ph0rque

53 ms·

541.
The price of LEDs is falling so fast it’s profitable to farm in NJ nightclub(qz.com)
3 points by ph0rque 10y ago|0 comments
542.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Yay, fixed! Thanks to my brother, license2e.
543.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Another factor to consider is the air pressure. If you cover up the fish tank, and add the air bubbler, the pressure will increase, which will increase the dissolution of oxygen into the water.
544.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Hey Josh, the advantages are similar as compared to a garden, except the containers solve some of the problems (such as optimal watering). Probably the biggest advantage is you get fish as part of your harvest.
545.
by ph0rque 10y ago
You would need to put it in a greenhouse to protect from frost.
546.
by ph0rque 10y ago
1. I'm not in CA, but from what I read it seems like raising tilapia in CA would be legally difficult. You do have other fish choices, such as catfish crappie, perch, and bluegill. 2. I haven't been able to find a lot of hard fact
547.
by ph0rque 10y ago
The sand-based system is based on Dr. McMurtry's aquaponics research at NC State University. Here are a list of publications about it: http://iavs.info/publications/ * In general, course sand is a great substrate
548.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Yes, the 'aqua' part is well developed in the aquaculture field.
549.
by ph0rque 10y ago
I'll let you know. But I hope to find/develop a better medium before then ( http://blog.automicrofarm.com/post/142436464771/mushroom-med... ).
550.
by ph0rque 10y ago
I realize the gravel vs. sand debate is a bit contentious, but I haven't had any blockage in the two months I have been running the system, despite claims of that the sand will become clogged within hours or days. In fact, the sand med
551.
by ph0rque 10y ago
The cost is ~$100 more per container (from what I could find), so the whole system ends up costing $300 more, at least. Is it worth the color change?
552.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Just talked to someone who also says raccoons will be a problem. I guess the best solution would be to have a lid/cover for your fish tank.
553.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Huh, when I type out https://www.automicrofarm.com/ , I get redirected to https://automicrofarm.com/ with no warning, on Chrome. What browser are you using? I thought about replacing the top photo with this
554.
by ph0rque 10y ago
1. Tilapia, perch, and catfish are popular. I have catfish in mine. You just have to match the temperature requirements to your climate/area. 2. You would get the fish at a fish hatchery, there should be one near you. This is something
555.
by ph0rque 10y ago
1. This may be true with aquaculture, but in backyard-sized aquaponics, where you're not trying to breed fish, I feel there's really not that much labor involved. And the feed not only feeds the fish, it's later re-used as fe
556.
by ph0rque 10y ago
It's hard to find a 12" (30cm) deep medium that would allow for fruiting plants such as tomatoes, be lighter than water, and not just be a support structure such as polyurethane foam (i.e. not having roots grow through it).
557.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Waves Make sure to mention the free installation to your community! (I may limit this to a small initial number of customers, we'll see how it goes). I have an HOA, as well. In our bylaws, we're allowed a garden of 50 square fee
558.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Yup, I'm in touch with Rory of FarmBot. I would really like to solve the hassle of how heavy and inconvenient sand is, perhaps by replacing it with e.g. mushroom media: http://blog.automicrofarm.com/post/1424364647
559.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Do you mean the initial set up, or the ongoing maintenance? Edit: I don't have an exact answer for you, but assuming you can get the system set up for less than $350 (either yourself, or by hiring an installer), that statement is true.
560.
by ph0rque 10y ago
If evaporation is a serious issue, you could cover up most of the fish tank (but be sure to add an air bubbler so there's enough oxygen for the fish). Also, if you dig a hole for the fish tank (like I didn't) that should help with
561.
by ph0rque 10y ago
My initial proof-of-concept produced 10 lbs/square foot annually, not counting the fish. This system should be more productive, but only time will tell. If this system has similar levels of productivity, it would produce 360 lbs annual
562.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Thanks! Where would you like to see that info, in the blog post or on the landing page? Edit: thanks again for the tip, I'll add that to the homepage.
563.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Here are just a few advantages over a traditional garden: * You get fish * Better yield, due to items mentioned below * The optimal watering cycle, followed by a drain cycle, means the plants get the air, water, and nutrients they need mult
564.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Check out the Ground to Air Heat Transfer tech in the Ceres Greenhouses link. It acts as a temperature stabilizer while using very little energy.
565.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Yes, my vision is for every house to have a food-grow room, just like most houses had root cellars ~100 years ago. I really like Ceres greenhouses ( http://www.ceresgs.com/ ), as well as Open Building Institute's aquapon
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by ph0rque 10y ago
If you eat mostly plants, two of these systems will provide 90%+ of your food (assuming you have a greenhouse to put it in, or live in a place that stays warm year-round). The fastest-growing fish used for aquaponics is tilapia, which can r
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by ph0rque 10y ago
The whole premise of aquaponics is that you don't need soil, just something that holds the roots in place and allows fish waste to be converted to plant fertilizer by the bacteria.
568.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Thanks for your comments! - In my experience, the fish do a very good job of eating any mosquito larvae and other insects that happen to fall into the pool. - Depending on how you would want to set up the AutoMicroFarm, there would be plent
569.
by ph0rque 10y ago
Yes, I drilled a small hole near the top of the fish tank. I'll update my blog to mention this.
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by ph0rque 10y ago
Yes, you would need to top off in times of little rain. Unless you have a ton of rain, I don't see losing the nutrients as a problem. That is something I looked into. For $150-$200, you can buy a kit containing the DC pump, a battery,

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