I learnt a thing or two about aquaponics by building my own and after attending an aquaponics conference in Hawaii last June. I learnt that five Australian cities occupied the top six positions in keyword searches for ‘aquaponics’, followed only by Honolulu. These cities have a keen interest in leading the way towards creating sustainable food production with minimum carbon footprint. This is truly an excellent way to grow vegetables and fish, and at the same time, recycle the water over and over again.
After examining many commercially available and backyard aquaponics setups, I have learnt that many aquaponics systems do not cater for the needs of fish. The Fish Vet’s system puts the health and welfare of fish at the forefront and yet does not compromise the productivity of plants.
The stand alone system is fully self-contained, is environmentally friendly and has a low carbon footprint because it is made partially from recycled materials. It is truly self-sufficiency made simple.
The system can also be customised to suit your needs.
Place an order today on page 9 of the shopping cart – http://thefishvet.com.au/shop/shopping.html
Follow me on: Facebook "Fin Page" – YouTube – Blog – Linkedin – Twitter
—
Yours sincerely,
Dr Richmond Loh DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology) Murdoch, MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology), CertAqV.
Aquatic Veterinarian | Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University | President-elect WAVMA |
Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter – ANZCVS.
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA.
Mobile Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services for fish and other aquatic creatures.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383
I dont believe for one second that this is set up by a vet….. let alone a fish specialist….. where is the bio filter?
There is no way in hell that that amount of plants is enough to remove enough toxins to keep fish safe.
This is nothing but a scam.
LikeLike
You are correct that, if there is no biofilter, it’s not set up right for fish. Ah, but what you don’t see is actually in there. I have an internal filter box surrounding the pump which the water is drawn through as the biofilter. And yes, I am a veterinarian with ‘some’ fish experience.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Richmond Loh
DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology) Murdoch, MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology), CertAqV.
Aquatic Veterinarian | Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University | President-elect WAVMA |
Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter – ANZCVS.
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA.
Mobile Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services for fish and other aquatic creatures.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383
LikeLike
Please desist the temptation to jump on the “aquaponics” bandwagon if you have no real understanding
And it’s obvious you don’t…
An “internal filter box” might trap some of the solids wastes… but it will not act as a bio-filter… it will just either become a festering anaerobic fish killer…. or require constant cleaning…
What you have is a poorly designed aquarium… not an aquaponics system…
And if by your own admissions… ” it’s not set up right for fish”.. then why are you as vet… even advertising it.. let alone selling it…
Please withdraw the “system”… before anyone unfortunate person kills their fish
LikeLike
“The Fish Vet’s system puts the health and welfare of fish at the forefront and yet does not compromise the productivity of plants.”
The statement above.. and the system pictured… shows your complete lack of knowledge of either aquaponics.. or basic fish keeping…
What a load of complete nonsense..
LikeLike
“After examinng many commercially available and backyard aquaponics setups, I have learnt is that many aquaponics systems do not cater for the needs of fish. The Fish Vet’s system puts the health and welfare of fish at the forefront and yet does not compromise the productivity of plants.”
A well designed aquaponic system, with the correct gravel:fish ratio, does cater to the needs and health of the fish, better than all but the most high tech aquaculture operations… and DOES NOT require a separate bio-filter… the gravel filled grow bed IS the bio-filter. Also, looking at your system, the productivity, in regards to plants, is certainly compromised… did you take any notes while at the conference in Hawaii?
Selling that unresearched, untested system (yes, I said untested… you’ve only just finished building it, there are no plants and the uncovered IBC walls would be caked in algae if it had been running for more than a few days) and passing it off as the pinnacle of aquaponic systems, while prominently quoting your academic credentials at any opportunity in an attempt to support your claims… is extremely unprofessional… from someone that should be setting the highest of standards. You have allowed yourself to fall into the same category as the Fly-by-night Youtube charlatans… very disappointing.
LikeLike
The internal filter works like any aquarium that has an internal filter. It’s on 24/7. I have chosen to avoid grow beds with continuous water flow because it’s difficult to supply oxygenated water evenly to the plant roots. An ebb and flow technique with a grow bed is possible, but there are several problems with it. The first is that the fish require their water to be constantly filtered but the ebb and flow technique means that it’d only be intermittently filtered. Secondly, in Australia’s harsh summer, I fear the roots of the plants would burn in the ceramic clay substrate. Thirdly, there is no easy way to clean the substrate and detritus will build up in the grow bed, creating anoxic conditions. I avoid deep water technique for growing plants because fish will nibble at the roots, retarding plant growth. Also, with deep water plant culture rafts will decrease the water surface area and I believe it’s important for fish to have access to the air in case pumps fail. After much research, speaking with aquaponics experts and from my own experience, I’ve come to the conclusion that the nutrient film technique would work the best for aquaponics. It’s easy to maintain and above all, it’s simple. It means fewer things can go wrong.
Algae could be an issue. But with fish culture, some fish are grown in green ponds. If algae grows on the sides, all the better because this gives fish something to graze on through the day and the algae can utilise some of the nutrients in the water. When the vascular plants above start growing, they will outcompete the algae for the nutrients and also provide shade with their foliage. I don’t see it as being a major problem, but it’s more a visual issue.
We can keep the debate going till the cows come home, because this is the great debate that’s being had by aquaponics enthusiasts all around the world. I would appreciate if you avoid using personal attacks and claims against me. Let’s keep the debate healthy. I appreciate that some plants grow better in different medium/techniques, but all in all, I’m very happy with this design. We can agree to disagree. Anyway, we can wait and see what the outcome is in time.
LikeLike
Myself and others aren’t “making claims against you”… We are questioning your knowledge of, and experience with aquaponics… and from your last reply it’s very evident you have very little of either.
There is nothing personal in it, the reason we do it is not because we dislike you personally, we don’t even know you. Rather it’s because the system you are promoting and selling… will not work!… unless you are only looking at stocking a couple of fish. You obviously haven’t trialled it, so why would you try and sell it to others?… I would’ve thought, what with the extensive academic background you obviously have, that you would’ve run extensive trials before promoting any system to potential customers.
What is the filtration capacity of the internal filter, that we can’t see… and how many fish do you suppose this system will safely support?
LikeLike
Also, and I’m being helpful here… If the heat of Australian summers was a primary concern when designing an aquaponic system… NFT is the last method I would choose to run.
The ceramic clay pellets you refer to are expanded clay, which are porous, and probably the best option, when used in conjunction with a flood and drain technique, for keeping the root systems of plants cool in the heat of summer. The overwhelming majority of private aquaponic systems run gravel filled grow beds, containing either expanded clay, blue metal, or scoria… and the root systems of the plants do not dry out during the drain period, even in summer.
I don’t know where you drew your information from when forming your list cons against using gravel filled grow beds for backyard aquaponic systems, but I would look for another more reliable and experienced source of information… such as the two leading Australian aquaponic forums.
Also, fish nibbling on the root systems of the plants in a Deep Water Culture system, is not a problem… because the fish aren’t usually kept in the DWC beds, rather in a separate fish tank.
Cheers!
LikeLike