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pistolknight
1st May 2008, 08:02 PM
Hi guys, I am new to the forum and just starting up (easter weekend just gone), I am into Marron at the moment, but the sky's the limit once you get hooked, I have done heaps of homework on the subject and was surprised on how many secret backyard setups I have just here in Narrogin, please share your Marron growing experiences, and I will be glad to pass on what I have learnt so far, I have a small tank and am putting in a raised mesh floor to allow juvenlies to fall away from adults, the plan has grown and I have decided to put terracotta tiles on top of mesh and build hides on tiles, have a 1000lt per hour fountain pump, so far project has cost $95-00 for pump, plus a Carton of TED's for the Tank

THE TANK IS UP & RUNNING
Click Here to view Pictures (http://members.dodo.com.au/pnock/project.htm), page maybe a tad slow loading, most pics are self explanatory I suppose except THIS ONE (http://members.dodo.com.au/pnock/photogallery/tank/male.jpg) taken from open end of tank, in here I will block off the gaps between bricks and transfer the males into here after mating, because males being males, all they want to do is mate so males have to be separated until babies hatch, after the females drop, I will put males back up top and open up gaps, place a floating hide in the ex male pit, plus all the other hides under the mesh should work well, what do yous all think so far????
my plan is to get marron established before tackling the veggie growing,

The Finishing Touches
Finally put my filter together and filled tank, switched on and IT WORKED, the filter had me a bit worried, but i think it will work out now.
And isn't the fountain Cute? But will give good aeration, what do you think?
My Biggest fear was the filter idea, but after 3 hours pond is heaps clearer, so must be doing the job
Well few more small jobs, then BEER O'CLOCK
Total Cost was less than $200

The Grand Plan
The Idea is designed to make 2 tanks out of 1, as this is my first attempt I am going to establish the Marron before I go full veggie growing. I have enough room up top for 9 females and 3 males, after mating the males will be separated (as per above), as there is a good market down here I intend to sell off the bulk of the juveniles and grow left overs down the bottom section, will rotate top Marron to the boiling pot and transfer stock from bottom to the top, and boil what ever is left down the bottom, it is just keeping them happy enough to keep them growing, if they get the sads, they won't breed or grow, and should soon have a second tank (another carton of TED's) this may be fish only as better for the veggies but will still have both tanks connected some how.
If this plan fails, well will have to be Plan "B", have NFI what plan "B" is yet, so hope I don't have to use it.
Since writting this story I have added 25 freshwater mussels, a breed that live in still water Velesunio ambiguous, they have really cleaned things up in less than a week and would recommend, got them from NSW, a WA aquaponic forum I belong to also has members that have recently tried them, and like me are equally impressed

Murray
1st May 2008, 10:36 PM
Welcome..... Excellent , very interesting post......

pistolknight
25th May 2008, 03:18 PM
Well we have added some veggies, I haven't gone with grow beds but have hung pots from the side of my tank, and also have a floating bed with strawberry's, I have built a larger filter but still have the filter in tank, in the photo's the larger plant is a Brussel sprout transplanted from Veggie garden a week ago to see if idea worked, all others are cauliflowers planted yesterday, my medium is around 2/3rd pot of small blue metal topped with Aquatic Plant Mix by Richgro, when I finish all the other jobs I am supposed to be doing, I may build some grow beds, but if this plan works out I may just expand on it, starting to get a bit cold here to try to many plants, so will wait til spring to test further, will post growth progress pics later, in the photo's attached you can see my new bigger filter below the fountain

pistolknight
1st June 2008, 12:43 PM
Have discovered that my tank holds 2400lt instead of the 1000lt I was told, should have done the simple maths first up:eek: but my 1200lph pump is only half of what I need so today will put in a 4800lph pump, over kill yes but have bought bigger pump for next years 4500lt tank.
Wife also wants a small system now, this is actually a good thing as she can't complain on how much time I spend on my system. We are off to salvage yard to pick up a large bathtub and I have scored a solar powered 180lph pump on ebay. Pump also has battery power that lasts a couple of hours and can be set to turn on any time of night, I will run pump all day and then have it come on again about midnight til batteries run out. She is going with goldies a couple of blue marron, and I might sell her 10 mussels http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif I think she wants to grow a couple of kiwi fruit plants in it. Hope to the pump and mussels keep it clean enough, but these things have to be tried. When sun comes out I am off to dig the whole (her system and I dig http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_question.gif what happened to equal rights)

Murray
1st June 2008, 03:37 PM
her system and I dig http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_question.gif what happened to equal rights)

Funny thing that. When I first started I was always in trouble for spending money on Aquaponics, but now, if there are no lettuce or whatever when "she" wants them, I am in trouble for not putting in more effort.

Good idea on the bigger pump. The added capacity will never be wasted.