[furryoldlobster]

Hello Gamers,

As you've noticed, there's been a lull in D&D.  It seems several players can't log in for this summer, so I'm going figure out a way to push the game forward. 

In other news, I'm still swamped in real life.  I'll try to respond as often as I can...


...but I've discovered aquaponics.  I think I'm in love. 

[Zito]

Aquaponics?! Wassat?

[furryoldlobster]

Its a dual fishery and hyrdroponics system used to indefinitely produce fish, veggies, herbs, and fruit.  It combines the conventional aquaculture system (pretty much just raising fish in a tank...although certain crustaceans work too) with cultivating plants in a soiless hydroponics system (just a fancy word for cultivating plants in water). 

Fish excrete waste (ammonia specifically) through their gills and poop.  This is eventually toxic to them, so their water has to be filtered.  This "dirty" water is actually filled with nutrients on which many plants thrive.  It gets eaten by certain friendly bacteria found on rocks, and converted into nitrates and nitrites.  This is where the hydroponics system kicks in.  Several times a day, the water gets pumped to a bed of crushed stone (granite seems to be the cheapest) full of different growing plants.  Plants just thrive off of the nitrogen water.  This same water (now cleaned by the rocks and plants) goes back to the fish, who start this process all over again. 

This symbiotic system uses 1/10th the amount of water it takes to grow veggies in the ground.

This system does need electricity, which can be easily provided by an even half-decent solar setup. 

The smaller aquaponic systems require a tiny pump, which I estimate to about $16 a year.

I'm working on a quick design so one would be able to convert his or her current fishtank into an indoors herb aquaponics garden. 

...so I'm slightly distracted from the game. 

[Zito]

That... That sounds amazing. I really want to try that out XD

[zerokiriyu]

Well, I have no idea what you just said, furry. Put it in redneck terms....


~Zero

[Zito]

Fish crap in water. Water is used to feed plants and is filtered as well. Water goes back to fish. Repeat.

[furryoldlobster]

I should have a blueprint for a beta fish/gold fish tank with herbs on top done in a day or two.

[zerokiriyu]

Okay, so it's a water recycle thingy?


~Zero

[Zito]

That grows plants and is also a fish tank.

[furryoldlobster]

Yes. It takes the downsides of aquaculture (cleaning and maintenance) and hydroponics (water and nutrient use) and makes them advantageous.

[furryoldlobster]

It means i grow unlimited food with 10% of the water id normally use for traditional gardening. 

Its pretty much hypothetically solved my offgrid crop/meat situation.

[Zito]

It's genius!

[furryoldlobster]

And its actually been around for thousands of years.  Rice paddies are an example of an aquaponics system.  Koi and similar fish hang out, poop ammonia into the water.  Water gets cleaned by plants and minerals, converted into nitrogen, and the fish and rice thrive.  The farmers realized they could keep a perfect homeostasis this way. 

I think Mesopotamia had some sort of floating veggie gardens...but I mix up my older cultures.   

[Zito]

Who'd have thought that fish produce fertilizer eh?

[furryoldlobster]

Hehe.  Speaking of...

..the solid waste that gets filtered completely out of the system.

That gets used too.  Its amazing fertilizer for tubers like potatoes.  They don't do so well in a rockbed, and require soft soil. 

[Zito]

I really do find this fascinating. It seems like it would be pretty self sufficient when set up. It also uses less water. I really can't see a downside to it.

[furryoldlobster]

The initial time and monetary investment is the only real downside (well if its a big project anyway).  That and the keeping it clean.  If contaminated soil (fertilizer, pesticides, weedicide, bacteria) gets in the system, it could terminate the whole stock and plant bed.  Have to be very careful when taking out the fish (gloves, hair net, possibly mask if I want to be extra sure). 

http://portablefarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/INDIA-MUSTARD2.jpg

This lady grew  indian mustard nearly as large as her in an aquaponics setup. 

[Zito]

Why do you have to be so careful around the fish?

[furryoldlobster]

Outside contaminates have the potential to upset the balance.  Keep in mind this really only become an issue if I'm handling the fish a lot.  If its Koi, or some other sort of fish I don't intend to eat, I wouldn't be interacting with the tank/fish nearly as much. 

[Clay]

post links with some info on this please
and pictures!

[Zito]

Ah, so you can basically use any kind of aquarium fish for it then?

[furryoldlobster]

Yes. But the type of plants and size of the grow bed depend on how much fish poop water your fish can make.  A small, indoor system works using 3-4 small fish meant to feed 4-5 herbs works well because the plants don't need nearly as much nutrician as larger veggies or fruits. 10 gallon tank works here.

The fish have to be vegetarian or omniviverous.  Fish that eat mostly meat don't great the same balance of ammonia.

[Zito]

Makes sense. I'm guessing you'd need quite a large system for a conventional garden then.

[furryoldlobster]

40-50 gallon tank (doesnt have to be glass one.  Can just be  waterproof container) with maybe 10 talapia sized fish should be enough for a 6' by 10' grow bed. 

[Zito]

Wow, that's not nearly as large as I expected you'd need.

[furryoldlobster]

Yeah.  Surface area is a lot more important than depth for the fish.  Its better that they have space to turn around than swim up and down. 

[Zito]

So just a couple feet deep, and all around the garden area is primarily what you're looking for then?

[furryoldlobster]

Depends on what you're going for.  A container too large, and you won't get a decent Nitrogen to water ratio; too small and the fish won't have enough room to live.

My goal is to build upwards and not horizontally, so I can use space more efficiently. 

[Tslat]

Just blow up a kiddie pool, run a pipe out the side, and hose leading back in... done

[furryoldlobster]

Get your warlock Aussie magic out of my brain.

That's what I was gonna do....

[furryoldlobster]

and I thought about it for a little bit, Zeeto.  I wouldn't dig a trench for use in an aquaponics system (unless I planned on growing rice).  Fertilizer and other particulates would easily find their way to the fish, killing them quickly.  Fish like a basic environment, whereas plants like it acidic.  The goal:  a healthy halfway point. 

[Zito]

It's starting to sound a lot harder to do this than it did at first. Seems like you have to have the perfect balance, or it won't work.

[furryoldlobster]

Its not overly tough to gain and maintain homeostasis.  I've seen it done using only seashells in a mesh bag.  A little practice and you'd have it.  Testing is super easy.  Litmus paper and like 10 seconds of time is all that's needed.

[Zito]

Maybe someday in the future I'll give it a shot. It doesn't seem like it would work very well in the middle of a desert without being inside.

[furryoldlobster]

It'd work great if you you create indirect light situation.  Two days ago, I made a small greenhouse out of clear plastic bags and pvc.  i've seen some incredible setups in traditionally terrible agriculture areas. 

[Zito]

I guess anything is possible with a bit of ingenuity, eh?

[furryoldlobster]

All I need is a rich friend who's got faith in me and my projects....

[Zito]

I want one of those!