Aquariums

Lacehim

Great stuff. Love the turtle. They are so cute! SS, How are you cycling your new fish tank? Fishless or with a fish? If you use an ornament, or some gravel, or a bit of your filter, you'll speed up the cycling of your new tank heaps. Mine was done from scratch so it took 4 weeks to cycle. Hopefully I won't loose any fish that way. Fingers crossed, because the kids have named them all! lol

Ol_Grumpy

It takes things to another level altogether, but I've had quite an interest in Aquaponics for some time now. Aquaponics is a combination of both Hydraponics and Aquaculture. I grew up on a (Bio-Dynamic) Market Garden and am a country boy at heart. As a kid I worked on the farm and had kid made 'pens' in the crystal clear Little Yarra River where even as a kid I used to catch and 'fatten up' fresh water crays... "Blueys"... As opposed to the red claws we get up here. Anyway, Aquaculture is a symbiotic relationship between the growing of hydroponic vegetables and fresh water fish in a Permaculture relationship. I've read up on it and find the whole concept fascinating, but at this point in my life, too much work and kids still very busy with sporting pursuits have kept the whole project 'on the backburner' Perhaps, in retirement, we shall see.... Maybe I'll turn a little hippy and grow my own fish'n'chips to sell at some Farmers Market to the new Z Gen Latte Tottin' Yuppies...

shape_shifter

Lacehim wrote:

Great stuff. Love the turtle. They are so cute! SS, How are you cycling your new fish tank? Fishless or with a fish? If you use an ornament, or some gravel, or a bit of your filter, you'll speed up the cycling of your new tank heaps. Mine was done from scratch so it took 4 weeks to cycle. Hopefully I won't loose any fish that way. Fingers crossed, because the kids have named them all! lol

Lacehim both tanks are going to be joined up to the same filter and UV system. We'll leave it for a week or so as it is, I've put the Bio drop in. Then we'll hook up the new tank into the existing system and I'm going to put the large bristle nose in the new tank after that so we'll have one fish in there to start and really hope nothing happens to him, would be sad as he's one of the original fish we got. He should be ok though as everything else will be the same.

Lacehim

Ol Grumpy wrote:

It takes things to another level altogether, but I've had quite an interest in Aquaponics for some time now. Aquaponics is a combination of both Hydraponics and Aquaculture.

My neighbour has an hydroponics set up. It's actually pretty amazing, and he produces lots of quality herbs and veg. I've just set up a vege patch, but I'm seriously thinking a set up like his would be more productive. I'll have a chat with him about aquaponics to see if he's heard of it. He might be able to convert his system over.

Ol_Grumpy

In very simple terms, in Hydraponics a 'bought' and mixed nutrient liquid is fed to the plants... In Aquaponics, the nutrient for the veggies is mostly generated/supplied from the fish.... Which is then generally recycled back through the fish via the natural filter system... For the home gardener, who enjoys growing their own veggies, this opens opportunities to have a supply of chemical free fresh fish and veggies for the family and to trade... Silver Perch is a popular and easy fish to start with...

Lacehim

Thanks Ol Grumpy, I've actually been struggling with building a vege patch in my backyard for a few months. Sort of a lack of motivation and not really being happy with the plan in my head. I love being out there growing things, but I'm not so good with keeping the soil fertile, and things just don't seem to be happening. I've decided it should now be an aquaponics set up after googling and I've been very impressed by my neighbours hydroponics setup. A combinations of my new found love for keeping fish and gardening will suit my down to the group, and I reap the rewards in the kitchen. 🙂 I think before I jump head first into a big system, I'm going to build a little one with some goldfish or something and grow some herbs and see what happens. Have you thought about setting up a small test system Ol Grumpy?

Ol_Grumpy

Unfortunately, thinking about it is as far as I've got. I've thought for a while now this would be a great addition to a community garden. The diversity of knowlege and experience and the obvious diversity of produce, would be simply wonderful. There's a brand new community vegetable garden, just started, not far from me in Rochedale- unfortunately, it is just not possible for me- there's stuff going on that I don't wish to elaborate that prevents this, for a while anyway. Otoh, I think your idea of a small herb garden combined with a goldfish tank would be a fantastic way to start....

Lacehim

I totally understand, sometimes we have other commitments. I've been through a few years of that myself with my kids, but they are now nearing school age, and as the Minister for House and Home Affairs/Carer I suddenly find myself with some free time in the future. I don't know what to do with myself really, so I've been trying a few different hobbies that catch my interest because I don't want to go back being an employee or having the stress of being the bossman but putting a few $$ in the bank would help everyone out! lol. A small home business or flexible working hours would suit me down the ground. I'm definately going to set up a small herb garden test bed. And maybe the coriander will finally grow and not be eaten by the dam rats/possums/roadrunners/bushturkeys. My wife is very negative about the whole thing and thinks it appears high maintenance and hard to do, but from what I have read it's the exact opposite. Things grow faster, you get to eat the fish (not the goldfish though) and there is no weeding (a massive bonus in my book. I hate weeding!). Some convincing to do, so the test system might help the process. I have to say that most of the ones I've seen online are expensive, and hideous to look at. I think I'll be putting a little work into making it fit into the garden cosmetically as well.

Koffee_Kosmo

Hydroponics hmm I designed and installed a symple floating system for my mum in an old bathtub It was partly in the ground for stability by approx 200mm Finished for looks with rocks and it just looked like a raised water feature She has fish and visiting frogs ect swimming with only a submersible pump in the bottom to circulate and air rate the water For vegetable growing Just imagine a floating pontoon of plastic ( it was an old boogie board cut and shaped to fit inside the bathtub) with holes drilled out to allow a pot to snugly fit (I think I had 12 holes) I then got the growing medium and away she went She mainly grows lettuce and such like vegetables This same system can be used without fish for nutrients but the nutrient needs to be added KK

Ol_Grumpy

:chuckle, yes well it will be what you make it to be... Really, in nature you have a stream/pond/lake with fish in it.... Then on the sides of that watercourse you have vegetation and it is beautiful to behold. When that is Re-created with plastic tubs, plastic pipes, et al... Well yes it can get quite clinical and downright ugly, especially if cobbled together from bits and pieces salvaged from the scrapyard.... Like any new hobby, it's probably prudent and wise to 'dip one's toe in the water' before plunging head first in the deep end.... There is a 'critical mass' point that must be reached in terms of water volume, etc before the system becomes mostly self- sufficient. So in a smaller 'trial' system there is bound to be more input and supervision required in terms of feeding the fish or supplementing the Vegetable nutrient requirements... But I don't see this being any more difficult than the upkeep of a small/medium aquarium, which you are doing anyway? As to producing an income- I see that as being a giant leap in both Capital and proficiency and well, that's another story.... Yes, we'll it's one thing to grow your own veggies and share/trade with others. But to take that to an income producing business is going from house block to farm. Although, the whole middle ground is certainly filled with many people with an income producing hobby...

Ol_Grumpy

KK has posted while I was typing.... See- a simple bathtub and away you go.... I grew up in Melbourne, and in Primary School years grew up in Coburg and Brunswick. This area has (or did have then) the second highest concentration of Greeks outside Athens...( Yasou KK) ... Anyway, with the Greatest of respect, I will say the Greeks are the most enthusiastic backyard vegetable growers, on earth! They not only have Green thumbs, they have growing veggies in their blood, their DNA. They were doing this Aquaponics thing long before someone realised they could put a name on it and make a dollar out of it.... When I mentioned in a previous post I had dabbled with fresh water crays on the farm... I went to Coburg West Primary school mon- Fri, living with Mum. Weekends, school holidays, etc. I was on the farm in Yarra Junction- Cochrane's on Main Rd, bordering on the Little Yarra River- still there today as a Water Lily Farm. Anyway, it was my good friend Con Mitsinikos that got me interested in doing this, because his Nona had exactly the same setup KK talked about, in his backyard, way, way, back then.... 40+ years ago.... Sry, got a bit nostalgic there- fond memories........

Koffee_Kosmo

A video on DIY aquaplncs I found for a small tank like yours http://youtu.be/y41XVkx6-xg KK

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