Biodome at the Folkecenter

Here is a quick video of the biodome at the folkecentre. The video has a short description on how the system works

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Aquaponics
• hydroponics
• aquaculture
• Grass
• Carp
• Koi

[greenfrog140]

is there a way to put the plants and the fish tank and in one unit rather then having the amonia water going to the plant unit then the plant water going back to fish tank... or does it have to be seperate?

[ravis303]

Yes, you can grow lettuce in the water if you want. I suspect you would have to play with the stock rates to make sure that there was enough nutrient in the water.

[DrewDawg50]

That has to be less work than having a hydro system right?

[ravis303]

Yes I believe it is. Definitely less chemicals.

[DrewDawg50]

One more question.

Is this an efficient way to grow produce for market? Or, do people find this way of growing to be too odd?

I think this is the new coolest thing on youtube.

[ravis303]

The system can sustain about 5 families if the plants are properly stacked. In northern Climates if the north east and west faces are insulated and the south face has proper glazing you can grow bananas. Right now there are figs, tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini,water veggies,and salad greens. In addition there are three levels for plant production and each level gets different light intensity.

[Rei89CH]

@SEgnargnar but through the produce, the system will pay for itself within a few years. i've heard of people who have managed this in 2-3 years. water has to be checked for pH and so on. im not quite sure about pathogens on plants, but plants grown in an aquaponic system are much stronger in comparison to those grown in soil. hope i could answer some of your questions :D

[Rei89CH]

@SEgnargnar cont'd... this could be solved by using batteries. this is not possible everywhere though. evaporation does occur so you have to top it off, but not with tap water(chlorine). instead id use rainwater which can be collected in tanks. as for market production, more money will be made from the vegetables than the fish. but both can be sold. usually fish which can be put on a plate, like trout, tilapia and sometimes salmon. initial setup cost is a bit high... cont'd...

[Rei89CH]

@SEgnargnar no fertilizer. no chemicals at all required. this is completely organic. the plants dont need it as they get the majority of their nutrients through the fish waste. there are natural nutrients you can add to make up for what may be missing. worm juice works really well, and some form of seeweed can be used too. obviously energy for the pumps has to be provided, but a closed system is theoretically possible where you would use solar panels in some way. cont'd...

[valdezorbust]

@ravis303 AND more fish to eat.

[dramey03]

interesting setup but why do you have the plants up so high?

seems to be a waste of power because you have to use such a strong pump to get the water up there from the fish tank

i love seeing you work with the duck weed and water cress, its something ive been trying to learn about

one thing i heard though is duck weed does better with still water, so the pumping to the plants might slow down growth and does the duck weed take away nutes from the other plants? would it be better separate?

[SEgnargnar]

also, sorry, but any inputs, such as fertilizer, additional food, water or energy (pumps)?? What is the evaporation rate/water loss? I guess...how can this system sustain itself??? Thanks, cheers!

[SEgnargnar]

if you went the route of market production, would the focus be on Duckweed cultivation and processing, or fish production? Would it be ornamental fish or for consumption? Any issues with pathogens or fecal counts?? Nice system...total cost roughly???? thanks

[FishyMoe]

@greenfrog140 check out autopot aquaponics. its pretty much the same concept you are talking about but not closed loop like this. it goes fish in a tank > plants in hydroponic medium. The fish tank is attached to a water source. The water is pumped to the tank, and then pumped off to your plants. the fish tank is constantly replenished with water at the rate the plants transpire. you add hydroponic fertilizer to the plants and regulate the amount needed as per plant.

[tokensocialist]

@ravis303 the problem with that is you have to adjust the nutrients for each different plant.

[trentondc]

Biodome! Where's Pauly Shore?