Aquaponics

[PILOON]

aquaponics is a little different. It is a closed loop system, where the fish feed the plants which clean the water for the fish to live in. Some people use plant eating fish to make their system totally closed loop. Others have two areas for fish one with minnows to feed the bigger fish. Many are constructed out of blue barrels and a water pump to keep water flowing. some of the systems are very impressive. I would need a green house to keep it running in the winter, plus i worry that a hoop house would let animals in to eat the fish.
It is a system that i plan on implimenting at some time.

I know of one operation as you describe.
He grows lettuce on top (in floating foam slabs) and trout below.
His setup is the size of an olympic pool but a mere 2-3' deep covered with a poly 'green house'.
Basiclly he feeds the fish and the fish poo feeds the crop.
He, however pumps a lot of air into the 'pool' for the fish.
New crop about every 2 weeks.
Due to our local climate, heat is his big overhead cost as well as grow lighting in short winter months, it is however viable as this is his sole source of income.

 

[pat32rf]

While we have 80 acres, the only all day sun is in one corner which is he muddy shallow end of a small lake. To much decaying vegitation to over winter fish of any size but full of nutrients.(and very acidic) I've always wondered about "floating" some flats of tomatoes, lettuce etc. Maybe next spring.....

 

[forgeblast]

http://www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/education/documents/barrel-ponics.pdf
This is the pdf i was looking for. I will probably build one similar to this.
This is filled with pics, and will give you an idea of the system.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/garden/18aqua.html


AQUAPONICS SYSTEMS [Archive] - Aquaponics HQ

bunch of different systems

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/systems.html

 

[AQPC]

I know of one operation as you describe.
He grows lettuce on top (in floating foam slabs) and trout below.
His setup is the size of an olympic pool but a mere 2-3' deep covered with a poly 'green house'.
Basiclly he feeds the fish and the fish poo feeds the crop.
He, however pumps a lot of air into the 'pool' for the fish.
New crop about every 2 weeks.
Due to our local climate, heat is his big overhead cost as well as grow lighting in short winter months, it is however viable as this is his sole source of income.

Interesting, I wonder how he heats his greenhouse in the winter because that would definetly become pretty pricey. Does he sell his produce to local stores?

 

[PILOON]

Interesting, I wonder how he heats his greenhouse in the winter because that would definitely become pretty pricey. Does he sell his produce to local stores?

Yes, and does fairly well at it.
Heat is costly, but fortunately during winter so is importing of fresh produce so things balance out.
That lettuce is shure tasty!
He uses oil to heat. It is the electricity that kills him due to the short daylight in winter.
Also the municipality made him install in an industrial park and the adjacent residential neighbors complain about the bright grow lights at night.
In winter he uses a dark screen over the hot houses to attract the sunlight for free heat, so on a sunny day he needs only heat at night.

The whole set up is very clever.
So much so that most of his set up costs were the result of a government grant.

As it turns out he is a childhood friend of my son hence reason for all the 'inside info'.

 

[dave1949]

http://www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/education/documents/barrel-ponics.pdf
This is the pdf i was looking for. I will probably build one similar to this.
This is filled with pics, and will give you an idea of the system.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/garden/18aqua.html


AQUAPONICS SYSTEMS [Archive] - Aquaponics HQ

bunch of different systems

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/systems.html

Did you work on a system? I've been reading some on them, trying to figure out what sort of edible fish might work best here. Seems like tilapia, yellow perch, trout, and arctic char are the common species. The trout sound finicky, and I might have well water iron problems for trout.

Getting the energy costs under control would be a challenge.