Aquaponics Fish Food Maker

Aquaponics Small Pellet Mill

credit to: GEMCO Energy

link: http://www.pellet-press.com/Products/Home-Use-Pellet-Mills.html


Introduction:

The home-use pellet mills also named flat die pellet mill, which was first invented in the early 20th century, is mainly for home use. Due to its lower cost and simple construction, this type has become the most widespread at residences and farms internationally. Thanks to our ISO 9000-certified factories, our well-trained engineers’ hard work, and our staff’s efficiency, we are able to provide some of the best design and installation services for wood pellet mills. Through years of experience in this industry we have acquired advanced technology for wood pelletization. The conditioning of raw materials is one of the most important steps in making wood pellets. Taking into account that wood waste is more difficult to compress than feedstuff, our machinery is able to adjust the material's moisture and size to make the finest biomass pellets. 

Key Parts of Home-use Pellet Mill:

Flat Die Flat die and Press Rollers Flat Die and Press Roller Installation


Scope of Application:

Our pellet mills are appropriate for compressing a variety of fibrous biomass material: corn (maize) husks, peanut shells, rice husks, corncobs, cotton seed hulls, wheat biproducts, sunflower seed shells, sawdust, cotton stalks, weeds, house refuse, waste plastic and similar types of factory waste. It is also suitable for raw materials which are otherwise difficult to pelletize owing to low bonding ratios. All of organic bacterial manure, organic fertilizer and compound fertilizer can be also pelletized by our machines at low temperatures.


Advantages of Home-use Pellet Mill:

1. Reliable, versatile and efficient
2. ISO and CE certified
3. Potential for 24 hour continuous running
4. Competitive price with excellent quality
5. Low energy consumption and less manpower
6. Durable spare parts
7. Simple, automated operation
8. Easy maintenance
9. Advanced technological design requiring less labor
10. Stable and durable functionality

Technical Data of the Electric Motor:

  

Model	Power(kW)	Output (kg/h)	Measurements (mm)	N.W/G.W (kg)
ZLSP 120B	3	60-100	750*320*680	80/100
ZLSP 150B	4	90-120	800*450*700	95/110
ZLSP 200B	7.5	200-300	1650*820*1200	200/230
ZLSP 230B	11	300-400	1050*480*930	290/320
ZLSP 260B	15	400-600	1180*540*1000	320/360
ZLSP 300B	22	600-800	1240*540*950	350/380

Aquaponics Grow Media

credit to : Farm Tech Mart
link : http://farmtech-mart.com/grow_media

Although there is no soil in a hydroponic garden, the plants must still be anchored. There is a wide range of inert materials which can be used to support plant roots and we call them "growing mediums". Clay Pellets, Perlite, Vermiculite, Coconut Fiber and Rockwool are the most popular media. The hydroponic media that work best are pH neutral, provide ample support for plants, retain moisture, and allow space for good air exchange. The type of media you choose will depend on the size and type of plants you wish to grow, and the type of hydroponic system being used. 

1. Clay Pebbles (LECA) 

Expended Clay Aggregate pebbles (LECA) main use is as a hydroponic growing media in flood and drain and dripper hydroponics systems like the Wilma. Clay pebbles can also be mixed with other hydroponic growing media like Cellmax, Coco or Soil to give better aeration. To create better drainage when growing in pots add a layer of Clay pebbles in the bottom.

Many growers use clay pebbles as a hydroponic growing media because they have excellent aeration and drainage properties. Clay pebbles are a clean, ph stable, and can be reused a couple of times before they need to be replaced.

Flood and drain or a dripper system will deliver the fast growth rates and yields using clay pebbles.

The centre of a clay pebble is honeycomb to make it light weight and the outside of a clay pebble is covered in a thin layer of solid clay making them suitable for use in hydroponics.

Tired of looking at dirty soil on the top of house plants in pots why not use some clay pebbles to make it look more attractive.

2. Perlite

Good old perlite! It's been around for years, mainly for use as a soil additive to increase aeration and draining of the soil. Perlite is a mined material, a form of volcanic glass that when rapidly heated to more than 1600 deg. f. it pops much like popcorn as the water vaporizes and makes countless tiny bubbles.

Perlite is one of the best hydroponic growing mediums around. Used by itself or as a mixture with other mediums. Perlite is commonly used with vermiculite ( a 50 - 50 mix is a very popular medium), and is also one of the major ingredients of soiless mix's. Perlite has good wicking action which makes it a good choice for wick-type hydroponic systems. Perlite is also relatively inexpensive.

The biggest drawback to perlite is that it doesn't retain water well which means that it will dry out quickly between waterings. The dust from perlite is bad for your health so you should wear a dust mask when handling it.

3. Vermiculite 

Vermiculite is another mined material. In it's natural state it resembles mica rock, but when quickly heated it expands due to the generation of interlaminar steam.

Vermiculite is most frequently used in conjunction with perlite as the two complement each other well. Vermiculite retains moisture (about 200% - 300% by weight), and perlite doesn't so you can balance your growing medium so that it retains water and nutrients well but still supplies the roots with plenty of oxygen. A 50/50 mix of vermiculite and perlite is a very popular medium for drip type hydroponic systems as well as ebb and flow systems. Vermiculite is inexpensive.

The major drawback of vermiculite is that it retains too much water to be used by itself. It can suffocate the roots of plants if used straight.

4. Coconut Fiber 

Coconut fiber is rapidly becoming one of the most popular growing mediums in the world. In fact it may soon be THE most popular. It is the first totally "organic" growing medium that offers top performance in hydroponic systems. Coconut fiber is essentially a waste product of the coconut industry, it is the powdered husks of the coconut itself.

There are many advantages - it maintains a larger oxygen capacity than rockwool, yet also has superior water holding ability than rockwool which is a real advantage for hydroponic systems that have intermittent watering cycles.

Coconut fiber is also high in root stimulating hormones and offers some protection against root diseases including fungus infestation. Dutch growers have found that a mixture of 50% coconut fiber and 50% expanded clay pellets is the perfect growing medium.

One word of caution about coconut fiber, you must be careful when you purchase coconut fiber. There is a commonly available, lower grade of coconut fiber that is high in sea-salt and is very fine grained. Lower grade coconut fiber will lead to disappointing results when used in a hydroponic system.

5. Rockwool

Rockwool is a very popular hydroponics growing medium. Rockwool is a porous substance that forms when a mixture of rocks, mostly basalt and dolomite, is melted at high temperature and specially processed. Given the material's neutral nature, it is used to build plant-growing medium granules or slabs, blocks, plugs, cubes, etc.

Rockwool provides roots with a good balance of water/oxygen As rockwool is composed of 97% air, it is easy to control the air/water ratio in it. Its porous quality also enhances root growth.

. Small cubes are used for starting seeds and cuttings, 3" or 4" cubes for small plants or intermediate growth, and slabs for larger plants. Rockwool can be used with continuous drip or flood and drain systems. Although it is possible to sterilize and re-use Rockwool, most often it is used only once.

More than 95% of all greenhouse vegetable production is carried out with the help of Rockwool -and for good reason. Like mentioned before, rockwool allows control over air and water supply, which are essential factors for plant growth. It also provides other feasible conditions to support a great crop, leading to consistency in plant production and yield, which is an important consideration in commercial harvesting.

Another pro is the easy availability of Rockwool products in a variety of shapes and sizes. This promotes the maximum utilization of Rockwool in various types of hydroponic set-ups.

Aquaponics Organic Pesticide

Neem oil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Neem oil

Neem oil is a vegetable oil pressed from the fruits and seeds of the neem (Azadirachta indica), an evergreen tree which is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and has been introduced to many other areas in the tropics. It is the most important of the commercially available products of neem for organic farming and medicines.

Neem oil varies in color; it can be golden yellow, yellowish brown, reddish brown, dark brown, greenish brown, or bright red. It has a rather strong odor that is said to combine the odours of peanut and garlic. It is composed mainly of triglycerides and contains many triterpenoid compounds, which are responsible for the bitter taste. It is hydrophobic in nature; in order to emulsify it in water for application purposes, it must be formulated with appropriate surfactants.

Azadirachtin is the most well known and studied triterpenoid in neem oil. The azadirachtin content of neem oil varies from 300ppm to over 2500ppm depending on the extraction technology and quality of the neem seeds crushed. Neem oil also contains steroids (campesterol, beta-sitosterol,stigmasterol).

Neem fruit

The method of processing is likely to affect the composition of the oil, since the methods used, such as pressing (expelling) or solvent extraction are unlikely to remove exactly the same mix of components in the same proportions. The neem oil yield that can be obtained from neem seed kernels also varies widely in literature from 25% to 45%.

The oil can be obtained through pressing (crushing) of the seed kernel both through cold pressing or through a process incorporating temperature controls. Neem seed oil can also be obtained by solvent extraction of the neem seed, fruit, oil, cake or kernel. A large industry in India extracts the oil remaining in the seed cake using hexane. This solvent-extracted oil is of a lower quality as compared to the cold pressed oil and is mostly used for soap manufacturing. Neem cake is a by-product obtained in the solvent extraction process for neem oil.

Neem leaves and flowers

Neem oil is not used for cooking purposes. In India, it is used for preparing cosmetics (soap, hair products, body hygiene creams, hand creams) and in Ayurvedic, Unani and folklore traditional medicine, in the treatment of a wide range of afflictions. The most frequently reported indications in ancient Ayurvedic writings are skin diseases, inflammations and fevers, and more recentlyrheumatic disorders, insect repellent and insecticide effects.

Traditional Ayurvedic uses of neem include the treatment of acne, fever, leprosy, malaria, ophthalmia and tuberculosis. Various folk remedies for neem include use as an anthelmintic, antifeedant,antiseptic, diuretic, emmenagogue, contraceptive, febrifuge, parasiticide, pediculocide and insecticide. It has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of tetanus, urticaria, eczema,scrofula and erysipelas. Traditional routes of administration of neem extracts included oral, vaginal and topical use. Neem oil has an extensive history of human use in India and surrounding regions for a variety of therapeutic purposes. Puri (1999) has given an account of traditional uses and therapeutic indications and pharmacological studies of this oil, in his book on neem.

Formulations made of neem oil also find wide usage as a biopesticide for organic farming, as it repels a wide variety of pests including the mealy bug, beet armyworm, aphids, the cabbage worm, thrips, whiteflies, mites, fungus gnats, beetles, moth larvae, mushroom flies, leafminers, caterpillars, locust, nematodes and the Japanese beetle. Neem oil is not known to be harmful to mammals, birds, earthworms or some beneficial insects such as butterflies, honeybees and ladybugs if it is not concentrated directly into their area of habitat or on their food source. It can be used as a household pesticide for ant, bedbug, cockroach, housefly, sand fly, snail, termite and mosquitoes both as repellent and larvicide. Neem oil also controls black spot, powdery mildew,anthracnose and rust fungi.

Neem seed oil has also been found to prevent implantation and may even have an abortifacient effect similar to pennyroyal, juniper berries, wild ginger, myrrh and angelica. The effects were seen as many as ten days after fertilization in rats though it was most effective at no more than three days. (Sinha, et al., 1984); (Lal et al., 1985). In a study on rats, neem oil was given orally eight to ten days after implantation of the fetus on the uterine wall. In all cases, by day 15, the embryos were all completely resorbed by the body. The animals regained fertility on the next cycle showing no physical problems. Detailed study of the rats revealed increased levels of gamma interferon in the uterus. The neem oil enhanced the local immune response in the uterus.(Mukherjee, 1996) Post coital use of neem oil as birth control does not appear to work by hormonal changes but produces changes in the organs that make pregnancy no longer viable (Tewari, 1989),(Bardham, 1991).

Neem seed oil has also been used as a renewable source for the preparation of polymeric coatings. It has been converted into various polymeric resins, including polyesteramides and polyetheramides. These resins may be utilized further for preparation of polyurethane coatings.

Neem tree

Aquaponics & Mosquitoes - Lesson Learnt

credit to http://www.friendlyaquaponics.com/

from the post : Welcome to “The End of Malaria”

Are you irritated by mosquitoes in your neighborhood? Do you live in a location where malaria, elephantiasis, filariasis, dengue fever, or any of the other dangerous diseases carried by mosquitoes exist? Are you a health-care professional whose concern is these diseases and their control and eradication? If the answers to these questions interest you, please read on:

An additional benefit of farming aquaponically (that we noticed after our first system was operational for six months) was that the mosquitoes on our seven-acre farm had COMPLETELY disappeared! We live in Hawaii, where there are as many mosquitoes as any other tropical area in the world. Although we are fortunate not to have malaria, elephantiasis, filariasis, or any of the other dangerous diseases that are transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, we DO have dengue fever, which can be fatal in the young, elderly, or those with compromised immune systems.

Before we built our first aquaponics system, our farm was like any other place on the green windward coast of the Big Island: even during a drought, when the soil was dusty and dry and there was no standing water visible anywhere, there were still clouds of mosquitoes at dawn and dusk. If we left a door or window open in the house during the day, even for a few minutes, we knew that we would be tormented by the buzzing of hungry mosquitoes all night long as we tried to sleep. When we built our first aquaponics system, we knew we were creating additional habitat for mosquitoes to lay their eggs, so we introduced a few mosquito fish (gambusia affinis), and neon tetras into our system water.

They thrived and spread throughout the systems we built, and soon had become a self-sustaining population numbering in the tens of thousands. Six months later we noticed there were simply no mosquitoes around any longer. It’s easier to notice the presence of a pest than the absence of one, so we’re not certain when the number went to zero, but it was sometime during that six-month period. That was three years ago Since then, we’ve had the pleasure to live on a beautiful farm in the tropics that has NO mosquitoes! How does this work?

We live in the center of a deadly efficient mosquito trap: every female mosquito in the neighborhood can sense the roughly 50,000 gallons of water in our aquaponics systems, and comes to them to lay her eggs. Each egg hatches into a larva, which is then promptly consumed by one of the hundreds of thousands of mosquito fish in our water BEFORE it can ever develop sufficiently to hatch into an adult mosquito. That mosquito’s bequest of future generations is GONE, down the gullets of little fish who thrive on these meals and produce even MORE little fish hungry for mosquito larvae.

We don’t know what the effective radius of our mosquito eradicator is, but we’ve gone to the corners of our seven-acre property and haven’t found any mosquitoes there; we think there’s a good chance it is significantly reducing mosquito populations on the farms around us. We need help and funding to continue research into this phenomenon in order to understand it better, and to develop it to the point where it can easily be implemented in any location or culture.

This could make a huge difference in the lives of people worldwide who currently lose family members to malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.

  

Aquaponics as a Business opportunity

How to Start your own Aquaponics Business at Home

credit to http://www.aquaponicsandyou.com/

With many people looking for ways to increase their income these days, starting a home-based business is an attractive option. There are several major hurdles to clear before you can start earning any money from a new enterprise, not the least of which is funding. Many new businesses need a huge injection of capital before any return can be realised and this factor alone prevents many from getting off the ground. An aquaponics business is the exception.

Unlike most other types of business, setting up an aquaponics farm does not cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. While the actual set-up cost obviously varies depending on the size of the system, experts claim that most investors can expect to see a return in a relatively short period of time. Some claim it is possible to have the whole system paid off in a twelve month period.

Aquaponic farming combines aquaculture and hydroponics. Fish are kept in a tank and the water from the tank is pumped through the plants and back into the tank, in a continuous process. Aquarium water is rich in nutrients because of the waste products expelled by the fish and it is these nutrients that the plants take up and use to grow. The water that is returned to the fish tank has been purified by the plants; this keeps the tank water clean and healthy for the fish.

The types of plants that are grown in an aquaponics farm are generally herbs and vegetables. Because they are not treated with fertilizers and the usual garden chemicals, they are considered to be organic produce. The fish you buy to stock your tanks can be eating varieties and this gives you another product to sell. Both the fish and the vegetables grow at the same time, using the same system. Organic produce attracts a premium price at point of sale and is keenly sought by consumers.

The main advantages of starting an aquaponics farm as a business include the low start-up costs, low production costs and the ease with which the system can be managed. You don’t need to rent or buy any space to carry out your business as you can use space in your own yard, garage or other parts of your home. Organic produce is becoming a popular product, especially at farmers’ markets and other local events, so selling your product should be quite easy.

If you are looking for ways to bring in extra money or you want to start your own business, take a close look at how to start your own aquaponics business. You don’t need to be a gardener and you don’t need any specialised skills to succeed in this type of enterprise.

Commercial Aquaponics and Profitability

credit to http://www.greenacreaquaponics.com/

The commercial viability of aquaponics is likely the hottest contested topic on most aquaponic forums today and is the million dollar question that everyone wants answered. While I’m still not willing to make my financial data public (you would be amazed how many people have asked), I will say that we are indeed a profitable farm based on revenue generated by the farm alone. Although our farm’s revenue is derived in diverse ways, even after extracting any non farm related revenue from things such as consulting, education or system sales, our Green Acre farm is indeed profitable on it’s farm generated merits alone. So it then begs the question, why have alternate streams of revenue if farming alone can be profitable? For several reasons. Let’s take a look at each one.

Reason 1 - A business with multiple revenue streams is a more viable, resilient business model. Having multiple revenue streams means a business can be more nimble and weather setbacks more easily. Literally. Setbacks from the weather are a very real possibility and probability for any kind of farming venture unless you farm in a controlled environment setting but even in controlled ag, crop losses can occur due to pest damage or disease. However having multiple streams can help insure there is still cash flow when a crop loss occurs. This is especially important for the aquaponic farmer as crop insurance isn’t yet an option. 

Reason 2 - Direct farm generated revenue from crops is rarely a consistent amount and alternate streams can supplement in between crop harvests and rotations. This actually is probably a little less true in aquaponic farming then in traditional Ag where all of a farms revenue might come in a two month period when the watermelons are ready to harvest. For we aquaponic farmers though, a carefully planned crop schedule and rotation can help insure a constant and consistent harvest of some crops such as lettuce and herbs but even the revenue generated by these will fluctuate with the weather and season.

Reason 3 - Alternate streams of revenue can subsidize a small farm business while it grows its operation to a size large enough to generate enough revenue on farm sales alone.Ah, now this is the ultimate goal for us and most likely for most aquaponic farming hopefuls; have a farm large enough to pay all the bills and then some. It’s not that the farm is unsuccessful or not profitable right now but its simply not large enough yet to produce enough revenue to support two individuals entirely. Understand though that this is purely a function of not having enough start up or expansion capital for a small farm business to create a large enough farm right out of the gate. However, just because a farm’s revenue is limited due to grow space and production does not mean it’s not a profitable business.

Reason 4 - Alternate revenue streams can self fund farm growth and expansions. Lets face it, expanding an aquaponic farm can be pricey and certainly more then its soil counterpart. Have we stumbled on the one drawback of aquaponics? Perhaps, but I will save that discussion for another blog but adding on additional grow space can easily incur a capital outlay of $20k or more or as little as $15 a square foot just for the system or as much as $100 a square foot depending on how you build and source it. We would have to sell an awful lot of lettuce to fund expanding our farm from direct farm sales. Quite honestly, this is the single greatest driver for our alternate streams because our goal is to have enough grow space for the farm alone to support itself and us and so far 100% of our expansion has been self funded from alternate revenue streams.

How to Write a Business Plan

credit to http://www.startupdonut.co.uk/

Writing a business plan

Many potential start-up businesses are daunted by the prospect of writing a business plan. But it is not a difficult process - and a good business plan focuses the mind as well as helping to secure finance and support.

The business plan will clarify your business idea and define your long-term objectives. It provides a blueprint for running the business and a series of benchmarks to check your progress against. It is also vital for convincing your bank - and possibly key customers and suppliers - to support you.

This briefing explains:

• What information to include.
• How to present your financial forecasts.

1 Executive summary

The executive summary outlines your business proposal. Although it is the last section to be written, it goes on the first page of the business plan. It will be read by people unfamiliar with your business, so avoid jargon.

1.1 The executive summary highlights the most important points and shouldsum up six areas.

• Your product or service and its advantages.
• Your opportunity in the market.
• Your management team.
• Your track record to date.
• Financial projections.
• Funding requirements and expected returns.

1.2 When deciding whether to back a start-up, bank managers and investors often make provisional judgements based on the executive summary.

The main body of the business plan is then read to confirm the initial decision. The appendices at the back of the plan carry detailed information to support the main text.

2 The business

2.1 Explain the background to your business idea, including:

• The length of time you have been developing the business idea in its present form.
• Work carried out to date.
• Any related experience you have.
• The proposed ownership structure of the business.

2.2 Explain, in plain English, what your product or service is. Make it clear how:

• it will stand out as different from other products or services
• your customers will gain through buying your product or service
• the business can be developed to meet customers' changing needs in the future

It is important to cover any disadvantages or weak points you feel the business may have. Be frank about these - it inspires confidence.

2.3 Explain any key features of the industry (eg special regulations, effective cartels or major changes in technology).

3 Markets and competitors

3.1 Focus on the segments of the market you plan to target - for example, local customers or a particular age group.

• Indicate how large each market segment is and whether it is growing or declining.
• Illustrate the important trends - and the reasons behind them.
• Outline the key characteristics of buyers in each segment (eg age, sex or income).
• Mention customers you have already lined up and any sales you have already achieved.

3.2 What are the competing products and who supplies them?

• List the advantages and disadvantages of all your competitors and their products.
• Explain why people will desert established competitors and buy from you instead.
• Show you understand your competitors' reaction to losing business and demonstrate how you will respond to it.

Unless there is a viable market and you know how you are going to beat the competition, your business will be vulnerable.

You must show you have done the market research needed to justify what you say in the plan.

4 Sales and marketing

This section is crucial. It often gives a good indication of the business' chances of success.

4.1 How will your product or service meet your customers' specific needs?

4.2 How will you position your product?

• This is where you show how your price, quality, response time and after-sales service will compare with competitors.
• Quote minimum order figures, if appropriate.

4.3 How will you sell to customers?

• For example, by phone, through your website, face-to-face or through an agent.
• Show how long you predict each sale will take. Many new businesses underestimate the time involved in winning each order. In year one you may spend up to 80 per cent of your time making contacts and selling.
• Will you be able to make repeat sales? If not, it will be hard to build up volume.

4.4 Who will your first customers be?

• Show which customers have expressed an interest or promised to buy from you and the sales they represent.
• How will you identify potential customers?

Unless you can demonstrate that you have a clearly defined pool of potential customers, starting your business is likely to be a struggle.

4.5 How will you promote your product? For example, using advertising, PR, direct mail or via email and a website.

4.6 What contribution to profit will each part of your business make?

• Most businesses need more than one product, more than one type of customer and more than one distribution channel.
• Look at each in turn. Examine your likely sales, gross profit margins and costs.
• Identify where you expect to make your profits and where there may be scope to increase either margins or sales.

Services and intangible products (eg computer software) are more difficult to market. Start-ups in these areas must pay special attention to marketing in their business plans.

5 Management

People reading the business plan need to be given an idea of why they should have faith in the management of your start-up.

5.1 Outline the management skills within your team.

• Define each management role and who will fill it.
• Show your strengths and outline how you will cope with any weaknesses.
• Describe the background and experience of each team member.
• Clarify how you intend to cover the key areas of production, sales, marketing, finance and administration.
• Management information systems and procedures should be outlined. For example, management accounts, sales, stock control and quality control.
• Show how many 'mentors' and other supporters you will have access to.

5.2 How committed are you?

Banks and any other potential investors will want to be sure you are committed to the business. Show how much time and money each of the management team will contribute, and what your salaries and benefits will be.

6 Operations

Explain what facilities the business will have and how it will deliver the product or service to the customer.

6.1 Show the pros and cons of the location.

6.2 Indicate the facilities you will need to start (eg equipment and machinery). Some start-up businesses only need a desk and a phone.

Consider any potential limits to production capacity.

If you are going to manufacture or distribute products, show how and where you are going to warehouse them and for how long.

6.3 Provide a list of employee roles you need to fill and the skills required to fill them.

6.4 Show how you selected your suppliers.

Keep it real

Sales forecasts produced for start-up businesses are often over-optimistic. Here are some important reality checks.

• How soon can you start selling?
• Will potential customers hold off for a year before they take you seriously and place an order?
• How often will you be able to sell?
• How many days can you spend selling?
• How long will each lead take to line up?
• What percentage of leads will turn into sales?
• How much will you be able to sell?
• What will the average sale value be?
• Will most people give repeat orders, or must you find new customers each time?
• How long after a sale will it be before you can collect payment?
• How much income can you realistically expect each month?

7 Financial forecasts

Your financial forecasts translate what you have already said about your business into numbers.

7.1 A realistic sales forecast forms the basis for all your other figures.

Break the total sales figure down into its components (eg different types of products or sales to different types of buyer).

7.2 Your cashflow forecast shows how much money you expect to be flowing into and out of your bank account and when. You must show that your business will have access to enough money to survive.

• Demonstrate that you have considered the key factors affecting cashflow - eg level and timing of sales revenue, wages.
• Show when there will be more money coming in than going out ('cash-positive').

7.3 Your profit and loss (P&L) forecast gives a clear indication of how the business will move forward. Summarize the annual P & L forecast for each of the first two or three years of trading.

7.4 If you are launching a larger start-up, you will also need projected balance sheets.

These will show you the financial state of your business on day one and at year end, perhaps for the first two or three years.

7.5 Do not get too protective about your forecasts. You may need to revise them.

For every forecast, list all your key assumptions (eg prices, sales volume, timing). Small business advisers at banks and your local business support organisation will often help you put together your forecasts free of charge.

8 Financial requirements

The cashflow forecast will show how much finance the business needs. Your assessment of the risks will determine whether or not you need to arrange contingency financing.

8.1 Say how much finance you will want, when and in what forms.

For example, you might want a fixed-interest loan and an overdraft facility.

8.2 State what the finance will be used for.

Show how much will be for buying equipment and how much for working capital (financing stock and debtors).

8.3 Confirm that you will be able to afford it.

9 Assessing the risks

9.1 Look at the business plan and isolate areas where something could go wrong (eg if your main supplier closes down).

What you would do if it actually happens?

9.2 Consider a range of what-if scenarios (eg what happens to your cashflow if sales are 20 per cent lower or 15 per cent higher than forecast). If there are serious risks:

• you can arrange contingency funding to cover the finance you may need
• you may decide that the business is too risky and abandon the whole project.

Assessing risk will help you minimise problems and help build up your credibility with any investor or bank.

10Appendices

10.1 Detailed financial forecasts (monthly sales, monthly cashflow, P&L) should usually be put in an appendix.

Include a detailed list of assumptions.

For example, the profit margin on each product, debtor collection period, creditor payment period, stock turn, interest and exchange rates, equipment purchases.

10.2 You may want to give other relevant information.

• Detailed CVs of key personnel (essential if you are seeking outside funding).
• Market research data.
• Product literature or technical specs.
• Names of target customers.
• A list of external data sources used in your research will add credibility to the information.

11 Presenting the plan

The more solid information you can gather for your own use, the better the business plan will be. But a banker or other outsider will not have time to read through all the details.

11.1 Keep your business plan short.

Most business plans are too long. Focus on what the reader needs to know.

11.2 Make it professional.

• Put a cover on the business plan and give it a title.
• Include a contents page.

11.3 Test it.

• Re-read it yourself. Would reading your plan give an outsider a good feel for your business and a grasp of the key issues?
• Show the plan to friends and expert advisers and ask them for comments.

Home garden, Home aquaponics

credit to http://quantitativemetathesis.blogspot.com/

Aquaponics Is the Next Generation Name for House Garden

We have all observed of veggie plants, kitchen landscapes and bought clean vegetables from the grocer's shops and observed about The Lawn of Arden. At some point of life most of us might have used veggie agriculture, be it in the property garden or portable pots but I think most of us have not tried Aquaponics yet. Aquaponics is a recent innovation in the field of agriculture and shall become another name for home landscapes in the days to come.

                      

What is Aquaponics?

Aquaponics is the combination of hydroponics and aquaculture. Hydroponics is the method of growing vegetation in h2o or sand without the use of ground. Aquaculture is the agriculture of seafood. Aquaponics is the farming of both vegetation and seafood part by part. Fish is kept in an fish tank. The h2o made up of the toxic release by the seafood is sent to the hydroponic program through a pipe, where the vegetation utilize it to obtain their meals. The h2o becomes free from toxics and is sent returning to the aquaculture program.

                         

Vegetables can be expanded in multiplexes

All types of clean vegetables flourish in the Aquaponics program. Cucumber green beans, clothes or chili peppers any veggie can be expanded inside your house. Aquaponics can be used both, outdoors or in the house. No area is needed and this decreases the cost significantly especially, in cities and places where area for agriculture is hardly available. People living in multiplexes can also grow their clean vegetables.

Aquaponics gives you clean and natural vegetables

Since the vegetation obtain their nutritional value from the seafood fertilizer, no substances or bug sprays are needed. This means you get clean and natural veggie for your your meal. You do not need to pay high costs or even visit the Grocery stores store. These self produced clean vegetables involve no appearance, rating, marketing and marketing, which are the reasons for the rise in the costs of products in shops.

                                     

Saves h2o efforts and energy

All you need is a continuous supply of meals for the seafood. Difficult and time consuming washing of the fish tank is also reduced. The vegetation obtain the nutritional value from the h2o containing the natural waste of the seafood. Most of the washing is done by the vegetation. The h2o becomes clean and is supplied returning to the fish tank. It helps you to save a lot of h2o too.

                              

Easy accessibility to packages of different sizes

Aquaponics kit can be easily bought from plant centers, agriculture shops or via internet. Kits are available in different dimensions from huge tanks, to be used in verandas or mini ones for indoor preparations. The blooming bed too can be a huge tank or just a huge pail. Other necessary equipment is provided in the kit along with related information and training.

Relaxation of mind

Aquaponics gives an ultimate experience of staying close to nature in the grouped and disorderly places. The joy of eating self-cultivated meals is tremendous and no exotic supper at any cafe could ever meet it. It makes a relaxing green environment and gives pleasure to the brain. It can prove to be a treatment for many illnesses which owe their birth to stress and extremely stress.

Preventing an Aquaponic Problem From Happening

credit to AQUAPONIC GARDEN

http://www.aquaponicgardeningguide.com/prevent-an-aquaponic-disaster/

Prevent an Aquaponic Disaster

When someone new is getting into aquaponics, they need to take the time to carefully review and learn about aquaponic system maintenance. They need to learn about the most common issues that cause problems in aquaponic systems and it will help them to be more successful from the start.

One of the most disastrous aquaponic problems that can happen is when you use cold, chlorinated, un-adjusted pH water to top off and fill the system’s reservoir. Using this type of water will stress and kill everything from your fish and plants to even the healthy bacteria living in the system.

When you are “topping-off” the reservoir in the aquaponic system, you can get away with using less than 10% of this type of water. However, using too much will cause aquaponic problems in a very short time and you will need to start salvaging your system all over again.

Many times, people who are topping of their system using a water hose will forget that the water is on and flood their system. By setting a timer it will remind you to shut off the water to avoid this aquaponic problem.

The Options

Always evaluate the situation first.

Figure out what is wrong, ways to fix it and then pick the best option. Using chlorinated water essentially sanitizes your entire aquaponic system and will possibly eliminate all of the gathered plant nutrients.

When using cold, chlorinated, un-adjusted pH water for your system, the most likely state of each of the living elements in your system are as follows:

The Fish

Chlorine is not good for fish and the best case scenario is that they are just really stressed. The temperature level of their water most likely decreased considerably and the pH of the water is most likely changed.

While it is best to not utilize aquarium dechlorinators since they add sodium and other chemicals that can be hazardous to plants and cause aquaponic problems.

You should reduce the amount of chlorine in the system as quickly as possible to recover the fish’s slime coat that keeps them healthy, using a good aquarium water conditioner will do both of these things.

In extreme aquaponic problem cases, many of the fish may be very sickly, or floating in the water.

The Plants

Your plants also are stressed as a result of the temperature and pH changes, in addition to the chlorine that is presenting the water.

If your aquaponic problems are extremely bad then you might have to clean the system, which removes all of the beneficial nutrients from the system. It is strongly recommend that you add some Maxicrop into your system that will feed your plants while the aquaponic system comes back into balance.

If you catch the aquaponic problem before the water has made its way from the fish reservoir into the plants in the system, then quickly shut off the water pump. You will need to treat the fish tank water before you turn the water pump back on and by doing this it will help to minimize aquaponic problems caused to your plants and the bacteria in your system.

The Bacteria

Likely, the healthy bacteria in the aquaponics system have been destroyed and you will need to start all over again by re-cycling your system.

This is the hardest part since you most likely still have fish in your system and if they all didn’t die, you will need to cycle your system using the fish as your ammonia source.

Unless you have another fish tank or aquaponic system that you can transfer them to and do a fish-less cycling.

All will work out, however be sure to watch the ammonia and nitrite levels very carefully. If either starts reaching the high end of the color graph in the API test kit (4 ppm ammonia and 1 ppm nitrites).

After that be sure to do a 1/3 water change out of your system to dilute the levels back down to where your fish will be able to tolerate to avoid further aquaponic problems.

The Worms

You can assume that they have actually been eliminated by the chlorine and that you should add more worms to your grow beds once you have adjusted the water.

The bottom line is that one disruptive aquaponic problem can reset your system back to when you first started. You may lose a few fish, your plants could stress out and yellow for a few days or weeks, but you will certainly recuperate from the aquaponic problems.

Learn From Another’s Experiences…

The best way to prevent these aquaponic problems is to use a separate water tank to off-gas the chlorine, adjust the pH and water temperature before transferring the water into your aquaponic system.

By doing this additional step, you will save time and heartache from an aquaponic problems turning into a disaster then having to start all over again.

And just think, you will most likely never make these mistakes again or by reviewing this article, you will prevent this aquaponic problem from ever happening!

  

What food can be grown in Aquaponics

PLANTS

credit to Endless Food Systems

Naturally, different plants grow under different conditions. Before you get started growing, it’s important to consider which type of growing bed to use. This is determined by the type of root structure that plant tends to have. Plants with no root structure need floating beds, while root vegetables grow better in wicking beds. Most everything else grows best in media beds. 

For plants like lettuce, herbs or leafy greens, floating “raft” style beds are ideal. For root vegetables, wicking beds are a better choice. If you plan to grow tomatoes, peppers, beans or most other types of multiple yield plants, media beds are probably your best option.

Choosing the right environment in which to place your aquaponics farm is another important consideration. The amount of sunlight, ambient temperature, rainfall and wind are all crucial factors in producing a healthy plant. If you decide to grow outdoors, choose varieties of vegetables that will grow best in your climate. In addition, most areas will require the use of a greenhouse, or you can always grow indoors.

It is best to avoid fighting Mother Nature. Even with a greenhouse, it is difficult to control the temperature, and plants thrive better when the temperature ranges match their normal processes. Therefore, in the colder months you should grow cold-weather crops and in the summer, you should grow your warm-weather plants.

It’s important to carefully schedule your planting times. If you’re looking to produce a sustained food supply, you should stagger your projected harvests so that all of your produce doesn’t become ripe at one time. This can lead to wasted food, as well as in-between periods where your aquaponics garden isn’t producing any vegetables. If you plan to grow multiples of the same vegetable, try to stagger growing periods by approximately the amount of time it will take you to consume a batch.

If you are aiming for more variety in your diet, try overlapping the growing times of three or more vegetable types. It can take a while to fine-tune this process to match your own consumption and the decomposition rates of your already picked vegetables. To err on the side of overproduction is never a bad idea, as you can easily donate excess vegetables, share them with friends or preserve them for later by freezing, dehydrating or canning. 

One of the quickest-yield vegetables you can get out of an aquaponics system is lettuce. Reaching peak maturity at around 28 days, lettuce grows ideally in floating beds. It is very forgiving in terms of the minimum and maximum water temperatures and can survive a range from 25-85 degrees Fahrenheit. 

If you’re looking to produce a more nutritious food in a short amount of time, pole, an Italian-style wax bean, can be harvested in around 54 days. Pole grows best in a media bed and is optimal at temperatures between 59 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Beans overall are an excellent investment, as they can be dried and stored for very long periods of time. 

Tomatoes are well worth the wait, taking around three months to reach peak maturity depending on the strain and variety. Like beans, they grow best in a media bed at a temperature of 59-95 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to ensure the highest yield from your tomato plants, be sure to trim off all shoots, leaving just the main vine. This will ensure that the bulk of the plant’s nutrients are delivered to the tomatoes once they begin to form. 

In about 65 days, you can have a full harvest of delicious carrots. They have a very well defined optimal growing temperature, at between 59 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit, although they are capable of growing in extreme temperatures in both directions. Wicking beds provide the perfect growing environment for carrots and other root vegetables.

With an aquaponics system, your ability to grow edible plants is limited only by your own desire to do so. The system does most of the labor that would be required of you in an ordinary in-ground growing operation, so you can spend your time on more pressing issues like scheduling harvests and finding new and interesting applications for your crops. When done correctly, you should be able to maintain a constantly rotating supply of organic, pesticide-free vegetables that can carry on indefinitely in a properly maintained system. 

FISH
credit to Backyard Aquaponics

There are many different species of fish that can be used in an aquaponic system, depending on your local climates and available supplies. Our local climate in Perth, Western Australia, allows us to keep Rainbow Trout through winter, then a warmer species like Barramundi during summer. There are also a few choices for year round fish that we could grow, but they often take a longer time to mature. If you live in a cooler climate you might be looking at growing Trout all year round, or perhaps another locally produced fish species. In warmer areas of Australia people generally grow Barramundi, or Jade Perch year round, in most warm areas throughout the world Tilapia is the fish of choice.

In deciding what is the best species for you to grow, you should take a few factors into account, most importantly is what you want from your system. If you don’t want to eat your fish then you probably won’t want to grow edible fish, or you may want to grow an edible fish that can live year-round in your area, so that you’re not having to harvest fish out seasonally. The second most important factor is ‘What’s available?’ You need to be able to buy fish to stock your system, even with species such as Tilapia that breed readily, you need to get your broodstock in the first place.

Here’s a list of useful aquaponic species with a few details about each

Barramundi: Barramundi are often grown in aquaponic systems through the warmer months of the year. Most growers will buy fairly mature stock so that they can harvest larger fish, at the end of the growing season. Barramundi that is grown in an aquaponic system has an exceptionally clean, crisp taste. Growing your own Barramundi excites guests and is the envy of neighbours. They provide a decent harvest at the end of the season and are one of the more majestic species of edible fish.

Catfish: There are many different species of catfish around the world that are well suited to aquaponics. Channel catfish are the most widely farmed aquaculture species in the United States, and they are available in many areas of Australia. Catfish don’t have scales so they need to be skinned, they are quick growing and have a good food conversion ratio.

Carp: There are many species of carp that could be very well suited to aquaponics, unfortunately because of their reproductive capabilities, their tough nature and ability to readily adapt in many areas of the world, carp have become noxious pests to native waterways and the environment, and as such they are not easily obtainable, and often there are high fines and fees for keeping them. In most western cultures carp also have a fairly poor reputation, as an eating fish, however, carp is still the most widely cultured fish in the world as it’s grown throughout most of Asia.

Goldfish: Although some people may group these with the carp, I’ve decided to cover these seperately as most people refer to them as goldfish, and this is what they will be sold as, at local pet shops or fish suppliers. Goldfish are generally pretty tough and make a great addition to an aquaponic system. In many areas they will breed in a tank, although they generally need plant cover within the tank to breed.

Jade Perch: This Australian fish is worth a special mention here, as it has the highest levels of omega three oils of any fish species in the world. In fact it’s so high in omega three oils that growers are trying to breed the oil out of them, they are trying to breed a less oily fish because they’ve found people don’t like the high oil content. They require warm water and consume an omnivorous diet. Very well suited to an aquaponic system, they grow quickly and fingerlings are readily available in warmer areas.

Koi: Once again, another species of carp, but better known as “Koi” rather than carp. Koi are very common within many Asian communities and they are often found in large ornamental ponds. For those who love Koi, an aquaponic system is a great proposition for stocking the fish.

Murray cod: Murray cod are a magnificent native Australian fish, known to grow to enormous sizes in their native habitats, their tank culture is still in reasonably early days. Murray cod are grown in recirculating aquaculture systems, and can also been grown in aquaponic systems, hopefully this fish will be utilised more over time because they are quick growing, and a great eating fish. One of the downfalls is that they must be kept at high stocking densities, and kept well fed otherwise they cannibalise each other.

Silver perch: Silver perch are a good allround native Australian fish that grow well under a variety of conditions. Perch are omnivorous and will happily eat green scraps as well as Duckweed and Azolla. They grow within a wide temperature range, though they’re not as fast growing as many other fish, taking 12-18 months for fingerlings to grow to plate size.

Tilapia: The second most cultured fish in the world, and extremely popular in Aquaponics systems. They are an ideal species for aquaponics for many reasons. They are easy to breed, fast growing, withstand very poor water conditions, consume an omnivorous diet and are good eating. The only downfall for some people will be that Tilapia require warm water. If you live in a cool area you are far better off growing a fish species that will grow well in your temperature range, rather than trying to heat the water. Tilapia are also a declared pest in many areas.

Trout: Trout are a great fish for aquaponic systems where water temperatures are a little cooler. Trout prefer water temperatures between 10°C and 20°C. They have extremely fast growth rates and excellent food conversion ratios.

Others: There are other fish species which are quite suitable for aquaponics, that might be available in your local area. In Europe many different species of carp are grown, within the United States such species as Bluegill are often available, while in Australia we also have a number of other native species like Sleepy cod which would be suitable.

Other aquatic animals that can be incorporated into an aquaponic system are fresh water mussles, fresh water prawns, and fresh water crayfish. Mussles are a filter-feeder, and do a great job of helping to clean the water, they will happily grow in flooded grow beds, or can be incorporated into fish tanks. Crustaceans make a nice addition to an aquaponic system and there are a few different species available depending on your location and water temperatures.

For those in tropical areas there’s Redclaw, a fast growing  Australian species, and for those in cooler areas there’s Yabbies or Marron.

Yabbies breed readily, given the right environment and the correct water temperature, as well as long daylight hours. They also grow fairly quickly, but they can be prone to fighting and cannibalism when stocked very densely.

  

Aquaponics' Applications [1]

Educational Applications of Aquaponics

credit to Nelson Pade website

Aquaponics and hydroponics are both excellent means of demonstrating many principles of science, agriculture, math and business in all grade levels and for home schooling. Applications of these technologies are only limited by ones imagination.

A unit in hydroponics or aquaponics enforces practical uses of chemistry, mathematics, physics, economics and engineering. The monitoring and care of a hydroponic or aquaponic system by students helps instill a sense of responsibility, inspires creativity and creates excitement in the learning environment.

A small aquaponic garden can sit on a counter top and be used to demonstrate botany, horticulture, hydroponics (soil less plant culture), plant science, nutrition, physiology and care, nutrient and pH testing, pH relationships, plant usage of nutrients, seed germination, photosynthesis and light and plant development.

An aquaponic system combines hydroponics with aquaculture in a recirculating system. In addition to the plant sciences, aquaponics incorporates and demonstrates many of natures natural cycles, nitrification, biology, fish anatomy and nutrition and high-tech agriculture.

A unit in hydroponics or aquaponics can be started at the beginning of a semester and run through the entire semester, allowing the educator to present the individual concepts and lessons as the plants and fish develop and grow. A small hydroponic or aquaponic system can sit on a spare counter top. Larger systems can be placed on the floor of a classroom, in a windowsill or a greenhouse.