Update 30th Dec - Okra

Finally my internet connection getting better. The service provider are now laying fibre optics cable everywhere for High Speed Broad Band, by early next year my place may have 10mbps line :) cool.

This is a quick update on Okra. As photo you can see they are doing well.
However only 2 plant bear fruit, those Okra I am letting it to ripen so that I could collect more seed for planting.



The plant are flowering, If I have more Okra plant then it will be more Okra :) , each growbed I would recommend about 3 plant and mix them with others since Okra will grow quite tall.

I will replant, new Okra from seeds that on the earlier photo.

We are learning, so Okra check.... :)

Update 20th Dec 2009 - Okra

The Okra is flowering. This one just flowering today, over the weekend I was away and earlier another flowered.



Some of the Okra plant do well, especially those near the water inlet. Further away from inlet, they are not as big as these.
From the difference in size within the same growbed, shows that fish solids do play some important role in providing nutrient to the plants.
Next time I'll redo the water inlet so that fish solid are evenly distributed within the bed.

Okra suppose to be one of the best vegetable for our health, high in vitamins and fibre. Its gentle on the stomach and intestine due to the slimy fluid within the okra and because of the high fibre its good for cleaning our digestive track.
Underneath the Okra, I planted few Tumeric. These are plants with rhizomes, I am testing these because normally they will not survive water logged soil. The rhizomes will rot and not able to multiply.
We use Tumeric, either their leaves or the rhizomes. Those part that look like ginger root. I guess its more appropriate to call root then.
Been raining daily, water a bit high. few more days like this I will need to adjust water level. That reminds me next round I need to put bricks underneath those growbed to make them higher so that I do not require to adjust water level even if its rain all week long.

Update 13th Dec 2009 - Main Setup

It was very hectic for me this last few months, last minute request for various aircraft type courses around the world. Suddenly everyone want to learn.. :)
Its been quite a while since my last update. Nothing much change except the plants getting bigger and few fish gone to the pot.

My main setup above as you can see from the photo are stabilizing. Okra and chillies are my latest addition to the growbed.
BTW : That's my little boy Amir, he just can't help it wanting to be in the picture.

Chillies I planted, very slow to progress. This particular growbed the black tub are giving me problem that I can't detect from day one. Its identical to the rest but its having problem. The others, those Blue tub works flawlessly hardly any maintenance or adjustment. Could it be the color black giving any effect on the system.


Okra, I need to make a video on this one looking into the different sizes of the plant as it move away from water inlet. The bigger plant are flowering, will see whether it will fruit.
Those Basil bush, Mint, Water Celery and Viet Coriender are wild. These are easiest to grow and for new setup these herb is a good way to get started.
Fern, after the last trimming and replanting last October are recovering and showing sign of progress. Fern are slow growing if planted from sapling, they are good water purifier to make sure fish water is clean. They are also good at repelling pest, what if we blend some of these fern frons and make it into insecticide or something like that for other plants in the growbed.
An overview photo of the Fern that I planted on the ledge using rain gutter. High winds tend to uproot them occasionally. I need to do something for these fern. Those located further away from water inlet not doing so well compared to those near.
Fishes grown up, I did not add any new fish. I am trying to let those Tilapia breed and see. Few already gone to the pot and smaller one getting bigger.
More photo of the fish, water outlet from the flush are working like clockwork. I set timers to switch off the pump at night and switches on aerator.
Water outlet, some are flushing.
More water flushing and fishes. Those that make same flush system as mine hope you got great success. These that I use looks like it works without any problem - well except occasionally the one in that Black Grow Bed.
Ok that all for now. I need to make a video update but my SD card just not around.

Cheers.

Update 13th Dec 2009 - Home Kit

Back from LA, its along flight back. I lost my videocam SD card ahhh..!!! No video for this next few days.

Update of my homekit, its doing fine no problem what so ever. The flush works like clock work and no maintenance done on it. Sometimes it scare me seeing it work day in day out. That 12 watt pump sufficient for the job.

I installed a timer just before my departure to the States, cannot rely on someone else to switch it on and off for me.

Above pics, shown its flushing. The herb I planted as shown doing great and overflowing the growbed. They provide me enless supplies of Basil, Water Celery, Thai Coriender, Mint and other herb.
I have trimmed few times yet they just grow wild, gave it away most of the time I can't use all of it anyway.

Tilapia previously in this tank I've move it to my main concrete tank and replace with 2 Koi, 4 Barb and a gold fish. Testing out whether they can supply enough poo to the plants.

Water quality, looks good, its been long time since I last check for Ph value. Mostly it remain stable around 7 ~ 7.5 ph.




Time Out - Hollywood Boulevard

I've been busy these pass few weeks, one of it is this trip to United States, currently I'm in LA and I don't want to miss the chance to snap few pictures of these famous area.



Will be back home soon, then hope fully :) settle down to check on my aquaponics setup progress. Its been a long time since my last trip to USA, and a lot have chance.


Most of my previous trips are to Seattle WA, Springfield MO, San Antonio where the Alamo Is, and few other places like Maine. But mostly Seattle in the late 80's and early 90's

Cheers

Aquaponics - Friday the 13th Update :))

Almost a week after my last update, the Homekit plants as I expected, outgrown the growbed.

Chillies below, slow progress
Okra pass the seedling stage, and slowly progressing.

Young Fern with new frons and they are recovering.

Ferns that I plant on the ledge, as picture below doing ok. I am afraid that they would uproot, since their root system has not fully develop to support their frons.
Some of the Tilapia, water has been like this. Its very clear.
Its been raining this last week or two, and water level has been high. I occasionally drain excess to ensure enough clearance between siphon outlet and tank water level.

Aquaponics - 5th Nov Updates

Update 5th Nov - Old Fashioned Write up.

Home kit, plants getting more and growing rapidly. In another week it should be fully covered with plants.

Tilapia fingerling so far so good, few casualties as expected, I try not to overfed them this could cause dirty water and problem to fish health.
Same Tilapia below in the home kit.
My main setup, having transplanted the ferns to higher growbeds, these are whats left. Young ferns and with clear skies they are getting, should grow up in no time.
I've sown chilies in this grow bed, and they just sprouting out. This time I choose different variety. Its smaller and hotter too.
Below, Ladies Finger seedling some places call them Ocra, this is the first time I tried Ocra. They could get quite big when planted on ground.
Few shots of Red Tilapia in the main fish tank, they are about 4 months old.
Another shot of same, the Yelllow Tail Catfish and Climbing Perch I've removed and turn them into pickled fish. Tilapia are too big to be made into pickled fish, few are ready for the fryer looking at their size.
I am waiting for sign of Tilapia fry before catching the big one for the pot. Previously those Climbing Perch just ate all the Tilapia fry and now without them I expect some fry to be present.
Above fern on the ledge, they start to frons and soon will cover the entire gutter with ferns.

Cheers.

Aquaponics - Monster Fish

Recently I visit a friend's place and these monster are in his back yard. Those smaller catfish are FOOD for these two.


How good if these tanked fish be turned into aquaponics setup.

Aquaponics - Fern Transplant

Today I transplanted those fern to the growbed on top the brick wall. I took only those older fern rhizome and trim all the leaves and plant it.

It will takes sometime for it to colonize this grow bed, and give my backyard a natural curtain for privacy.
What left are young ferns in the earlier growbed, now they have enough lights to grow better.
This fern was such a bush as previous post, I am worried with those bigger fern trimmed water quality may be compromise. These fern provide good water cleaning properties. I have too see what effect it have to my tank water.

Cheers

Aquaponics - Updates 27th Oct 2009

This an update of my homekit and additional growbed on the bricked wall.

This new growbed I may need to use different timer since I don't use Bell Valve on it. Switching ON and OFF the pump will cause water to flood and drain in this bed.



A short video on my Red Tilapia, a bit difficult to see, most of them hiding as usual. Water has been clear and no fowl smell.



If a picture worth a thousand words, a video must worth millions... :)

Cheers

Aquaponics - Loop Siphon with Multiple Growbeds

Hi, just arrived from Istanbul, and finished checking my setup, all is well.

This is for Frank from Carolina, we had a quick conversation on skype about a week ago, and he's trying to set up 14 half barrel with loop siphon. Roughtly something like this should be the setup.


Roughly, I would recommend about 20 ~ 30 watt pump (1000 lt/hr) per siphon, so you require about 40 ~ 60 watt pump (2000lt/hr) for 2 loop siphon.

The best arrangement would be one pump per siphon, this is easiest to requlate and provide fail safe arrangement, one big (reliable) pump can do too. I've made a mistake of using a big pump, its works just that water management/division is a bit more difficult.

In Frank case, the pump is more then required, the excess water can just be dump back into tank via the third ball valve, or you could send it to a filter.



On using timer, its all depend on how fast the water will fill up those half barrel, I would recommend switching off the pump at night. During day time operation you just have to see how it goes.


The setup should not have problem with or without a timer, as long as you don't forget to incorporate a small leak/drip hole at each siphon.


Additional Note;
BTW Frank, as per your note on skype, "15 min ON and 45 min OFF" cycle with a Timer, with this setting you don't need a siphon system for flood and drain, this timing is for flood and slow drain using stand pipe in each half barrel and a small leak hole at bottom of each stand pipe to slowly drain water out.


This arrangement is more simple to do, and in one of my Aquaponics How to Start, I did briefly include this method.

Time Out - Istanbul

Not exactly Aquaponics, but.. I am stuck here for a few days, this is where the mother of all Kebab is located.
Blue Mosque - Istanbul
View outside the Hotel window. Ships anchored at Sea of Marmara.

Cheers

Aquaponics - Home Kit

I've build a home kit. It's a simple design and currently I'm trial running it to ensure it will work without problem.



I did not plant anything yet, maybe over this weekend I'll plant herb on it.

Check out : Home Kit Siphon Overhaul in January 2013


Cheers

Aquaponics - Cooking Fern

Something intresting ... How to cook them ferns



Below is a youtube post on same subject



Cheers

Aquaponics - Updates 3rd Sept

Firstly I have to apologise to all that following this blog for not updating my progress.

This year fasting month's really take a toll on us here, unpredictable weather and the H1N1 flu makes matter worst.

I will be a bit slow from late August till end September.

I bought a new camcorder, one of those "youtube optimised ultra cheap don't waste your money" kinda thing so that I could make better video on Aquaponics. Look forward for the right moment to use it.
Tomatoes and chillies got infested by "White Flies" and I had to destroy them. Stop growing them for a while to get things stabilized, meanwhile I plant herb like mint, basil, coriander and others.


Photo above are those Basil, this I do from cutting so does Mint below. It still in patches here and there.

Fern don't need an update.. they are wild... :)
The Tilapia doing great, they grow very fast and no more fatality with the young ones. In a month time they should be palatable.

Water PH just check yesterday at 7.5, look like its stabilized at that figure. I've drain some water out due to it rain almost daily and high water may cause insufficient oxygen. The water flowing out from the siphon outlet just not high enough to cause a good mix.

As I mention, it will be a bit slow this next few weeks. My home kit not assembled yet, that will be done later.



Cheers.

Aquaponics - PH Test 21st Aug

Last did PH test was about a month ago, its been raining these past few days. Water condition high in the tank I have to drained out to maintain a comfortable level for siphon to work.
Plants not doing well due to wet condition, I am replanting the tomatoes and clearing the beds for different plants.

PH tested its on the high side about 7.5, I need to monitor or best pour some vinegar to adjust PH value.

Grow beds need to be raise about 3 inches, to ensure high water did not cover the siphon outlet, this can be done by putting bricks underneath the grow bed support. Only problem its too heavy and need to be emptied before I am able to lift it up.

Its now coming to fasting months over here, and most activities will be at a slower pace. I'll sow new seeds, get some Mint and Basil cuttings.

Aquaponics - Updates 16 Aug

Tomatoes, not that encouraging. There are few fruiting, I will need to try different variety. Over here most tomatoes are grown in the highlands where its cool and more sunshine.
The right variety will do well, I grown tomatoes on soil before and they do well. Its a challenge now to do it Aquaponics. I have a seed package will try that one next.
These particular tomatoes I use fresh tomato from the supermarket and sow them, so their origin may be different from what I wanted.
The growbed was new and haven't cycle or mature, I do not want to waste a packed seed yet.
There are sign of "White Flies" I don't know what the English name but over here we call it Bena Putih, Putih = White and Bena is the equivalent to Flea,, So "White Flea" if I do a direct translation.

I can't use pesticide, the fish will be affected. There are traditional remedy for this that is totally save for Aquaponics. I'll try to make it and see whether it work, then I'll post the instruction.