Q: Where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself.
A: I’m Frank from Taipei, Taiwan. I practicing aquaponics over 2 years, started from a small DIY system with PP boxes purchased from IKEA, now I help school and interested people design and build system.
Q: How did you get interested in aquaponics?
A: I knew aquaponics through a series of documentary films called “Zeitgeist”, and was so exciting about this new method of producing food, soon enough I had quit my former sales job in Shanghai, then back to my home town studied about it.
Q: How are you currently working with aquaponics? Home setup, community greenhouse, etc.
A: I had build various of systems, for balcony, rooftop, wall, and for small greenhouse.
Q: Tell us about your system. Geek out a bit and tell us all the specs.
A: One of a system I made in a small greenhouse using a 1000L HDPE fish tank (1000 perches), water over flow to a swirl filter and to 3 grow beds made in FRP (200cm L x 100cm W x 30cm H), one grow bed using clay balls as a flood and drain bed growing chili pepper and tomato, two grow bed are simply RAFT bed growing lettuces and basil, all the water goes to the sump tank, and pump(with automatic on-off switch) back to fish tank, is a CHOP style system.
Q: What plants and fish have you had the best luck with? And the worst?
A: Tilapia and perch are doing great, but grass carp are not, maybe they need bigger space. All the plant are good in the system.
Q: What do you like most about aquaponics? Least?
A: Water and energy conservation, easy to learn, almost anywhere can do it.
Q: What do you think the biggest misconception about aquaponics is?
A: People think aquaponics system can be sustain by its own production as a perfect close loop, and don’t need to feed the fish at all.
Q: What are your future aquaponics goals?
A: Introduce aquaponics and the idea behind it to everyone in Taiwan, empower people to grow their own food and share the clean and high quality food to each other.
Q: What do your friends say when you show them your system for the first time?
A: Amazing, and beautiful.
Q: What is your next big gear purchase going to be? What about your next small one?
A: I need an automatic water test and monitor machine, but seems there’s none in the market with affordable price, and I also need a raft which can be stands forever to replace Styrofoam one.
Q: What’s the best recipe you’ve ever had/made, based around something you grew in your system?
A: I’m a lousy cooker, but I’m good at processing(kill) fish, so sashimi I guess~
Sounds good I have just started out on a similar set up
But having real hassles with getting the water clear for the fish ie Talapia had a big drop last evening lost around a hundred fish through power cuts so have had to set up a ooo inverter fir power when this occurs which is quite often here in Spith Africa
Anyway any advice would be appreciated
Hello John, What type of filtration for the system water are you using?