Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: 1 2 [3]

Author Topic: Levi makes an aquaponics rig  (Read 7366 times)

Levi

  • Bay Watcher
  • Is a fish.
    • View Profile
Re: Levi makes an aquaponics rig
« Reply #30 on: November 19, 2014, 10:40:30 am »

This is ingenious. A man after my own heart, growing plants in an apartment with inadequate lighting uncomfortably close to your sleeping quarters.

Ever hear about the walstad method? Not as useful as yours for growing veggies, I would think, but a hobby in the same realm and possibly interesting. http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Walstad_method

Edit: ahh fuck now im reading old aquarium bookmarks instead of sleeping.

Nice.  I hadn't heard of the walstad method, but it makes sense.  I've heard some people grow duckweed on the surface of the water, which fish like to eat, making it an even more closed system.

I don't have any pictures, but here is a quick update of my system.  Basically, my tomato plants overwhelmed everything.   :P  Its gotten slightly too cold in my room for the flowers to polinate, but its still growing like crazy so it sort of turned into an ultra-thick damp jungle pushing up against my growlights.  I've got two tomatoes that are growing on the plants though, so its not a complete loss yet.  I've ended up pulling out all the ones that didn't have tomatos, and pulling the rest down away from the growlight so the jungle isn't quite as thick now. 

One of the LED's on one of my lights burned out though(probably due to how moist it was), so I had to fix that yesterday.

Also I've been having trouble with my bellsiphon on one side, I think bits of the clay gravel kept getting stuck in it and making it not-level, which was interfering with it.  I've pulled up everything on one side and added a media-guard to keep the clay balls out of my bell siphon.  Seems to be working well.  I also planted a bunch of smaller cold resistant plants and herbs(Kale, Oregeno, Peas, Thyme and parsley), so that one grow bed is pretty much been reset.  I'll do the same for the other growbed once those tomatos ripen.   :P

Overall my lessons were don't grow things that grow too big, and don't skip making a media guard.   :P

Fish are still good and happy.  They are trained to eat right out of my hand now, and often give little kisses(well, they try to eat my fingers) when I feed them.
« Last Edit: November 19, 2014, 10:43:05 am by Levi »
Logged
Avid Gamer | Goldfish Enthusiast | Canadian | Professional Layabout

Helgoland

  • Bay Watcher
  • No man is an island.
    • View Profile
Re: Levi makes an aquaponics rig
« Reply #31 on: January 23, 2015, 10:07:02 pm »

PTW, if this is still going on - seems neat.
Also it's a shame you're not growing some more, ehm, traditional plants, but I fully support homegrown tomatoes - the ones from the supermarket are nothing but shite. Well, water and shite, and whatever else the Dutch decide to dump in their greenhouses :P
Logged
The Bay12 postcard club
Arguably he's already a progressive, just one in the style of an enlightened Kaiser.
I'm going to do the smart thing here and disengage. This isn't a hill I paticularly care to die on.

Levi

  • Bay Watcher
  • Is a fish.
    • View Profile
Re: Levi makes an aquaponics rig
« Reply #32 on: January 24, 2015, 10:49:38 am »

Ah yeah, I haven't updated this in a while.  Can't grow the traditional, because I'm in an apartment and my landlord occasionally has to come up and I don't want to get kicked out. :D Its still going, although the tomato plants met an untimely end when I had to pull them all out as they started to attack my growlights.   :P  I'm growing Kale, Garlic and some herbs now, as they are all shorter and more apartment friendly.  I'll save the tomatoes for when I retire and can have a nice big outdoor system.  I'll try to remember to post some more pictures soon.

Logged
Avid Gamer | Goldfish Enthusiast | Canadian | Professional Layabout

Levi

  • Bay Watcher
  • Is a fish.
    • View Profile
Re: Levi makes an aquaponics rig
« Reply #33 on: February 11, 2015, 07:43:24 pm »

Here are some photos of my system as of a few weeks ago.  :) 


The growbeds.  I'm growing a bunch of stuff, most of which I have no idea if they will work.  Kale is going well, Garlic SEEMS to be doing well, but I've got no idea because its under the clay balls.  Oregano is doing ridiculously good.   Everything else, the Onions, Basil and other spices don't seem to be growing much.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

My Kale:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The Oregano.  I kinda just sprinkled the seeds over there and they all sprouted.  I was going to thin them out, but then I figured hell might as well see what they do like that.   :P
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

My Garlic!  It grew ridiculously fast, but I've got no idea what its doing under the clay.  Hopefully turning into garlic so I can eat it.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

My fishes are all still alive.  The first three goldfish are getting pretty big and they all seem healthy and happy.  The medium sized one has a pimple like bump on his side that is probably bad news, but he seems active enough and it doesn't seem to be getting bigger.  The smallest one is doing fine, but is a bit more shy than the others.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Compost worms!  I put these in my growbeds because apparently they are magic and can breath underwater as long as that water is oxygenated enough.  When I wake up in the morning and turn on the lights these suckers are always plastered against the plastic tubs of my growbeds.   :P
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: February 11, 2015, 07:50:20 pm by Levi »
Logged
Avid Gamer | Goldfish Enthusiast | Canadian | Professional Layabout

Helgoland

  • Bay Watcher
  • No man is an island.
    • View Profile
Re: Levi makes an aquaponics rig
« Reply #34 on: February 12, 2015, 04:01:45 pm »

What other fish/water creatures could one use in such a setup? I keep thinking about using crayfish, like yabbys or something, and feeding them with slaughtering side products...
Logged
The Bay12 postcard club
Arguably he's already a progressive, just one in the style of an enlightened Kaiser.
I'm going to do the smart thing here and disengage. This isn't a hill I paticularly care to die on.

Levi

  • Bay Watcher
  • Is a fish.
    • View Profile
Re: Levi makes an aquaponics rig
« Reply #35 on: February 12, 2015, 04:39:23 pm »

I've heard of people using yabbies.  I did read that it works great for growing the yabbies, but not so well for growing vegis, but I don't know enough about that to really say.  Tilapia is most commonly used just because it grows so quickly.
Logged
Avid Gamer | Goldfish Enthusiast | Canadian | Professional Layabout
Pages: 1 2 [3]