Was asked last week by a fellow YouTube gardening friend Stephen from the Alberta Urban Garden YouTube channelif I could do a clip showing the perennial plants we have on the go here in our small backyard farm. At first I didn't think we had that many but once I took pen to paper it turns out we really do have quite a number growing around the patch here as you'll see in the clip bellow.
Here's a few more perennial plants we have on the go that didn't make it into the clip, Kang Kong AKA Water Spinach Duck Potatoes AKA Arrowhead Red vein Sorrel Strawberry Guava Welsh Onions Garlic Pigeon Pea Black Pepper Vine Comfrey Aloe Vera + I'm sure I've missed a few more. 😉 Would love to know what your favourite perennial food plants are that you're growing or would like to grow in the comment section below. Hope you enjoyed the clip & your garden is booming. Cheers all, Rob.
Hey folks. Took the camera for a spin around the backyard to give you a look at how the aquaponics and the rest of the backyard farm is going in our Spring here in Ipswich Australia. There are a few plants that are booming and a few that needed to be "retired" due to infestation. Had a quick look st the new Root Pouch gardens and went through a few of the changes that have been made to the patch. This one's a bit longer than normal due to having a fair bit to cover folks. Will take it easier on you next clip ;)
Would also like to give a huge shout out and thanks to all the folks that are supporting our channel through a small monthly contribution on our Backyard Farm & Aquaponics Patreon page. Was also great chatting with a few of you today in the hangout and am looking forward to the next in a few weeks time. Hope you're all well and your gardens are booming, Rob.
Hi folks. Moved 24 of the silver perch into the old jade perch tank so they have a bit more room and decided to bring you along for a look. Found a few genetic abnormalities along the way and thought it may interest folks that also keep silver perch in their own aquaponic systems.
You can also find us on Patreon where I post mini updates on the aquaponics, chooks, worms, wicking bed gardens and other small tidbits daily. Hope you enjoy the look at the Silvers and your systems are all Booming. Cheers and all the best folks. Rob.
Have managed to knock off a few jobs to do with the aquaponics over the past week or so and Thought Id share them with you all.
Harvesting the Fish
I was asked if I could film a clip the next time I harvested some Jade perch from the aquaponics so folks could see how we do it here. I know it can be a bit daunting for new comers to aquaponics so I hope this helps you folks out. Have added in a quick look at some meals we make with the perch at the end of the clip for those that are curious.
Hopefully we'll have some free time next weekend to separate the silver perch between the 2 tanks. Am looking forward to trying them to see how they compare to the Jade perch.
Cleaning Out some Grow Beds
A few of the plants in the grow beds have gotten a bit unruly lately, so I decided they needed to be cut back a bit. All didn't go to plan but am happy with the results. Also planted out some seedlings to fill in some of the gaps the clean out created.
Was hoping to sow out a few seeds this week but that wasn't to be. Will pop in a few Asian Greens as well as a few other seedlings through the week I think. I hope you found how we harvest and process the fish interesting and enjoyed the look at some of the maintenance that was done. Feel free to share the clips if you found them helpful and you can also check out our YouTube home page for other useful Aquaponic and Backyard Farming playlists. Thanks for stopping by folks and I hope all your gardens are booming, Rob.
A fair few months ago I was asked to put on an Aquaponic Workshop by Michael from Savour Soil Permaculture at Laidley in SE Queensland. Was a bit hesitant at excepting the offer as I haven't had much experience at teaching but must say I'm pleased I did.
The workshop was held last weekend (21st Nov 2005) & covered the basics of setting up an aquaponic system for folks interested in expanding their food production in their backyards or small holdings.
A basic split flow aquaponic system was assembled from recycled components on site for Michael & his family. It made a great teaching aid on the day to help explain some of the basic construction methods & parts of a working aquaponic system.
Here's a bit of a look at the system as it stands today.
Must say that I was very pleased with how the system went together. It's also fantastic to see Michael's family's enthusiasm in learning about the system as well as their eagerness in wanting to stock it with fish & plant it out.
In the clip above I mentioned a suppliers list of sorts provided to the attendees & have also included it here below for those that might be interested.
Hope you enjoyed the clip & find the info useful. Rob.
Suppliers information for SE Queensland & Australia.
Fish Hatcheries & Feed Suppliers.
I have bought from
the first 2 and had no problems whatsoever. Ace Aquaculture has been
recommended to me by a few folks that have used them.
When ordering your
fingerlings it is a good idea to ask if they sell small amounts of feed for
your new swimmers. They grow so fast that it doesn’t pay to buy too much at
once.
I've bought other
pumps like the Jebao (the one used in Michael's system) from a few reputable
Ebay stores that deal in aquarium goods. It's always an idea to check out their
rating before buying from them though.
The "Irrigation
Store" is an online based site I buy my bulk PVC, barbed irrigation &
bulkhead fittings from. They have a fixed $20 delivery fee on all orders. Works
out a lot cheaper than the 2 big box hardware stores,
Valves with
removable blue handles are purchased at Trade Link Plumbing supplies for those
that are concerned with little (or big) fingers fiddling with the system ;-)
I sell Uniseals,
venturis & Root Pouches Australia wide through our small "Bits Out the
Back" blog store.
My preference is for
IBC's & barrels that have had food stuffs in them as they are normally
easier to clean out.
Growing Media.
If you're in the
Ipswich area H2Gro are a local hydroponic store that sell the clay based media
& will offer a discount depending on how many bags you're buying,
Last time I checked
they were selling 45L bags for $25 each with is almost half the price at other
retailers.
If you're after
growing medium other than clay many folks recommend road base AKA blue metal
here in SE QLD as mentioned in the workshop. Please keep an eye out for
contamination like concrete that both Michael & I found in the blue metal
at our suppliers.
It's a good idea to
do a vinegar test on any rock you want to buy to see if it will raise the pH in
your system. You can do this on site at the landscape suppliers with a jar full
of white vinegar. Pop a handful of rocks into the vinegar & if it starts to
bubble it's best to discard it as it may keep the pH constantly high in the
system.
Backup Air System.
I did mention that
I've made up my own 12V Backup air system in case of blackout. I followed the
plans on the link below.
PLEASE NOTE, any work on 240V electrical
circuitry HAS TO BE carried out by a
licensed electrician.
Useful Sites, Forums & YouTube Channels.
I have a playlist on
our YouTube channel with some of the projects/builds that have gone into our
aquaponic & aquaculture systems which may help you out with a few ideas,
Paul Van der Werf
from Earthan Edge is one of the world leaders in integrated aquaculture &
is a local to boot. Have found his site to be jam packed with ideas on DIY
backyard builds, commercial systems & technical help. He has made it a
subscription site but is well worth checking out if you're interested in
building a small commercial aquaponic system.
Has been nearly 3 months since the last aquaponic vlog update so here you go folks.
Winter has struck here & the fish are starting to get a tad lazy due to the cold water but the plants are still growing strong.
The tomatoes have had another trim today with a few branches strung up due to the weight of the new fruit forming. Have noticed that the water level is dropping a bit more than normal so shall be investigating to see if there are any leaks developing on the pipe work. I'm hoping that it's just just the growth spurt we've seen over the past week or so that is causing the increased water usage.
Best be off & start working in the patch. Cheers & all the best folks.
Time for a bit of a look at where we're up to on the Aquaponic build.. This first clip was posted 20th July & covers a change in the plumbing that should make the system run a lot smoother..
Since then not a lot of progress has been made on the build itself until last weekend, early this week when the filters & sump were fitted out then connected together..
I do like the slower pace of this build as it has given me time to consider other options..
Have also made a few clips on small parts of the build that might give folks a few helpful ideas.. The first is on using thin walled PVC pipe with Uniseals.. Due to the thin wall of the pipe it can be very difficult to use..
The second is just showing a few different ways to make up the drain fittings used in the base of tanks & filters..
Hope you like that quick round up of the system build & it gives folks a few ideas that may be helpful.. Should have enough time this weekend to glue it all together & give it a bit of a trial run if all goes well..
Thought we would post a few mini updates on the new Backyard Aquaponic System build.. This 2000L/350gal system will probably be built over the next month or so & hope to do at least 1 update a week.. Will do a proper walk through at the end once all the beds are made up..
Feel free to make suggestions as nothing is set in concrete at this point.. Here is an explanation of "Modern Man" & other styles of systems from Paul at Earthan Group..
The Earthan Group website as it has loads of useful articles & calculators that can help folks wanting to build their own backyard system..
You can also find Bits Out the Back on Facebook, Instagram & G+ if you would like more regular updates on how we're going on our backyard farm.. We post mini updates on the aquaponics/aquaculture, chooks, worms, wicking bed gardens & other small tidbits..
Picked up a commercial aquaponic system last week & now need to work out how to fit it into the yard :/ Am fairly sure that our existing system will be off to my parents & then we can get into setting up the new system here..
Am really looking forward to planing & building this system.. Am hoping to still include some Dutch buckets & DWC beds too :)
Decided to harvest the sweet potato from the aquaponics this week.. Also had a bit of a surprise when I was following the vine
that had grown over the side of the system :)
Has been a while since I ventured over here to blog land so thought I would do a bit of a catch up post..Think we shall start with he Fish..
Aquaponics...
I did a "What is
Aquaponics" style clip a few weeks ago to help a friend explain aquaponics to her family members.. Not a real in depth one but it will gives a rough idea on how the system works including the relationship between the fish,
bacteria & plants.. It also shows a bit of the growth in the system
if your interested on how it's looking at the moment..
Not much has happened with the aquaponics of late which is a good thing
on one hand but frustrating on the other... The fish are all well
& happy (so they tell me) with the growth in the beds travelling along fine.. The celery is still being picked every couple of days & the strawberries have been fruiting well..
Harvested our first aquaponic pepino last weekend which was great.. There are a load on there with a few easily 50% larger than the fruit above :D
Really hoping to get the grow beds sorted out into their new
positions by the start of spring.. First a wicking bed needs to be
pulled down & the ground levelled to make room for them.. The new configuration should free up some space to try out a few new ways to grow plants with the system..
Hanging with the Chooks...
The chooks are at the top of their game at the moment.. Greedy decided to moult at the start of winter, which was a bit of a concern to us, but grew back back a fine set of feathers just in time for the few cool nights we have had this winter.. Have started to make up 2-3 lots of sprouted wheat a week for the girls.. I think they now recognise the sprouting jar as there is much flapping & excitement when we go wandering down to the pen with it.. Have also had a go at growing them some wheat sprouts as a fodder crop in the aquaponics but have shelved that idea for a little while :)
Hope to make a start on the modified feeder & shall do a bit of a report on that once it is done for those interested..
Wandering the patch...
Have got stuck into a few jobs around the place of late getting the patch ready for the warm season crops.. There are some tomato, eggplant & capsicum seedlings that have just started to germinate which is a great sight to see..
Some water chestnuts have also made it into some small 100mm pots to give them a bit of a head start before going into the sedge bathtub bed that will be set up near the aquaponics..
The yacon are starting to throw up shoots & I think we will have more than enough for our purposes this year.. Have quite a few earmarked for other people & have already given a fair few away..
Made a decent start in setting up the new front yard garden beds as well.. There are now 4 IBC wicking beds along the front retaining wall with another 4 going in over the coming weeks.. The first 2 beds have the asparagus in them with some heirloom corn planed for at least one of the other beds.. Hope to do a post on them by themselves once they are in & growing :)
Garden walk around clips..
Have a couple of clips on what's happening in the patch at the moment... The first is of the front yard last week before the new beds went in..
The pigeon pea still haven't been harvested but when they have I shall post about our attempt at making humus with them...Should be interesting methinks..
The second clip is of the backyard patch with a bit of a quick look at the 2 new pineapple flowers that have just started to form :)
Hope to make a proper start to the insect house extension soon as well (looks at list of jobbies).. After last seasons success with keeping the fruit fly out I think we might finally get a chance at growing some decent tomatoes & capsicums :)
------------
Well that brings us roughly up to date... Shall post some project updates over the next few days to bring the blog up to speed all proper like ;)
Hope all are well & happy out there & have been having fun in the garden..
Cheers,
Rob..
Lost a goldfish a few weeks ago & found 2 more laying on the bottom of the tank on Monday.. I had no idea at the start as to what could of caused the deaths so went looking online for some idea of what it could of been.. I came across a few sites with the one listed bellow being fairly comprehensive in its listing of different diseases & their symptoms.. http://www.csh.rit.edu/~tonyl/goldfish/testarea/symptoms.htm
I
had no idea what might have caused the deaths at the time but am now
fairly certain it was a sudden drop in water temp that may have caused
them to perish.. Another theory put forward by a viewer is that it could of just been tired after mating... Apparently, as the gills & eyes looked so healthy this could of been a possibility.. Have never read of this happening before & really hope I didn't bury a few fish alive.. The goldfish are destined to go to a new home soon I don't know if I will get to test this theory..
Update walk through.. Bit late I know but here is the latest update clip for the aquaponic set up..
I found sometime this week to finely sort out how I will be altering the pipe
work on the system so that all the water will run through a filter to remove
solid fish waste & un eaten food.. One of the first things to make up was the 90°
elbow units..
At the moment I am using normal 90° fittings on the pipes to
redirect the water but it was pointed out to me that making up these nifty
little units out of 2 x 45° elbows will let the water flow a lot more
efficiently increasing flow rates throughout the whole system.. An upside to
that is I think I can now down size the pump to one that should be slightly
cheaper to run..
As the system can’t be left off line for
any length of time I have been making up these elbows & pre fabricating the
other pieces needed so they can be added on all in one go.. I really want a whole day set aside for this
just in case any unforeseen events arise needing extra parts & time to
finish the job..
That's about it for now as I really should be out there harvesting the Yacon..For more regular updates & pictures from the patch come visit us on our Bits Out the Back Face book page.. Thanks & take it easy all.. Rob..
Am trying out a few different methods of growing garlic this season to
see if I can improve on previous years crops.. The garlic being used has
been saved from the past two years crops.. As we are in the sub
tropics & don't get the chill that other areas get to help kick
their garlic off I decided to vernalise (chill) the majority of our seed
garlic..
Am glad I decided to as they are already out preforming the traditionally planted cloves... Think that this will be my preferred method of preparing seed garlic from now on..
Most have gone into the soil, some into the aquaponics & the rest weree planted into the straw bale bed out the front...
For more regular updates & pictures from the patch come visit us on our Bits Out the Back Facebook page..
Have a great one All...
Decided to have a shot at growing some aquaponic garlic after some prompting from a fellow Aussie Tuber, Shaun.. I already had some sitting in the fridge chilling out so it was only a 2 min job.. Took me 4 days to get to the 2 min job but such is :D
Have had a bit of fun trying to get some fluctuating nitrite levels in the system under control over the past few weeks but think I have it sorted now.. Made up a clip explaining how I think it happened & the steps taken to keep the fish safe..
Will be keeping what happened with this system in mind as I start to plan for the new tanks & beds that will be going onto the system.. Have already thought about altering the way the filter is set up to try & remove as much solids as I can before they make it to the grow beds..
I found both the folks on the Backyard Aquaponics Forum & Paul from Earthan group very helpful with the advice that gave .. Paul's site also has a great salt treatment calculator that might come in handy to some..
Thought I would post a bit of a look at how we managed to clean out the grow bed that was loaded with fish solids.. I think this is part of the reason there was a nitrite spike in the system in the first place..
Held off posting on the bed cleaning just so I could see the levels drop & stay stable for a week or 2.. I think this shows that the cleaning was successful in reducing the solids that caused the nutrient "spike"..
Making the air spear was really easy & came in handy cleaning out the beds..
Thanks to Paul from Earthan group again for giving me the heads up on the design of the DIY spear..
For more regular updates & pictures from the patch come visit us on our Bits Out the Back Facebook page..
Have a great one All... :)»
Made up a bit of a clip on Sunday just showing how the aquaponic system is configured for now.. I think it will always be a work in progress as there will always be something to play or experiment with.. Have already got a few ideas on how the new beds will be made, arranged 7 plumbed up.. Just need to wait for some plants to wind down before I can start moving the bed to make some room :)»
For more regular updates & pictures from the patch come visit us on our "Bits Out the Back" Facebook page..
Have a great one All...
Time to clean out the filter & also solve a few mysteries involving the murky water that appeared from nowhere previously.. The filter is straight forward & we ended up with some great liquid to put on the garden beds..
Was good to solve the murky water in the fish tank mystery from a few weeks back... Was a bit of a "facepalm" moment as I turned the pump off & back on before both previous cloudy water events.. I think the gold fish are the culprits as the majority of the solids should be cleaned out as the water goes through the grow beds.. Cleaning the feeder pipe from the sump is something that should really be done every second week I think... Getting rid of the goldfish will also help to reduce the volume of solids in the line so we will be looking into getting them out ASAP..
Time for a bit of an update on the water quality issues the system was having last week..
I think time was all that was needed for the cloudy water to rectify itself & I sort of stressed myself out for nothing as it wasn't an algae bloom like I thought.. At least I got to learn a few more things about system management & in particular how to test for an algal bloom.
Would like to thank Paul from Earthan group again for taking time out of his busy schedule to give me a call & a hand in working out what was going on.. They can also be found on Face Book..
Will finish off the buffering filter over the next week or so & shall show you what I come up with..
Been a few additions to the set up over the past week.. A new air compressor & filter were added to the system... Both are a bit of overkill for now but will come in handy when the system expands..
Had a bit of a scare with the fish the other day.. The water became murky for no apparent reason & all the fish went off the feed for 12 or so hours but they all look to be OK & are feeding well now.. Think they need a break after all the tinkering that has been going on around them..
For more regular updates about the patch come visit on the Bits Out the Back Face Book page..
Have a great one All... : )»
Due to the continually high nitrite levels I thought it might be best to remove some of the waste load from the system.. While a system this size normally doesn't need a solids filter I thought it was the quickest & easiest way I could think of doing this.. It will also come on handy when the extra tanks are added.. Took a bit of playing with the pumps to get it flowing well but other than that it was a quick & easy build..
Would like to thank Paul from Earthan group for dropping off the Uniseals & for giving me loads of pointers over a coffee or 4..
The idea for this came from Earthan Group's DIY Solids Filter from their website..
They also have a You Tube channel & Face Book page for those that are interested..
For more regular updates about the patch come visit us at http://www.facebook.com/Bitsouttheback
Have a great one All...
A look at the water chestnut crop for this year.. Third time lucky as the first 2 attempts were dismal failures..
The first went into the bathtub pond & we think the leachate from the bucket was making the fish ill so pulled it out..
The second attempt was with buckets placed into drums full of water.. That wasn't exactly a stunning success either with the soil becoming rather acidic..
Third attempt was the easy "toss them in a box & let them grow" method & it appears to have done the best so far... Funny that ;)
Think they will give us a few to eat & will be setting some aside for next years planting for certain..
For more regular updates about the patch come visit us at http://www.facebook.com/Bitsouttheback
Have a great one All... : )»
