First up after a long delay I have an update (number 8 in the series) on my new aquaponics build.
Not a ton of progress since the last update but we do have a ton of growth. We also have a new manifold we will be using in all future builds thanks to Nick Ferguson at http://www.homegrownliberty.com/ on this.
Now that we have the plumbing planned to avoid having to cross the pipes in shallow soil, progress should speed up.
Despite a few members currently being on the pikers list (you know who you are) I have a shortage of expert council questions. Right now I only have three in the can for Friday, not enough for a full show. Please send your questions to me at jack at thesurvivalpodcast dot com with TSPC Expert in the subject line.
To get more information on our Expert Council visit our “Meet the Expert Council Page” to learn more about them and their specific areas of expertise.
This is our core system with a heart of two 330 gallon recycled IBCs, running 2 ebb and flow beds, 8 soil based beds and one deep water bed.
This system could be expanded to have dozens and dozens more wicking beds. Still running on a single pump.
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This system is far more an aquatic system with aquaponic elements unlike the first system. Still it shows what can be done with only one small energy input. This system could expand almost infinitely with wicking beds.
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The third system is built on the timber frame pond concept we developed last year. This system is growing a ton on thing on shelves in the pond, it is also running 3 wicking beds and one ebb and flow bed.
Today’s episode covers a few updates like progress on microgreens, lowering the grow lights a bit and moving fish indoors. Mostly though it is a Q&A edition.
I answer the following questions today…
How is the height set by the bell siphon, does anything change when you add media?
What is my water height vs. my media height in my systems?
If you wanted one pump and lots of room to expand I would go with this pump, I have this running in one of my systems, I love this pump. http://amzn.to/2CiOI2z
Dirty water pump I use in larger systems, warning this must go in a bucket or exclusion bag or you will chop up fish with it. http://amzn.to/2llHvXu
Note that in this video I specifically say that this is not how I normally do this. In general practice I simply take any viable cores as they become available and add them to ebb and flow beds to regrow them. To expedite this project and give some interest to the project I went out and picked up a bunch of stuff that works for this type of thing.
Also while three of these came out in three days it will likely be about a week before it is time to do another one, so enjoy these for now. Again you can follow the entire playlist at http://bit.ly/indooraqua
Comments Off on Planting Out Aquaponics Beds with Grocery Store Produce
So this weekend I set up my planned indoor aquaponics system. The truth is all I really needed to do was set up a 100 gallon tank and one small ebb and flow bed this year to grow tilapia fry until spring and get a jump start on growing them. However always wanting to give you more, I have turned this into an educational project.
I am using a 300 gallon rubber maid stock tank, along with rafting, a 50 gallon ebb and flow and a small wicking bed inside one of my out buildings. Setting up a lighting array and heating the water with 300 watt aquarium heaters. Each spring we will drain this tank and move all starts to our main systems. We can also starting next year over winter aquatic vegetation such as salvania or duckweed with it.
This really isn’t to show you how to do this indoors just how to set up a system and get it producing fast. Using the components in this system you literally have a roll your own kit by visiting Lowes and Tractor supply. As this project evolves I expect many aquaponics hold outs will realize how easy this is, how well it works, and will finally take the plunge. You can track the entire playlist at http://bit.ly/indooraqua and below are the first two videos.
I plan to go to the “winter time plant store” later today and film episode three soon. So what is the winter time plant store, oh you call that the grocery store and no, I am not kidding.
First up is this 20 minute property walk explaining our new plant starting system, new timber frame pond and wicking bed installs, indoor aquaponics, grow bucket system, updates on the bantam hens and more. Here are links to the items featured in this video as well
Next up is a video I made to better explain the second segment of the video above. It is best to at least watch that segment first to better understand it if you haven’t already done so.
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Next up is a video of me but not on my channel. Justin Rhode brought his 50 state permaculture bus tour to Nine Mile Farm to learn about my duck operation. I have to say he did a fantastic job with this 16 minute mini documentary.
The Timber Frame Pond – AKA “Miyagi Pond” is the Nine Mile Farm Home Run of 2017
Here are Nine Mile Farm we have pretty much settled into our selected systems on a lot of things at this point almost 5 years into the journey. Our ducks run on a clock work like system, feeding, paddock shifting, egg collection, etc are all quite fine tuned at this point.
The trees require very little maintenance and most of our desired infrastructure is now installed. Still we are constantly trying and testing out new things. This year we have found some really great gems of knowledge and we have also come up with some quite refined plans for our future.
A lot of the new stuff is going to be built in winter, because here in north Texas that is the most pleasant time of year for construction work and out door projects. Today I am going to do an old school sort of “chat with Jack” episode on what has worked well this year and where we are taking that knowledge to in the future.
Join Me Today to Discuss….
The aviary and aquaponics system has become a great asset in need of tweaking
The timber frame pond (Miyagi) is the most trouble free aquatic system I’ve built
Thai water spinach is an amazing and delicious plant
Peppers do fantastic at 60% shade here in Texas anyway
Tomato blight continues to be the bane of my existence
Elevated ponds and gardens are the way forward due to the ducks
Our in ground pond is pretty much a disaster, we may have to nuke it
Bluegill and other sunfish are about the most trouble free and economically viable protein here in Texas
Bullheads do not seem to be a good aquaponics option
A Steven Harris Battery Bank and a cooler make a great live well
Plans for this winter
Build a bigger, better Miyagi
Grow out koi for the Miyagi’s
Develop a large wicking bed system that is 100% duck proof
Design a planting plan for the new and old systems
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.
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Today we take a look at the timber frame pond about 3 weeks into it being filled. The biology is doing very well, despite some surface algae the water is clear enough to see the fish and the bottom (about 3.5 feet deep).
This is something I am delving more and more into as time goes on because the return on energy input is so effective. I am working a great deal now with native fish species and I think this is truly the way forward for such things.
Sure you can break your neck trying to breed tilapia, once you get it right you have 6-7 months to grow them out and either they die in the cold or you have to provide heat to keep them alive.
When we look at using local species we can collect them for almost no cost, adapt them quickly to systems or small ponds and simply grow them out to harvest size. I am also not separating aquaponics from aquaculture today because in reality aquaponics is a form of aquaculture the two disciplines have some differences but in the end both can produce fish or shellfish for our consumption.
Join Me Today to Discuss…
Why grow fish in the first place
Why grow local fish over faster growing exotics like tilapia
Why tilapia still have their place
Why I feel wicking beds are the ultimate tool to combine with all forms of aquatics
Ebb and flow beds are useful in any system for filtration
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.
Join the MSB Today
Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.
