Our Aquaponics System...

[Seamaiden]

Oh man! You cannot tempt me with your plums like that, I grew up with a small orchard with plums, nectarines, peaches and apricots. <drool> I read you got a good bit of rain (and I watched it), while we've received hardly a drop. :(

@CelticEBE -- thank you for that clarification because I was *really* scratching my head over freshwater perils. Like... drowning, or mosquitoes? Pearls makes a lot more sense.

Alright, so I guess I'll need to take a bit closer look at this crawdaddy husbandry thing. I'd be thinking of something like landscaping fabric but the openings are too large. I can't use anything that will pierce the pond liner. Ideas?

 

[Bulldog11]

I am not sure what size or what your actually trying to accomplish. Sorry if I am way off with this, and it may be totally wrong, if so, my bad. However, a paint strainer bad from Home Depot? Like the ones people use for compost tea bags? Once again, sorry if I just made a stupid comment. Even though I have had fish most of my life, this system is over my head atm, and haven't had the time to fully understand everything you guys have going.

I have always wanted to start a system like this, and you guys are giving me inspiration for next season. Thanks for the thread.

 

[Seamaiden]

Hmmm... that's an idea, they make 5gal strainer bags, I have some here already. The question would be how to configure them. Hmmm... ok.

Wanna know what else I've considered? You know those collapsible laundry baskets, that are formed with some kind of.. I dunno, springy wire, and then it's like a mesh fabric around the sides? I already have one in the pond because I threw some lava rock in there, needed more homes for the nitrifiers. I've left it in there and assume animals are using it. I just haven't figured out how to make it a condo/containment system.

Once you get the mechanics of the system, you'll slap your forehead and say, "D'oh! Of course!" I know I have.

One thing for sure, I'm learning about a lot more plumbing options for large systems than I did working the trade. :)

In the meantime, another update. We've got CUKES! I wasn't ever going to grow cucumbers again due to their water requirements. Ain't no thang in a ponic system, right? I didn't label any of my veggie seeds because I figured I'd know what it was when it grew. I forgot that cucurbits all look the same when they sprout, so I didn't actually know which cucurbits I'd planted where, I just did it. I am fortunate in that it's the cukes that I put in the best place for trailing and so on.

Also, tomato variety seems to make a huge difference here. Our San Marzanos are putting on fruit like crazy, but my local heirloom Rainbow tomato is still making and dropping its flowers. I've got pollinators up the wazoo, so I know it's not that. I've got other fruits forming so deficiencies should not be a problem (but not one I'm ruling out). Others tell me it's the prolonged heat, but my neighbors have maters and like I said, our San Marzanos are putting on a lot of fruit. So, my conclusion at this time is that, much like cannabis, tomato varieties can be rather picky with regard to husbandry requirements.

I see a whole lotta canning in our future. And plum jam in yours!

 

[Blaze]

Have you guys been able to quantify the water usage compared to your conventional beds yet?

 

[Seamaiden]

We haven't sat down and figured it out, but given all the salad greens we're harvesting and how little water we're going through (topping up the system takes about 100gals, we're having to do that every 2-3 weeks with the current shifty shading we've got) my own guess is that it's much less than the 3-4x/day drip watering we were using before. I'll have to go back and find my old watering charts, but IIRC, between the fully loaded veggie beds we were going through about 30-50gals or so per day. I'll have to see if I can find those charts.

 

[Seamaiden]

I have my first three Cornu aspersum!!! I am SO excited. Best livestock to raise EVER. Super easy to wrangle, branding isn't a problem cuz you can just stamp their shells. No C. aspersum is ever going to run over me and crush me like a steer, they can't take me out at the knees like a pig, don't demand to be let out like chickens, are even easier to slaughter than a crawdaddy. Pure, delicious protein.

I am so stoked!!! :D

 

[rubthe nub]

So tasty too

 

[geologic]

I have my first three Cornu aspersum!!! I am SO excited. Best livestock to raise EVER. Super easy to wrangle, branding isn't a problem cuz you can just stamp their shells. No C. aspersum is ever going to run over me and crush me like a steer, they can't take me out at the knees like a pig, don't demand to be let out like chickens, are even easier to slaughter than a crawdaddy. Pure, delicious protein.

I am so stoked!!! :D

Yuck,
Howbout mussels--
Japanese ain't the only folks who grow freshwater pearls...

 

[Seamaiden]

Yuck,
Howbout mussels--
Japanese ain't the only folks who grow freshwater pearls...

Dave won't eat mussels, but he'll eat escargot. What's that tell ya? :p

I can't see mussels being easy to do in our scenario, I would imagine they need rather pristine water quality.

Le escargot will get their own containment system.

 

[geologic]

Dave won't eat mussels, but he'll eat escargot. What's that tell ya?

!!!???...

 

[Seamaiden]

He says mussels taste kind of muddy. I like 'em. I like pretty much all seafood. Is escargot seafood, since it's a mollusk?

 

[geologic]

Is escargot seafood,

Snail food...

 

[Seamaiden]

That is some sweet C. aspersum love right there. :cool:

 

[CelticEBE]

We got them suckers by the truckload up here Sea. You are more than welcome to take them from our veggie garden before we slay them.

 

[Seamaiden]

I'm tellin' ya, put 'em on cornmeal for 2 weeks, get a pot of boiling water going, drop 'em in it. Strain the flesh and the shells, saute the meat in butter/EVOO+garlic+S&P, drop that onto some toasts or into mushroom caps and ENJOY!

Free food, what could be better?

 

[geologic]

Feed 'em on basil--
for a few days before harvest...

 

[Seamaiden]

I call this one In the Light of Crayfish. No narration, just about 8.5 mins of groovy and fish. The bluegill crack me up, they really follow the camera around. "Hey! Whatcha doin'? HEY! HEY! Whatcha doin'?"

 

[pinegrovedave]

!!!???...

Yeah, I love raw oysters, clams, other shellfish...just don't dig on mussels.

 

[Seamaiden]

Yeah, I love raw oysters, clams, other shellfish...just don't dig on mussels.

Not to mention, you seem to have a particular fondness for bearded clams. If not lifelong, you definitely developed a taste! :D

 

[pinegrovedave]

:)