Mini Micro-Green Aquaponics System for Terrariums

[bob58o]

Since I boxed up my head and mailed it to North Carolina (cheapest way to get a hair cut), I'll will get caught up on a side project I started before go karts took over my life.

My Bearded Dragon, Bruce LeeRoy (if you haven't seen The Last Dragon, you are missing out), won't drink stationary water and only eats when he wants. It is a pain to get him to eat and drink when it is convenient for me.

I offer for submission the Mini Micro-Green Aquaponics System for Terrariums.

Bearded dragons don't eat fish, but Bruce will eat fish if he so pleases.
He will also eat worms and eat greens. This set up will be a self sustaining gourmet Old Country Buffet for Dragons.

I'll post pics with info about the Nitrogen Cycle and how each part plays a role. Off to the store to buy some little fishies and red wiggler worms

 

[chancer]

My Dog was a finnicky eater too. Till he got hungry.
Sorry pal I aint buying IAMS! Dog Chow is what you get, or starve, I was looking for a Dog when I found You!

 

[bob58o]

My Dog was a finnicky eater too. Till he got hungry.
Sorry pal I aint buying IAMS! Dog Chow is what you get, or starve, I was looking for a Dog when I found You!

This is more about me than the lizard. It is a pretty cool set up. Fresh greens every 5 days. Works for people too.

Fish go in the bottom. Seeds go in the middle. After 5 days, greens get moved to the top to receive light for another 5 days and a new tray of seeds goes in the middle.

Dirty fish water gets pumps and fills the top tray, drains into the middle tray, and then back into the bottom tray. The worms break down solid waste. The quilt batting serves as a biological filter material for bacteria to establish to break down the chemical waste.

Middle stays relatively dark and humid for germination.

Lights on top for 12 hrs a day.

Dragon only eats when the greens pop through the top of the Milk Crate.

 

[bob58o]

More pics...

 

[bob58o]

Final Set Up...

 

[bob58o]

The lizard can drink from the bottom shelf or from the return line on top of the milk crate.

I used to have to spray him with a bottle until he licked from his own head. He would always knock a water bowl over or poo in it so I could never just leave a water bowl in there for him.
It became a pain in the pooper, so this is my solution.

*Fresh Filtered Running Water to drink (until it becomes a toilet)

*Fresh Assorted Greens to eat (First tray ready to eat after 10 days and a new tray ready to eat every 5 days). Each tray should provide enough greens for entire week.

*Red Wiggler Worms, purchased at the local bait shop, are composting worms. They will help clean up any solid waste introduced into the water. They are good for Beardies to eat too and reproduce fairly rapidly. I think I put 3 dozen in there. It is a lot, but hopefully they start reproducing and I will start picking some out every 5 days to feed him.

*He can eat the fish if he wants to, but he hasn't eaten any yet that I have seen. He has tried a few times and missed. He hangs out in the water sometimes. If he starts eating fish and doesn't have any health issues, I would like to get some guppies that reproduce easily so I don't have to buy any more fish but I doubt anything would reproduce in that tiny community tank drawer.

All I provide after the initial set up is fish food, seeds, and light. I only have to open it up every 5 days (unless something messy happens).
If I don't want him eating fish or in the water, I can close the bottom drawer or cover it.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Just so many things wrong here...I don't know where to start!

I mean..."enter the boring?" BRUCE LEE? You know good and well...that lizard adores Jackie Chan! At least I named my turtle 'Vin Diesel' ! (You know..."fast and furious ")....And you...have a pet...and...you're going to "Enter the dragon? "

All BS aside...this is pretty cool...and non-reptile people just don't get it....we love our reptiles...but...they're a little bit different pets....

Thanks for sharing...now I know how to house my lot lizards!

 

[bob58o]

At least with bearded dragons, which are originally from Australian dry deserts, you are supposed to watch the humidity. It can cause respiratory issues. Last time I ran this, the humidity didn't spike too much. I ended up covering it a lot of the time to keep the substrate out.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Unfortunately, with reptiles....you almost HAVE to kill a few before you really know what you're doing. You can study up...and do the best you can....but that doesn't really tell you that much. They could be "just getting by"...and its really hard to tell if their conditions and life are optimized.

But when you lose one...(and really...sometimes that's the only clue you get you're doing something wrong) ...then you can analyze what went wrong and compensate so that it's never ever going to happen again.

I'm not saying that you have to kill an animal to learn....just that there are always going to be those one little things you missed in preparation.....and reptiles are not good about giving signs or notice until they just quit moving.

 

[bob58o]

Of course the only girl that really gets me is...

 

[Poboy kartman]

Of course the only girl that really gets me is...

With a face only a "mother" (shortened for family friendly forum)...could love! JK.. Give her a kiss for me!

 

[chancer]

I'm not saying that you have to kill an animal to learn....just that there are always going to be those one little things you missed in preparation.....and reptiles are not good about giving signs or notice until they just quit moving.

Didn't you give CPR to a Lizard once?

Watch guy...s I am not kidding!

 

[bob58o]

With a face only a "mother" (shortened for family friendly forum)...could love! JK.. Give her a kiss for me!

As sad as it sounds... it's not even my puppy. My buddy got her at 8 weeks and since he works days and I love dogs I went over there to let her out and play with her just about every day. We bonded over some chew toys during the teething phase.

Don't tell him but I'm sure she loves me more than him! JK, Awesome dog!

---------- Post added at 01:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:38 PM ----------

Dogs, Fish, Reptiles.... I get. I don't get cats. Kittens are cool. Cats are like evil, selfish little dogs.

 

[Poboy kartman]

No ...Chancer is not kidding or mistaken about my giving CPR to a baby Western Fence lizard...who I brought back from the dead.

And as an aside...a buddy of mine were having a heavy drinking session and he gave me a dog just like that....I took her home...and Sammy absolutely destroyed a mini-blind trying to get away from her...

"Shotzi" ...(please excuse the spelling Alex)... crawled up in bed with me that night and snuggled up...

The next day ...sober minds prevailed...and "Sweetheart" went back home!

 

[bob58o]

You forced me to look it up!

What does the word Shotsie mean its German?

Answer by ExquisitDesign CONFIDENCE VOTES 422
It's spelled "Schatzi", a term of endearment similar to "sweetheart" and, means "little treasure"

 

[bob58o]

After 3.5 days

 

[Poboy kartman]

Bob...I can't see what you're growing when I click on the thumbnails...(they blurr out before I can enlarge them enough to read)...I can see turnips and mesclun , and (I'm guessing by the picture) maybe Ruby Swiss Chard? Enlighten me....

Burpee doesn't sell hemp seeds do they? JK...

 

[bob58o]

Collards and a micro green mix are the other two. I forgot what is in the mix.

He will maul all of them before they get to the third set of leaves.
He likes Collards the best (full grown) but likes turnip greens, mustard greens, ....

I want to grow full size dandelions in there. The whole plant is good to eat.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Still blurry...but now, knowing what I'm looking at...I can read "Microgreens". I forgot to mention the collards...but could read that!

Edit: Burpee Microgreens: 20% Detroit red beet, 20% Pak Choi, 20% purple Kohrabi, 20% Di Ciccio broccoli, and 20% China Rose radish.

 

[bob58o]

The Mesclun was an accident. I thought it said Mescaline. LOL
Arugula, Endive-Green Curled, Kale -Red Russian, Lettuce -Red Romaine, Lettuce _Parris Island Cos, Lettuce -Salad Bowl, and Lettuce -Lolla Rossa.

I don't know what any of that is???

He likes Kale too.