How I spent my summer vacation - building aquaponics

[Barbara McLain]

It's been a crazy summer as I worked to try to build my first aquaponics system.  This week has had many milestones:

1. System was finished and started up (Tuesday)
2. Placed my first seedlings (Tuesday)
3. Tried the Olomana Cycling system [Added fish, more seedlings, "live cinder" & worms all at once] (Wednesday)
4. Planted my first seeds (of my life) in a seed tray (Thursday)
5. Upgraded to a bigger air pump; got my azola and started a worm farm (Thursday)
6. Used my water chemistry set for the first time (Thursday)

Nothing dead... yet (that phrase is my new Mantra and my response when anybody asks me "how's that aquaponics thing going for you?")

Phew.  This fish farming stuff is tiring--- and you all will appreciate that I am now bankrupt... ha ha ha.

Here's a quick video of this very, very simple system which will someday may grow me something to eat or drive me insane...not sure which will come first.

As a career music professor, who had never touched dirt before I rinsed off the potting soil on those seedlings--- I'm feeling proud of myself.  Thanks for watching this.

[Barbara McLain]

my fish started eating... yippeee!   I also have a "mystery plant" coming up in the middle of my empty growbed.  

[Raychel A Watkins]

They will be fine.  Congrats Barbara on your project.  From reading you blogs on the Aquaponic Hub I would thought that you had done this forever. 

[Barbara McLain]

Thanks, Japan Aquaponics!  You guys are all so inspirational I had to try this for myself.  Only some crazy water level issues to solve the past couple days, but I think we're looking more stable.  Will have to "tweak" this system a bit over the next week, but the plants are doing great and still no dead fish... yet! (I'm amazed they are still in there swimming around)

[Japan Aquaponics - アクアポニックス 日本]

Looks good, and congratulations on your new hobby / life!