Aquaponics Setup for less than $25

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I was reading in a recent issue about aquaponics - - using fish pond water for fertilizing plants and I have set up a small system for watering our garden. I bought a small plastic wading pool from our local Wal Mart (7 ft diameter), got a couple used aquarium air pumps at a yard sale and 4 used window screens from our local trade day. Nailed the screens to a form to fit over the pool to keep critters out. Set the pool up in the shade of our carport, plugged in the air pumps and let the set up run while we went fishing (the fun part of the project). Stocked it with a dozen perch and bream. Feed em on small chunck dry dog food or fish pellets (the dog food is cheaper) and you have a ready supply of fertilizer for the garden. I was thinking of putting it inside a greenhouse this winter to use for watering my winter plants.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 28, 2000

Answers

Jay, just this a.m. I was starting my (firm) planning of a very similar approach, to wit, I'm using a plastic 55 gal drum (until I build my mini-pond)for catfish, and an aquarium-type small pump to pump water from the bottom of the barrel into a HALF-pipe (lengthwise) of a 12"(up to 24") PVC water or sewer pipe, which will be filled with pea-gravel (I think) and some (currently unknown) plants. The water will get aerated by tumbling down (something). My point is to clean and aerate the water and grow some exotic and "valuable" plants hydroponically. BTW, growing red worms in kitchen waste is a good source of free fishfood, as well as snails for fishfood!

-- Guy Winton III (guyiii@home.com), July 28, 2000.

Have you had to do anything special to get your red worms to grow in the kitchen scraps ?

j

-- j (jw_hsv@yahoo.com), July 28, 2000.


Jay:

My gut reaction to your posting is you have way, way too few fish in your pool to make a difference. Probably should have started with a lot more and catfish might have been a better bet. Unless the water gets somewhat cloudy, probably isn't adding any significant nutrition to your garden.

For the person who asked about redworms, there is a post from a couple a days ago on them.

-- Ken S. (scharabo@aol.com), July 28, 2000.


Ken, Thanks for the input, I was thing the same way after we put it together. Originally , I was thing along the lines that a small setup would be better with small fish, now I see the cats would be better (as scavengers, I think they produce more potent waste). Do you think the 7 foot pool could support 15 to 20 1 to 2 pounders?

To the other answer to this post: The redworm idea makes alot of sense, I'll give it a try.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 28, 2000.


Jay:

See the first posting under Aquaculture - fish farming. There is also a chapter on this technique in Gene Logsdon's book, Getting Food From Water: A Guide to Backyard Aquaculture and in Tim Matson's book Earth Ponds: The Country Pond Maker's Guide. Gene's chapter is pretty much what is in the posting. The article in Earth Ponds is a bit different. People had buried a lid less septic tank in a geo- dome greenhouse. The tank holds tipapia in the summer and trout in the winter. Plants are watered with the tank water.

If you were one of the one who requested a copy of my book see the item on Closed Loop Agriculture.

-- Ken S. (scharabo@aol.com), July 29, 2000.



I believe the people who grow them in barrels stock at something like 40 per 55 gallon drum. So yes, your pool should easily hold that many depending on depth.

-- Ken S. (scharabo@aol.com), July 29, 2000.

Ken, Thanks for reminding me about the section in your book. That gives me more thought on future expansion. I contacted a local fish hatchery and ordered 50 cat fingerlings, if it gets too crowded , I can always buy another wade pool. I'll let y'all know how its doing in about 6 months ( maybe right before the fish fry)

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 29, 2000.

I have 3 active vermicomposting boxes working in the basement. I've never attempted to calculate their reproduction rate or how many it would take to feed fish or chickens. However, at the prices redworms fetch, it seems to me selling them either as bait, for starting other composting projects or "seeding" pastures, gardens and orchards with them and their castings would be a better option and use the proceeds to buy fish food.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), July 29, 2000.

I have never done it but remember reading that for free fish food put one of those electric bug zappers over the pond or whatever as the bugs after being zapped fall in to the water and help keep the fish full and happy. gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef123@hotmail.com), July 31, 2000.

Gail:

They also make one which has a light and fan blade. The flying critters are attracted to the light, get knocked out by the fan blades and then fall into the water. Fish are below waiting for them.

-- Ken S. (scharabo@aol.com), July 31, 2000.



The lights and zappers ar a great idea, not only will it help diversify the diet (maybe producing a more fertile liquid) should also cut down on the flying pests around here. Glad I checked back.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 31, 2000.

Jay; just reading your post and wondering how you are making out with the fish. I belong to the Virginia Fish Farmer's association and we have a few people that are into Aquaponics with Tilapia. I'm not raising any fish at this time but basically will probably start small along your line. Bruce

-- Bruce Burdge (burdgebruce@richmond.com), December 13, 2000.

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