Aquaponics build

[crsublette]

Bright Agrotech is quite interesting. I couldn't stop reading all the great info and videos they provided. Surprised I just now came across them. It appears they're relatively young, company around 4 years old and just started doing a marketing blitz a couple years ago, and got some big supporters such as by Whole Foods.

I am very interested to see how their outdoor barley Living Green Wall works out in helping to insulate their greenhouse through their very rough winters up there in Wyoming, which is a project they just started back in August of this year..

Definitely going to be keeping tabs on them.

And here is the video on how to properly spray the pesticides on your aquaponic grow beds.

[video]

 

[MitchM]

I'm no purist, I can assure you... :biggrin:

My system isn’t set up for effective solids removal. I’m using an old reef aquarium with overflows and a substrate. All solids are staying in the aquarium. I have planted some aquarium plants which seem to be doing ok in the sand substrate.
For water replacement, I’m using water from the tropical fish tank which I add supplements to.
I’m adding:
Potassium Suphate
Potassium Nitrate
Monopotassium Phosphate
Magnesium Sulphate
Trace elements

Composting here is tricky. Outdoor composting is discouraged because it attracts bears - and it freezes solid for at least 4 months.
I’ve tried an indoor worm composter, but it seems to attract flies, which are a nuisance. I think I just need to keep tweaking it, though. I’m sure I can come up with a setup that works properly.

Those links you posted are great! Providing me with some great reading this morning.

:compute:

 

[sissy]

Gosh yesterday before I could move my truck I had to get them all out of the interior door frame again .The lady bugs were just clustered in there .Opened all the doors and all had ladybugs in them .This has been going on for months now .Go away ladybugs go away .I actually use concrete mixing tubs to keep my pond plants in all winter .I just add a little miracle grow .I put a little dish detergent in the water also and a little peroxide .I know you can't use dish detergent but how bout peroxide .It keeps the water from smelling bad and adds oxygen and never had any bugs and it has been years I have been doing it .I know there are lots of video's on you tube of how to tend to aquaponics gardens

 

[MitchM]

I've used hydrogen peroxide to help control cyanobacteria, but I've never heard of it being used for non aquatic pests.
If you overdose hydrogen peroxide you can actually kill the fish.

 

[sissy]

I don't use it full strength I water it down and since I don't have fish where I spray I mix in dish detergent

 

[MitchM]

Oh, you mean to spray it?
Sorry, missed that. :cheerful:

 

[sissy]

Sorry guess I did not say that .I spray it by the pond also to keep bugs down .Funny but aphids were all over my hibiscus and wisteria and lots of lady bugs here that did nothing to control the aphids I had to spray the plants myself .I also have black lady bugs that if you kill them they smell as bad as stink bugs .

 

[MitchM]

Time to get serious about getting the aquaponics growing again. The greenhouse is getting hot enough that things are taking off, growth wise. The exhaust fan is turning on every day, once the greenhouse air temperature reaches 25C/77F. I had to cut most things down because I could not beat the aphids. The plants that made it through the winter were the roses, which were constantly blooming, the rosemary and the scallions.
The goldfish all did really well and they will be transferred to the outdoor pond when conditions permit.
Mechanical wise no problems at all. The system ran constantly without issue.
You can see though, on a couple of pictures that the heavy mineral concentration in the water is starting to crystallize on top of the Hydrocorn. (That's the white crystals on top of the brown media bed material)
I would really like to try replacing some of the Hydrocorn with something else.

This is what the setup looks like today:

I got my seedlings started a few weeks ago.
Planted were czech black pepper, eggplant, oregano, thyme, pak choi, lettuce, kale, spinach, sweet basil, alpine strawberry, alaska peas and 3 types of tomatoes.

A lot of them have grown now that they need transplanting.
I use the pencil to separate the roots from each other and the wrench handle to move the Hydrocorn to make room for the seedlings.

I planted some tomatoes and pak choi directly in the media bed and transferred some to dirt pots to see how the growth compares.

My wife got a succulent garden filled out and the hibiscus plant is really blooming with all the heat.

 

[callingcolleen1]

looks good from here Mitch! I don't keep plants that get bugs in greenhouse as they can spread the bugs to the new seedlings. I also let the greenhouse freeze a couple times to kill off all the bugs or bad things happen when the bugs start eating my seedlings. It is nice to have a glass greenhouse, the plants grow much better. I just have a plastic greenhouse, but it works for the spring and that is mostly just what I need it for.

 

[sissy]

I spray bugs with dish detergent and water and it seems they do not like to be clean Do you ever use fish emulsion in your green houses

 

[MitchM]

I tried fish emulsion last year and still have a full bottle.
The smell was pretty strong so I need to wait for warmer weather and fresh air to try it again.
I couldn't tell what the results were after 1 use.

I would like to use dish detergent and water but I'm worried about what it would do to the fish.

.

 

[sissy]

I guess if you made it real weak by the time it got back to the fish it would be gone ,but i did see on a hydroponics sight that they use peroxide and water to kill bugs in there green houses .I used the fish emulsion again last year on my yard and it really did green up .My dad always used it but got it in 5 gallon tanks .It does smell but worth the smell ,no worse than using manure that dad used I cannot find it in bulk containers here .I only found it in quart and gallon size

 

[MitchM]

Thanks for that tip. I found this recipe:

Mix up the following for a weekly preventative spray:

In a clean quart empty spray bottle:

* 1/4 cup of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
* 2 tblsp. of rubbing Alcohol (or Old style mouth wash like Listerine)
* 1/4 tsp. of wetting agent (Dishwashing liquid will do)

From this site:
http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/The_Urban_Farmer-urban-farmer-december-11.html

 

[sissy]

It is an old house wifes remedy for there veggie gardens

 

[MitchM]

Most commercial products that are talked about are not available in Canada so it's always nice to find a simpler, safer and cheaper method.