On Feb 10, 2013 I started the system with "feeder" goldfish.  I didn't think I needed the filtration set up at first, but the water stayed quite murky, so I did add the filtration

Filtration consist of 1 screen, 2 pebbles, and 3rd 2" thick mesh filter.  The water cleared up over night.

I added a few gallons of existing water, from a friend's system, to help the start up.

Today I set up the 40 feet of 3" pvc for the primary run.  The secondary run will be 20 feet.  I used…

(I wrote this post about a week ago and finally got around to putting the finishing touches on it today...Enjoy!)

I've been thinking this morning about aquaponics. Which is pretty typical for me, I guess. I just about use all of my excess mental capacity thinking about growing things. Mushrooms, chickens, goats, fish, plants, rabbits, bees...they are on my mind constantly. The thoughts for this morning were aquaponics, compost, and redworms.

I give people tours of my…

One of the biggest things that irritates me is Urban farming. Not talking about the practice of urban farming but of the lean that urban farming in New York State is just in NYC.  It is bothersome that NYC is all that folks think of when they thing of NY State, personally the are biggest social economical baggage that the state has and the state would be better off without it.  That being said, just do some research on Urban Farming in NY State.  Even Cornell University focuses in on the…

Today I have taken two baby steps forward. I have made some small tweaks to my system. #1: I rerouted my pipes so that they are now ziptied to my wire shelving unit rather than secured to the wall using pipe bands. This reduced ALL OF THE NOISE (YAY!) my system was making in my bedroom (minus the pleasant sound of flowing water, of course) because now the vibration from the pump is not transferred into the walls in the corner of my bedroom. 

#2: Repaired a leak in the system. I am…

so made a rocket stove to act as a water heater. used 4 inch thin metal pipe AC duct., Worked well first day test run.  ran for about 3 hrs.Today was working the a little better due to a shorter up pipe witch lowered the water pipes. After about 2 hrs running 30 min at max fuel scrap wood chopped up to the size of large kindling. I was able 150 gallons a hour up about 40 degrees (from inlet to output). 

Then disaster.

The metal lining melted and the…

I thought I kept the store bought fish in isolation for long enough.  Well I was wrong.  Now I have ICH in my tank.  This really sucks.  Since moving the entire colony into a hospital tank for two weeks is not really an option, I've begun treating (with heat and salt) directly in my AP system.  I'm very worried that I'm going to kill off my bacteria, worms, and plants.  I wonder if the fish are worth it?  I could just go get more and start all over.  hummm?

I think my bell siphon is alive and mocking me.  I can sit in the playroom where my aquaponics experiment is located all day long and it runs without a hitch.  No sooner than I leave the room and the cycle gets stuck at the end of the ebb.  The siphon won't stop.  I unplug the pump, let the siphon burp, expel a few obscenities, then get it running again.  Now I'm watching, intently.  Of course as long as I'm there it will run without fail.  I've even tried sitting just outside the room.…

Our system has been running for about five weeks.  We used an IBC tote, have 150 gallons of water with 10- 4" tilapia and 20- 2" tilipia.  We are growing lettuce, spinach, broccoli and strawberries in the grow bed.  Everything seems to be going well; fish are alive and so are plants.

I am driving myself crazy trying to understand the ppm of all these components.  I have read so many different things that I am having nightmares about numbers and ppm.

Using Ph down we have our…

Today is a big step in my little aquaponics experiment.  After patiently getting my cycle running over the last two months. Then watching my fish in quarantine for a week.  The time has come to put it all together.  Presently I have Lavender, Lettuce, Spearmint, and Parsley growing in the bed with Oregano, Rosemary, Spinach, and Chamomile incubating in the seed tray. It was a bit of a challenge to get up to this point.  I had a wicked learning curve trying to figure out the peeponics thing.…

Solar fish farm Arcadia Florida  My company was developing a solar powered fish farm in Arcadia Florida.  Within 2 months of purchasing a fish farm DeSoto County violating the laws of Florida issued a cease work order on the solar power plants being constructed.  These farm structures, sheds, come under the authority of Florida Dept of AG ONLY!

Florida Dept of Agriculture…

Florida laws Right to Farm Act and Florida aquaculture policy act both were not enforced by the FL Dept of AG destroying the business plan of DRD Enterprises Inc of Davie to develop a solar powered fish farm!

Seeking help in correcting this injustice.  Responses from Florida has been to hire a legal firm?  A small business that has been destroyed by illegal actions rarely has funds to  hire a legal firm to uphold the laws of…

I finally put the effort into finding sources for pH up that aren't from the hydroponics store, and it turns out I can get both, easily, in my small town.

calcium hydroxide is known in the masonry world as hydrated lime or masons lime. It's cheap (8$CDN for 25kg) and you can get it at any home building supply store. 

potassium hydroxide is sometimes also known as lye, however, take note that lye can also be sodium hydroxide so double…

I have finally got around to start to work building my AP system. I bought two 55 gal barrels and eight 275 gal IBC totes a few weeks ago and then the weather got cold and wet- progress stalled. At least we have had a few days

The system I now plan to build is quite a bit different than the one I originally planned. That is due to the help and advice of some of the people here.. Thank you.

I will buy the piping itself at one of the big box stores, but I can save a bundle by…

Well, I was asked by my kid's 4H club to help them do an exhibit on aquaponics.    So I am drafting some new plans for a small demo system, and I'll have the kids make posters with information about aquaponics.    A friend of mine (Allison) shared with me a picture of a small start up system, and I'm thinking of doing something on this order.…

Hi everyone, What a busy year 2012 has been! Organic veggie growing, building a greenhouse, learning aquaponics and fish culture, developing a market for our food, raising and breeding laying chickens, planning for bees, goats, calves, earthworms, fly larvae, duckweed, flowers and berries. And 2013 is getting started with a rally- in January, we're traveling to California to help develop an aquaponics system, based on our model, that will go to Nigeria to help flood victims.

We have…

MY worms are soooo freakin happy, i think. 

they are lively, and slowly, but surly eating away at the food i smear out for them. i found these little black globbs all over the bottom part of the tub. 



i'm pretty sure that's worm terds,…

here is THE PLAN. i'm going to acquire a 55 gallon plastic rain barrel for my fish. i'll get a pump and pump water up to two grow beds that are out to the side, but still above the tank so i can use an auto siphon to drain them out. 



i will start out with bait gold fish that i can get for $3.79 a dozen from a bait shop. eventually once the system is stable i would…

So after seeing someone that turned a deep fryer into a tank heater, I thought I can do that. So  Here is the build

Looking around my garage i found a wall paper steamer that i got and used once to remove car window tent. I also went to the pluming store and got some  parts. (listed at bottom)

After cutting the top off the steamer I Removed the…

A little sad and a little funny.  I was watching my fish a few hours ago and was watching them fight, as usual.  The chase of the food.. I ran out to the store and when I got home I went back to check on the pumps and tanks and the tank seemed unusually quiet and calm.  Looked down and, there was gold...another gold. another gold....and silver.  Silver?

I looked closely and noticed a tail sticking out of the pump.  I shut it off and out floated what was left of the bully fish.  Seem…