Comments for Ecofilms

Comment on What Tank should you get for Aquaponics? by Darren (Green Change)

Darren (Green Change) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:42:13 +0000

Thanks, that helps. I suspected you’d have to have significant grow-beds for a dam/tank of that size. I already have the dam, so was curious if it would be usable or not.

Starting with a smaller experimental system is definitely the way to go!

Comment on What Tank should you get for Aquaponics? by admin

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:22:44 +0000

Smaller pond systems like this might be more suitable for you Darren:

http://www.ecofilms.com.au/2011/04/26/pond-aquaponics/

Large dams will mean scaling up big time to keep the same ratio of fish mass to nutrient density to grow your vegetables. Bigger pumps, more fish, more filtration, netting from predators, expensive fish feed etc.

A big dam with a small number of fish won’t have enough nutrients to keep your plants happy.

Start off with a small experimental system first then go bigger when you see the results.

Comment on What Tank should you get for Aquaponics? by Darren (Green Change)

Darren (Green Change) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:15:46 +0000

Do you know of anyone that is using a small dam (say, 50,000 – 100,000 litres) as their fish tank? I’m starting to think there might be some potential for aquaponics on my block…

Comment on Growing Massive Fruit Trees in Aquaponics by steffen

steffen — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:57:39 +0000

When I was a kid I lived in Guyana in South America. We had a papaya field accross the street, so I know them well. In Guyana the names pawpaw and papaya are used interchangably. Perhaps there is a difference from a biological point of view, and perhaps in some cultures, but I can see what leads Murray to calling these fruits pawpaws. Millions of other people do the same.

Comment on Gammarus: Nature’s Waste Disposal Unit by Damon

Damon — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:33:56 +0000

many things go into the stabilization of an ecosystem. the calcium in their shell does act as a natural buffer when mineralized by the other detritivores. but we cannot forget that these gammarus are just a part of the system.

in many of the floating raft systems here in the U.S.A. we use mosquito fish as well as the gammarus in the troughs. when the mosquito fish die their bodies are eaten by the detritivores sure as gammarus and their scales, soft bones, and the rest of the dead mosquito fish is cleaned up by the gammarus and other hungry mosquito fish.

but in short, to answer the question, yes. lol. the more natural like the ecosystem becomes, the more the system itself becomes like an animal striving for survival. every organism in the system acts just like the organisms in our bodies, each with their own job and survival in mind individually, but collectively adding balance to the overall systems health. i know that sounds real “down to earth” like, but again i refer to natural lakes and streams as a reference… they don’t need help from people to survive… and since a raft system is just like a stream in many facets, it should be about as equally easy to keep a system healthy as it is to keep a pond or stream healthy. note i said :should be,” because some people’s systems aren’t quite there yet.

Comment on Gammarus: Nature’s Waste Disposal Unit by admin

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:15:38 +0000

Thanks Damon for your excellent article and followup comment. One thing you might want to comment on is the ability of the system to stay pH neutral over time. I remember reading somewhere that the shell of the Gammarus was calcium and this helps (possibly) to buffer the system naturally from becoming too acetic over time which most mature gravel systems without Gammarus tend to do. Is this correct?

Comment on Gammarus: Nature’s Waste Disposal Unit by Damon

Damon — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:05:55 +0000

these guys do wonders for the floating raft systems. really any system that will have a solid settling net tank will benefit from these guys.

the use and understanding of all of the organisms that can call an AP system home will bring the ecosystem closer and closer to full circle. completing the food chain with every link accounted for will bring about the sustainability of an aquaponic system.

there is still much to figure out, but once we start paying more attention to the microbes and detritivores, we’ll be able to have our systems growing their won food just like streams in rivers do… as AP’ers, we’re cutting into mother natures feed portion and not considering the lower ends of the food chain… give a system the space to grow it’s own food by converting the suns energy into micro-edible product, then you’ll have the bottom rungs of the food chain. once you get the bottom rungs established, the need for hand feeding your systems will be a thing of the past.

with a raft system you’re essentially creating a stream… and i don’t know about you guys, but i haven’t seen many people hand feeding the streams they fish from… and yet, the fish still live, and plants still grow on the banks of the water.

Comment on Building a Raised Bed Garden by admin

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:26:41 +0000

One important point that needs to be made about this raised tank garden. Tbere is NO metal Bottom to the Tank Garden. It has no base. The tank is just a hoop to hold all your organic matter in. Water is allowed to escape at the bottom and leach out into the surrounding soil. Do not use tanks with a metal base. If you have a tank with a metal base – consider turning it into a Wicking Bed Garden. Some people say wicking beds are the very best way to garden because you will never need to water your garden.

Read about how to make one here:

http://www.ecofilms.com.au/2010/12/14/create-a-wicking-bed-garden-for-easy-vegetable-growing-powered-by-fishwater/

Comment on Building a Raised Bed Garden by admin

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:16:29 +0000

Try and keep away from Glossy magazine type paper or paper and cardboard with a high gloss surface finish as they take longer to break down. Newspapers and brown cardboard with those little corrugations in them used to pack TVs, stereo equipment, computers etc is ideal. Ideally use whole newspapers to mulch – not a few sheets – the thicker the better. The fat Sunday editions. Wet them down so they are nice and soggy and overlay them nice and thick before applying other surface mulch etc.

Comment on Building a Raised Bed Garden by cliffmama

cliffmama — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:38:47 +0000

If trying to grow organic veggies – is there any concern about what chemicals (e.g., dyes, glues) in the cardboard/paper layer might get into the veggies? By the way, I do love the graphic / cross section picture. Good way to describe it!