Vegetables that don't work well together in the same system? Aquaponics in cold climates?

[valentina karga]

Does anybody know where can I find information about vegetables that grow well together? Or I can just try to plant anything?

Beisides, has anybody tried to grow rice? I was reading this interesting article about rice-fish farming in Bangladesh..

Moreover, what people do in cold climates to keep their aquaponics alive during winter? I am located in Germany..!

 

thanx:)

[TCLynx]

If you are not adding any sort of ammonia to the system, then the bacteria product you added will likely starve if you leave it too long without any food source.  Basically if there is not ammonia source (either ammonia you are adding or fish food or fish in the system) then the system will not become cycled.  To cycle a system you need to have ammonia to add or being produced by fish and the ammonia level will rise then it will start to fall as the nitrite level rises and eventually the nitrates should rise and both the ammonia and nitrite should be 0.  However if there is no ammonia being produced by fish or being added to the system then the ammonia and nitrite will also be 0 and without a food source to grow a bacteria colony the system is not cycled.  You can also cycle up the system using fish.

Here are instructions for fishless cycling

And if you can't find an ammonia source, you can cycle with fish.  For that you will want to start with a smaller number of fish than the system might normally support.  You will have to test the water to make sure the ammonia and nitrite don't get too high and withhold feed and perhaps even change water to try and avoid killing the fish if the levels get too high.  Once the ammonia and nitrite are both 0 and the fish are surviving and you are able to increase feed slowly and not have the ammonia or nitrite spike up again then you are cycled up to that fish load and you can add more fish while still watching the ammonia and nitrite levels to make sure you don't like them spike too high and then you slowly increase feed again until you have the system running at the fish load and feed levels you need.

[valentina karga]

I will do that, I ll buy a few tilapia tomorrow and see how that goes. I will also plant the plants, I 've found the german compatible to Maxicrop, it is called Algan.I had not luck with the rainwater. I collected some in buckets but it appears also alcalic in my tests. Maybe when it reacts with air it doesn't work?

Tha lady in the growshop I bought the algan suggested me a product called Effective Microorganisms (EM). She told me that the PH might drop that way since it is acidic. Do you know it? I have no idea if it is a good idea for aquaponics.

[Terri Mikkola]

Valentina,

 

I'm looking for people in Germany that might be able to assist you with your AP system. They may know where you can find products locally. Here's one site I found - No Ordinary Homestead

[valentina karga]

Terri,

thank you for your interest. I already have some help from people that know about gardening. I am building my AP in an urban farming project space. However I haven't met somebody here that knows about aquaponics.I 've visited all hardware stores, growshops (that's more about hydroponics) and aquarium shops and nobody knew what aquaponics is!

[Terri Mikkola]

The link I gave you is for a family located in Germany. They have an aquaponics system on their farm. Here's the email address - [e-mail].

I forgot to mention earlier that the alkalinity conversion from degrees to mg/L is 1 degree = 17.9 mg/L

 

[valentina karga]

Oh, great-thanks! Maybe it's a good idea to visit a working AP system..

[TCLynx]

as to the EM I don't know if it would be helpful or not.  I think you will be better off getting your system cycled with the fish before messing too much with anything else.

[John Allison]

 

You may want to look at companion planting.

[valentina karga]

Thanx John, I did that.