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NFC: Interesting Pond/Plant tecnique



With the increased interest in fish farming on the list I thought this
would be of interest......



 WELCOME


S&S Aqua Farm is a family farm located in West Plains, Missouri, in the
heart of the beautiful Missouri Ozarks. We'd love to tell you more about
us and the wonderful area we live in, but why you're here is to learn
about our growing system. If you're interested in some of the history of
our farm, we could suggest some further reading. 


The first article about S&S Aqua Farm appeared in the June 1992 issue of
"Small Farm Today", others have been published in such places as "Back
Home" magazine (Summer 1993) and "Missouri Conservationist" (August
1993). John Wesley Smith wrote about S&S Aqua Farm for "The Growing Edge"
(Vol. 5, No. 2, Winter 1993-94).




ABOUT OUR SYSTEM

Ours is a simple, reliable, low-cost growing system used to produce a
supply of safe, superior quality foods. We integrate hydroponics and
aquaculture in a closed system to produce premium tilapia and fresh herbs
and vegetables. Although creative, this method of food production is no
mere novelty. It is a low-cost, no nonsense system. 


Complex synergistic relationships take place in an uncomplicated setting.
It seems the more natural we can make it, the better it works. The
effluent from the fish tanks is not filtered or purified before reaching
the growing beds. Some similar systems are based on a hydroponics mindset
and purify the water to go through expensive feeder lines and emitters.
In our system the growing beds are in effect fluidized bed bioreactors (a
most efficient biofilter for water filtration) using commonly available
materials, without the need for separators and clarifiers for solids
removal. 

Each growing bed contains pea gravel as a growing media. Effluent
trickles through and down the length of the growing bed before being
pumped back into the tanks. The plants get all the nutrients they need,
while bacteria in the gravel remove harmful ammonia produced by the fish,
perpetuating the water purification process. Fish must never be left
without plants in the growing beds or water purification stops; the
growing beds should never be permitted to dry out or bacteria in the
gravel, essential for the purification process, would die. 




Simple to Operate

You supply the water and electricity. 
You feed the fish. 
The fish feed the plants. 
The plants take care of the fish in return. 

©

Plants get what they need without the fuss of mixing chemicals. The
unfiltered effluent (nutrient solution) is pumped straight to the growing
beds through 1-inch PVC pipe. 

After the initial effluent is pumped from each tank, the return through
the beds takes from 10 to 30 minutes. A bucket containing a pump in each
node holds 10 to 15 gallons. When this fills up, the water is pumped back
into the tank and forced through a PVC cap drilled with numerous 1/4 inch
holes, creating a showerhead effect. This oxygenates the water to optimum
levels for the tilapia. Additional aeration is unnecessary. 


IMAGINE GARDENING YEAR-ROUND WITH NO WEEDS TO PULL, NO BENDING FOR
PLANTING OR HARVESTING, NO WORRIES ABOUT WATERING OR THE WEATHER. 

PICTURE YOURSELF IN MID-WINTER WORKING IN A GREEN, VITAL, HEALTHY
ENVIRONMENT - DOING SOMETHING YOU LOVE TO DO. 

The system is simple and revolutionary for the very reason that it does
not make use of technology normally assumed to be necessary for
aquaculture, hydroponics, or both. 

The system is flexible. A "node" is a tank of fish connected to one or
more growing beds. A node can be constructed small enough to fit into a
kitchen, one or more nodes could fit into a backyard greenhouse, or any
number of large nodes could function in commercial greenhouse operations.




In addition to flexibility of size and simplicity of operation, the
system is environmentally friendly. There is no effluent runoff. Plants
and bacteria in the gravel beds use nutrients in effluent and purify the
water for the benefit of the fish. 

There is no mixing of fertilizers for hydroponic production, and the
synergistic relationship between plants and fish actually necessitates
the use of NO chemical pesticides or medications. Clean, pure and
wholesome food is the result. 




SYSTEM COMPONENTS 

From a system point of view there are three main components of the
operation - fish, plants and bacteria. The rest of the hardware items are
there to optimize the life cycle of each of the three main components. 




ABOUT THE FISH

Tilapia, a fish that produces delicious white flesh with few bones, are a
hardy, disease resistant, warm-water fish. They're native to Africa and
the Middle East and have been raised for food since the days of the
ancient Egyptians. Some believe Christ fed tilapia to the multitudes.
Tilapia is the most popular fish for culture in the world. 


Tilapia are fast growing, reaching 1 to 1-1/2 pounds by 9 to 18 months,
are extremely disease resistant, and will provide firm, white boneless
fillets (approximately 40% by weight). They are readily marketable at 3/4
pound and up. We prefer to sell our fish at over one pound live weight -
most generally at a pound and a half. 



The feed conversion rate for this fish is excellent, with one pound of
feed yielding one pound of fish. Tilapia devour algae in addition to
their regular feed, and excess plant cuttings add to this nutrient
source. In addition, they will tolerate low oxygen and poor water
conditions that would kill most other fish. We have found them to be
extremely hardy. 




ABOUT THE PLANTS 



Currently we are producing lettuces and salad greens for local
restaurants and subscribers for our own specialty mix. Our retail sales
are primarily on a subscriber, or pre-order basis, with excess being sold
at the local Farmers Market. Additionally, we are now producing some
value-added products. 



We have experimented with many different types of plants - ornamentals,
herbs and vegetables. Most attempts have been successful. We've grown
from seed, from seedlings, from cuttings. We've produced food crops,
rooted cuttings, fresh cut herbs, and become our own supplier of starts
for flowering basket sales. We're excited about what this system can do! 



Plants grow in half to one-third the time required for plants grown by
conventional methods. 

Cuttings from almost any plant (including trees) will root and grow if
placed into a growing bed and exposed to the nutrient-rich water, with NO
rooting hormones or chemicals. 




ABOUT THE BACTERIA 

A healthy bacterial culture is a necessity in this system and the limit
on how many fish you can maintain will be gaited by the health and growth
rate of your bacteria. What do bacteria need? They need warmth, moisture,
dark and oxygen. All these are present in our system except for the
surface area of the growing beds. 

Plants alone do not purify the water for the fish. They only take up the
nutrients that the bacteria put out after they work on and convert the
fish wastes. The bacteria are a critical element in the system and should
be treated with proper respect. Take steps to insure a good oxygen
supply. Aeration of the fish water by the methods we prescribe, and
cultivation of the growing beds when empty will provide more dissolved
oxygen for the fish, as well as provide an improved oxygen level for the
bacteria and plants. 




ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND 



There is no effluent discharge from our system, making it environmentally
friendly. Due to the recirculation and efficient reuse of water, only 7
to 7.5 percent of the water must be replaced per month as a result of
evaporation and plant uptake. 


We believe in growing as naturally as possible, but our system also
demands it. Any pesticides sprayed on the plants would find their way
back into the fish. Any antibiotics poured into the fish tanks to treat
diseases would find their way to the plants and kill the bacteria.
Predatory wasps, ladybugs, lacewings, Bt and other specific organically
approved methods are used to control whiteflies, aphids and other pests
and diseases that affect the plants. 



A minimum of electricity is used because the solar greenhouse design
doesn't require it. We do all we can to maximize the use of solar energy.
The fish tanks are black to absorb and retain heat. Warm water, a high
level of nutrients, CO2 from the fish, and frequent flow are what allow
us to grow all through the winter. 




LOW COST MATERIALS 

Basic items for operation consist of: 

A building - the system can be adapted to suit most any greenhouse style
and size. 
Tanks - we use hatchery tanks from PolyTank.* 
Growing beds - may be as simple as wood, lined with plastic or as durable
as prefab poly.* 
Pumps - common submersible sump pumps are recommended 
PVC piping and fittings 
Water supply 
Gravel - it's an efficient grow media. It's also low-cost,
low-maintenance, and readily available in most locations. 
ADD fish, plants and bacteria - the three main system components. 
*PolyTank, our tank supplier, now manufactures 4'X8' growing beds of the
same material as our tanks (no maintenance, and virtually
indestructible). 




OPERATING COSTS 

Basic operating costs will include: 

Labor 
Electricity 
Fish food 
Seeds and plants 



SIMPLY DIFFERENT

Our system is unique. 

The system's design offers flexibility. 
It can be operated on a small scale or in a large commercial set-up. 
Parts and equipment are readily obtainable, most from local suppliers. 
Elements in nature enable the system to function successfully, not some
exclusively patented device. 



WHAT WE OFFER 

We believe our approach to integrated food production is practical and
worth emulating. We can provide vital information you'll need to set up
your own system, whether you want extra food for your family or want to
start your own profitable business. NOTE: This is not a turnkey system or
prepackaged, get-rich-quick scheme. What we offer is an information
package. For more details, click on the PKG INFO button. 



      



Robert Rice
Help Preserve our Aquatic Heritage join the NFC
email us at NFC at actwin_com or  Sunfishtalk at listbot_com
website  http://nativefish.interspeed.net/