Bigdaddy's DIY

[bigdaddy]

Hi folks,

Here are some of my photos of my Diy built in mid Jan.

The middle photo looks like the bed is curved in actual fact it is quite flat.

These photos are about 4 weeks old now.

Cheers.

[bigdaddy]

Hi folks just a quick update on the progress of my veges,

I got back from holidays and the broccoli and bok choy were attacked by those lovely caterpillars even though I hit them with the dipel before leaving then I completely wiped them out trimming up the above tree and letting the wet ends of the branches get to my veges.

Oh well will go and get some more seedlings later and plant to even up the system before removing the destroyed veges,pretty well summed up my day actually.

Cheers.

[bigdaddy]

Here are some more photos, measured a barra today 230mm and looking good.

The two valves are what I put on the system originally and operated with a float switch attached to a pump have partly installed an auto siphon but am still relying on the float switch to operate and turn the pump off For now, until I can get some more fittings the hybrid will have to do the pump is pumping and filling the grow bed to within about 25mm of the top of the media for three minutes every 35 minutes and is sort of working OK.

Cheers.

[bigdaddy]

Hi folks,

Time for a post on the barra system,

We have been growing and eating spinach for a couple of months now,a couple of nights ago I harvested our first broccoli,I think I left it about a week to late but we already had heaps of veges in the fridge to devour.It was just before it started to go to seed.Tasted yummy a bit of a cross between baby broccoli and normal broccoli.I didn't tell the family I harvested it and they thought it was from the fruit and vege shop.I asked them all what they thought about it and all agreed it was nice and I then told them it was from our garden grown from fish pooh! I promptly got a chorus of oooh Daad,I laughed and said it was from our vege patch,and the fish helped to grow it,they all liked it.I liked it but I agree with my daughter who said she could not taste to much difference,and I said but the good thing is you know no harmful things have been sprayed or whatevered to it.They all agreed.


Cheers.

[DaveOponic]

Hi BD, can't see your photos......

[bigdaddy]

Sorry Dave,

I'll flick through my phone and/or computer and try and down load them again,thanks for telling me,didn't notice that.
Probably early next week.

Cheers.

[bigdaddy]

Hi folks,

I don't know what happened to some photos I had,but here are some to of my barra system at first,and a couple photo's of my baara during the journey so far.One photo is at abou 220 mm and the last photo does not look like it,but he is about 270mm it's just that he was jumping around so I quickly took a photo and put him back.

The first 3 photos are some of my system at first the grow bed is up to the left.Now I have effectively split the system in halves One 500 litre tank and 1 200 litre tank are on the opposite side of my property feeding a seperate grow bed,which is my trout system.

Caught a trout day before yesterday and measured him 220mm,not bad,in 2 months or so,from 100-125mm.

I'll post some photos of my systems as they are now a bit later on.

Cheers.

[GaryD]

Hi BD,

Things are going well.....and your system is a great example of what can be achieved using relatively low cost off-the-shelf components. I've wanted to do a demonstration set up using those tanks for some time.

You'll need to give the trout a bit of a hurry up.......I figure that you're only looking at a couple of more months before water temperatures become an issue for trout.

By contrast, those barramundi will start to take off at about the same time as you have to harvest your trout......so you'll be eating them by the end of summer.

[DaveOponic]

Looks good BD. Trout and Barra? Seems an odd combo. I would have to cool the water here in Borneo to grow trout. My Barra (all 8 of them) are reaching plate size.That's about 7 months from fry. Plan to buy some advanced Barra next time and avoid losing so many to cannibalism.

By the way, what are the garbage bins for in the 3rd photo?

[bigdaddy]

Hi Dave,

Yes everything is odd with my aquaponics timing,I originally started my system in January and was in a dilemma when it came time to put some fish in.Jades were the choice I would of liked to start with,but they have about a 12 month grow out,and would mean heating in the winter but the real thing that stopped me getting Jades was the availability for me,silvers were probably about 18 months - two years which meant I had to think about keeping the system cool for 2 seasons,so I found Barra had probably 7 month grow out like you say,and they were the ideal fish to have in our long hot dry summers here,often over 40,and a few last summer over 45 in the shade!,The problem I had was heating in the winter.I did some more research and found trout had similar if not slightly quicker grow out times but the other way around cooling the water was the concern there,so I decided to give the barra a try through this winter only and hopefully having them big enough to eat a Christmas,then when September/October rolls around,get some more 100 mm fingerlings,no smaller,and try growing them for 6 months and starting the trout about March next year,so I'll in theory have 6months barra with a small amount of heating at the beginning and end of the seasons and trout for 6 months with nothing.I have built a separate trout system to the barra system and it is maturing nicely so the water temp is not an issue,so long as my heaters hold out for this winter for the barra.They are doing very well indeed,I'm most impressed with them,they are getting a full workout this winter..Those two smaller containers 200 litres each,all joined at the top and bottom.the first one I was using as a sump to try and keep the level in the 500 litre fish tanks constant.I agree,I got my fingerlings at no smaller than 100 mm and have not had any trouble with them eating each other... although when they were younger,I did see them skirmish,every now and then,but not to the death.Now they all just get on with each other.so I reckon don't buy any fingerlings smaller than 100 mm and you should be right.

Hi Gary,

Yes I was probably 2 months too late finishing my trout system,so probably in 4-6 weeks max time,I'll be harvesting the trout,so this time it will be small fish for a while.By the end of September / beginning of October I want to get another 40 100 mm fingerlings and set up the system the way I originally had it,using the trout fish tank and connecting the barra and trout growbeds somehow,so I can have my timing right to grow barra for the summer 6 months and the trout for the winter six months.Yes those drums are just fine for fish tanks,some people have also used them for sumps in Chop systems.The lowest cost I've seen them was $59ea and average about $99 ea,It saves lashing out and spending lots of money when you don't even know if you will be doing it in a years time.As it turned out I'm still loving it and plan to do this for quite a while longer than that,but I guess you don't know at first,do you?

The other costs were my pond liners for grow beds and media,followed by all the other associated equipment.

Thanks folks for your encouragement.

BTW Gary,when you lived in SA where did you live?

Cheers.

[GaryD]

Hi BD,

I was born in Adelaide and commenced micro-farming in the Virginia/Two Wells area in the late 1970's. I lived in several Mid North towns prior to moving to Queensland about 12 years ago.

Gary

[bigdaddy]

Hi Gary,

Virginia would of been out in the sticks in the 70's wouldn't it? It's getting closer to the metro now.We've had a bit of a surge over the last 5 years.But interestingly Adelaide and Brisbane probably in the 70's were about the same population,and now Brisbane is the Third most populous city in Australia.

I bet you don't miss our winter's here,13 degrees today,bit cool for the first day of spring I reckon... or does spring start on the 23 rd of this month?Just to throw open a bit of controversy and conversation.

Cheers.

[GaryD]

Hi BD,


Virginia would of been out in the sticks in the 70's wouldn't it?
Yes, it was a market gardening area.......and the Australian headquarters for the marijuana growing industry.

It was cool in the winters but the summers were horrible. We used to get hot north winds that would blow day and night for weeks .....to the point where the air conditioner would be totally flogged.

I first came to Brisbane in 1969 on a "showing the flag" trip on the old HMAS Anzac. It was, as you say, about the same size as Adelaide ......and it has kicked on a lot since then.

Gary

[bigdaddy]

Any one for spinach? no? what about silver beet?

Picture 1. My trout grow bed veges are exploding.Silver beet peas.snow peas and a plethora of others I cant readily remember.

Picture 2. My barra system spinach with a chunk taken out of it for last nights dinner.And you can see my strawberry getting ready for it's summer crop.Just for reference each one of those slate sleepers at the back are 200 mm high.

Picture 3. Spinach and broccoli in the barra system.

Tulips are finished will remove them ready to plant some trial Chai,and summer crop,tomatoes, cue's watermelon,rockmelon, strawberries and a few others.

Hmmm..... I must do the lawns or I'll be in trouble

Cheers.

[GaryD]

Hi BD,

Your plants are looking great.

Silver beet is one of my favourite plants......as food for me and for my micro-livestock.......and it grows so well.

Gary

[grassroots]

Hi Bigdaddy what min and max temperature do you keep your barra at?
I am considering having barra, my worry is that it won't be warm enough in winter. My tank got down to 17 degrees this winter. Any advice?
What is the advantage of having 2 separate systems?
Thanks

[bigdaddy]

Hi Grassroots,

I first started aquaponics in January my dilemma was what fish should I put into my system to tolerate the warm water?my system was 1000 litres then.In Adelaide we had a record heat wave and the whole of summer was very hot 46 C one day and over 40 C for a week,over 38 C for 2 weeks

I settled on barra because it was a fast growing fish and could tolerate the warm water. I was prepared to give it a go heating the water over winter or if it got too hard, harvest them.

When thinking about it I thought I would buy 2 300 watt Draegers and heat only 500 litres that way I should be able to keep suitable heat in the water over winter,so far ,it has been good and through a couple of other methods like turning the grow bed off at night with the aerators running full time,on the real windy and cold nights,I think we have made it (I hope).the system went down to a minimum of 18-20 but this is very much on the edge IMO,the barra are slow,sometimes they eat,sometimes they don't, at that temp.

It is costly but as a once off I will cop that on the chin.

I then found for me trout would be a good winter fish to keep so I decided to try 20(now 18) 2 jumped out.because they have a good grow time as well.so that is why I have a seperate system,so when the barra system gets up over 24 the trout wont die as they love cold water 24- 26 is on the edge of fatal for them I'm told.

Now I am getting my timing right so I can have 6 months trout in the winter and 6 months barra in the summer that way I should lower the heating costs substantially.This week I will be harvesting my trout,putting the systems back together and buying 40 100mm barra fingerlings for summer and at Christmas I will be have some barra on the barby. Whaa whoo.

One thing I will say, the water quality must be spot on AND there must be plenty of aeration for both the barra and trout.

So to answer your question,I think you should have some heating so when your tanks get down to 17 your barra won't die.IMO 17 C is too low for barra.Try to keep your tanks at 20 and over but really, you keep them at 26 and over.

At 26 and over your barra should eat and grow well providing you keep the water pristine and give them plenty of air,below that they slow down and don't grow.

One other thing am doing is I will not buy fingerlings under 100 mm.That way I won't be heartbroken due the barramundi's cannibalism habits,they tend to grow out of it over 100mm.

I think barramundi are such a magnificent fish.

Hope that long winded post helps.

Cheers.

[GaryD]

Hi BD,

Your post points to the ideal fish production scenario in my view.......growing warm water fish in the hotter months and growing trout in the winter.

In the six months (roughly speaking) that you have for either trout or barramundi, you should be able to achieve a good size if you can pump the feed into them when the weather conditions are optimum.

Of course, your system needs to be set up to handle the rate of feeding that will produce good growth and (as you've observed) both species like clean, well-oxygenated water......so mechanical filtration is a very good idea.

Gary

[grassroots]

Thanks bigdaddy, the information you've given is invaluable, I'll wait untill I have a indoor setup and see if I can keep the temps above 20 degrees, over winter.

[bigdaddy]

Hi everyone,

I went down and purchased 40 100mm barra fingerlings today.I can't help it I'm as excited as a boy in a lolly shop...again...still...

I took some water tests of the water supplied when I got home they are as follows:

Water temp 26 C
pH 7.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0

Fish tank temp 25 C
pH 6.6
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 30

Floated the bag in my washing basket for 1 hour added a battery operated air pump with air stone attached,took both my 300 watt heaters and put them into the washing basket as well.

I was a little concerned about the pH difference,so I added 3 litres of fish tank water every 1/2 hour for the next hour to the bag and let my babies out and into the wash basket.they stayed relatively still for about an hour but were fine now they are behaving as I would expect,I did throw a couple of pellets in with them tonight and they fed straight away the tank temp is now at 28 C,I would expect it to drop to about 22 tonight but too bad that is the way they are going to have to live at my place.They are all doing well, so far,I expect the water chemistry to be all over the place tomorrow and the ammonia to spike in the next day or two and drop rapidly,we'll wait and see now.

Cheers.

[GaryD]

Hi BD,

Getting new fish is always an exciting time.

I still get a buzz every time a new shipment arrives.

If you can get the feed into this lot (and that depends entirely on your ability to manage water quality), you will be eating some beautiful fish by the end of summer.

Gary

[bigdaddy]

Hi Everyone

I aim to eat my current 20 300mm barra (teen agers) at Christmas I just fancy some barra on the barbie for some reason.Looking forward to that.by that time my 40 babies will be toddlers,so taking the big fish away will help with the filtration,I hope.

By the end of summer, like you say,Gary, we should be eating some very nice fish,I will harvest them then and then it will be on to the trout for winter.Well, that's the theory anyhow.

The biofilter and other filtration are working very well it seems. Did a full battery of tests this afternoon.

Fish Tank temp 25.8
pH 6.6
Ammonia .25 down from this morning.
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 30

Cheers.

[Crusty]

Hi Everyone
Fish Tank temp 25.8
pH 6.6
Ammonia .25 down from this morning.
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 30

What is your alkalinity Bigdaddy?

[bigdaddy]

Hi Crusty,

the Total Alkalinity is 30-40.

Cheers.

[Crusty]

Very nice mate. Pop it up a little to 80 with something like potassium hydroxide or some other hydroxide. A bicarbonate will do but there are not many that are suitable to plants. Just the same you will need to deal with that alkalinity shortly (bring it up).

It may be an odd question, but how much are you feeding per day?