a bit daunting.  What I was thinking might help steer me to one type of learning system or another are:

1)  I'd really like to have a fully circular / sustainable system, not having to buy fish pellets or additives, but have everything I need being generated by some part of the system.

2)  I like the idea of learning how to do everything from scratch, like Home Depot supplies, or even more basic, because I feel that's best to control the environment I'm creating, to make it fungible, modular, fit any space I want, and the ability to sort of throw together a system from what's on hand.  I think I might like to travel in the future to different places and make aquaponic structures where I go, like an aquaponic Johnny Appleseed or something, and so I'm not looking to just buy a ready-made system and watch it go.

3)  I'm interested in high variety of edibles created -- greens, grains, tubers, berries, etc. --- I'm not sure if there are limits to what can be grown hydroponically.  I suppose it might be theoretically possible to grow a hydroponic tree sycamore tree, if you had a big enough area?  Well, I don't know, just these are some of the things I'm curious about with aquaponics.

4)  It's important to me to have healthy / pure life in the system, both fish and plants, avoiding anything like gmo-altered stuff, to the extent possible.

When not thinking about aquaponics, I am generally thinking about my wife & kids, playing guitar, books, video games, movies, philosophy, yoga, meditation, and most things hippy and holistic that are in line with common sense, natural wisdom, personal freedom, surrendering the ego and following one's inner voice.  Oh, and I sometimes think about work as a lawyer, which I'm not very passionate about, which is somewhat annoying because I'm good at it.

Any advice on open source learning resources, how to weed through too much to choose from, would be appreciated.

Ken

[George]

1.  sustainable - it involves a pump and electricity so that is questionable, at best, not to discourage you.  

2.  Not a lot of ready-made options so, good plan.  Farm supply stores may have components

3.  No different from ground gardening, in my experience.

4  only way to go

 Good luck  with your system.

[Alex Veidel]

Although it is definitely possible to grow trees in aquaponics, I think you'll find the best things to grow are your veggies. Annuals especially, your veggies love nitrogen in the form of nitrate, which is a product of nitrogen-converting bacteria. Trees tend to favor ammonium, which is produced by fungi. Since aquaponics leans very heavily toward high bacteria populations, it creates a environment better suited to most annuals and maybe some smaller perennials. 

As far as learning goes, I'd recommend getting a handle on identifying nutritional deficiencies, as it will most certainly come in handy later on. Nate Storey has a great blog/video series on plant nutrition in aquaponics, so that's a good way to go. Here's a link to his channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/BrightAgrotechLLC

Also, I highly suggest learning about your soil food web. There is a whole microscopic world to aquaponics (and soil gardening as well), and learning how to foster that life is what makes a system great. "Teaming with Microbes" by Jeff Lowenfels is a total mind-ripper of a book, albeit a fairly easy read: 

http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microbes-Organic-Gardeners-Revised/dp...

I also suggest checking out anything by Dr. Elaine Ingham. Her website is soilfoodweb.com

[kiwibilt]

Youtube !!!

Bright Agrotech & others provide free videos & webinars

[George]

yes, a good book

Alex Veidel said:

"Teaming with Microbes" by Jeff Lowenfels is a total mind-ripper of a book, albeit a fairly easy read: 

http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microbes-Organic-Gardeners-Revised/dp...

[Ken Myers]

thanks!

ken