Rich Milliron

Male

Chico, CA

United States

Profile Information:

How did you find us?
Google
If you found us through a search engine, what search words were you using?
AP blogs
Are you an aquaponic gardener already?
Yes, started Spring '10
If so, what type of system? (pick all that apply)
flood and drain media, A barrelponics system I made. Have the two 1/2 barrels going w/ veggies, and a catfish. Also built a wood 3' x 8' GB, w/ pond liner, & filled w/ pea gravel, tied into a 100 gal goldfish tank. Have "an almost complete" 10' x 12' wood & old windows GH, that I'm building around the AQ systems.
How old is your system?
6 mos - 1 yr
What type of fish do you grow with? (select all that apply)
Goldfish, Catfish
How big is your fish tank?
30 & 70 gallons
Please tell us something else about yourself.
I also like soil type gardening & homebrewing (actually mostly just drinking it). I'm an IT guy @ CSU Chico (N Calif).

Comment Wall:

  • Sylvia Bernstein

    Hi Rich,

    Thanks for joining the Aquaponic Gardening community! I hope you find it a fun place to explore aquaponics. There is a real blend of experienced and new aquapons in this community, so please don’t hesitate to join in. Always thrilled to have experienced growers join us – please post some photos of your system!

    If you are interested in a forum or blog topic, but don’t want to join in right away, just check the “follow” box to be notified whenever there is activity on that subject.

    We have just one rule - keep it cordial (no flaming!).

    Thanks again for joining us, and I look forward to getting to know you. (BTW, my sister went to Chico State)

    Sylvia

    May 14, 2010

  • Kenneth Wayne Graham

    Hi Rich,

    I looked at your device that you built..very nice! I love Chico...many of my friends are graduates of the college. I have taken many camping trips to Bucks Lake as well.

    I have had simple goldfish for quite a while and then my cousin and I branched off and got KOI. We had about 50 of them....he sold his nursery which included the Aquaponics system so I am back to goldfish.

    The pond he and I built had bass and catfish that kept getting bigger and bigger on cat food!

    I am experimenting with a combination of high nutrient soil using POWER FLOWER soil enhancement, coffee grounds and liquid nutrient as well as a home made Hydroponics system and the Aerogarden desktop based system. The next level will involve me doing a mister system with LED GROW LIGHTS for my heirloom tomatoes that I grow.

    I also want to do more growing of gourmet lettuce and that needs a cooler environment and that is where the aquaponics type of system works best.

    Would love to meet you sometime and compare notes!!

    -Ken

    May 17, 2010

  • Lori Platt

    Hi Rich,
    We have a lot of similarities:-) I'm just starting out as well. Put the system together just a month or two ago. Have a 150gal stock tank for the fish - just a lot of goldfish for now...and 3 growbeds. the two smaller beds are only 7" deep, filled with hydroton. Then we built a 4 x 8 bed from plywood, 2x4's and pond liner. Filled it 2/3 full with lava rock and 1/3 with hydroton (It's 1 foot deep, so I used lava rock to help cut cost). All 3 are flood and drain using a bell siphon-so far works great!.
    I want to get fish to eat...trout, catfish, bass...something. So far have not been able to locate anything...and I guess tilapia are a no go here in Mendocino county (darn!!) I had thought tilapia in summer and trout in winter would be totally cool....
    I, too, am an IT person...though not currently working - maybe early retirement - but I've been working in IT for the past zillion years! :-) I find gardening and my new aquaponics obsession much more enjoyable than working! HA!
    What about in your area?? Have you found fish sources?

    May 17, 2010

  • Sylvia Bernstein

    Thanks for your appreciation, Rich. Good to know they can be useful to someone - I just enjoy writing them. It's kind of like chatting with a friend every week.

    Sylvia

    May 18, 2010

  • Sylvia Bernstein

    Hey Rich. He actually "dosed" the system once a day for a few days, then it was kind of once every few days. We didn't do a good job of tracking ammonia levels at the time, though, so I don't know if that was the right amount or not...but he sure got a kick out of being able to contribute!

    May 22, 2010

  • Sylvia Bernstein

    thanks, Rich. Let me know what you think...and please sign up for the newsletters!

    May 26, 2010

  • Sylvia Bernstein

    wow, thanks for the very kind words, Rich! I appreciate the encouragement. All I know is I enjoy it, so I guess that is 1/2 the battle, as they say.

    Jun 4, 2010

  • kevin darcy

    Hi Rich, happy to, here are some updated pictures of my first system, and my current project, my first system is two 62 litre gb's and 180 litre (approx) ft. my second system will have 9 gb and 3 ft's, but i'll be starting with one gb and one ft just until i get a feel for how the system wants to move forward.

    I quoted some prices just to show how cheap it can be done, my biggest expense was the pt at 720 euro, ouch, my friend has a welder and i'll hire a bending tool and make my own pt next time, i could make the frame for about 150 euro.
    best wishes.

    im having trouble uploading pic's i will try some other way

    Jul 21, 2010

  • kevin darcy

    hi rich, the updated pic's are now on my page.
    best wishes

    Jul 21, 2010

  • kevin darcy

    Cheers rich!

    Aug 9, 2010

  • David Hart

    Hi Rich..... :-)

    Aug 27, 2010

  • Carolyn Allen

    Nice start! I look forward to learning more about your system. Thanks for sharing the photos. What a cute greenhouse! Are you going to raise hops? :-)

    Aug 28, 2010

  • Jon Ezrine

    Great photos, Rich. I particularly like the one with the beer. If we could only figure out how to build a fish powered brewery we would have it made.

    Sep 14, 2010

  • Robert Held

    Hey Rich,

    Sent you a message but you must not have gotten it.  I live in Browns Valley and I'm just getting started and would love to see your set up if at all possible.  I'm in Chico quite often and will be over there next week for sure for the Chico-Butte Valley Weston Price Foundation Meeting at the Matthews Cafe on Mangrove.  LMK if that would be a possibility.

    Thanks,

    Robert 

    Jun 7, 2011

  • Growzay

    Thanks Rich! You have so many nice pictures yourself.

    I just love the way you built>around<the AP set-up. Looks amazing! WOW-

    So which media is the best growing type of the differents ones you are using.

    Keep up the great work up there in Chico! I used to live near you about an hour outside of Eureka.. I miss the Redwoods! Everything is soo green up there- Always..

    Jun 17, 2011