Im building an aquaponic hoophouse

[spuds]

Thanks folks.Have to get some green onions and radishes set up,maybe small pots on rafts in bed 3? I also need another air pump for air bubblers,the 2 water pumps have taken all the air my pump can supply.Bed 3 will have to be very oxygenated my hydro friend tells me,says that the trick for super growth in water beds.

Hope I can get more  fish,transportation has been iffy with vehicle repairs slowing us down.

Hope also next week will have those peas really taking off,tomatoes sure were slow to start up,but FINALLY moving up,maybe not enough heat yet? Peas up one side,toms up the other should really be a sight to behold.

Theres also a big and small rosemary,4 of a different basil,and a good sized English thyme.A couple of the peppers are multicolored hot ones.The 1 elephant garlic I stuck in,not doing so well so that wont be done again,maybe needs bulb above water level?The Brussels Sprout is growing but not greening,something it needs isnt in the water.

Edit-added 20 goldfish to tank 1,2 and 20 gf and 2 Koi to tank 3,4.
28 dollars.

[spuds]

 Bravo Bro!

everything looks scrumptious,all is Very impressive
is there a correct ratio of Fish to plant needs??
completely stupid about this...but very interested..I know that someday, my gardening abilities will need a easier way to produce our veggies
=============================
Thats a good question.
This system can be as simple or complex as you like.You can do various testing with litmus papers and dissolved solids meters or just toss in fish and go.
If I have to run it as a scientific check and go system,not for me.

The method Im following is put in fish,if plants look weak add supplemental nutrition until they look healthy and keep adding fish.One guy has his tanks stuffed with fish,no testing,and does well.

When I have lots of fish I may check ammonia,thats a fish killer,but for now,just watch and good to go,extremely simple.If ammonia gets too much you can drain and refill tanks as needed and add heavy nitrogen feeders until ammonia back to reasonable.At that point yes,fish to plant ratio has to be determined.BUT,it would be like 36 tomatoes to 6 fish of X size,whatever,that gets too regimented unless just one crop on commercial basis,not for me.

Really too,its so individualized that you just do what seems intuitive to growing plants,nothing is set in stone.Watching my bud with the hydro changing constantly as he tweaks his system in every way until he reaches HIS nirvana level,trying to get maximum nutritional value with assorted feeding sources,not just 12-12-12 fertilizer for example.....its such a cool way to grow.

[spuds]

so..now the question..
Why not Bigger..more TASTY fish? Ya know...complete the cycle
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Tasty fish? Like Talapia,trout or catfish? All doable and even done on small and commercial scale.I may work towards that goal,but for return on investment people pay waaaay too much money for KOI,so they are probably the best return on fish in my temp zone.So why Im adding koi

[spuds]

Week 5 update

Lots happening....1st off,tank 3/4 isnt balanced,and fish are dying,no probs in tank 1/2. Seems just putting old water from 1/2 into 3/4 wasnt enough to get microbiology right.So yesterday took gravel from bed one and transplanted some into bed 4 to get the proper microbes functioning in that bed,however have lost 1/2 the goldfish I put in.

Rescued the KOI and put them in tank 1/2,hope it isnt too late.Rest of GF stayed in 3/4,if they make it,so be it,otherwise out 5 dollars so financially no loss,but need to get that bed converting the ammonia to nitrite to nitrate that the fish can deal with.

Been harvesting salads in bed 1,made 6 so far,trimming the lettuce.They are booming.The kale are growing up,the tomatoes finally getting going and more flowers.

The basil have doubled in size in bed 2,the thyme and rosemary looking good.

Bed 4 the celery are booming,the peas have moved up 6 inches this week and look really healthy

Bed 1 Lettuce






Bed 2,Basil and thyme




Bed 4,celery and pea's,have to have pea's,they are mandatory at our garden 

[SmokinKat]

Dang it Spuds, you've got me craving fresh sweet peas now!  It's 65 and sunny today, those would be a perfect spring afternoon snack! 

[drholly]

Dang it Spuds, you've got me craving fresh sweet peas now!  It's 65 and sunny today, those would be a perfect spring afternoon snack!

Oh boy, yes!

[tlg4942]

 Looking good, Keep us up to date. This is a great thread!

[CDN Smoker]

Sorry about your fish Carl, hope they pull through. Every thing looks so good

[spuds]

The Koi moved to tank 1/2 has 5 koi now,and they school so I can see em.Bet the first three from earlier have grown about 50%,the goldfish have doubled in size from first batch.Forget which folks advised Koi here without re-reading but thanks for the awesome suggestion!They are the neatest fish.

Its such a learning experience.For example,Kale while growing well doesnt justify the space for the return.If broccoli will grow 2 plants would probably be better than 12 Kale,so when Kale is gone will slip in brocc,will be nice if we can continually trim them.Thats been a key thing,plants that can be trimmed and keep growing sure seem to be huge winners,ie,lettuce for one,or the herbs.Still dont get why tomatoes arent growing like crazy,must still be too cold at night?50F and less is common right now.

Hit 122F in hoop house today,and lettuce didnt wilt,they like the cool water flushes I reckon,nor have they tried to bolt,so far,we shall see?

Wont have enough time this year to experiment fully with all different plants we need to try,want to get to hydro store and get rafts for bed 3 and maybe rockwool for the media for radishes and green onions?Hopefully they will have a knowledge base on that and will set me straight,so far I really trust them to sell me what works,not what is best profit for them,thats pretty nice indeed.

A little OT,my asparagus beds are producing,have 40 shoots already and we will harvest them this year,cool!Oh,I forgot to post pics of 2 large pots of onions in the Hoophouse that are really loving being warm and have started showing shoots,very nice.Not all will be aquaponics in there.

Also the HH held up fine to the big winds that just went thru,Im protected by a valley with trees and its half what it is for places without the wind blocks.So didnt faze it.

[spuds]

Got another pump like the one I have,will tee it into air line next to current pump,Im pretty sure the main line can handle the double air volume.Got four air stone bubblers,2 for bed 3,and one each for each tank.They didnt have rafts,guess hardware store for something,I still will start some pots though.Got rockwool,it looks like the gravel only little soft balls,and coco coir,its shredded coconut husks,to use as media.
Found a lot of seeds we harvested last year and before,bought some radish and green onion seeds.

Add 110.00 dollars to costs.

Should have good update pics Thursday 

[spuds]

Putting together bed 3.I used the rockwool around inside pot edges,and filled the middle with coconut husk.

Grow cubes,23 dollars.Add water and man does it hold water,would be prime for just sprouting seeds




Coco husk brick,this was 15 dollars.You chop off a piece and add water,but its thin,so have to plug holes on containers or it will fall out




The pots,have green onion and radishes.No floats available so they are sitting on a stand,about in water 3 inches.


Temp should be growing those seeds great!Moist and warm.

[spuds]

Temps at 2pm,outside temp 75

Inside,door open


Water


Surface and subsurface temps



Leaf temps

[spuds]

Tank 1/2,lots of happy fish,Koi are hiding.I was told leaf and bed temps are good.

[CDN Smoker]

I wouldn't expect the water to be so clear. Coming along nicely Carl

[spuds]

I wouldn't expect the water to be so clear. Coming along nicely Carl

Thanks Drew,yes,the water is clear,thats going to be week 7's story,the water and microbiology