Aquaponics

[politicalcenter]

Quote:
I don't really have an AP. system just ponds (tanks) for fish. For my fall garden I am going to plant my broccoli and collards in an old area we raised pigs about a year or so back. The soil there is real good and I will use the water from my fish ponds to water the plants. When I vacuum the bottom of the ponds I will use that water for the plants. Next year I may build raised beds near the ponds and grow in dirt rather than an AP. system. I have a greenhouse frame about 20x 50 ft. and I raise pigs in it. I tried a greenhouse here in Alabama and it is just too expensive to run. I thought about in 26 ways to Sunday and even considered raising rabbits for heat. But the real problem was cooling. Even in mid-winter it got really hot with no humidity. I do better on a shaded porch or outside under a shade cloth. We can plant outside every month of the year and summer is the hardest on plants it seems. A swamp cooler works but it takes water and electricity....and then come the bugs. My dream was to have pigs, cows, chickens, and fish. My land is so poor it won't support cows well but it does real well with goats. So I raise pigs, chickens, fish, and goats...and of course my garden. I raise red worms but no other fish food. And I use them mostly for fishing. They raise a lot of catfish down here and I can get catfish food pretty cheap. I also throw some "tuffy minnows" in the ponds now and then and they seem to reproduce well. They will be the only winter feed for the fish.

 

[lazy gardener]

When you plant those collards and broccoli, you better be standing back, and use a very long stick to poke those seeds or seedlings into the ground. Those plants will explode out of the ground, and just might knock you off your feet with that soil and watering regimen!

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
You should be able to raise a ton of red wigglers with pig manure.

 

[politicalcenter]

When you plant those collards and broccoli, you better be standing back, and use a very long stick to poke those seeds or seedlings into the ground. Those plants will explode out of the ground, and just might knock you off your feet with that soil and watering regimen!

I had it planted one year with syrup sorghum and it went crazy! I didn't have fish ponds then.

I still have to fence it off to keep the goats out.

 

[politicalcenter]

You should be able to raise a ton of red wigglers with pig manure.

Maybe...but I have been using cow manure. Dry of course!

I used some manure from the pig pen and planted gladiolas and they did well. I will probably use it for raised beds. If you fill the beds in the fall by spring it is sweet smelling dirt.

But it may take longer in a cooler climate.

When you plant those collards and broccoli, you better be standing back, and use a very long stick to poke those seeds or seedlings into the ground. Those plants will explode out of the ground, and just might knock you off your feet with that soil and watering regimen!

Thanks... I sure hope so. But this is Alabama and we get all kinds of problems with the soil. It also wears out quickly. And those stinking fire ants...be grateful you don't have them in Maine.

Everything that sits on the ground gets them...plastic, wood, cement, potted plants...everything. That is probably why aquaponics is becoming more popular.

Fire ants don't drown either. I have found them in my fish ponds...carried in on plants.

Sorry...I just hate those freaking ants.

 

[RichnSteph]

Ran into a snag this morning as I was checking the flow from our pump. I noticed that the output into the beds was greatly diminished so I pulled the little screen of the pump and checked it. Nothing in there to indicate a blockage. I then ran the pump with just the vertical piping connected and it pumped very well. I'm thinking there is a blockage of some sort in the long pipes themselves probably due to over feeding the fish, I've seen the tank get more "icky" if we accidently feed too much a couple of days in a row. I'm hoping the plants survive long enough today that I can get home and blow some air through the piping to clean it out. I'd hate to shock them and lose all the blooms we're finally seeing on the tomato plants.



/fingers crossed

 

[RichnSteph]

Thanks... I sure hope so. But this is Alabama and we get all kinds of problems with the soil. It also wears out quickly. And those stinking fire ants...be grateful you don't have them in Maine.

Everything that sits on the ground gets them...plastic, wood, cement, potted plants...everything. That is probably why aquaponics is becoming more popular.

Fire ants don't drown either. I have found them in my fish ponds...carried in on plants.

Sorry...I just hate those freaking ants.

I feel your pain with those things. We don't have them near as bad down here since our soil is 99.99% sand and very acidic but they have found that they can nest in the topsoil that we put down for our yard and you can't see the darn things until you step into a pile of them. We have them in our compost bin as well and occasionally in our worm bin.

I hate them.

 

[lazy gardener]

In Guatemala, you couldn't stand still for very long without having little red ants climbing up your legs. They packed quite a bite, but don't think they were fire ants. They were EVERY where. One night, I found a nest of them IN MY BED! My DIL opened up her journal after we got on the plane to head home, and they came pouring out of the binding of her journal. We joked that she was going to get detained by customs for bringing livestock into the country!

 

[politicalcenter]

Ran into a snag this morning as I was checking the flow from our pump. I noticed that the output into the beds was greatly diminished so I pulled the little screen of the pump and checked it. Nothing in there to indicate a blockage. I then ran the pump with just the vertical piping connected and it pumped very well. I'm thinking there is a blockage of some sort in the long pipes themselves probably due to over feeding the fish, I've seen the tank get more "icky" if we accidently feed too much a couple of days in a row. I'm hoping the plants survive long enough today that I can get home and blow some air through the piping to clean it out. I'd hate to shock them and lose all the blooms we're finally seeing on the tomato plants.



/fingers crossed

Good luck...I would just imagine if the plants aren't wilted in the morning they should be okay. But I am sure you know more about it than I do.

I usually throw a little food on the top of the water and wait for the water to churn. If it doesn't I don't throw any more out. I have noticed with this heat...above 100 heat index. The fish will only eat in the mornings just after dark. And now I have to keep the pumps running 24/7.

 

[RichnSteph]

Good luck...I would just imagine if the plants aren't wilted in the morning they should be okay. But I am sure you know more about it than I do.

I usually throw a little food on the top of the water and wait for the water to churn. If it doesn't I don't throw any more out. I have noticed with this heat...above 100 heat index. The fish will only eat in the mornings just after dark. And now I have to keep the pumps running 24/7.

Yeah I wouldn't say I know much about anything when it comes to AP gardening, this being my first attempt and all that.

We were lucky in that the pump was putting out enough to keep the plants happy until I was able to clean the lines out. It wasn't moss or anything icky in there, the pipes were clogged with masses of roots. No idea why they were growing in there. Much better flow now.

I've changed my feeding regimen to one light feeding in the morning before the sun comes up and another in the evening after dark. I only put out enough that it's all eaten within a few minutes. If there is any left over I'll cut back on the next feeding.

I run my pump 24/7 also now. I had one on a timer but it wasn't getting the job done.


RichnSteph