http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/
Basically, as I understand it,
1. The fish eat and poop in the bottom chamber (very scientific I know!)
2. The water is pumped up to the upper growing chamber using a pump from a fish tank (very negligible energy use). Ours is set up to pump a cycle 15 min on 45 min off
3. The (nitrogen and nutrient rich) poop water drains through the growing media and plants to a center drain protected by a "bell syphon" system
4. The syphon the drains the water ( now filtered by plants and media) back to the fish below.
Happy plants, happy fish
Here is a pic of some of the syphon parts the awesome hubster used
As I am typing this I can hear the system cycle. Like a waterfall ...very ZEN
Back to our aquaponics journey. My husband, maker of awesomeness, found a tilapia supplier in the Austin area https://www.facebook.com/thirdcoastsupplies. 40$ worth of cute little tilapia in a cooler and we were back in Grapevine. Tilapia looked great initially. We did not account for the late April cold snap. Tilapia did not like the dip that much below 50 degrees. So we found one after another of the little guys floating each morning. Sad. :(
But engineering is all about failing well, so off to the next choice. Local blue gill and catfish. Cat fish...did not travel will from the lake and ended up dinner. Blue gill from lake Grapevine are humming along like champs. I guess this says something about going local.
"But what are you growing, Lilly?" you ask.
NEXT Post friends...I will introduce a silly bear and Tomaters...TOE-MA-TERS!
No comments:
Post a Comment