A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

Who lives in Missouri?

I am looking to see if there are any AP people in southern Missouri that are members of this group. I am just getting started, and have questions about our growing weather, how and what kind of fish you grow, what veggies do you grow, how do you deal with the temp swings in our area, and a bunch more. I do hope to be able to add something to this group.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Allen Busiek on January 16, 2012 at 7:44pm

Allen in Springfield MO

12' x 24' DIY backyard greenhouse - started construction Nov 2010.

(2) aquaponics "nodes" - 1 node on each side cobnsisting of:

(1) 275g partially buried fish tank, (1) 110g buried sump, (12) half-barrel grow-beds.

One node has approx 140 Tilapia (fry/fingerlings bought April 2011)

The other node has approx 15 hybrid Bluegill & 15 Channel Cats (started with 50 each)

I'm aware of at least 7 folks within 30 mi of Springfield actively doing aquaponics.

Regards,

Allen 65809

abusiek(*at*)mchsi(*dot*)com

Permalink Reply by Gary P on January 17, 2012 at 10:32pm

Allen,

Thanks for responding. How do you heat your greenhouse, and do you grow all winter?

Permalink Reply by Allen Busiek on January 18, 2012 at 2:22pm

Solar - currently constructing 8' x 12' solar water collector to provide heated water to 330 gal of water thermal storage buried below greenhouse. Currently have a 1kW "bucket heater", along with (4) 300W aquarium heaters in Tilapia tank in order to maintain Tilapia tank temp > 60 deg until solar system is completeed.

I do grow all winter - lowest air temp in greenhouse thus far this winter has been 38 deg.

Gary P said:

Allen,

Thanks for responding. How do you heat your greenhouse, and do you grow all winter?

Permalink Reply by Gary P on January 26, 2012 at 7:49pm

Allen,

I am planning on using one of our greenhouses for the AP unit. I have a wood furnace installed and am adding a secondary space heater just in case the temps drop. I will be using 4 IBC's that held 275 gal. I will cut them down to 200 gal and only fill them to the 150 gal mark. That will give me the 4 tops to grow in, plus we are adding 10 other grow beds. They will be 55 gal drums cut in half longways. We would like to add some 4 inch pipes to the system, but need to get the first two setups working properly first.

Permalink Reply by Max In Missouri on April 10, 2012 at 11:07pm

Live here up the 44, St Roberts MO... Not sure how close you are to me, but would enjoy exchanging ideas and information with you... let me know and add me as friend... Thanks

Permalink Reply by Allen Busiek on April 11, 2012 at 7:23am

Hi Max,

I'm not far from you (right now). I work at FLW (allen.busiek@us.army.mil) & commute daily from-to Springfield. I'd be interested in comparing notes / exchanging ideas, etc. Visitors are always welcome to see my aquaponics greenhouse & other self-sufficiency / self-reliance endeavors in Springfield; and I'm always eager to learn from what others are doing along those lines.

Don't know how to "friend" on this website - never got comfortable with Facebook & generally avoid it -- much prefer the Yahoo Groups format.

Later,

Allen

Max In Missouri said:

Live here up the 44, St Roberts MO... Not sure how close you are to me, but would enjoy exchanging ideas and information with you... let me know and add me as friend... Thanks

Permalink Reply by Allen Busiek on April 11, 2012 at 7:31am

FYI -

There will be an Aquaponics Seminar at the upcoming www.USAPrepares.com "Get Prepared Expo" on April 28-29 at the fairgrounds in Springfield MO.

Two local aquapons, Franco Molea & Rodney Kays, will be presenting the seminar.

I'll be presenting a seminar on "Prepper / Survivalist Communications".

Later,

Allen

Permalink Reply by Gary P on April 12, 2012 at 11:16pm

Max,

I am about 1 1/2 hours south of Rolla on 63. I would add you as a friend if I knew how.

Max In Missouri said:

Live here up the 44, St Roberts MO... Not sure how close you are to me, but would enjoy exchanging ideas and information with you... let me know and add me as friend... Thanks

Permalink Reply by Born2Learn on February 18, 2013 at 12:34am

Thanks for the seminar info!

Allen Busiek said:

FYI -

There will be an Aquaponics Seminar at the upcoming www.USAPrepares.com "Get Prepared Expo" on April 28-29 at the fairgrounds in Springfield MO.

Two local aquapons, Franco Molea & Rodney Kays, will be presenting the seminar.

I'll be presenting a seminar on "Prepper / Survivalist Communications".

Later,

Allen

Permalink Reply by Barbara VanLandingham on November 26, 2013 at 8:07am

I am very interested in this Expo. How do I get more info on it? I live in St Louis so I would need to come down with my famiy for several days. I noticed the date. Is there one this year.

Born2Learn said:

Thanks for the seminar info!

Allen Busiek said:

FYI -

There will be an Aquaponics Seminar at the upcoming www.USAPrepares.com "Get Prepared Expo" on April 28-29 at the fairgrounds in Springfield MO.

Two local aquapons, Franco Molea & Rodney Kays, will be presenting the seminar.

I'll be presenting a seminar on "Prepper / Survivalist Communications".

Later,

Allen

Permalink Reply by Shelia Hoyt on December 2, 2013 at 9:46am

I know I am a little late to the discussion, but I live in southern Missouri east of Thayer near the Arkansas line. Anyone is welcome visit and see the green house and aquaponics system.....

20x40 greenhouse

About 700 gallon system in IBC tote and the sump is an in ground pond.

This is the first year with my 700 gallon system.

I hope to start heating with stainless steel this week, before the temps drop to 9 degrees. I hope to get a heater for the water running. Hopefully I will accomplish this goal. I am planning on running part of my water from the sump to some heat tolerant PVC and then through a stainless steel coil on top of my wood stove and back to the fish tank.

So far the water temps get up to 73-76 degrees through the day I have glass on top of the IBC tote and pond to collect solar heat. It is amazing how much heat is stored and released at night. We have had temps in the teens and the green house stays around the upper 40's and the water drops into the 60's.

Permalink Reply by Russ Martin on February 4, 2014 at 9:49am

I am new to aquaponics and planning to put in an aquaponics system but I would like to look at a few other setups first. I live close to Mt. View MO and would like the opportunity to stop by for a visit. you would be welcome to give me a call at 573 202 5707. thanks -Russ

Shelia Hoyt said:

I know I am a little late to the discussion, but I live in southern Missouri east of Thayer near the Arkansas line. Anyone is welcome visit and see the green house and aquaponics system.....

20x40 greenhouse

About 700 gallon system in IBC tote and the sump is an in ground pond.

This is the first year with my 700 gallon system.

I hope to start heating with stainless steel this week, before the temps drop to 9 degrees. I hope to get a heater for the water running. Hopefully I will accomplish this goal. I am planning on running part of my water from the sump to some heat tolerant PVC and then through a stainless steel coil on top of my wood stove and back to the fish tank.

So far the water temps get up to 73-76 degrees through the day I have glass on top of the IBC tote and pond to collect solar heat. It is amazing how much heat is stored and released at night. We have had temps in the teens and the green house stays around the upper 40's and the water drops into the 60's.