Composting a Fish with Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) & Garden Update

[@RobsAquaponics]

Don't forget to leave a thumbs up & comment if you'd like to see a video on the final plans we have for our Backyard Farm.🚜🚧 Click on that subscribe button as well if you want to see the black soldier fly farm build when it's posted to the channel here, bit.ly/Subscribe2Rob​ 👍 Cheers all & have a top one. 🐟 🌱🍅 Rob

[@BrazenSpirituality]

Why do you even ask? You know we are a vicarious bunch! Show us it all. ♡♡♡♡

[@RobsAquaponics]

😂 OK. Will start working on it today. 😁 Have a great one.

[@familywilliams4058]

BSFL are amazing. They are such good decomposers, which is why I want to incorporate them into my future urban aquaponics farm, so they can help me with waste management, since I won't be able to have a big compost pile.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Having in bed worm farms will also help with the food scraps green waste if you get a lot FW. 👍 I'm thinking it would be a good idea to add the compost/waste from the BSFL farm into the garden bed worm farms I want to set up. Cheers & have a great one.

[@thomasbecker9676]

When I first got black soldier flies in my composters a few years back, I freaked out. After I researched a bit, I was happy to have them, as they really seem to speed up the process, even if they tend to clog up the drain holes. I find they are really attracted to coffee grounds.

[@RobsAquaponics]

I used to get them a bit in the worm farms here as well. They would warm up the bedding in the farm to the point that a few worms would try to escape. If that happened I'd remove the bulk of them to give to the chooks for a snack. 😉 Cheers Thomas & have a top one.

[@duvalmartin]

Hello again Rob. Great video. I also have A BSF farm that we feed kitchen scraps and half eaten fruit(kids) I have tried feeding the semi mature larva to my Mozambique Tilapia, but like your perch they just spit them out. Local birds and lizards have discovered the farm and I let them have at it. They eat the larva that have matured and migrated out of the bin. When mine gets smelly or yucky I add cardboard or non inked paper. This helps absorb the water and for some reason reduces the smell if there is any. I have seen the larva consume an entire large pizza box within a week. From what I understand, the muck and the BSF waste is good for gardens, so I mix it with yard dirt and mix it into garden soil. Thanks again for another great video

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hey Duval. I read about a bloke here that trained his fish to eat them. He was cutting the larvae in half & which got the fish interested. After they got used to that h started to toss them in whole & they took them with no issues. Another bloke said that he tossed a few in with their daily ration of pellets & got them interested that way. Hope that helps some. I'm not too worried if we can't get our fish to eat them as we have beneficial wildlife I'd like to encourage them to stick around the yard that will eat them + I'd like to set up a chook🐔 & quail house once we get the landscaping sorted here. Cheers Mate & have a top one.

[@elenidemosdavidcarruthers6382]

👍 yes for retaining wall.

[@RobsAquaponics]

We're still waiting as the rain has set them back quite a few weeks. Will post a video on it once they start though. 👍 Hope all's well with you folks.

[@nicolaiitchenko7610]

Our blue barrel BSF farm has been operating for about four years now and has not EVER made an odor that was either offensive or (usually) even noticeable. The BSFL in the barrel also got through a dead cat within ten days... My friend has fed these larvae to sleepy cod and, of course, chickens successfully. By the way, would LOVE to see the further renovations...watched every video of the redevelopment of the house before and this promises to be a great addition.

[@RobsAquaponics]

I have friends that toss in their dead chooks and said the same thing,. All gone, feathers & all, in about a week. Am just about to start the mud mad of the yard renovations & hope to have that video up next weekend. Also hope to have the BSFL farm sorted this week too. All the best to you & yours Frank. 👍🍻

[@plantswoman]

Yes, please show us the retaining wall work! Looking forward to your BSFL setup video too!! Thanks, as always for sharing your world, Rob!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Shall be working on videos for both this week as I get the time PW. 😁👍 Hope to have the plan video finished this week all going well. Cheers & all the best.

[@morneschaap2944]

Those little guys were busy! Wow! Thanks for a very interesting video, Rob. 😊

[@RobsAquaponics]

I was very impressed with how fast they went through the fish Morne. I think they ate the scales as well. Cheers mate.

[@prubroughton2327]

love to look at landscaping and gardening

[@RobsAquaponics]

Looks like a few folks want a gander so will be working on the mud map/artwork for the video later today Pru. Cheers & have a great one.

[@curtisc808]

Rob keep the videos coming. Please film the wall construction. Thanks

[@RobsAquaponics]

Will be asking if I can Curtis but will have to see what they say. Hope all's well with you mate. Cheers.

[@robellett8156]

Thanks for responding to my question about BSFL and recommending this video. I miss having my aquaponics system.

[@RobsAquaponics]

No worries Rob. 👍 Hope you get a chance to have a crack at another system at some point mate.

[@PotentPonics]

You should try fermenting the fish in LABs or as part of an FAA from KNF. FAA is a great way to recycle your fish waste products.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Wanted to see how long the BSFL would take to devour it this time round. Have a mate that does a bit here & will be having a crack with the frames from the fish when we harvest a few.👍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pomYepaVadZmZ6s Cheers Steve.

[@JTBear]

Looking great Rob!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks Mr JT. 👍👍 Just moved them into a new home some mates gifted us made from some small wheelie bins. Hope all's going well with your growing season so far.

[@mtcarmelman632]

THANKS Rob for everything you share, would love the see the wall build/upgrade to the patch!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Will be starting on the artwork for it today Michael. Cheers mate. 👍

[@deadfred821]

I may just try a wicking bed; glad you reminded me with that quick glimpse. Those maggots don’t play with that fish, huh? Wait… that huge plant in that bed is turmeric?😱 I may have to rethink my indoor system cause that looks like it will take the whole growbed I was going to use. Now that I think about it; I haven’t looked into turmeric care yet…🤦🏾‍♂️ Great update brother!👍🏾

[@RobsAquaponics]

That turmeric bed was started with about 6 plants from memory. It only took a season for the whole bed to fill out though due to our warm climate. Hope all's well with you mate. Cheers & have a top one. 👍

[@jeffwatts2727]

Please show new BSFL bin when you’re finished

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem Jeff. 👍 Hope to be working on it latter this week. Cheers mate.

[@smacurface]

Your favorite saying "And uhm ... yeah !"

[@RobsAquaponics]

Um yeeha & so what...... 😉😁 Cheers & have a top one.

[@sumpop420]

Awww poor lil' guy! Wow 1st thought on that mango stew was it must smell awful! I guess the larvae and enzymes must keep on top of the gas producing fermentation and decomp? I for one always love to see your yard updates! I imagine all the things I could do if I had your climate, and space...and beard! 😀👍

[@RobsAquaponics]

Apparently, they excrete a natural antibiotic as they lose their digestive parts before pupating & that's what helps to keep the compost smelling "fresh" (for want of a better word). Not sure the beard helps as much as the climate but it does help keep me warm through our devastatingly cold winters. 😉 Cheers Sumpop.

[@wayne8113]

Thanks Rob

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem Wayne. 👍 Cheers mate & have a great week.

[@Raphyjj]

on ya Rob, lookin forward to seeing your soldier fly setup again

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hope to have it sorted this week. Cheers mate. 👍

[@Verfolnir]

Hey Rob! Regards the BSF larvae: Dehydrate them, grind. Mix with dry cat-food (also ground). compress into familiar pellet shapes. Marvelous extra protein content when you compare with the guaranteed analysis of your fish-feed. Compare the guaranteed analysis between the dry cat-food and the fish feed: Not much difference. Cheers!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks for that. I'll just be using them as a supplemental feed if I can train them to take them. The same will be done with the mealworms once we get enough to feed. Cheers mate.

[@mikeemery3937]

Awesome video Rob. Big shame about the escapee Perch but great opportunity to show how quickly these things can be broken down. Wait, you are asking if we want to see other videos?? 🤣😂 Of course we do mate, cant wait to see what you have planned and coming up. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@RobsAquaponics]

😁 I knew a few folks would but wasn't sure how many. I keep forgetting that not everyone is here for the aqua side of things. Cheers mate & all the best.

[@Javinkay]

Great video thanks for sharing

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks for the visit Javinkay.

[@demlakian]

Always interested in your gardening ideas. Please show the retaining wall

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem Monica. We're just waiting for the landscapers to catch up on work after the recent rains. Hope they'll be starting some time next week if the current lockdown is a short one. Cheers & have a great one.

[@Felixkoifish]

So far the best backyard AQ teacher

[@RobsAquaponics]

Cheers for that Felix. 👍

[@joecanales9631]

Thanks Rob. Your veggie patch looks great. I’m a little jealous of your rain, living in the desert during a drought. I feel confident I’ve collected enough rain for the greenhouse and fish, but would like to add wicking beds and some fruit trees on a drip system. Future plans. I tried feeding dried meal worms to my fish, but they rejected it, possibly to big for them. It was a test. Fish still small, only about 6 months since I got the fingerling. They are maybe 13 cm. long. They are not eating much as the water temp has been down to about 5C most of our winter. Haven’t lost any to jumps or starvation. On occasion when the temp gets up to 10C, they get ravenous. Our coldest night was down to -15C and lasted a few (3) nights. Lost some potato plants I forgot to cover inside my greenhouse. Had made a wood stove from adobe but it still dropped to zero inside. I didn’t stay long inside the greenhouse before retreating into the house. Typically we only drop to about -10C. and the water flowing through the media beds and dwc trough keeps the greenhouse from freezing. I still cover the plants (onions and strawberries, a few leafy greens). Outside it’s cold, windy and brown. Cheers!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hi Joe. Are you running goldfish or table fish in your system? Good to hear that they've made it through the worst of your winter. I'm chitting some spuds here at the moment & hope to get a few crops down through our cooler months here. Cheers & all the best mate.

[@joecanales9631]

@@RobsAquaponics I’m raising bluegill. We call them mojaras (Spanish name). I may harvest them for eating. I’d like to see if they will breed.

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@joecanales9631 Now you say that, I think you've told me before. 👍 Cheers mate.

[@Rednuts351]

OMG yes I love Black Soldier Fly bucket . Truth is that I want to know what happens

[@RobsAquaponics]

Shall be posting a video on the plans & the farm Steve. 👍 Cheers & have a great one.

[@agreetothisagri1891]

Hi rob,,, i was truly inspired by your works and i decided to start my own hydroponics system...

[@RobsAquaponics]

That's great to hear 👍 I hope it grows a load of food for you ATTA. Happy growing. 🌱🌱🥦

[@stormharman5843]

Having done landscape design myself, I'd love to see what y'all do.. Thanks for the videos. My life got turned on end this year, but one upside is that it has given me the opportunity to possibly start up a homestead and FINALLY do some aquaponics. Already raising mealworms and crickets. Thinking about the BSFL as well.

[@RobsAquaponics]

The BSFL are great for getting rid of leftovers that aren't recommended for the composter like meats, dairy, pasta & the like Storm. I plan on using the farm mainly for that then putting their castings/waste thorough the in garden worm farms I want to start using again. Cheers & have a great one.

[@peacefulscrimp5183]

Great video 👍

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks PS 👍

[@KASAKAMOKO]

Nice free feeds and high in protein

[@RobsAquaponics]

The Jade perch aren't a fan of them but I've heard that you can train them to take the BSFL. Cheers AG.

[@ticoh3937]

Hey Rob, funny coincidence that i just stumbled across this video a day after your last message/reply. It's incredible what BSFL can process and how quickly! I'm interested in seeing your new BSFL barrel setup whenever you find time for it :) Have a good one!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Will post a quick look at it soon Tico. Cheers.

[@ticoh3937]

@@RobsAquaponics awesome! I'm interested! Also, someone else online (can't remember who at the moment) also suggested adding crabs/crayfish/crustaceans of some sort in another tank inline, in order to help process some of the fish wastes a bit further before trying to settle (and mineralize) further? I haven't figured out a good configuration to try it out with my current setup, but I'm wondering if you've tried anything similar?

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@ticoh3937 Not here sorry Tico.

[@jdwilsun]

I like the BSF barrel!

[@RobsAquaponics]

We need to set up a proper one this season to look after all the meat scraps I think JW. Cheers mate.

[@andyreid7274]

Sorry about your fish Rob. But this is just part of gardening that I think is amazing. Nothing is wasted if you do it right, and one thing feeds the other and us too!

[@RobsAquaponics]

I would like to move to a property where we could keep all waste on site to use in the patch or for fertilising trees at some point Andy. That to me would be a true closed loop system unlike what most folks can manage on a suburban lot. Cheers mate & hope all's well with you.

[@andyreid7274]

@@RobsAquaponics me too sir. I live in town right now, but may inherit a property out in the country and I instead on the full homestead life once out there. I want to raise my own beef as well as expand my garden. Dreams keep us inspired right? Hope you have a fantastic day mate!

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@andyreid7274 Thanks mate & you have a top one as well. 👍

[@nekomancer9157]

when BSF are getting ready to pupate they discard/reincorporate their entire digestive tract. their mouth becomes a grabby hook thing to help them climb out and around so they can pupate in dry ground. when they do this little trickery of discarding their guts they excrete an antibiotic substance. i can imagine that this in part prevents the wastes from developing more microbes that are responsible for the putrefaction of wastes. hence no putrefaction no smell. I am pretty sure they must also do a similar thing in their earlier life too. BSF lay eggs outside of the wastes whereas common house flies lay their eggs directly in it and like there to be the smell of alcohol or vinegar/acid. this is a common middlestage of the microbial breakdown of organic matter. and it stinks. hence when a system has enough BSF larvae in it for long enough the smell if any will go away and other flies will leave it alone. I find that there is no true preference to how BSF lay their eggs outside of just not in the slop. i've heard of using corrogated cardboard or narrow tubes atc but they just lay around the rim out the trash can or worm farm i have and sometimes in the rim between the bin and lid or also just inside the lid. i also find that they dont really need a slope to climb up as they can climb just fine. the BSF farms that have a sloped ridge is to direct them into a collection point for ease of use in collecting them to use as chook or lizard food.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Cheers for the info NM. 👍 I found in the past that the adult flies will lay their eggs wherever as I've had them show up in open worm farms & compost piles before. Also found that a lot of the mature larvae were climbing up the side walls of the drum with no issue the other day before I tipped them into their new home. Cheers & have a top one mate.

[@greatskytrollantidrama4473]

I'm astonished I haven't had a single bluegill go walkabout.. Considering that they are all wild caught it's almost odd, bream aren't jumpers, but not even 1.

[@RobsAquaponics]

They only jump here when they get spooked. Flashing torch ligh across the water surface causes the same behaviour. Cheers mate.

[@adwhyatt]

Genuine question - that I've thought before while watching. Why don't you close the lid of the fish tank when you're not working on it/feeding? Is it because they need light? Presumably it would help with algae in the FT and I've seen other peoples setup where they have a lid? Great vid as always, keep up the good work sharing your vast knowledge!!

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks mate. 😁 The fish only jump when they're spooked so normally it isn't an issue at all to have no lid on a tank. These Jade perch also feed on the algae so am not too concerned with it getting out of control either. Cheers & have a great one Adwhyatt.

[@nicolassinon7789]

Hi Rob, there is vidéo for your worm barrel thé one of 2013 ? , i m interresting by this. Thanks 👍 from France 🇫🇷

[@RobsAquaponics]

I only did brief videos on them as I was still new to BSFL back then Nicolas. You can find them in this playlist, kzbin.info/aero/PLBcWprMIwYYgDD0HCDx--mMYxQrBwM8gc Cheers mate.

[@nicolassinon7789]

@@RobsAquaponics Thanks Rob, best regards 👍

[@SHARPIE30]

Hi Rob. Been looking every where to try find out how to do a set up with marron. Im worried how would the baby marron go with having a solid lifting outlet on the bottom of tank? Or is there another way you would set up tank/filters?

[@RobsAquaponics]

You could start off with a modified end on the SLO with small holes in an endcap or wrap it with mesh at the start to stop them from being drawn up it. I would say they'd probably climb the SLO pipe once they got a bit older so you might need to put a guard around it. Hope that helps some mate.

[@davethebeard2706]

So a question.... We have our compost in with our chickens, who do an amazing job of turning our compost and adding their own pooin to give it flavor, I would love to add an "air vent" to it, but not sure if tge dang chickens won't just knock it out... Any thoughts on this as to if it's a good idea?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Do you mean adding a pipe to make the vent in a BSFL composter David? In my new ones, I'm looking at cutting out a section of the wall & covering it with some mesh or shade cloth to add some extra ventilation.

[@joshwall2398]

would love to see the plans

[@RobsAquaponics]

Cheers Josh. Will be working on thevideo this week. 👍

[@josiahkulwa34]

Great

[@briandonovan8455]

Ever thought of shutting the lid to stop them jumping out?

[@RobsAquaponics]

Hey Brian. Spooks them when you open it I found when I first kept them. The issue has been sorted so don't think I'll have another jumper. The other jumpers I've had are due to lights flashing over the top of the water at night which isn't really an issue. How's your system going?

[@briandonovan8455]

@@RobsAquaponics System going well. Had aphid problems throughout greenhouse so had to get lady beetles up to speed. Added in 100 silver fingerlings to Jade, got told they would not eat them. Not a good idea as they got eaten so replaced them into separate until they get bigger. In process of adding 10 more beds and will put the 50 dutch bucket style tomatoes on line at some stage as they are running just as hydro at present. Will do when nutrient level starts to rise as it never gets above about 10ppm at present with 200 fingerlings and 50 odd 0.5kg jades at present. Too many plants and not enough nutrient at present but I am not in it so much for the plants as much as it is about the fish. Wanting to add in something into other tanks. Maybe red claw or a different fish species but not sure which way to go???

[@Henne352]

Did you try to grind the larvae and mix it up with your fishfood?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I didn't but have since been told of folks that got their fish to eat them. They cut frozen BSFL in half & trained the fish to take them along with pellets. Cheers mate.

[@alch3myau]

How solid are those ironing tables ;p

[@RobsAquaponics]

Fairly good as long as they're on flat ground. 😉 they do make for a great portable table in the patch for a lanky lad like myself. Cheers.

[@bobbyrich4354]

That's some nasty shit rob

[@RobsAquaponics]

Certainly is. 👍 Didn't want the little fella to go to waste though. 😉 Cheers mate.

[@TheWareek]

were did you get your soldier flys from I ordered some one line and the first lot arrived dead and the second replacement lot were not much better

[@RobsAquaponics]

They just turn up here by themselves John. We get them in the compost & worm farms as well if we pop in a lot of fruits at once. Are you here in Australia?

[@Baby_anj3wl]

Would love an update on black soldier fly

[@RobsAquaponics]

We haven't had any on the go in farms for a while now sorry. We still do see them turn up in the compost bin though.

[@mattdawson7055]

👍

[@RobsAquaponics]

👍 have you tried them with the cod or barra?

[@nervouss]

What is your concern with the spores?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I have an allergy to mushroom spores that lays me up for a few weeks at a time if I breath in too many. At first the Dr's though it was farmers lung but luckily it's only the allergy. 😉🤣😅 Cheers.

[@rogerwiseman7957]

Aren't these a huge protein source for chickens? I've seen people use buckets of rotting meet in their coops

[@RobsAquaponics]

They are a great protein & fat source Roger. Cheers mate.

[@alch3myau]

Good thing im not hungry....!

[@RobsAquaponics]

😅😁

[@zeropoint546]

Upload = like.

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks ZP. 👍 Have a great week.

[@michaelcimino3444]

How do you harvest these to feed to the fish??

[@RobsAquaponics]

You can set up proper farms where they will self harvest themselves Michael. There are a few different designs if you search for BSFL Farms here on YT.

[@powerlegends7796]

What sort of water flow do you need to generate the tank swirling like you have there?

[@RobsAquaponics]

I have about 1500lph going into the 1000l tank at the moment PL. 👍

[@powerlegends7796]

@@RobsAquaponics is that just one 20mm pipe pumping water straight into the pond because I am unsure if that gets enough oxygen for the fish? Also do you have a back up for power failure or anything like that? Cheers

[@RobsAquaponics]

@@powerlegends7796 Yes but only for water delivery. I also have an air line going into a 300mm/12" silica glass stone in the tank for air. 👍 There is also a backup system & you can check out the design I use on an older video, kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGK7mKiker6bqsU Cheers.

[@bradmaas6875]

Yummy,

[@RobsAquaponics]

Very much so 😋 😂 Cheers Brad.

[@SamYamn]

Maybe multiple smells are oddly balancing each other out, that's why it doesn't smell.

[@JeffsTrades]

Wayy too much moisture in there I think bud. I would add a quarter inch hardware cloth mesh to the bottom to drain excess moisture

[@RobsAquaponics]

Yep, I mentioned the rain in this vide & others from memory. The BSFL didn't appear to mind though.

[@prcdguyaustralia5659]

Mate should of put on food warning cooked dinner sat down to eat dinner while watching your clip. Hm saw soldier fly picture yer ok first mouthful then sour mangoes.🤢 Oh my. Not Hungry any more. Rice aint rice after that

[@RobsAquaponics]

Sorry about that mate. Will flash a warning up on the next one. 😉 Cheers & have a top one.

[@Jsak666]

Show us everything that’s going on mate

[@RobsAquaponics]

No problem James. Hope to have the video on the layout this coming weekend. Cheers mate.

[@savourn5628]

landscape plans plz

[@RobsAquaponics]

Thanks be working on the video this week 😁👍 Cheers & have a great one.

[@supermoon1430]

Weird that it has no smell

[@prcdguyaustralia5659]

Has to do with bacteria

[@RobsAquaponics]

It smells like a strong kombucha brew SM. 👍

[@ramoneoliveira5851]

Like

[@RobsAquaponics]

Cheers Ramone