"Aquaponics at Home" Seminar Report

[GaryD]

The Aquaponics at Home Seminar was conducted at Northgate on Saturday 31st January.

The program featured Dr James Rakocy (Director, UVI Aquaponics Research Centre), Matt Herbert (Aquaponics P/L), Murray Hallam, Martin O'Dee and myself.

About 25 enthusiastic participants (some of whom had attended the earlier Commercial Aquaponics Short Course) enjoyed a program which included:

• Small Aquaponics System Design - Matt Herbert
• Plants and Fish suited to Aquaponics -Murray Hallam
• Microponics - The Integration of Fish, Plants and Micro-Livestock - Gary Donaldson
• The UVI Model - Dr James Rakocy
• Q&A Forum - All session presenters

Matt Herbert flew in from Mudgee NSW especially for the session and flew out about five hours later - that's dedication to the cause.

The Seminar followed the very successful Commercial Aquaponics Short Course. While the size of the venue limited the number of available seats, the upside was that those who attended had plenty of opportunity to interact with the presenters.

Once again, Martin O'Dee is to be congratulated for organising a Seminar which enhanced the attendees understanding of aquaponics and which represented excellent value for money.

For my own part, this whole week has been a great opportunity to learn and to contribute in equal measure. I made some valuable contacts and it will take me many hours of reflection to fully integrate the information and ideas that I got out of the program. It was excellent.


Gary Donaldson


Photo 1 - Dr James Rakocy at work
Photo 2 - Seminar participants

[ElfNori]

Gary, what are they calling "micro-stock"?

[GaryD]

Hi Nori,

Micro-livestock include those species that are suited to backyards or other small areas.

Currently, we keep chickens and Japanese quail for meat and eggs....but other backyard-suitable species include Muscovies and other ducks, meat rabbits, worms, Black Soldier Fly larvae and even snails.

Slightly larger spaces may be able to accommodate goats, micro-cattle (like Dexters) and several species of small pigs (like the Kunekune from New Zealand).

My use of the term relates to any species that can be integrated into a backyard (or similar small space) food production system.

Gary

[Castaway]

Hi Gary,
Thanks for the info. Can you tell us what essentially is "The UVI Model" as outlined for larger commercial systems? How does it differ from the smaller backyard systems? What was Dr James Rakocy like as a speaker?
Thanks

[Murray]

Castaway,
I will email you a little later on.

But essentially the UNI model uses floating rafts to grow the plants, not gravel grow beds as we do in Domestic systems.
The floating raft system that we have installed at Mildura, and shortly at another location can be seen below.

Fish waste (solids) must be well managed in such a system, which is fine for a commercial system, but generally a gravel media based system is better in domestic systems because of ease of management for the individual.

Having said that we are currently trialing our first "Floating Raft" domestic system kit which will soon be for sale. Once we are satisfied with the solid wast removal unit we have manufactured.

Plant growth is excellent in Floating Raft systems. Nutrient distribution is much more even in Floating Raft systems, together with greater stability in temperature and pH etc. There is more water in such a system per square M of growing area. That feature alone confers many benefits to such a system

Normally, "Floating Raft" systems are referred to as DWC meaning deep water culture.

See here for more photos of our Commercial products.

[Castaway]

Thanks Murray - Thats a very impressive system you've built there. Whats the word you use all the time that rings in my ears?"

"You need to invest in good infrastructure if want consistent reliable results!"

[GaryD]

Hi Castaway,

Thanks for the info. Can you tell us what essentially is "The UVI Model" as outlined for larger commercial systems? How does it differ from the smaller backyard systems? What was Dr James Rakocy like as a speaker?

The UVI aquaponics research facility is designed to function as a commercial unit. It is probably capable of higher stocking rates than a domestic system and the capital cost per cubic metre of water and per square metre of growing space would obviously be less than a domestic system.

He provided a drawing and specifications for a scaled-down version of the UVI system.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dr Rakocy's presentations. He shared his considerable experience readily and responded to the many questions that course attendees directed his way. The information that he provided should be sufficient to enable any aspiring commercial operator to build and operate a similar system to the UVI example.

He was generous in his treatment of other ideas and showed none of the preciousness that sometimes attends subject experts.

No-one in the world has a better track record in aquaponics and, in my view, Martin O'Dee couldn't have chosen a better keynote speaker.

Gary