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Sniper-T
05-27-2015, 06:37 PM
You Might Be a Survivalist (or Prepper) If…

You have a cookbook all about Spam.

You consider your extra large ham radio antenna as “broadband”.

You know how to cook leather.

You’ve ever been on a Soviet “Potential Threat” list.

SWAT has ever asked to borrow a few of your guns.

Your new girlfriend comes over for the first time, and when she walks into the living room, the first thing she sees is your CHL regulation Man sized target with 50 holes in the chest area.

Your dog has more Emergency Rations than 95% of the U.S. population.

You’re the first person at the gun range on Dec 26th to try out your new toys, and the clerk knows you by your first name

The local supermarket manager knows to go ahead and open up the back dock doors when he sees you on a shopping trip.

Your home and property are more secure and better lit than Fort Knox or Area 51.

All the local restaurants know to save you all their 5-gallon buckets on Mondays and Thursdays.

None of your vehicles have electronic ignition or pollution control.

You know the tail numbers of all the helicopters in your area.

The magazines on your coffee table include American Survival Guide, Guns and Ammo, Soldier of Fortune, American Rifleman, Shotgun News and 4 -Wheeler.

You welcome a “mild” El Nino storm because you know its going to fill your cistern.

The power fails in your local movie theater, and you pull your flashlight from your belt and show yourself the way out.

You use your Gerber Tool to cut your steak at a fine dining establishment.

Your knife collection has its own footlocker.

When people ask about all those colorful maps on your walls, you tell them that you are planning a “Fishing Expedition”.

You can recognize the sound of a generator from four blocks away, but you also can tell the brand, horsepower and kilowatts per hour that it is putting out.

You have to kill a snake in your front yard, but then you skin and eat it.

You stock up on kerosene and firewood in 102 degree summer heat.

Your homeschooled children score in the 99 percentile on their SAT’s.

Your To Do list includes changing the batteries on the seismic ground sensors surrounding your home.

Your shopping list includes numbered items like .22, .308., .357 and 7.62

Your shopping list includes body armor.

Your scanner includes the frequencies of every law enforcement agency within 100 miles, including the ones that don’t officially exist.

Those maps on your wall have every bridge marked in red, with an alternate path marked around it.

Your paper boy throws the paper into the barbed wire just for the heck of it.

You have a key fob that says, “What Would John Wayne Do?”

Your fence posts double as range markers.

The window shutters have firing ports included in their design.

You have “ammo” on your Christmas list.

You’re on a first name basis with every vendor at a gun show.

You can’t put your groceries in the trunk of the car because its already jammed full with emergency kits, first aid supplies, and fully-stocked BOBs.

You have emergency rations for your pets, and view your pets as potential emergency rations.

You know the news three days before it hits the mass media.

You have back-up plans for your back-up plans.

You’re convinced you’ve been exposed to so many chemical-trails, you consider it a form of birth control.

You’ve ever bought antibiotics for human use through a vet or grains for human consumption through a feed store.

You’ve got more than one grain mill.

You’ve ever wondered how you might filter the used water from your washing machine to make it fit for human consumption.

You have a kerosene lamp in every room.

Your living room coffee table is actually a board with pretty cloth over it to disguise your food storage underneath.

Your box springs are Rubber Maid containers filled with rice and beans.

You save dryer lint to make fire starters.

Your most commonly used fuel additive is Stabil, instead of Gum-out.

You automatically choose the heavy duty flatbed cart upon entering Sam’s or Costco.

You know the shelf life of tuna fish, but don’t know how long you’ve had that open jar of mayo in the fridge.

Your basement walls are insulated with crates of toilet paper, from floor to ceiling, all the way around.

Other people are saving money for new furniture or vacations, but you are desperately saving to get solar panels put on your house.

You were excited beyond all reason when they came out with cheddar cheese in a can.

You’ve ever served MREs at a dinner party.

You can engage in a spirited debate on chemical vs. sawdust toilets for hours on end.

You’ve ever considered digging an escape tunnel from your basement to the nearest stand of trees.

You know how to use a vacuum cleaner in reverse to filter air in your designated bio-chem attack safe room.

You’ve ever considered buying an above-ground pool for water storage purposes.

You know what things like ‘TSHTF’, ‘BOB’, ‘GOOD’, and ‘TEOTWAWKI’ mean and routinely use them in conversations.

You have different grades of BOB’s. And re-stock them twice a year.

You know the names, family histories, locations, and degree of readiness of over a thousand fellow doomers on the internet, but you’ve never met your neighbors.

The best radio in the house is a wind-up.

You have better items in storage than you use everyday.

If the SHTF, you would eat better than you eat now.

Your significant other gave you a sleeping bag rated at -15 degrees for Christmas, and you were moved beyond words.

You’ve sewn secret mini-BOBs into the bottom of your children’s school backpacks.

Local food pantries have come to depend on donations from your larder when you rotate stock in the spring and fall.

You’re still using up your Y2K supplies.

You have enough army surplus equipment to open a store.

The local army surplus store owner knows you by your first name.

When you fill up when your gas tank, it’s already 3/4 full.

You call Rubber Maid for wholesale prices.

You have several cases of baby wipes and your kids are all grown.

You carry a pocket survival kit, a sturdy folding knife, a Sure Fire flashlight and a small concealed handgun to church every Sunday.

You start panicking when you are down to 50 rolls of toilet paper.

You keep a small notebook to write down any edible plants you happen to see along the road.

You shop yard sales, store sales, and markdown racks for bartering goods .

You own a hand-operated clothes washer and a non-electric carpet sweeper.

You have at least two of every size of Dutch oven (the ones with the legs on the bottom), and 20 bags of charcoal, although you have a gas grill.

You have rain barrels at each corner of your house although you have a city water hookup, and a Big Berkey to purify the water.

You have sapphire lights, survival whistle, and a Swiss Army knife on every family member’s keychain.

The people in line at Costco ask if you run a store or restaurant.

You require a shovel to rotate all your preps properly.

You no longer go to the doctor’s because you can either fix it yourself, make it at home, or know and understand the physicians desk reference better than he does, and can get the goods at the vets or pet store for MUCH less money anyway.

You know that GPS has nothing to do with the economy.

You track your preps on a computer spreadsheet for easy reordering, but have hard copies in a 3-ring binder, ‘just in case’.

You’ve thought about where the hordes can be stopped before entering town.

You start evaluating people according to ‘skill sets’.

You view the nearest conservation area as a potential grocery store if TSHTF.

You know *all* the ways out the building where you work.

You have enough pasta stockpiled in your basement to carbo-load all the runners in the New York marathon.

You know that you have 36 gallons of extra drinking water in the hot water tank and your 2 toilet tanks.

You know which bugs are edible.

You have a hand pump on your well.

You have #10 cans of ‘stuff’ that the labels fell off of, but you won’t throw it out or open it because it, ‘may be needed later’, even though you haven’t a clue as to the contents.

You know where the best defensive positions and lines of fire are on your property.

You’ve made a range card for your neighborhood.

Your toenail clipper is a K-BAR.

The Ranger Handbook is your favorite self-help book.

You’ve numbered the deer romping in the yard by their order of consumption.

You must move 50 cases of food for the plumber to get to that leaky pipe, and you have your own hand truck in the basement to do it. 100

You own more pairs of hiking boots than casual and dress shoes combined.

You have more 55 gallon blue water drums than family members.

You have a backup generator for your backup generator, which is a backup for your solar energy system.

You go to McDonalds and ask for one order of fries with 25 packs of ketchup and mustard.

You have ever given SPAM as a serious gift.

You’ve had your eye out for a good deal for a stainless steel handgun to conceal in the bottom of the magazine rack next to the toilet.

You are single male over 40, but you still have an emergency childbirth kit, just in case you have to deal with that possibility.

You have two water heaters installed in your basement, but one is a dummy that’s been converted to a hideaway safe.

You’ve made bug-out cargo packs for your dogs.

You have a walking stick with all sorts of gadgets hidden inside.

You’re a substitute scoutmaster, and you taught your son’s troop to set mantraps and punji pits, and haven’t been asked to stand in since.

You’re on your fifth vacuum sealer, but you keep at least one of the worn out ones because you can still seal up plastic bags with it.

You haven’t bought dried fruit in years, but you buy fresh bananas, apples, peaches and pears by the case and have three dehydrators.

Your UPS man hates you because of all the cases of ammo he’s had to lug from his truck to your front door.

You have duplicates of all your electronics gear, solar panels and generator parts in your EMP-shielded fallout shelter.

You have set aside space for your live chickens in the fallout shelter.

When the power goes out in your neighborhood, all the neighbor’s kids come over to your place to watch TV on generator power.

You must open the door to your pantry very carefully for fear of a canned goods avalanche.

You have a ‘Volcano’, you know you can cook anything, and you cast evil glances at your neighbor’s annoying, yappy poodle, muttering, “Your day will come, hotdog”.

You’ve learned to make twine from plant fibers to be used for snares because you fear that all of your preps and hard work will be confiscated by FEMA troops or destroyed by earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear blasts, ravening hordes of feral sheeple or reptiloids from ‘Planet X’

The Police Chief calls you to find out what guns to buy for their officers.

realist
05-27-2015, 09:51 PM
You know Sniper I don't think I like your list, when you put all this together I get the feeling just because I have or do a lot of those things I sense you think I am maybe paranoid?

bacpacker
05-27-2015, 10:19 PM
What if several of these apply?

realist
05-27-2015, 10:23 PM
Your paranoid too

Sniper-T
05-28-2015, 02:56 AM
If more than one applies.. then that means you WIN! You are not a member of the sheeple class!

Domeguy
05-28-2015, 03:21 AM
Put me down on the "winners list" then, because I'm guilty of several. I especially like that last one.

Katrina
05-30-2015, 04:36 PM
I guess I'm on my way to being paranoid too.:p But what good company I'll have Luv ya!

AlphaTea
05-31-2015, 09:36 PM
What about:
The local LDS Bishop knows you by name and you are not a member
You have a membership to Costco, Sams Club and BJ's

Fidel MD
05-31-2015, 10:34 PM
Good start

Sniper-T
06-02-2015, 02:56 AM
What about:
The local LDS Bishop knows you by name and you are not a member
You have a membership to Costco, Sams Club and BJ's

You have a membership for BJ's? I thought that was restricted to Amsterdam??

Dude, you SOOOO win!

Vodin
06-03-2015, 03:48 PM
Sams bakery knows me since I get 5 gallon buckets w/lids every time I am there in the morning :)
My wife has all the food stuff covered and no we dont do the SPAM thing.
And our dogs eat like no other dogs. I even eat the dog food granted I add a few spices but wow..

And I did not realize I did this till it was read.

You start evaluating people according to ‘skill sets’.

Stormfeather
06-06-2015, 03:40 AM
Man... I am so a prepper... Cant believe how many of these apply to me...

Sniper-T
06-06-2015, 06:33 AM
too awesome! Going by these guidelines.. I may be a prepper too! lol

bacpacker
06-06-2015, 02:29 PM
The list is long and pretty well covered.

Stormfeather
06-06-2015, 03:54 PM
I have to find a way to change the words to this jingle....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvCTaccEkMI

jamesneuen
06-06-2015, 04:22 PM
All hands standby for song and dance from stormfeather.......

Katrina
06-08-2015, 03:29 AM
Put your right foot in, put your right foot out............

Katrina
06-11-2015, 04:30 AM
Vodin,
How'd you get your Sam's to give you the buckets, Ours won't give them to anyone. I've even talked to a manager and suggested they could "sell" them for a buck a bucket for charity. But he was rather rude about it, said they had enough charities they do for.

Kesephist
06-11-2015, 07:43 AM
If more than one applies.. then that means you WIN! You are not a member of the sheeple class!

Guess I'm screwed, then. I don't qualify any of those listed items.

I hate wool, though...

It's been an interesting little foray here, though. I'll have a word with RedJohn, then, about removing my posts and eventually my access. Probably about a week.

Vodin
06-12-2015, 12:36 AM
Katrina,

Like I have stated before I have good people skills. I only asked for the buckets and was expecting to pay but they just gave them to me with lids.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/IMG_5134_zpsibck3kry.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/IMG_5134_zpsibck3kry.jpg.html)

I am sorry that you have had issues obtaining them.

Sniper-T
06-12-2015, 12:42 AM
Vodin... are all of those global bucket set ups?

Vodin
06-12-2015, 12:48 AM
You can goto smaller bakeries. Or grocery stores try the bakeries there. The super walmart out here sells them for a $1. There are a bunch of places out here that use them all I can suggest to you is ask...

- - - Updated - - -

What so you mean by global?

- - - Updated - - -

I am container gardening ontop of pallets that lie on the raised bed gardens. This is done since I have used my garden beds for about 18 years now. The buckets have a net cup in the bottom. (I drilled a 3" hole in the bottom of the bucket and inserted a net cup) And the buckets rest atop a water trough. The net cups wick the water up into the bucket to keep the soil moist. I just refill the water troughs every couple of weeks.

- - - Updated - - -

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/IMG_3786_zpsp2jmfj9y.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/IMG_3786_zpsp2jmfj9y.jpg.html)

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/IMG_3899_zpsitm4lngc.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/IMG_3899_zpsitm4lngc.jpg.html)

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/IMG_4262_zpsagsevdvn.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/IMG_4262_zpsagsevdvn.jpg.html)

Vodin
06-12-2015, 12:56 AM
Ahh just researched a global bucket set up. No this is simpler. Its sits on a water trough and it wicks water up into the bucket when the soil needs it. I built 6 water troughs out of a 6' fence board and 2x4's added a liner. Each water trough hold almost 5 gallons exactly. Less water useage since March I have filled all troughs 3 times (90 gallons of water)

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/IMG_4023_zpsaziveyqj.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/IMG_4023_zpsaziveyqj.jpg.html)

Vodin
06-12-2015, 01:05 AM
Guess you can call it a different version of Aquaponics :) Got an AP system running in my basement for the last 2-3 years. Working on my 5th crop now. I have decided to grow lettuce and herbs.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/IMG_5150_zpsdwudurfl.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/IMG_5150_zpsdwudurfl.jpg.html)

And Blue Nile Tilapia.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/IMG_4334_zpspen0kojx.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/IMG_4334_zpspen0kojx.jpg.html)

Sniper-T
06-12-2015, 01:13 AM
cool! half the buckets needed, and an easier watering system. I like that a lot, and might have to steal it! lol

What is your basement growing media?

How deep is your tilapia tank? Do you find it adds humidity to your basement? Got some pics of the tank set up?

Vodin
06-12-2015, 01:41 AM
With the Garden set up you can easily move them around, pack them tighter and less of a struggle to water.

Baked Clay Balls Reason= Lightest weight (currently)

My stock tank is 150 gallons and ~2' tall.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/Basement%20AP%20System%20004_zpskezmaj5s.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/Basement%20AP%20System%20004_zpskezmaj5s.jpg.html)

This photo was from the initial idea it has changed since then. I plan on building 3 more grow beds each with separate lighting. Each grow bed will sit on a shelf. The shelf system I use is gorilla and it can hold 600#'s of weight. So 2 shelf's and 2 shelves will be used on each shelf. They will be positioned over the stock tank so the threat of leakage will be reduced. (It can happen but has not)

All of this rests on a 10'x10' concrete slab in the basement.

Moisture I have not noticed moisture... I have seen the water pipes sweating. The basement is about 50-65F year round.

- - - Updated - - -

The stock tank is 150 gallons. That is a 55gallon barrel on the shelving.

- - - Updated - - -

This was the 4th build I believe.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/IMG_2891_zpsf581e321.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/IMG_2891_zpsf581e321.jpg.html)

- - - Updated - - -

This is the current build.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/IMG_5016_zpszqi3edza.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/IMG_5016_zpszqi3edza.jpg.html)

Sniper-T
06-12-2015, 02:14 AM
I think you should start your own hydroponics thread and document your processes!

Given our short growing season, I see the value in this!

How many fish do you have in there??

Vodin
06-12-2015, 02:24 AM
I have 5 Blue Nile Tilapia. 2 are about 6" they were 1/4" fry back in December 2014. and the other 3 average from 12"-14". More can fit but currently short on funds. Since the genders need to be separate. If they were together they would each breed every month and have 300-800 fry. From Fry to Plate is an 8month period. I wish to get another 150 Stock tank for the females and then a 20 gallon for mating moments :)

Quick definition
Hydroponics=Growing vegies with Water and chemicals
Aquaponics=Growing vegies with Water and fish pee/poop oh and worms ohh and microbes. It is an easier method and cheaper.

jamesneuen
06-12-2015, 02:43 AM
So is aquaponics a sustainable thing if shtf? I've never looked into either of them. I agree though that you should start a thread and give us a startup intro.

bacpacker
06-12-2015, 02:08 PM
Vodin thanks for the pics and yes please do a thread on this. Helo has one running o. His set up and has had a lot of traffic . Your set up looks to me to be quite different and smaller. I'm betting it'll get lots o traffic as well.

Vodin
06-12-2015, 02:35 PM
I don't have the land/space/weather to do Aquaponics full time outside. I am in Colorado so that right there shortens the growing season.

SHTF moment it would be awesome IF
You have power
You have water

The reason I am doing this is to reduce the food budget. Anything healthy, fresh and home grown is a good thing.

This is a tiny setup it rests on a 10'x10' concrete slab in my basement. It is simple a water container, grow bed, air pump, water heater and 2 water pumps. Cost is ~$400 for the set up.

I don't mind setting up a thread. Helo does the same thing I do but he is on a much bigger scale. I am just a compacted mode.

Sniper-T
06-12-2015, 04:22 PM
That is what I am interested in, I cannot do Helo's scale based on our winters, but may be able to do a modification of yours in my 4' high crawlspace under the house, by excavating a hole for the pond, using a soft liner, and then either building a rack for the plants or suspending something for the joists.

helomech
06-12-2015, 04:33 PM
You can do aquaponics as small or as large as you want. The advantage to a larger system is that it is more stable. Been thinking about doing a small one in the house on my 55 gallon aquarium for spices and such.

Sniper-T
06-12-2015, 04:40 PM
I have the room to do a large scale system, but not the weather. Whatever I saved in food costs would be trumped for heating. 5 months of frozen pond do not a happy tilapia make. So, yeah, it would have to be indoors. And I don't really have a place to put a big aquarium, so it might have to be a dig in in the crawl space (If feasible)

Vodin
06-12-2015, 05:02 PM
Sniper-T here are the parameters for AP Fish.

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/FishChart_zpsblhemqqt.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/FishChart_zpsblhemqqt.jpg.html)

Vodin
06-12-2015, 05:14 PM
4' crawl space. I can work with.

1> Get a stock tank (I recommend)
Reason: Easy to move when empty. Less effort placing. Harder to puncture. It lasts longer than liner.
2> Electrical outlets separate circuit (GFI circuitry)
3>You need lighting. Use CFL or LED
Reason Power usage and less heat.
3>Water Pumps
Fish need oxygenated water
4>Water Pumps
Water needs to move
5>Heater
Need a certain water temp

helomech
06-12-2015, 05:18 PM
Heating a aquaponics system is a bad idea outside. The grow beds work like giant radiators and bring the water temp to the air temp very fast. It is much easier to heat the room than the water. I gave up on tilapia until I get my big green house built and can heat the air instead of the water.

Vodin
06-12-2015, 05:19 PM
Water Temp is key.

What can effect it?

Ground, Sun, Air and weather.

Keep this in mind when you place your tank. If it sits on concrete the concrete will leach into your water. Rest it on wood.

Water ingredients 1st find out what is added to your tap water. You would be surprised Chloramine is starting to be put into drinking water. Chloramine kills fish I am still researching how to remove it. Chlorine is a given just let it sit and it will escapes over a 24 hour period.

Sniper-T
06-12-2015, 05:21 PM
Rigid isn't feasible... I only have a 2' square hatch for access, so it'll have to be an EPDM liner.

Already have lighting and electrical in place. Can add to it if necessary.

The rest is all available. Need to look into things like auto fish feeders...

Vodin
06-12-2015, 05:22 PM
Helo, I have been pondering doing this for water temp for the fish..
http://growyourowngroceries.org/thinking-outside-the-box-inside-the-greenhouse/

Vodin
06-12-2015, 05:30 PM
I am still pondering a tank liner.

But I understand that for the grow beds this is the best at the moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JMac2CdFjI

helomech
06-12-2015, 05:33 PM
I am going to have a solar heater on my big green house when it is done. But I will still have to heat the air inside the greenhouse at night and on cloudy winter days. The water in my little greenhouse gets down to 40 real fast in winter at night.

Vodin
06-12-2015, 05:40 PM
I am still pondering a tank liner.

But I understand this material for the grow beds at the moment is the best.

The guy in the video is good but runs into issues with his system along the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JMac2CdFjI

Vodin
06-12-2015, 05:56 PM
Sniper, I need a little time to ponder a set up for a crawl space.

For me this would very taxing.
Reasons cramped space for movement, plant height issues, accessibility, farming the fish (catching) and farming the vegetables.

There may be another way to do this I just need to think it through.

Questions
What type of food do you want?
Do you want food growth year round?

Sniper-T
06-12-2015, 06:05 PM
I am still pondering this too. And essentially making it up in my mind as I go along.

I would have to excavate(not a fun thought), to a depth that would put the top of the 'tank' basically at ground level, that would allow the full 4 feet for plants (minus pot height), so tomatoes, peppers, onions would be key (fresh salsa)

I can set up a pivot/roller system to move the plants away from the top of the pond, for access to the fish. That is easy enough. Plus I am an avid fiherman, I have nets.

It wouldn't be necessary to run it in the summer, but I probably would just leave it go out of ease. In the winter/spring, I would use it to start my plants for transplanting.

helomech
06-12-2015, 06:23 PM
Onions don't do very well in rocks. At least not for me. And you would be surprised how hard fish are to catch in a tank with pumps and piping.

Sniper-T
06-12-2015, 06:35 PM
So I'll mo9ve the onions to the indoor greenhouse, and drop a gill net.. lol

jamesneuen
06-12-2015, 07:17 PM
So do the fish feed off the plants or do you need fish food? And how could you sustain fish food in SHTF without stockpiling tons of it?

Vodin
06-12-2015, 07:31 PM
Here are my thoughts. It will be a little bit more work due to the size.

Use a 55 gallon barrel, cut the top 14" off and seal the plugs on the top with silicon then flip it over.
The bottom of the barrel will contain water use it for fish, crawdads, prawn... your choice of freshwater fish.
You will need 1 water heater, 1 air pump and 1 water pump with the proper sized tubing.

Pick a spot that is at least 3'x3'x6'.
http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/121912%20001_zps2f0mboh3.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/121912%20001_zps2f0mboh3.jpg.html)

Seed the plants you want after you place it in an area that receives good light.

Vodin
06-12-2015, 07:37 PM
Give it a few months it will grow. You will learn the process and how to adapt it to make it do what you want it to provide. I suggest goldfish first since they will be the cannon fodder. They are hard to kill but it will happen. You will need to monitor it more closely since it is small and problems travel fast in small systems.

But it will work for you.
http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y534/Vodin136/1APOfficeovergrown_zpsbjxq1xky.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/Vodin136/media/1APOfficeovergrown_zpsbjxq1xky.jpg.html)

Sniper-T
06-12-2015, 09:27 PM
photo's not found.

I also have a source for an unlimited supply of minnows, and can use that as a food source.

y biggest concern is the excavation. I live on extremely hard clay, and from experience digging a sump pit in my crawlspace, know that it is not an easy task. plus all materials would have to be moved/removed by bucket! I'm thinking maybe an electric post hole auger...

I'm not sure the heater would be necessary, as it stays around 70F down there year round. So just an aerator and circulation pump.

btw where did you get those clay balls?

The crawlspace is a total dark place. How much light would I need, and how often? Simulate daylight/night cycle? always on?

What about pollination in a bug free zone? Would I have to self pollinate?

I'm still researching the legalities of Tilapia (non-native species)... I may have to stick to Rainbow trout; but am unsure about how big they would grow in a confined space like that. Or if they would survive. Goldfish/carp/catfish/koi may be another option.

Vodin
06-12-2015, 10:37 PM
Sniper
Baked Clay Balls http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i:aps,k:clay%20balls&tag=duckduckgo-d-20
Light 12on 12 off
Pollination Can be done by hand and some work with wind
Temperature with the temp in your crawl space go Tilapia. To warm for trout. Use a water heater get the water to ~82-84F if it goes down to 68F they die.
Warmer temp is better for your plants growth.
Size of my stock tank is 5'l x 3'w x 2' t the largest I have currently is 14" he was put in at ~6".

Legal issues http://www.tilapiafarmingathome.com/Pages/LegalIssues.aspx

Sniper-T
06-13-2015, 12:48 AM
great links, but wrong countries. I cannot even collect crayfish for dinner (legally); nor transport a caught fish from any lake to my home (pond/tank)

jamesneuen
06-13-2015, 01:00 AM
ST, if controlled explosives are your thing you could make REALLY short work of that excavation!

Vodin
06-13-2015, 02:07 AM
http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/group/tilapiagrowers/forum/topics/tilapia-in-ontario-canada

Hope this help ST

- - - Updated - - -

http://www.freestylefarm.ca/2012/12/06/basement-aquaponics-and-raising-tilapia/

http://www.noafisheries.ca/

http://www.aquaculture.ca/files/species-tilapia.php

Here is some further non legal info :)

ak474u
06-13-2015, 02:30 AM
photo's not found.

I also have a source for an unlimited supply of minnows, and can use that as a food source.

y biggest concern is the excavation. I live on extremely hard clay, and from experience digging a sump pit in my crawlspace, know that it is not an easy task. plus all materials would have to be moved/removed by bucket! I'm thinking maybe an electric post hole auger...

I'm not sure the heater would be necessary, as it stays around 70F down there year round. So just an aerator and circulation pump.

btw where did you get those clay balls?

The crawlspace is a total dark place. How much light would I need, and how often? Simulate daylight/night cycle? always on?

What about pollination in a bug free zone? Would I have to self pollinate?

I'm still researching the legalities of Tilapia (non-native species)... I may have to stick to Rainbow trout; but am unsure about how big they would grow in a confined space like that. Or if they would survive. Goldfish/carp/catfish/koi may be another option.

Plus you have to worry about the polar bears and the avalanches. Lol

Sniper-T
06-13-2015, 02:53 AM
yeah. nope! that's like you following Hawaii's laws. I'm Manitoba, and so totally different! As for explosives... that is too reminiscent to my university days! Mrs sniper has already banned their use in the house :(

helomech
06-13-2015, 03:19 AM
I had a few tilapia make it much lower than 68. I had about 50 of them in the tank at the beginning of winter, and had water temps as low as 45 for long periods of time. I had about 15 fish survive the winter. I don't recommend doing this, but I never had one die in 68 degree water even for long periods of time.

Vodin
06-13-2015, 04:05 PM
You are correct Helomech. It is better to say the safety point to all 1st so they know where the oh sh^t point starts. It could be different varieties of Tilapia, I dont know. I was just informed that by one of the leading ladies in AP. I bought them from Sylvia Bernstein in Boulder CO.

helomech
06-13-2015, 05:07 PM
Actually mine are the worst for cold water Mozambique tilapia. Mozambique are allowed in Texas because they can not handle cold water. Blues can handle much colder water than Mozambique, that is why they are illegal in Texas without a permit. Don't get me wrong this is not good for the fish, but just want people to know that they won't die when water reaches 68. Always Always try to keep tilapia water at least 75 F, that is the only way they grow and thrive. Just don't want someone not getting them because they are scared they will die if the heater goes out for a few hours.

bacpacker
06-14-2015, 02:49 AM
Good info guys. Thanks sharing all this.