Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Okay March came in like a lion, now waiting for the lamb part to happen.

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Brian's AP
I don't understand all I know about this
Specs: 2600 gallon (347.56cf) Masonry fish pond. 44cf GBs. 200 gal (26.7cf) ST. 15 gal (2cf) RFF. 50 gal (6.7cf) biofilter. Brook trout and Comets.

we're in the lovely shoulder season now... one day its 50 and sunny then the next day it turns to rain and before you know it we're at 20 and snow again... I am quickly deciding that winter is not the worst season but spring is... because when you've had an awful winter and everyone is depressed and looking forward to spring you finally think spring is here just to have it thrown back in your face that it's still winter... but yesterday was the official first day of spring and we got a lot of rain to show it. Still waiting for the frost to finish coming out of the ground... lots of water sitting on the surface waiting to make its way underground. I walk across my yard and sink about 3 inches right now due to how soft it is.

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Rob
My greenhouse / aquaponics adventure
My DIY PVC Hoop House

Yes Brian, I am waiting for the lamb, too.
Grilled and marinated, please.
Since my last post two more snow storms, extremely wet and 6 inches of rain on top of it.
What ya think it is doing right now ?
Sleeting and snowing and raining and sleeting, buuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaa.
We are now at close to 9 feet total snowfall for the winter.

The good thing, I can sea already water in my big pond. The ground is saturated under the snow, yeeha, and now the run off is starting.
Spring when ever she comes, will be spectacular.

Now it is snowing, hard, again, oh well, more water.

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3 Dogs, 2 Pigs and a Bier

The area were I live is called Boggy Draw, for good reason.
If you get currently of the gravel, you vanish in the mud under the snow.
It is snowing again, already 1 inch on the ground

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3 Dogs, 2 Pigs and a Bier

Well, when ever I think spring may be coming and I plan to take the snow tires of my vehicle, its starts snowing again.
Yesterday was around 17C mid 70F.
Today -1C, chill -8C and it snowing hard, white out conditions.
The snow has been melting fast and the run off is a monster.
My big pond went in 2 weeks from empty to overflowing full.
First time in over 10 years, that that happened

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3 Dogs, 2 Pigs and a Bier

one more pic

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3 Dogs, 2 Pigs and a Bier

Yep. Spring is going to be beautiful this year. I too can not wait for it to stabilize. It was weird blizzardy at dusk, barely snowing, tons of wind, I built a fire and the outside temp immediately went up to forty! It seems like I need to setup the air-conditioner, but keep the fireplace ready to go, lol That pond looks awesome. I didn't measure the snow or many rain storms, but it came down in one form or another about once a week all Winter. Mostly the rains soaked in, which is exactly what we needed. The Sapello River actually looks like a little river this year. We had 90 - 100 mile an hour gusts after the Bomb Cyclone last month, which took out 100 year old Ponderosa Pine trees up the valley. Lot's of free firewood laying by the roads. Exciting times, no?
Brian

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Brian's AP
I don't understand all I know about this
Specs: 2600 gallon (347.56cf) Masonry fish pond. 44cf GBs. 200 gal (26.7cf) ST. 15 gal (2cf) RFF. 50 gal (6.7cf) biofilter. Brook trout and Comets.

February 26 I measured the highest snow on the ground, 5 feet 9 inches. Than the warm up started and despite the weekly foot of snow, extremely wet, the snow at my measuring point never got higher.
My weather station measured 50 cm of water, 1. of Jan to 31. of March.
That is massive
But what it really means, how deep the moisture in the ground is.
I had to burry one of my horses and I found moisture 6 feet deep.
The bomb developed over my area and brought 3 inches rain and 2 feet of extremely wet snow, plus the winds.
The road to the valley was closed by a rockslide, rocks the size of a large van.
Everything is white again, 3 inches of wet snow and -4C.
Mrs Goose has moved into the hut on the pond and is sitting on her eggs, which means Spring has arrived.

I have pots every were in the Wintergarden, cantelope, toms, peppers, cus waiting for good weather.
In the greenhouse the potatoes are going, the strawberry pots are blooming and in the basement the potatoes are sprouting.
Everything and everybody is just itching and waiting for nice steady warm weather.

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3 Dogs, 2 Pigs and a Bier

Spring was strange and an average of 10 degrees cooler than normal.
It snowed first week of June again, 6 inches.
Last week end we had 2 night frosts, 31F.
Had to bring all the potted plants inside and cover everything in the growing beds.
Cleaned up my little hot tub system. Fresh water and new plants in the grow beds.
I have 2 coy left from last year. They wintered inside in a small aquarium and have not grown much.
Still snake food. I had a 350 gallon cattle trove. I plumped it into the system and than moved the 2.
Now they have some room to grow.
2 small coy is not enough.
I have a total of 700 gallons and I think around 8 fish for the 4 barrel halves will do.

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3 Dogs, 2 Pigs and a Bier

I decided to make that stock tank permanently and put a frame around it.
I will insulate the frame with 2 inch foambords and than plank it with cedar. Same for the little stock tank as a waterfall. For the time being I wrapped the black tanks with silver bubble wrap insulation. It will prevent the sun from hitting the black. Its already toasty enough outside 94F. Next week will cool down a little and might bring some rain.
I installed a little pump today to circulate the water.
A hit with the fish they love to play around the current.

I have a problem with my plants, the leaves are turning yellowish.
What are they missing ?
The system is cycled.

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3 Dogs, 2 Pigs and a Bier

Can't really tell for sure on the plants but based on what you wrote earlier about only having a couple of fish it could be a nitrogen deficiency and you'll likely see other nutrients in short supply soon unless there's a reservoir of nutrients stored in the system somewhere. New growth of the plant looks pretty green so I don't think it's an iron deficiency.

Morning Scotty
I have added 5 more fish, but they are all small, snake bait.
Before I installed that little jet pump, they were just very lazy and not active, just hanging around. They did not eat much.
Yesterday afternoon, after playing with the current, I could watch them, for the first time, that they were actually going for the floating pellets.
Nitrogen could be the problem, considering the size of the fish.
I have supplemented with Iron and potassium.
Lets see what happens next.

Thanks for the answer, stay cool.

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3 Dogs, 2 Pigs and a Bier

Compared to a big part of the U.S. were pretty lucky here in western Oregon - it's just barely supposed to tap 90 F this week (that's around 32 C for you Aussies).

Cheers

The plants are improving and the fish are eating very well, increased the amount of food. I built a little deck around the trove, with whit cedar rough cuts.
Some peppers are on the plants. In the former hot tube, since it has no fish alga grows are quiet strong, once in a while string, but it always vanishes again.
I am trying to get some cold water snails and maybe a cold water, alga eating fish, have to wait till the store is done remodeling.
Tested the water, looks good.

Had 3 mm of rain and the temps dropped into the upper 80s

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3 Dogs, 2 Pigs and a Bier

Love your wood work Gnoibs.