GaryD

SuperStewie, If you want my recommendation for a small demonstration system, I'd suggest that you consider the Integrated Aqua-Vegetable System (iAVs)...for the following reasons: The design embodies the most cost-effective mechanical and biological filtration to be found in any of the aquaponics variants...very useful for a system that is going to be of compact size. iAVs will grow the widest variety of crops of all aquaponics variants. iAVs is the most productive, resilient and sustainable of all of the aquaponics variants. You can read more about the iAVs method on www.iavs.info.http://www.iavs.info Gary

Good move, VKN. I've long advocated a broader approach to integrated food production through Microponics...and, more recently, waste transformation farming. It's a logical extension in a place like India. Are you obliged, as part of the conditions of the government grants that you received, to produce reports that will become publicly available?

Like most of the rest of the world, I was persuaded that Facebook was the place to be...and, in terms of being where almost everyone else is, that's a demonstrable truth. Once you get there, however, you find yourself confronted by the age-old battle between quality and quantity. Almost every deadbeat, troll and skidmark has a place on Facebook...where the right to have one's say clearly comes before truth, fact and human decency. I'm moving most of my interaction with the broader world back to my discussion forum and my blog. Obscurity is a fatal condition for any social media platform so what time I have available for talking about my integrated food production interests will be spent in places where it does the most good.

SuperStewie....your questions about feeding rates lack context. When you talk about aquaponics, what particular variant were you thinking of...raft, media or NFT. What size fish? What type of feed? What does 'filtratration' mean? The FAO manual has regrettably bought into the silly idea of the basic flood and drain system which relies on the media to perform the mechanical and biological filtration functions. Tiny systems are skewed in terms of the operating regimes that apply to them. Nothing in the way of prescriptions or guidelines that allegedly apply to larger systems will be of much use below a certain size..

I've responded to your question by PM...for what good it did me.

I agree. I remember the nonsense that was directed your way (on BYAP) during your formative days. You've come a long way since then.

Have you considered not using bell syphons at all? Plants grow just as well without them...as trials have demonstrated...and they are often just an added complication.

Ande, Wherever wetlands are restored...or created...the effects are very apparent, too. Gary

I guess it's a fairly specialised business, too...and that may impact its sales potential. Good luck with it, anyway. Gary

VKN...as you would be well aware, by now, you don't want to hold your breath waiting for appreciation for your work. The trolls usually outnumber the good guys...particularly if you're talking about iAVs. I think you're an inspiration. You've certainly demonstrated the versatility of iAVs as far as the range of plant opportunities is concerned. Mark is currently OK. He doesn't have much to do with iAVs these days. He feels that it has only brought him problems so he deliberately avoids the subject. Gary

Hi VKN...on the contrary, I did watch the video. You may be becoming a bit precious.

Hi Ravnis...how's the Quikcrete sand working for you?

Hi...we first canvassed the US Goverment Shutdown over four years ago. Aside from the political significance of the event, it prompted this dicsussion. With the exception of Codi who, it seems, joined APHQ just to voice his anxieties about the discussion, it was a largely courteous exchange in which Americans, Australians and American-Australians (and a Norwegian) expressed views, exchanged ideas and learned...in a generally harmonious fashion. Trying doing that on Facebook! Over four years later, we're seeing another US Government Shutdown play itself out...and this thread stands out as evidence of the fact that, among people of goodwill, no subject is too sensitive to discuss. Nothwithstanding our 'no bullshit'approach to integrated food production (and the robust dialogue that it produced) we had many such discussions on this forum...something of which I'm immensely proud. The last shutdown occurred in far more political circumstances than the current one. The planet is at greater risk and we have the added threat of nuclear war. Your thoughts?

Hi Kellen...any expressions of interest in the hatchery?

Hi Kellen, A big step for you and Sarah. Best of luck with the sale. Gary