Hey guys
I'm about to put together my aquaponics (barrel-ponics) setup over the next couple of weeks. The setup is pretty small - 2 grow beds from a single 55 galon drum, and 2 50L crayfish enclosures (each one will only be filled to about 30L).
I'm using a small 600lph pump, 10-20mm clayballs as growing medium. Not sure how big of a water heater I'll need as the greenhouse is heated and will not drop below 15C (60F) - its hot as at the moment anyway so I'll sus that out once the temperature starts dropping.
Crayfish I'm using are NZ native freshwater crays (koura) http://www.clearwatercrayfish.co.nz/koura.html and these guys seem to be comfortable with pH anywhere from 5-7 so I'll set it at about 6 which seems to be pretty mint for a bunch of chinenses that I'm going to grow.
I'm planning to grow 2 plants per half-barrel so 4 plants all up. So far the plan is to grow: choc reaper, regular reaper, and the other two I'm not sure about. Definitely chinenses though.
I'm hoping to put this all together next weekend once I pick up the rest of the bits and pieces and will post an update. The crayfish won't be going in for a least two weeks after i left it running to make sure the water quality is spot on, etc. And the seedlings should be ready by mid-march hopefully.
I'm about to put together my aquaponics (barrel-ponics) setup over the next couple of weeks. The setup is pretty small - 2 grow beds from a single 55 galon drum, and 2 50L crayfish enclosures (each one will only be filled to about 30L).
I'm using a small 600lph pump, 10-20mm clayballs as growing medium. Not sure how big of a water heater I'll need as the greenhouse is heated and will not drop below 15C (60F) - its hot as at the moment anyway so I'll sus that out once the temperature starts dropping.
Crayfish I'm using are NZ native freshwater crays (koura) http://www.clearwatercrayfish.co.nz/koura.html and these guys seem to be comfortable with pH anywhere from 5-7 so I'll set it at about 6 which seems to be pretty mint for a bunch of chinenses that I'm going to grow.
I'm planning to grow 2 plants per half-barrel so 4 plants all up. So far the plan is to grow: choc reaper, regular reaper, and the other two I'm not sure about. Definitely chinenses though.
![2015_02_07_16_04_03.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fs7.postimg.org%2Fqg0b6stuj%2F2015_02_07_16_04_03.jpg&hash=a7d09cbcfb90e5a71ede34d1f3a0c795)
![2015_02_07_16_04_18.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fs15.postimg.org%2Fr7byjnm57%2F2015_02_07_16_04_18.jpg&hash=4d1e4139dc9ff399c208afa289021e77)
I'm hoping to put this all together next weekend once I pick up the rest of the bits and pieces and will post an update. The crayfish won't be going in for a least two weeks after i left it running to make sure the water quality is spot on, etc. And the seedlings should be ready by mid-march hopefully.