Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all,
I am planning an Aquaponic setup for an orphanage in Thailand, specifically at Baan Tharn Namchai which is about 25ks south of Phang Nga

Do we have anyone close to that area?

I don't think I need help with the basics, but local help would be great as far as fish and plant species and also where to find cheep supplys.

Regards from York,

John Fenn

I'm in Chonburi, eastern part, a thousand km from Pang-nga.

I think in thailand concrete is the cheapest choice.
Thailand is one of leading food production country. AP, compare to the normal agriculture, may be expensive choice.

Fish Food (vegetable fish) is about 25 Baht/kg while fish is about 30-70 Baht/kg.
If your FCR is 2 so 2 Kg of fish food can get 1 kg of fish. This mean sometime you pay 50 Baht but get only 30 Baht.
You need to focus on cheap/free feed like duck weed, waste human food, green water, rice bran, rotifer etc.


The system should be as cheap as possible
Forget about Fiber Glass component.
500 L plastic thank is 1700 B. If you want 5 cubicMeter you have to pay 17 KBaht.
If you built from concrete Material cost should be about a few thousand B.

The system should be large since the test kit is expensive compare to the food.
Roof is necessary because it's located at rainy part of Thailand, hot and rainy.

These things should be taken in to account early at the design stage.

I think component can easily find in near big town like Phuket.
Chokd Dee krap

if you make the system for school labor cost can be free, the villager can help you.
Fiber glass is about 10 kb/cubicMeter
IBC Should be another good choice. I'm not sure for price but about a few thousand baht each. But may be difficult to find there. There are a lot in Chonburi, many Factory.

Anyway I think AP is too difficult for children, you may need someone take care the system.

Thai AP document are really rare, That's why i'm here on this web board.

Member "DuiNui" was around Chiang Mai... but I think has now moved... he has done a lot of researching where to get aquaponics related stuff in Thailand...

Here's a couple of his threads...

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=7501&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8339&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

And another recent member "Bill" ... lives about 65km southwest of Khampaeng Phet near the Mae Wong national park ...

viewtopic.php?f=45&t=9022&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

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Fresh By Nature - Distributor of Aquaponic Systems and Products in NSW
http://www.freshbynature.com.au

Well Ao+

Thank you for that wonderful insight. I think you know exactly what you mean.

A few years ago I was asked to provide dental care for 100 kids. After months of research into setting up a clinic, staffing it, raising the money etc it turned out that the best way to do it was to send the kids to a local dentist and for us to pay the bill. It has worked out at $A100 per week, and everybody benefits. The kids get a dentist who speaks Thai, the dentist makes some money and we get our kids looked after.

I think it will be better for us to find the money, and trust the Thai's and Farangs at the orphanage spend the money the best way.

khorb koon krub

John Fenn BDSc

Hi John.
Hmm.. That's may be the best way.
If the school has large land and water is not issue, they should grow the dirt garden.

ChookDee
Ao+

Hello,

My name is ken, i'm new to the boards. I run a (small) plastics company in california. I go to thailand once a year, but this year its not looking good. Anyways, Keep this handy, when it comes close to the time to go back. I would love to donate some nice plastic sheeting to your cause! free no charge, nada. I like what you're doing and I would love to help.

Keep doing what you are doing!

ken

IMO if you are introducing children to gardening start and finish organically. Also in addition to soil gardening you could try containers or large raised beds fill with a medium of manure one part, coco coir power one part, and rice hulls one part. Plants grown nicely in that mix and not so much work as digging in the soil.

very informative post. nice to see so many people posting from thailand.

Welcome to the forum Joe.

Let see farang system in Koh Tao.
http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenEvolutions
Expensive one, I couldn't see break event point.

thanks. some of his videos prompted me to do some googling, helping me to find this place. then seeing the tower setup photo here on samui convinced me to sign up. i will go up soon and take a look at what he's done there, i was amazed that he'd try something on such a large scale.

any foreigner doing business here must be reminded that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. you can buy all of the nicest and newest equipment and gadgets that you'd like but i think they will be but a few of the weak links. forward thinking, planning, is essential to farming and gardening and those are in very short supply when the locals are only concerned about the next bowl of rice.

May be what we see is not real.
I heard many foreigners buy properties or do businesses for money laundering in Pattaya.

Making commercial AP in an island may be good or bad idea.
The pro is you are in (almost) isolate market, less competitor.
The con is everything is expensive.
But if you can sell expensive product may be business can survive.

Anyway I think expensive AP system can not make break event point here in Thailand.

time will tell. i have had a soil vegetable garden here for years and honestly it is way too much work for little reward. i would spend some money on insect netting and fish tank/AP simply so that i can do a little bit less work and have more time for relaxing and enjoying the covered and shaded garden.

you seem to over estimate AP. I did that so I stick here on English forum, tiredly read & write English.( if you live in Thailand you know how bad is our English)
A few years ago when I found AP, searched on the internet all information about AP was too good to be true.

Read through this viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11519

My conclusion of studying AP for commercial for a few years is
We need to reduce investment cost to be lower than Hydroponics. For Thailand only other country I don't know.