...and then there was one.

well all the fish save one is dead. i tested the PH and ammonia again, no change. did a partial water change. removed anything metallic that was nearby. added some organic sea kelp fertilizer and a small quantity of sea salt.

i guess i'll just have to do a total water change and hold off buying any fish for a little while.

at least the plants are doing good.

7 fishes gone to heaven.

failure. 7 of the 12 tilapias have died. not sure why yet. majorly bummed.
there was definately enough aeration in the water. i suspect impurities in the water. possibly a brass hinge i used that i meant to swap out.
will do an 'autopsy' tommorrow and find out what i can. =(

update

figured out a way to make a nice system for resale. gonna keep it under my hat until i figure all the small details out.


for now, heres what the plants look like, they arent growing as fast as i like, but they arent dead yet. i got some bok choy, spinach, kale, and coriander sprouting from seed in some cheapo tiny plastic thing from kmart. its the one that you have discs of dried peat and you rehydrate and it grows into this fat planter thing.
of course, before i plant it, i'll shake the dirt or whatevers in there out.





found a small battery powered up with built in relay. see the plug? if it detects the power goes off, the pump automatically kicks in. its $16 on amazon.




glenn's autosyphon.

no luck so far

one fiberglass place called me back. they are not going to be able to make fiberglass nesting tanks at an affordable price.
*note: nice aquaponics kits are made in australlia by murray hallam but costs alot to ship to hawaii*
i might have to go with building my 300 gallon system out of a wood frame and pond lining or a huge horse watering trough.

havent found a local source for clear tarp yet either.

found some hydroton at the only hydroponics shop in hawaii, but its kind f expensive. 10 liters for $25? i guess in hydroponics they only use it for inside the little grow pot.

fiberglass?

contacted a few places, looking at having 300 gallon fiberglass marine-grade tanks and 100 gallon grow beds made...

when i first met glenn, he suggested that he needed consultants to do installations... are there people who would pay for an aquaponics kit and installation?

would you pay $1000 for a turn-key kit that all you needed to do was add water, fish, and plants? say it included a tank, a growbed, ac and dc pumps, relay, and the pipes and fittings, growbed material, 12v battery and we come over and install it for you?
hmmmmmmmm

testing the waters...

ph down! eggshells up!

stage 2: continued

boy those cheap pavillions are a pain. they look okay but its a bitch to assemble.

its day 2 and all the fish are still alive! i also found ammonia test and ph test kits at walmart, still need to find a chlorine test kit.


feeder comets and tilapias

stage 2

got my tilapia today. i think theyre blue tilapias, each measuring around 2". now my system can start the nitrate cycle and hopefully stabilize soon enough. I picked up a battery powered air pump at kalihi pets and went to visit glenn at olomana and got 10 tilapias for my barrelponic system. while there i got some duckweed and a dozen fresh eggs.
i also picked up a pavilion from (of all places) star market for $25. its constructed of several poles and a tarp with legs. it only comes in hunter green.

Its up!

Finally finished dechlorinating the water and i have a rudimentary system of 2 half barrels and 1 full barrel as the fish tank going. Soon I will build some kind of trellis over the system and build a more permanent table with another half barrel as a timer.

Backyard Aquaponics class notes

Random notes I scribbled down. I hope I remember what it all means =p

- Fish tastes like what you feed it.
- 1" fish per gallon
- Dechlorinate water with aeration for 3 days to remove chlorine.
- 1 gallon = 8 lbs
- Its easier to put the fish at the bottom and pump up to the filter/growbeds. In an event of a power outtage, all the water will not pump out.
- Before eating fish/prawns, tranfer to purging tank to clean
- Tilapia takes 10 months to reach 1lb, 18 months for 3 lbs.
- A plywood saw blade on a circular saw cuts thru plastic 55 gallon tanks.
- By law, you are now required to have a 4" air break - no reverse syphon if power goes out.

Preparing to start

Class was a blast! Pity I got there late, besides running late (damn you, costco) and traffic that started before the merge in Waimanalo, and almost-but-not-quite-accurate maps on iphone, I didnt get there til 1:40, missing a most of the introductory class.
Classes were only from 1pm to 2pm (introductory to Aquaponics) and 3-4:30 (Backyard Aquaponics) but I stayed there til 8:30 asking tons of questions. Glen Martinez was super-helpful and patient. He did not know how to hold back. He told us everything we needed to know on how to not only start our own aquaponics gardens, but about how profitable it was, and told us the tips and tricks he learned even after shelling out thousands on visiting different aquaponics set-ups and lectures in Hilo and in Australlia.

I am planning on setting up the barrels I got and getting up and running real soon!

.Stay tuned.

Aquaponics class today!

First class today!

http://www.olomanagardens.com/

do i even like tilapia?

hmmm... maybe i should see if i like tilapia...

Tilapia Scampi

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
8 cloves garlic halved
4 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted
dry
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C); prepare a baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine the butter, lemon juice, and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave in 10-second increments until the butter is completely melted and the garlic has softened, stirring between each session, about 1 minute total.
3. Arrange the tilapia in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; pour the butter mixture over the fillets assuring they are all evenly covered. Sprinkle the parsley over the tilapia.
4. Bake in the preheated oven, turning the fillets every 10 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 40 minutes total.


http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tilapia-Scampi/Detail.aspx