Jun 1, 2016

Lot’s of ways to do BSF. Here’s a few that we do in the Philippines for year round grubs Find compatible diameters Combine upper big with lower little (your upper little can combine with another lower still smaller still) I’ve used 120 Liter/80 Liter, 80 liter/45 liter successfully but check for compatibility before you buy! Make sure your rack holds everything if you want self harvesting Use a filler that is available that you are comfortable with- cement with perlite, body filler, epoxy etc. Make sure your 35º evacuation ramp is sealed, drainage of lechate is adequately sloped Rack system with room for lechate collection Don’t forget the nursery! Females lay eggs in corrugated material on underside of lid. Leave holes for entrance of pregnant females. Let 1-2% hatch under ideal conditions to assure perpetual propagation. We use a small pupating chamber for the new generation to come on line Use a simple method to start if you can’t copy the above...

May 8, 2016

Eaten as a vegetable and commonly known as the lima bean or butter bean and also known as Haba bean, Pallar bean, Burma bean, Guffin bean, Hibbert bean, Sieva bean, Rangoon bean, Madagascar bean, Paiga, Paigya, prolific bean, civet bean, sugar bean, Etchells Bean,; it is a delicious vegetable by any name and enjoyed by people all over the world. Easy to Grow They are exceptionally easy to grow in an Aquaponics system and will produce the best tasting beans you ever put in your mouth. Just follow normal planting in the spring in rockwool or the media of your choice and as soon as the danger of frost has past and the seedlings show true leaves, transfer them to your grow bed media and stand back for the explosion of growth you will witness.  Pick fresh beans for your table all summer long, but don’t forget to leave some of the biggest beans on the vine and allow them to go to seed for use next year and to share with other AP’ers. Varieties Both bush and pole (vine) varieties exist, the latter from one to four meters in height. The bush varieties mature earlier than the pole varieties. The pods are up to 15 cm long. The mature seeds are 1 to 3 cm long and oval to kidney shaped. In most varieties the seeds are quite flat, but in the “potato” varieties the shape approaches spherical. White seeds are common, but black, red, orange and variously mottled seeds are also known. The immature seeds are uniformly green. Bush types: Henderson/Thorogreen, 65 days Eastland, 68 days Baby Fordhook, 70 days Fordhook 242, 75 days, 1945 All-America Selections winner Pole types: Giant Speckled/Christmas/Speckled Calico, 78 days*Big 6/Big Mama, 80 days*King of the Garden, 85 days Nutritional value Lima beans, like many other legumes, are a good source of dietary fiber, and a virtually fat-free source of high quality protein. Lima beans contain both soluble fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and lowers cholesterol, and insoluble fiber, which prevents constipation, digestive disorders, irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis. Your Blood sugar The high fiber content in Lima beans prevents blood sugar levels from rising...

May 8, 2016

Eaten as a vegetable and commonly known as the lima bean or butter bean and also known as Haba bean, Pallar bean, Burma bean, Guffin bean, Hibbert bean, Sieva bean, Rangoon bean, Madagascar bean, Paiga, Paigya, prolific bean, civet bean, sugar bean, Etchells Bean,; it is a delicious vegetable by any name and enjoyed by people all over the world. Easy to Grow They are exceptionally easy to grow in an Aquaponics system and will produce the best tasting beans you ever put in your mouth. Just follow normal planting in the spring in rockwool or the media of your choice and as soon as the danger of frost has past and the seedlings show true leaves, transfer them to your grow bed media and stand back for the explosion of growth you will witness.  Pick fresh beans for your table all summer long, but don’t forget to leave some of the biggest beans on the vine and allow them to go to seed for use next year and to share with other AP’ers. Varieties Both bush and pole (vine) varieties exist, the latter from one to four meters in height. The bush varieties mature earlier than the pole varieties. The pods are up to 15 cm long. The mature seeds are 1 to 3 cm long and oval to kidney shaped. In most varieties the seeds are quite flat, but in the “potato” varieties the shape approaches spherical. White seeds are common, but black, red, orange and variously mottled seeds are also known. The immature seeds are uniformly green. Bush types: Henderson/Thorogreen, 65 days Eastland, 68 days Baby Fordhook, 70 days Fordhook 242, 75 days, 1945 All-America Selections winner Pole types: Giant Speckled/Christmas/Speckled Calico, 78 days*Big 6/Big Mama, 80 days*King of the Garden, 85 days Nutritional value Lima beans, like many other legumes, are a good source of dietary fiber, and a virtually fat-free source of high quality protein. Lima beans contain both soluble fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and lowers cholesterol, and insoluble fiber, which prevents constipation, digestive disorders, irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis. Your Blood sugar The high fiber content in Lima beans prevents blood sugar levels from rising...

May 1, 2016

I live in central Florida near the coast where we get plenty of sunshine.  After completing my Aquaponics system I wanted to have a backup for when the power goes out. So I figured that solar power is a good way to go here. We have been lucky for the past six years with no major hurricanes but that is unusual. We have been without power for seven days, five days, three days and so on. Most times it is at least one day so I designed for three days without power. A lot of the following information can apply to wind power as well.  Let me say that working with solar panels and batteries can be dangerous. I have a background in electronics and have certifications from two tech schools and a solar design and installation certification. I think that it is worth it to at least get a certification in solar installation so you know the basics. http://www.sunpirate.com/ If you are unable to do that then please do a thorough study on the subject.  We need to have a great deal of respect for electricity and the dangers of batteries. Let me explain the basics. After getting a certification in solar design and installation I decided to do a small experimental system. I found a small photovoltaic (PV) system on Amazon made by Sunforce.  I added another kit from http://www.harborfreight.com/45-watt-solar-panel-kit-90599.html I just used the panels from the second kit because I didn’t care for their charge controller. It would drain the battery at night.  Before buying anything make sure that you have enough sun in the location of your installation. Six hours of sun without interference from trees or anything that will block the sun from reaching the cells. This is known as “Shading” In my location the panels are oriented to the south.  While I am talking about orientation, it makes sense to mention Azimuth here. The Azimuth is the angle at which the panel is aimed at the sun for maximum power. Watch the sun at different times of the day to see how it tracks across the sky.  In general PV solar panels should be mounted at an angle of...

Apr 24, 2016

Many of you, I’m sure, have possibly never seen a Dragonfly Nymph and know very little if anything about them. They are actually the terror of the deep when it comes to small fish and if you do not protect you fish tanks and other receptacles which are susceptible to being cruised by the adult Dragonfly, your fry and small fish will be their feeding grounds and you will never know what happened to them.  They, among other critters, are the reason that you never bring in plants you have gathered from the wild such as creeks and ponds. This video should give you a little incite into what they are capable of /li> A dragonfly is an insect characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body. Dragonflies are similar to damselflies, but the adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of most dragonflies are held away from, and perpendicular to, the body when at rest. Dragonflies possess six legs (like any other insect), but most of them cannot walk well. Dragonflies are some of the fastest flying insects in the world. In general, large dragonflies like the hawkers have a maximum speed of 10–15 metres per second (22–34 mph) with average cruising speed of about 4.5 metres per second (10 mph). Dragonflies are valuable predators that eat mosquitos, and other small insects like flies, bees, ants, and very rarely butterflies. They are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands because their larvae, known as “nymphs”, are aquatic.A Dragonflies life span covers three stages; the egg, the nymph, and the adult dragonfly. Most of their life is lived out in the nymph stage. Male and a female dragonflies mate while they are flying, then the female will lay her eggs on a plant in the water, or she will just drop them into the water. Once the eggs hatch, the dragonflies life begins as a nymph. A nymph looks like a little alien creature. Dragonfly nymphs live in the water while they grow and develop into dragonflies. Dragonfly nymphs live in ponds or marshy areas because the waters are calmer than in a...

Apr 20, 2016

I was a little hard pressed for all the articles I needed to fill all seven slots for this issue but ONE (Rich Feiller came through for me, thanks Rich) so with this particular subject, I decided to do a visual of some of the ingenious ingenuity of others who have the “AQUAPONIC BUG”. Study each graphic carefully to see if you can find an idea therein that you can incorporate into your current operation or to add to your plans for your first project.             BarrelPonics anyone               Maybe the inhouse hobby setup.             Build it yourself inhouse or garage             Or throw up a greenhouse and go large.                   A Do It Yourselfer in action               I sure hope the neighborhood doesn’t miss their bathtubs!               Yes, your fish should definitely help with the watering of the house plants               An example of a well thought out outdoor unit.             Looks a little rough but very functional.  Never saw a raft system using wood as the raft but I guess it works.     I think my favorite of all the possibles displayed is this one.  It utilizes every inch of space which is important when it comes to economy of growing your own food. All graphics courtesy of...

Apr 13, 2016

This article is actually about hydroponics, however…hydroponics is one half of the Aquaponic system and needs to be understood in as much detail as the Aquaculture side of the equation. The two main types of hydroponics are solution culture and medium culture. Solution culture does not use a solid medium for the roots, just the nutrient solution. The three main types of solution culture are static solution culture, continuous flow solution culture and aeroponics. The medium culture method has a solid medium for the roots and is named for the type of medium, e.g. sand culture, gravel culture or rockwool culture. There are two main variations for each medium, sub-irrigation and top irrigation. For all techniques, most hydroponic reservoirs are now built of plastic but other materials have been used including concrete, glass, metal, vegetable solids and wood. The containers should exclude light to prevent algae growth in the nutrient solution. Static solution culture In static solution culture, plants are grown in containers of nutrient solution, such as glass Mason jars (typically in-home applications), plastic buckets, tubs or tanks. The solution is usually gently aerated but may be unaerated. If unaerated, the solution level is kept low enough that enough roots are above the solution so they get adequate oxygen. A hole is cut in the lid of the reservoir for each plant. There can be one to many plants per reservoir. Reservoir size can be increased as plant size increases. A homemade system can be constructed from plastic food containers or glass canning jars with aeration provided by an aquarium pump, aquarium airline tubing and aquarium valves. Clear containers are covered with aluminium foil, butcher paper, black plastic or other material to exclude light, thus helping to eliminate the formation of algae. The nutrient solution is either changed on a schedule, such as once per week, or when the concentration drops below a certain level as determined with an electrical conductivity meter. Whenever the solution is depleted below a certain level, either water or fresh nutrient solution is added, A Mariotte’s bottle, or a float valve, can be used to automatically maintain the solution level. In raft solution culture, plants are placed in...

Apr 6, 2016

Basil is a tender low-growing herb. Basil is a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in the Northeast Asian cuisine of Taiwan and the Southeast Asian cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Depending on the species and cultivar, the leaves may taste somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell. There are many varieties of Ocimum basilicum, as well as several related species or species hybrids also called basil. The type used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora), lemon basil (O. X citriodorum) and holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), which are used in Asia. While most common varieties of basil are treated as annuals, some are perennial in warm, tropical climates, including holy basil and a cultivar known as ‘African Blue’. Basil is originally native to Iran, India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. When soaked in water, the seeds of several basil varieties become gelatinous, and are used in Asian drinks and desserts such as falooda or sherbet. They are used for their medicinal properties in Ayurveda, the traditional medicinal system of India and Siddha medicine, a traditional Tamil system of medicine. They are also used as popular drinks in Southeast Asia. Basil grows to between 30 to 130 cm tall, with opposite, light green, silky leaves 3 to 11 cm long and 1 to 6 cm broad. The flowers are small, white in color and arranged in a terminal spike. Unusual among Lamiaceae, the four stamens and the pistil are not pushed under the upper lip of the corolla, but lie over the inferior lip. After entomophilous pollination, the corolla falls off and four round achenes develop inside the bilabiate calyx. Basil is very sensitive to cold, with best growth in hot, dry conditions. It behaves as an annual if there is any chance of a frost. In Northern Europe, Canada, the northern states of the U.S., and the South Island of New Zealand it will grow best if sown under glass in a peat pot, then planted out in late spring/early summer...