Attempt in Malaysia

[arthoz]

I've been busy with my study for the past few months but I believe I owe this website some info on my work. Thanks for all the help I've got all the forumers here...

I'm too busy right now but I'll try to elaborate later...

[Tomer]

Hi Arthoz
looks very nice.what type of fish are you growing? in the photo of the fish tank, what is the device sitting by the air pump? and do you add any nutrients to the plants?
keep up the good wor

[arthoz]

I put red tilapia, patin(I think it's called yellowtail catfish) and some koi. The device are just a filter and those pictures are about two or three month old. Right now I've added some biofilter and a few more hidden in the growbed, changed the pots with plastic baskets and added another polysterin tank next to it to cultivate my guppies and duckweed.

I use some wood ash and laterite stones for extra nutrient and shells and corals as filter which also as a source of calcium. Right now my rice seeds are germinating and maybe in a week or two I'll have it growing on my aquaponics system.

I'm rather embarrassed to show any recent pics because a recent monsoon storm had devastated my plants. My beloved tomatoes had broken and died and a few watercress pots was sent flying across the yard. Right now I'm in the process of replenishing my plants and healing what's left.

But I'm being very optimistic about it. There's a nice ecosystem developing there including some geckos and those wonderful and beautiful spiders, the species that don't build web but chases their prey. They are really colourful and rather tame, climbing up my arm and jumping here and there...

[Tomer]

Hi Arthoz
i'm sure you'll do fine. plants have the ability to replenish, you just need the patience...
how do you use the laterite? as a brick, or dust over the brow beds? i am looking for a suitable mineral additive also.
here it is very hot now, and having the system in a greenhouse was maybe not the best idea... but i keep ventilation, so i think ok.
my Tilapia are sick (streptococcus) but seem vibrant, eating well so i will keep them for now as my veggies grow.
why do you keep the mix of fish? for a purpose or just for enjoyment?
enjoy the spiders

[arthoz]

I was just starting out to use laterite but I don't know which is the best way to apply them. Laterite stones are complicated to choose and handle. While all of them might seem as hard as stones, some would soften and disintegrate when soaked in water. I put some in my filter, growbed and dropped a few inside the fishtank. The only side effect is that it makes the water a bit reddish depends on how much you put into the system.

The mix of fish was not my idea. My father thought that different kind of fish feed at different depth of water. Tilapia feed mostly on the surface and patin(yellowtail catfish) usually stays at the bottom and it was supposed that they feed on the sediment and help keeps the tank clean. The koi was just for fun but there's some difference between the koi in my system and in the aquarium. The koi in my system looked vibrant and have a more beautiful and shiny scales...or maybe it was a trick of light...

But most of all the mix of fish perhaps represent our culture because I've seen other aquaponics hobbyist in Malaysia that did the same thing. We find it enjoyable to see a myriad of fish swimming in the tank like a miniature copy of lakes and rivers especially when we live in the city far away from the beautiful jungle...oh forgot to tell that I use a pump that also acts as a blower and place it it a way that it makes the water swirl in a circle. It's nice to see those fishes swimming against the current...