Aquaponics anyone?

[Devonviolet]

DH & I are seriously looking into using our canvas garage frame to start doing aquaponics.

The garage is a metal pipe structure with a plastic canvas cover. It is approximately 10X17X9'h at the peak.

We would remove the cover & replace it with UV safe plastic with a mesh core & add wood framing (covered with the same plastic) & a door at one end & venting at the peak, essentially making it into a greenhouse.

We recently found out we would have access to 275 gallon, water totes with a metal cage, to raise the fish part of the system. We can have as many as we need, for the project, for free.

I'm aware it can be tricky setting up a successful system. But, I have also read that once it is up & running, the physical work may not be as hard, and the rewards are great.

Has anyone, here on TEG done this? Or is that too involved a topic for this forum?

 

[thistlebloom]

I have that very same tent. Great score on the water totes! I've seen them on CL, but never for free.
I recall aquaponics being mentioned here, but can't say whether a member is doing it.

You could be our test pilot! I don't think the subject is too involved for TEG, there might be enough interest to keep it lively. If that's what you meant.

Otherwise I think we are mostly bright enough to keep up, if that's what you meant.
Haha.

 

[Devonviolet]

@thistlebloom you crack me UP!!!

Well then, maybe I will just post here as our project progresses.

Talk about making a "score", we got our garage at Harbor Freight when it was on sale AND we got 20% off. I think we ended up paying $169. We actually bought 2 of them, because DH wanted a dry place to stack his lumber. We originally bought them to keep our 70 bales of hay dry. We weren't thinking about aquaponics at the time. Although we have discussed doing it before. The beauty of having a 2nd "garage" is, if we want to expand the project, we can add that framework to the first, and double our space.

Yes, we are still blown away with our water tote score! Last Friday we stopped to chat with our County AG Extension Agent. After telling him our plans & goals, he informed us what we are doing is "permaculture" REALLY???

All kidding aside, he proceeded to tell us about some awesome resources
*** Free water totes donated by the local water treatment plant - specifically for people wanting to do aquaponics.
*** Organic compost - $10/TON! From a local biosolids company. He thought we would be able to use this to do a berm, to divert water runoff. I'm also excited because we can use this for doing Hugelculture! SCORE!!! We have plenty of dead/rotten trees, due to our 7 year drought. Add compost, water, shake & voila' instant Hugelculture!
*** USDA Engineers, to help us figure out how to divert rainwater, that is washing away topsoil, (and stop our crawlspace from flooding every time it rains - this is a side benefit. The USDA doesn't care that our crawl space has standing water every time it rains. )
*** Probably one of the BEST resources - an organic farmer who successfully does aquaponics. He & his wife run a local coffee house. We stopped in for a cuppa Joe, and Mrs invited us for dinner this week and said Mr would be happy to answer our questions & help us get up & running.

 

[Smart Red]

Gold strike, Devonviolet! It sounds like something too good to NOT go for.

 

[ninnymary]

Wow. Having that couple guide you and give you tons of information is worth gold! Be sure to take pen and paper with you.

Mary

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Please keep us up to date on your efforts. I have thought about aquaponics many times but my family has recently become REAL farmers and have tons of work waiting for us all the time nowadays. However, I was injured last fall and am not able to get out to do the hard labor like I used to do. So maybe, just maybe, aquaponics would be OK for me to tackle.

 

[Devonviolet]

Please keep us up to date on your efforts. I have thought about aquaponics many times but my family has recently become REAL farmers and have tons of work waiting for us all the time nowadays. However, I was injured last fall and am not able to get out to do the hard labor like I used to do. So maybe, just maybe, aquaponics would be OK for me to tackle.

Gee @Smiles Jr. So sorry to hear about your injury. Its very possible that aquaponics could be the solution to you being able to grow veggies without a lot of manual labor.

I'm no stranger to pain. 2-1/2 years ago I had right foot surgery that didn't go well. If I am on my feet for very long, I get nerve pains into my toes. On top of that I have bad arthritis in both ankles, which makes walking painful on most days.

The beauty of aquaponics is that the grow medium is put into boxes that can be put at any level that works for you. Now that I think of it, I might think about putting some kind of decking, down the middle of the greenhouse, that would allow me to sit on a rolling chair (like maybe an office chair), so I can sit while working on the plants.

 

[thistlebloom]

Wow, what a lot of great resources you got in a short time! Having an experienced couple to answer your questions is perfect.

You might want to investigate the biosolids as a growing medium before you commit yourself to having a lot delivered. I know the local company in my neck of the woods that creates biosolid compost claims it's safe. But I have reservations...there are a lot of heavy metals inherent in by products like that. I'm sure they are all tested and you must be able to get an analysis breakdown from the company. Just a heads up in case you weren't aware of the issue.

 

[baymule]

Is this the place?

http://www.bworganics.com/


http://hopkins.agrilife.org/files/2011/03/2015-Result-Demonstration-Biosolids-Hopkins.pdf

 

[Devonviolet]

@thistlebloom - I checked with our local bio solids company. They are calling it "organic compost". The owner of the company told me minimum standards is 41ppm if heavy metals. Their compost tests at 3ppm. So, I would consider it safe.

It turns out the compost isn't $10/TON. That is for 100 tons or more. But we can get a dump truck load - which is 10 tons - for $25/TON. That still sounds like an awesome price to me!