Aquaponics

[AQPC]

Hey guys, its my first post!!

Anyways, I was wondering if anybody on this forum has any experiences with greenhouses, and or specifically aquaponics (fish + veggies) or hydroponics (veggies grow in water)

I would eventually like to start a small greenhouse which has a combination of aquaponics, and some hydroponics. Anyways I was just wondering if any of you have had any experiences dealing with greenhouses, and aquaponics.

Thanks!

 

[forgeblast]

Google it, there is a ton of info from Minn on using fish in green houses. There are sites with plans also.
Aqua farming and advanced aquaculture knowledge library

Northern Aqua Farms Aquaculture, Agriculture and Aquaponics

diyaquaponics.com/aqua_plans.php

 

[ustmd]

It is a shame, but in my part of the country, getting involved in either of those topics is the quickist way to get a visit from the DEA/sherriff.

 

[AQPC]

It is a shame, but in my part of the country, getting involved in either of those topics is the quickist way to get a visit from the DEA/sherriff.

Really? How come? Is it to do with possible contamination of food?

 

[smstonypoint]

Really? How come? Is it to do with possible contamination of food?

They might suspect that you are growing some of that "Wacky Tobaccy" (i.e., marijuana).

Steve

 

[ustmd]

They might suspect that you are growing some of that "Wacky Tobaccy" (i.e., marijuana).

Steve

Bingo--

AQPC,

Do a search on Craglist's for your area on hydroponics. Most likely you will find that everyone offering them for sale are also offering indoor grow lights as well.

A few years ago, I did an extension to the end of my barn. At the end of the extension, I put a greenhouse ( maybe 10 x 15 for starting seeds for the garden and overwinting some plants). Within 2 weeks of completing it, I had the sheriff come by for a visit "just to chat" . Once I showed him the greenhouse and invited him back anytime, he moved on

 

[PILOON]

Shucks, around here the local enforcement even warns you not to mess with this or that neighbor as they know that he is a grower.
Easy to spot a 'gro-op', all windows are covered over to hide the gro lights and the yard is unkempt.

Enforcement says that they can't bother with the small growers but that they are concentrating on getting the wholesalers.

Biggest worry is to stumble upon an outdoor gro-op as often they are protected by armed thugs.
Generally a 'grower' merely gets a $300. fine and a slap on the wrist with no jail time as jails are full. They calculate that the risk is minor for the returns and so carry on growing.
I heard it said that they even have a self regulated 'clearing house' kind of like a stock exchange operation.

A friend owns a public storage facility and I could fill a book with tales of growers and the competition amongst themselves.
Unfortunately he has no control on what a client stores and in fact, by law, he cannot access a unit as it is deemed 'private property' and falls under same rules that prevent landlords from entering rental homes.

Often after 3-4 months of non rent payment (and legal notifications*) is when we'd find thw 'tools' of a gro-op setup.
* generally the tip off is phoney name and contact info.

If I had one suggestion to law enforcement, it would be to have trained sniffing dogs patrol every public storage facility during crop season. I'm shure they would get quite an eye opener.

 

[forgeblast]

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.

 

[AQPC]

Yes, in Canada grow ops are very common in corn fields or clearings in the bush. Every year at least 5 busts are made in my county alone. One year we had a police helicopter land in our field and we asked them and supposedly their was a grow op in the fields adjacent to ours. Helicopters routinely fly over and check.

 

[AQPC]

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.

Yes most people do use greenhouses, even in hot climates like Australia most people have some sort of shelter to protect the crops from wind, and rain. What I wonder though is if one could put a small woodstove in the greenhouse which heats the water in the fish tanks?