Any one doing verma/aqua ponics?

[gettinaclue]

I did quite a lot of research on this idea and the big draw back for me was the amount of electricity that it would need. I was initially interested in this because of the great water conservation, but the electricity!! GAH!!!

I had initially decided on doing a 350 gallon tank with some catfish. Heating the water is an issue - and keeping it warm. I can use a solar powered pump to get the water from the fish tank to the top tank and drain it from there. No problem....but if I do invest all the money in equipment and getting fingerlings yada yada yada, have everything going,....then the power goes out in the winter then the fish will probably be done for if it was out for an extended period of time (which is rare, but has been known to happen).

I read and read and read, trying to get ideas but I just can't seem to find anything that is a truely self sufficient system. I really like the idea of using bell syphons and I can build a greenhouse from PVC and plastic - double layered to help keep in the warmth, but I don't know if it is feasible to keep this system up and going year round without a significant investment in ELECTRICITY.

Have you run across anything that would solve this problem? I would be incredibly interested to hear anything that anyone has to offer. I have posed this same question on aquaponics websites and no one seems to have an answer. SIGH.

 

[Kassaundra]

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I have the same issue using fish, where I live summers get near or over 100, and winters below freezing, and most of the fish traditionally used in these systems require EITHER warm or cool temps. If you don't intend to eat the fish (maybe a goldfish type would work) you could probably get away w/ an under ground fish tank (pond like) and a very hardy to your area fish.

If I do fish it will be a hardy gold fish or maybe something indiginous caught from a local pond, I only intend to use the fish as a food source for my chickens as my family doesn't like fish (only I do).

The bigger solution I think is vermiponics, not using the fish at all, just the worms, their temp requirements are much more liberal, and even if you have a mass kill off the eggs will over winter, and if you have to "reseed" it wouldn't be that expensive.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
From what I've read you only feed the worms food scraps in the grow beds if you are only using worms, no fish. If you have fish too their waste provides the worm food. I have also read even if you don't start out w/ worms on purpose in your grow beds if you do aquaponic (with fish) worms will come. From what I've read most if not all seasoned grow beds have worms by nature.

Very interesting! It makes sense. Really makes sense in relation to gettinaclue's story. The fish part seems to be the trickiest. Fortunately for me, I think I can do Tilapia here without too much energy output to heat the water (I'm thinking homemade solar heater) with water pumped through it. I found a cool site on a place in WI that was growing trout, so cold water wasn't a problem, but they have to heat the greenhouse in the winter. For electricity I'm thinking about using my camping set-up. I have a 40 watt solar panel and a couple deep-cell batteries linked to it with a small inverter. I think I could generate enough electricity to run the pump. I have enough sunny days to make it feasible.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Boy I'm slow. We were thinking the same thing Kassaundra. For anyone interested here's the link to the WI place I referred to earlier: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=13707&id=123540254350138

 

[Kassaundra]

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WoW

Makes my idea of a couple of walmart plastic bins in front of my east facing window in my spare bedroom look even more puney!!!!

That is truly amazing and something to aspire to.

 

[Kassaundra]

Well, I put all my found parts together today for my indoor jerry rigged version of vermiponics. Think I cut one to many corners on my pursuit of a good deal. I dug my own grow medium w/ my DH's help, there is to much sand in it, making the grow medium hold to much water and to muddy I think. DH has volenteered to sift the rocks for me while I'm at work.

So I'll try again later this week when I get home.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Post some pics when you get a chance!

What are you going to grow?

 

[centrarchid]

Kassaundra,

A large part of my research is conducted in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS's). A co-worker that works in hydroponics, mostly nutrient film technique (NFT) systems. We are working on setting up an aquaponic system based on both technologies. Folks we are working with in midwest also have temperature issue. Fishes to be tackled first are sunshine bass (cross between white and striped basses) in larger systems and bluegill for a smaller system. Fish production not first concern, they simply provide more or less continous flow of nutrients to plants without the inorganic caustic nutrients and exspensive dispensor systems. I have also worked some with tilapia and fixed media (vermiculite) aquaponic systems.

 

[Kassaundra]

Gallo, I will post some pics later this week or early next week, I work 24 hr shifts thur, and sat, so I may be to brain dead before early next week. The garden area is small and indoor, so I intend to grow mostly greens, lettuce, spinach, chard, I may attempt the small multi headding broccoli.

Centrachid, Sounds like you have a lot of experience. Right now I'm not adding fish for the mini system in the house over winter, if this works out and I can find an agreeable fish to OK hot and cold, may do fish in a bigger system outside. And when I say bigger, I just mean bigger then my little inside one. I have seen some amazing systems (online) and would love to aim for something like that, but that is more long term. $$$$$$

 

[Illia]

Gosh I wasn't even sure anyone here did Aquaponics or the sort. I thought about making a thread on it, but didn't yet.

We're not doing it yet, but we're in the process of purchasing water tanks, setting up big 'ol green houses, constructing growing beds, etc for Aquaponics for next year.

We're hoping to raise Tilapia to help grow our Tomatoes, Peppers, a couple fruit trees (crazy I know - A fruit tree in a green house in a grow bed) and whatever else doesn't do too well in our short growing season/acidic soil/lack of sun.