Time Out - LHDN Malaysia

To LHDN Malaysia


A note to say thank you to Malaysia, Inland Revenue Board for being very efficient in exercising their duty. Just receive my cheque for Tax Return after only 30 days of filing. Exactly like last year.


Thank you.

HUGG - Help Us Go Green

A replacement video which is more general and timeless - Help Us Go Green


Tilapia - These are 3 months old

Quickie photo of my 3 months old Tilapia, it was from the end of year harvest video.
Here is when they were fry.

I try hard not to overfeed them, to prevent excess protein in water.
Above their cousins about 1 months old.

Keladi (Yam) - Trying this plant in Aquaponics

We call in Keladi its Yam in English from the family Araceae, there are so many variety and its easy to get it all mixed up. Some variety of this plants are grown for its Root (tuber), some for decorative purpose and the one that I'm trying out is for use as vegetable.


The stem and root can be eaten, cooked as vegetable dish. Those that grown for its tuber (taro) are bigger in size and may not suit my small setup.
I bough few of these Keladi from the wet market for planting, this way I am sure the variety I had is for vegetable and they are not "Gatal", Its a property of these plant that will make you itch, those that do that is not suitable to be consume.
Most of its roots had being removed for them to display on the shelf and hopefully it can grow from what's remaining on the stem.
I use the Asparagus growbed to give these plant some head start. They don't do well in direct sun and from what I read they like high Nitrogen and wet soil. Looks like a good candidate for Aquaponics.
There are poisonous species of these plants so be careful, never pick from the wild unless you know what you are doing. They look almost the same, brightly coloured plants is a no go for food on these species.
In the wild they are something like above picture, they like wet and shady areas.The one that picture above is not for consumption, only to illustrate how the plant looks like.
Vegetable Yam above, stem is lighter in colour.
There are large area where Yam are planted, some for pharmaceutical purpose and some for their tuber.


I'm looking forward for this plant to do well in Aquaponics, its a good plant for vegetable, its hardy and should be easily grown.


Update : 3rd April Here

White Flies Revisited - This Time its WAR... :(

This is more difficult to get rid compared to stubborn dictators. White flies making a comeback, a nightmare for Aquapons because we are so limited in using insecticide. Malation is a no go, its a "No Fly Zone" for us Peaceful Aquaponics Enthusiast.


I am trying this out, Lemon Grass Spray..., doesn't sound "High Tech" don't use anything that's classified as weapon of mass destruction.. but I hope it will work.
Lemon Grass Spray, its more for cleaning than for killing anything like insect, but the lable did mention that its safe and will repel insect from house plants. So the keyword "Insect", "Plant" and "Safe"
I hope it'll be as good as the girl in the label otherwise no point of putting her there.
"Anti harmful insect in the flowers plants or fruits" so this statement says it all.... unless its some marketing gimmicks.
The Guinea Pigs would surely be my Cherry Tomato plants, always eager to be of service.
Let see what happen, hope it don't fall under "My blunders" category.


Note : I am not promoting this product. I don't own the company, I wish I do. 

Tilapia Breeding - Fresh Batch of Fry Update 23rd March 2010

Getting bigger these fry, some already aggressive in its behavior.
They like to swim around the water drop area from upper nursery tank, which now hold few gold fish from the single barrel set that undergoing a make-over.
These are mixed from 3 separate breeder, that's why the different in size.
I feed them with mixture of smaller pellets and powdered feed mostly from rice bran. They grow fast and soon I'll put the bigger ones into main tank.

Agustine & Edwin Aquaponics

Invited by Edwin and Agustine to their set located in Balakong, Selangor sometime last weekend. Its a big setup by home gardener standard especially within the urban vicinity where land area is at its premium.


Their setup, make use of gravel grow bed Siphon Flood & Drain and Deep Water Culture using polystyrene foam raft as growing floats. These are housed in a Polythene "Green House" to protect from bugs and the elements.
DWC and the Flood and Drain sets are isolated in their water source, with a big swimming pool tank for the DWC water reservoir and fish tank, feeding DWC channels via filtration.
Fish tank stock with Tilapia, Green Kelah and few other fish.
Various filter used to get fish solids out from water before irrigating the DWC channels and water are returned from the extreme end with a pump to complete the cycle.
Leafy greens, beans and Okra grown in this DWC, with salad and kangkong below
Flood and Drain in the opposite side on the other hand utilizing growbed over the fish tank approach. This is the simplest way to do Aquaponics.
Rows of growbed over fish tank which about 2.5 feet across and about 50 or 60 ft long but its quite shallow around less than 1 ft deep stock with few Tilapia and gold fish.
Cucumber, Tomatoes, Beans, Chili and Okra are grown on the flood and drain side.
Okra looks a bit thin. Edwin pointed out that these Okra get infested with aphids it stunt their growth.
These Tomatoes according to Argustine is about 4 months old.


They are having problem with high acidity, PH dropping down, contrary to what I would expect as Limestone gravel used as grow bed it should swing the PH on the opposite side of the scale toward Alkali.


Its also affect the DWC system more than the Flood & Drain. From my short observation, I can't see any thing differ in their Flood and Drain setting to others, also the DWC is of standard installation.


Plants are not doing well, one reason I could see is that some plant affected by growbed not fully matured this causes stunted growth, that don't recover after growbed reaches maturity.


I'm a bit concerned about the polythene "Green House" it cause the temperature inside to shoot up very high. Its okay for temperate country by over here its can be a killer.


I would suggest green house material are made from those mesh type of nettings that keep away insects but do provide free air flow to not heat up the space underneath.


In all they are starting out, and lots of things to learn. I'm sure they'll get it sorted out as they progress.



Asparagus - Update 23rd March 2011

Last Update : 4th Feb 2011
Its more than a month since my last update on Asparagus, not much been happening over the last couple of week. Its grown taller and more stalk coming out.
Its still very fragile and thin, I sown 11 altogether 7 survive and the remaining 4 didn't made it. Was busy this last few weeks, I need a total redo of my Aquaponics set up.
I protect these Asparagus from the sun by using 50% shade, before that its showing sign of heat damage and dying.
Don't know what to expect. Asparagus from what I read they have crown underground, I hope these few manage to develop crown so that I could transplant them to a better growbed once I manage to redo these.

Time Out - Happy Birthday Amir

He's 4 today. Here when he's three.
He's my sunshine.

Single Barrel Aquaponics - Special Request

It all started : Here. I made my first single barrel Aquaponics kit. Someone asked me for a demo unit small enough to be portable.


This single barrel kit suit that request. So I proceed in getting another barrel, cut it in 2 as previous set, however this time with slight improvement in the cut out to strengthen it.
Growbed will be on top as previous, this barrel is a bit thinner then what I got the last time. As a demo set it should hold growbed weight. I'll need to do a trial run like 2 weeks to test it.
I'm not using cable tie or zip ties this time, instead I decide to do lacing, its far stronger then cable ties and last longer too. This below is industrial strength lacing cord.
All done, I let it stand in the sun to get all expansion and looseness sweat it out.
Siphon outlet and water inlet fittings done, siphon is 20mm stand pipe with 32mm reducer as my  revised mini valve in this single barrel kit and water inlet is 15mm pipe with saddle valve as diversion and  a very low capacity pump.
Plumbings, Siphon and Pumps next, I continue this evening. I am going to visit another Aquapon place this afternoon.
Side by side comparison the old and new, cannot finish this kit today, it started to rain.


Update 19th March 2011 - This new barrel is too soft, it will not able to hold the growbed weight. I'll use the old set for this demo if I am not able to get another barrel of thicker wall.
Clearly cannot be use, its buckling under gb weight.
The old barrel set below looks good, so now I know not all barrel are equal the darker it colour the thicker its wall. Have to watch out next time, but don't ever use the black barrel its may hold poisonous or corrosive material.
I have to do up this old barrel and make it look good for the exhibition, no time to get a new set, this one is already proven to work.


Come to think of it, if I had chosen the softer barrel during my earlier attempt in making this single barrel kit I may have not made it. Thinking all barrel are soft and not use able.


Update 24th March 2011


Getting worst and cannot be use.
The old Barrel Kit revived and ready for the expo.

Tilapia - Halt on the Breeding

As previous post, having too many fry and to little space. I just have to do something.
All the Tilapia in the breeder tank gone back to the holding tank, decide to stop the fry production due too many and I need space for the present batch.
All fry into bottom tank now and let them grow for few weeks and transfer into main tank.
Nursery tank as use for fry is now empty.
I'll make this nursery tank into growbed, with mini valve, just what I need a growbed to further test my mini siphon.