I learnt a lot today

tcshad

I don't have a problem with people making money or monetising their knowledge... assuming they know what they're talking about. This guy doesn't sound like it.

Also I never get involved in political or religious conversations

Food&Fish

Heard on the grapevine around Ballarat theres flyer's being posted on various bill boards offering short coarse in Aquaponics buy the said person

earthbound

Why would you want to do that course, when you can do the aquaponics university course instead... Only about 1 hour a day at your own pace, online , and you can be finished in less than 2 weeks... Bloody brilliant... The backyard course is only $995, and the commercial course is $2500, but it's still only an hour a day online and you are finished in less than 2 weeks..... Wooo hooo... And with one of their systems in a greenhouse only 16′ x 33′ (about 10m x 5m) you can:

Quote:

This small farm will feed ten adults an one child all the food they will need to be healthy – FOREVER.

And you can learn how to do that in less than 14 hours of online study... :thumbright:

RupertofOZ

earthbound wrote:

And with one of their systems in a greenhouse only 16′ x 33′ (about 10m x 5m) you can:

Quote:

This small farm will feed ten adults an one child all the food they will need to be healthy – FOREVER.

Really.... this one... 8mtr x 24 mtr... was designed to supplement the food for ten people...

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5725

Admittedly... it's not a DWC operation.. and there's un-utilised space....

Feeding the world... or the family... one lettuce sandwich at a time.... :lol:

RupertofOZ

By the way... heres a couple of pics... for those that might be interested...

The system....

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The grow bed... (looks like they might be lined)

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Can't see the water distribution to the grow bed.... and if it's siphoned... then it can't be an "ebb & flow".. bottom up fill, drain the crud back through the pump system... :dontknow:

And last.. but not least.... here's the two trout... that he pulled from his system.... and smoked....

Presumably not the system(s) shown/posted... that were only built a month ago.... :wink:

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Edited : Forgot to mention... the fish tank in the "new" kit systems.. is about 1mtr x 1mtr x 650mm ...

RupertofOZ

P.S Grownathome... as I said... you could build an equivalent, or better... properly functional IBC system for $500...

Or a three bed IBC system for < $1000...

I know it wouldn't look as attractive... but if you know anyone that wants a system that looks like that...

Please let me know.... and I'll fly down business class... stay in a good hotel... buy the IBC, pump etc....

Grab some marine ply, hardwood and linseed oil....

Spend a couple of nights living the good life... and fly back home... still with a weeks wages in my pocket... for a days work....

Please call... :mrgreen:

P.S... please don't send them to Dean at http://www.growfresh-aquaponics.com.au/

He'll sell them a completely functional, proven BYAP kit sytem... backed by years of experience... both BYAP and Deans own systems... for half the price....

And I need a holiday...

slowRider

Rupert, Affnan has a bell siphon where the media guard has almost the same inner diameter as the cap for the bell so there's no room for media to fall between the bell and the guard up top and he buries it in the media. I'll be doing something like that when I start my IBC system... whenever that happens.... This guy may be doing that... or he might just have the bell buried completely and have no media guard

My wife works for a interior design store that caters to very wealthy clients (many of them are professional athletes, actors and musicians) and they've found that the clients are more willing to purchase something if it is extravagantly priced. To me, expensive systems are the antithesis of the whole idea of aquaponics, but it might appeal to a certain crowd.

But it does look pretty...

RupertofOZ

It's not the siphon I'm questioning Slowrider... where's the water entry to the grow bed...

But that's a minor point.... there's more fundamental flaws in the system design... especially with the 2-3 bed system...

Matthew

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Anybody know much about this

Has some flash looking little kits with flashy large price tags, dvd's worth thousands elsewhere for only $120 , bargain.

Training facilities look pristine also. wwwdot1aquaponicsdotcomdotau

Would be interested in finding more out about this

Cheers

Charlie

Yea they have been around for a while.

I like the "been advocating aquaponics for 15 years" :think:

neogenix

Wow, tough crowd... Thankfully I've been safe from the usual slew of 'online experts', however murray did actually get me into Aquaponics initially with his videos. That said, the responsible thing to do is to read, read, read, read, and read... before you try build, or install a system, and that holds true for more than just Aquaponics though. Marine aquariums, and cars, come to mind...

uber39

tough crowd indeed, I've been growing AP for a while now and loving it. Good info ( not just general info ) is hard to come by, yes I read a lot , I also hate asking of other peoples time and knowledge as it took them time and effort to learn it so why should they give it away for free.
Me, I'm just a Stonemason by trade.I did my apprenticeship took 4 years and got the trade papers to prove it, not that anybody ever has asked to see them.
I learn a lot by just doing it, if it works that's great, if not why not ?
Does anyone have a cert 3 or 4 in Aquaponics ??
How do we trust anybody??
Has anybody here actually talked to Alfcon ?? I have and I still do, I thought long and hard about it before I went and did Alfcon's weekend course. And I'm glad that I did do it, it was great to meet a person with the passion, hunger and excitement for AP .
I find it sad to see anyone bagged so badly for just trying to do the right thing, He has helped me and others here in Ballarat and not put his hand out once for payment ( not a good way to start a business )
Is he a friend of mine ?? I'd like to think so.
Is this why I'm defending him ?? not at all, Alfcon and his wife Leisa have done a lot for our local community and not asked for anything in return except to be a part of the community.
Ian.

Dave Donley

You can learn as much any of the "Gurus" that are mentioned by taking two containers and putting a pump between them, fish in one, plants and media (gravel is cheap) in the other. Start a member's thread here and away you go. It's a well-hidden secret but that is how several of these experts got started as well, just a few years ago in fact, and some not even that long ago.

The analogy I use is that people have raised livestock for thousands of years and the vast majority of them were not trained professional veterinarians. Do you need to attend a course for $1000 to raise goats or chickens? Buy a $100 DVD?

Start small. Start now. (a new .sig coming on?) If you're trying to jump immediately to commercial operation then you're going to have a bad time.

earthbound

After receiving emails threatening legal action I have deleted a number of posts from this thread. They had requested that I remove the entire thread, but I believe any posts that may be considered malicious or personal have now been removed.

As I tried to explain to them, I'm stuck in the middle, I try to offer everyone the chance to voice their opinions freely, however now and then people take offence to others opinions. I have deleted what I consider to be any posts that may have been personal or derogatory in any way.

When posting in this thread and any other thread, please try and keep in mind that posts which offer opinion and/or reviews of products and services are fine, however derogatory statements just cause me trouble...

jim

Dave Donley wrote:

You can learn as much any of the "Gurus" that are mentioned by taking two containers and putting a pump between them, fish in one, plants and media (gravel is cheap) in the other. Start a member's thread here and away you go. It's a well-hidden secret but that is how several of these experts got started as well, just a few years ago in fact, and some not even that long ago.

The analogy I use is that people have raised livestock for thousands of years and the vast majority of them were not trained professional veterinarians. Do you need to attend a course for $1000 to raise goats or chickens? Buy a $100 DVD?

Start small. Start now. (a new .sig coming on?) If you're trying to jump immediately to commercial operation then you're going to have a bad time.

I Agree.
Jim.

Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics