Fishy mis Adventures Part II Trout Rapture

One fish, two fish, dead fish....*sigh*.....

Recall from Part I, when we decided to take out a few fish to eat, my thought was, "what can it hurt?"  Well, apparently, it can hurt a lot.

The next day, January 4, I found a floater in the tank.  I dont know what caused the fishs death.  In reading about humanely treating fish, I came across a lot of catch-and-release articles.  A couple of things I learned - first, try not to take the fish out of the water at all.  Its like suffocating them.  Next, if you must handle the fish, make sure your hands are wet.  If you touch a fish with dry hands, you are effectively "burning" the fish by removing some of its protective slime.  Also, the protective slime is part of the fishs immune system, so besides causing the fish pain, you are damaging its immune system.  I read on several different sites, that often, if you release a fish and dont handle it properly, it might swim away, so you think the fish is going to live, but it actually swims away and ends up dying.  See photo below.  Note that this is on a standard-size dinner plate (10" or 12"? Im too lazy to go measure it).

Big Dead Fish

Knowing that, when we removed the fish from the water, we tried to put the ones we were going to eat back into the water immediately.  Also, we did not touch the fish with our hands.  I dont know what caused this fish to die.  Maybe it was just shock.  But, it turns out, it was about twice the size of any of the fish we ate!  I think it was the granddaddy trout in our tank. 

OK, so one fish down.  I think I should be down to 30 or 31 fish at this point, so everything is still good, right?

Wrong.

Today, I go down to take care of the dogs, and there are FOUR dead fish floating around.  And a sort-of-alive one hovering near the top of the tank.  The nitrate levels are off the charts.  The water level was a little low, so I added some water, but the nitrite levels were still out of range of my little chart, so I did a 50% water change.  During the water change, yet ANOTHER dead fish comes floating by....AHHHH!!!  Frustration.

The only "good" thing about todays experience is that it has been unseasonably warm all week, with today being the warmest day yet.  It was about 65-70 degrees outside today, so at least I didnt have to do this in subfreezing temperatures.  Its a rather wet and messy process.  It did, however, take me three tries before I found a hose that wasnt frozen, but at least I didnt have to carry the water into the house in buckets.  My back is too old for that kind of work. 

Anyway, heres another picture of fish carcasses.  :-(

This is starting to seem like a rather morbid blog....

More Floaters

Now heres where the trout rapture comes in....this is weird.  My son and I were shining the light in the tank, and it seems like there are only two fish swimming around!  Hopefully, the rest are just so healthy and fast that theyre avoiding the light every time we move it and hiding in the corner (is there a corner in an oval tank?  whatever).  Usually, we can see a bunch of fish shadows swimming around, but now we only see a couple, so my son is convinced the other fish have been raptured. 

I still dont know exactly what happened, but Im guessing one fish died of shock and floated in the water long enough to contaminate the water and kill the other fish.  I just checked the nitrite level again, and although its a lot higher than it should be, at least it seems to have gone down a lot since the water change.  Im hoping that if I dont feed them for a day or two, the level will stabilize.

On a happier note, my plants are still alive.  Actually, I dont know that I would call the plants "happy," but they are alive.  Theyre a little yellow, and growing really slowly, but they are still alive.  If I decide to continue with this, I will have to come up with an artificial light solution.  Here are a couple of pictures taken January 3.  I think I planted the seeds at least two months ago, so you can see that the growth is extremely slow.  I think if I had planted these outside in June, they would be about this size within a week or two.

The good thing is that I didnt lose very many plants when we had the super-sub-zero temperatures a few weeks ago.  There is a gap in the dog door that lets in raw, cold air, and I was afraid it would freeze my plants.  I think it got down to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so it was pretty close. 

Bed 1 - Strawberries on the Right, Lettuce and Herbs on the Left

Bed 2 - Sickly Tomato Plant and Some Broccoli and Herbs

Well, thats about it for now.  Not much excitement this winter until recently, so there really wasnt anything to report.  Hopefully the next update will have better news!

Thanks for stopping by!  :-)

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Readjusting measurements and putting in insulation

Although weve had some significant winds in the past two years since I installed my greenhouse there has been no problem with missing panels or wind damage.  I figure I should insulate the structure to provide for year-round aquaponics, however, I have to avoid any significant added weight to my plastic and aluminum greenhouse.  I used 1/2" x4x8 polystyrene foam to line the north walls and ceiling.  I drilled holes in the struts on either side of the ceiling in four locations and strung plastic coated clothesline wire across from wall to wall at ceiling level to support the foam against the ceiling.  I simply taped the upright panels to the north wall and taped all seams with some 3" wide industrial tape that seems to be holding very well.  On the south wall, from the ground to four feet up, the upper level of the grow beds, I used conventional sheets of foam insulation that I had in storage.  I also had some mylar/aluminum coated bubble insulation which I used on the west wall up to a level of four feet.  That is to protect my fish from getting too much light.  Above the insulation I used 1/2" interval bubble wrap that came in 30" wide lengths about 27 feet long.  I taped the pull-apart seams with postal tape and taped the several strips together.  The material is very light in weight, an advantage in the situation, and quite strong when the pull apart seams are taped.  I chose this material instead of using poly sheeting because of the additional insulation factor.  I had underestimated the width of the bins that I plan to use as grow beds which led to readjustment in the size of the supporting tables.  Im not using concrete blocks because of size constraints and my two level setup.

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Crop Choice and Water Temperature

The summer and autumn seasons of my greenhouse aquaponics were a limited success.  I grew edible crops and found ways to combat excessive heat gain in the greenhouse with materials I had on hand.  Winter has presented a more difficult challenge.
My tomato plants were killed by the low temperatures of early December, however the herbs I planted in the other half of my bins have survived the cold and remain green.  The attempt to heat the greenhouse with a chimenea turned out to be destructive of the insulation on the ceiling, but the insulation which has deformed and withered probably kept the polycarbonate roof from melting.  I plan to do more work on the use of other methods such as a rocket mass heater, but at this time I will continue to use a propane heater to moderate the air temperature.
We have now focused on keeping the water system stable and preventing freezing.  We have a titanium fish tank heater on order and we have wrapped the pipes in the system with heat tape and added tube insulation.  Freezing in the pipes creates imbalance in the dynamic flow of the bell siphon system.  It also threatens structural damage to the tank and pipes  if the water freezes hard and expands.
Herbs and green vegetables such as spinach, mint, beet greens and cabbage resist cold air temperatures and continue to produce in the winter.
I can start crops like strawberries and tomatoes earlier in the greenhouse and keep them longer as the weather cools, but it is evident that I should switch them out for more hardy crops before sustained sets in.

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My Quest for Natural Macro and Micro nutrients

I invite you to come along with me on my quest for natural sources of both macro and micro-nutrients. Each of the sources quoted are worth reading in their entirety, but Ill present them as I search for the answers.

I have taken to Earthan Beds which are dirt filled wicking beds connected to a bioponic or aquaponic system. Urine (humonia), weed tea, and compost supply much of my bioponic gardens needs.  But one of the most difficult minerals to supply during my experimentation with Soil-Less Bioponics and Aquaponics was iron (Fe²⁺) in an available form.   For this one mineral I may have to give in to purchasing a product.  The following describes my pursuit,  but first here are some interesting facts you should know 

Common chelated forms (iron-EDDHA, DTPA and EDTA) differ in their ability to hold onto the iron (and therefore keep iron soluble and available to plants) as the media pH increases. Between a media pH of 4.0 to 5.5, any form of iron will work (including iron sulfate) at supplying iron to the plant. However, as the media pH increases above 7.0, only the iron from Iron-EDDHA has high solubility. Research has shown that the ranking of iron forms from most effective to least effective at supplying iron at high media pH is Iron-EDDHA > Iron-DTPA > Iron-EDTA > Iron sulfate. If iron is applied in a form that is not soluble because of high media pH, then most of the nutrient will not be available to plants until media pH is lowered. - http://www.greenhousegrower.com/uncategorized/understanding-plant-nutrition-fertilizers-and-micronutrients/

Now that we know what forms of iron are available how do we go about finding a natural source for our garden?  It should be noted that iron, manganese, zinc and copper all require chelation in order to be available to your plants. Generally manganese, zinc and copper chelates are only found in the EDTA form, but Zinc sulfate is generally used because Zinc chelate is too expensive to use at rates needed to increase zinc levels in the soil.

"The worms digestive enzymes (or, properly, those produced by bacteria in the worms intestines) unlock many of the chemical bonds that otherwise tie up loose materials and prevent their being plant available. Thus vermicastings are as much as seven times richer in phosphate than soil that has not been through an earthworm. They have ten times the available potash; five times the nitrogen; three times the available magnesium; and they are one and one half times higher than calcium (thanks the calcium carbonate added during digestion). All these nutrients bind into organic material in the fecal pellets." - .Teaming with Microbes: The Organic Gardeners Guide to the Soil Food Web, Revised Edition (2010) by Jeff Lowenfels &  Wayne Lewis.

Sadly iron is not mentioned as one of the micronutrients made available by worms, but the benefits are obvious an even though Lowenfels and Lewis did not specifically mention iron it may still be one of the benefits.  The balance of evidence suggests that earthworms increase metal mobility and availability but more studies are required to determine the precise mechanism for this - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749109000979

Iron plays an important role in enzyme functions and is a catalyst for synthesis of chlorophyll. Plants deficient in Fe may exhibit pale leaves and/or yellowing of leaves and veins. Nickel has only recently been recognized as an essential element. It is required for the urease enzyme to break down urea into usable nitrogen and for iron absorption. - http://www.aglearn.net/isfmMod2.html

Clearly its not just iron we need but instead a full spectrum of nutrients, and worms provide many of these.  Also note that most macronutrients are mobile within the plant, most micronutrients are immobile, and so a constant supply is needed for the duration of the crop.  A healthy soil web with worms is crucial to maintaining the constant availability of these nutrients.

If your soil is lacking in certain elements, the best way to add them is through the compost pile. Add colloidal phosphate (organics) or superphosphate for phosphorus and wood ashes for potash. Composted organic materials can also be used as a cheap iron chelate (a slow-release source of iron) to remedy the adversities of iron chlorosis, i.e., yellowing plants. Gardeners can make a "synthetic chelate" in their compost pile by mixing 1 cup of iron sulfate (copperas) for each bushel of moist compost. Particles of iron will adhere to the surface of the compost material and will be released for plant use as the material decomposes while it is being used as a mulch around plants or when incorporated into the soil. - http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/earthkind/ekgarden11.html

This gives me some hope of finding a practical method of creating available iron.  Iron sulfate is readily available and inexpensive, but my quest for natural and available sources has not been satisfied. Some plant material high in iron include artichokes, spinach, collard greens, lentils,  mushrooms, and soybeans, so compost these whenever possible.

Below are some relative values I calculated from Healthaliciousness.com

I dont throw many nuts away, but they contain a lot of iron. Some common nuts such as pine nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios, and macadamia contain about 0.061%

Beans are also a good source - soybeans, lentils, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and lima beans, navy, black beans , pinto,, and black-eyed peas contain about 0.037%

Leafy greens - Swiss chard, turnip greens, kale, beet greens contain about 0.036%

Grains & Seeds - pumpkin seeds, squash seeds, oats, barley, rice, bulgur, buckwheat, millet contain about 0.015%

How did our ancestors garden without store bought soil amendments?  Were they just lucky to be the first to plant in the nutrient rich soil before it was depleted?  The natural production and distribution of iron is a process of volcanic action where sulfur and iron are spewed forth along with many other micro nutrients into the jet stream and ocean currents.  The ocean contains most of earths natural minerals which are spread out by strong air and water currents.

Kelp contains enzymes, a lot of potassium, and many other minerals essential for plant growth, making it a perfect garden supplement with about 22% iron. Ill admit I dont know if that 22% is in an available chelated form.  Kelp also contains cytokinin which promotes resistance to bugs, and allows for faster cell division.  You may recall that one of the benefits of insect frass is cytokinin, but I do not wish to diverse.

Kelp Forests

I am not lucky enough to live near an ocean, but kelp is a natural product with many benefits. As much as I would like to curtail my dependence upon commercial products it may be that some products such as iron sulfate or kelp will have to be purchased in order to achieve outstanding results.   Azomite, BT, and  Spinosad are a few others I have come to rely upon, but my quest for independence will continue.

It seems that ferric iron is generally present, so the better solution might be to simply make it available as ferrous iron by adding plenty of organic acids in the form of humus.  Many of the components of humus are heterogenous, relatively large stable organic complexes. They function to give the soil structure, porosity, water holding capacity, cation and anion exchange, and are involved in the chelation of mineral elements. - http://www.humates.com/pdf/ORGANICMATTERPettit.pdf

 A plant-excreted chelate forms a metal complex (i.e., a coordination compound) with a micronutrient ion in soil solution and approaches a root hair. In turn, the chelated micronutrient near the root hair releases the nutrient to the root hair. The chelate is then free and becomes ready to complex with another micronutrient ion in the adjacent soil solution, restarting the cycle. 
The process works like this:  
A chelate is exuded from a root to the soil solution.  
The chelate complexes a micronutrient (e.g., iron) from the soil solution.  
The chelated micronutrient is carried to a root hair, where it is released.  
The chelate goes back to the soil solution and starts another cycle.
- http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1208

Humic acid, humate and folic acids are mined, and sold, but what if compost can provide the same benefit. It is known that Earthworms (Eisenia foetida) produce several bioactive humic substances which are found in earthworm compost.

The chelating action of humic acid is sometimes used to produce chelated iron products. Without the addition of a nutrient such as iron, the claim is often made that humic acid has the ability to solubilize micronutrients already in the soil. This is a valid claim,but one has to realize that turfgras roots themselves excrete organic compounds that solubilize micronutrients. - http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/hortupdate_archives/2002/jun02/art4jun.html.

I may be reading too much into this but I think Ive found the answer to my my quest for natural sources of chelated iron - Earthworms (Eisenia foetida).
Along with the bioactive humic substances which produce chelated iron;  earthworms and their compost also provide enzymes, that promote hormonal activity, and make chemical reactions millions of times faster.  Microbes make organic plant food from minerals and dead stuff with the enzymes they produce.

Mart Hale sent these to me.   

Liquid Grass Clipping Fertilizer

Plant Based Tea Fertilizer Ingredients

Weed Tea / Fertilizer
Gather some herbs from the list below and put in a large container such as a bucket or barrel. Fill with water. Infuse for at least two weeks. This is best to prepare with the new moon and strain and fertilize around the full moon, although it can be done whenever it is convenient.
 Nitrogen:

              Alfalfa, Clover, Soybeans, Field Beans, Vetch, Comfrey, Kelp, Licorice Root leaves, Nettles

Magnesium:

        Bladderwrack, Carrot leaves, Coltsfoot, Comfrey, Dandelion, Dulse, Horsetails, Kelp, Meadowsweet, Mistletoe, Mullein, Parsley, Peppermint, Primrose, Willow bark, Skunk Cabbage, Watercress

Potassium:

          Braken fern, Borage, Carrot leaves, Chamomile, Chickweed, Chicory, Clover, Yellow Dock, Eyebright, Fennel, Lambs Quarters, Nettle, Mullein, Oak bark, Parsley, Peppermint, Pigweed, Plantains, Comfrey, Toadflax, Watercress, Yarrow, Orange and Banana skins

Phosphorous: 

    Barley, Buckwheat, Calamus, Caraway, German Chamomile, Chickweed, Clovers, Dandelion, Yellow Dock, Garlic, Lambs Quarters, Lemon Balm, Licorice root leaves, Lupine, Marigold flowers, Meadowsweet, Mustard, Pigweed, Purslane, Savoy, Sorrel, Vetches, Watercress, Yarrow, Comfrey

Boron:

    Gopher Spurge, Cardboard boxes, Beetroot leaves

Copper:

Coltsfoot, Dandelion, Nettles, Plantains, Valerian, Yarrow, Parsley

Manganese:       

Chickweed, Lambs Quarters, Watercress

Sulphur: 

               Coltsfoot, Eyebright, Fennel, Garlic, Meadowsweet, Mullein, Mustard, Nettle, Plantain, Shepherds Purse, Watercress, Cabbage leaves, Onions

Iron:       

Sarsaparilla, Bladderwrack, Dulse, Iceland Moss, Kelp
Silicon, Oat Straw, Plantains, Valerian, Borage, Comfrey, Dandelion, Horsetail

Calcium:

Chicory, Comfrey, Dandelion, Nettle, Perilla, Watercress

Willow Tea:
Used for rooting transplants or cuttings. Infuse leaves from a willow tree in water as if you were making an herbal tea for yourself. Once cooled, water the plants that you wish to root with this mixture.

Here is another article that I found quite interesting.
http://www.appropedia.org/Bacteria-rich_liquid_fertiliser

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Worms and Larvae Arrive

I finished the BFL collector/compost bin several days ago.  I added a bin from a discarded refrigerator as the catch tray which is handily held in place with the wire handle of the bucket from which I made the bin.  You can see the top flap which is cut out of the upper part of the bucket and then secured on one side with Gorilla Tape (a sort of super duct tape) and has a tab on the other side which serves both as a handle to open the flap when I want to add more compostable materials and keeps the flap from going into the bucket.
The BFL, or Reptiworms arrived in good odor.  There was a smell of ammonia, but I would expect that if they are busy eaters.  They were very active so I dumped them in the bucket and will wait to see what they make of the escape ramp.  I should probably place the entire setup under a net to prevent birds from feasting on the mature larvae in the catch tray.  The tray can easily be detached and put in my chicken coop.  I plan to scatter some of the mature larvae in places where they can continue the process by turning into Black Soldier Flies and mating. 
The worms arrived in the same post.  They were wiggling nicely and had an earthy smell.  I put most of them into the prepared tray of my Vermihut and scattered the remaining worms in the damper areas of my grow bins.  I only put them in one bin each of the two sets of three bins.  I expect they will migrate from bin to bin since the holes in the shower drains I used as connectors are easily large enough to let the red wrigglers pass.

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My system i will make it soon

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This system depends on the withdrawal of water from the fish tank to the top using RAM PMP then power gravity return water to the fish tank and so on

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Bizarre Beans

The bush beans seem to be growing freakishly tall.  It might be because theyre trying to find full sunlight, so theyre growing toward the window and wont branch out much until they find the amount of sunlight they want.  That could make for a really strange sight from the outside of our window in a few weeks.
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Beans want sunlight

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Growing toward the sun

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In contrast, below is a picture of several bush bean plants.  You can see they are a lot shorter than the indoor ones and they branched out a lot.

Bush beans growing outside in full sunlight

Since were going to get even less daylight until next spring, I might need to consider supplemental light.  Maybe I will use some high-watt fluorescent lights in the overhead light fixtures and keep them turned on for several hours per day.

Below is a picture of what I think are tomato plants.  I planted them several weeks ago, and theyre just now sprouting.  Maybe it was too hot for them before, I dont know.

Tomato plants (maybe)

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Fishcam1

Since I cant really see very far into the tank, I decided to try taking a video of the fish.  I dont have an underwater camera, so I took an old video camera that has a "night vision" setting, sealed it in a Ziplock bag (the kind with a double seal), and sealed the top of the bag with duct tape (good old duct tape).  I tried to hold the camera in the water near the light so the camera could "see" better. 
As you can see in this video, I didnt get a great picture, but considering my resources, its not too bad.  You can see a couple of fish swim by a few times in this video.  Sorry for the camera movement, but I was doing this blind, with both arms submerged past my elbows in 56 degree water.
Maybe with a little practice, patience and a brigher light or two, Ill get better at this, but for now, heres Fishcam1.

Ive seen a picture of someone elses tank with a section of the tank cut out and a piece of plexiglass somehow secured over it.  I dont really want to introduce more possible leak sites, but if I can find out how to seal it well, I might do that next year between sets of fish.

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Fun and Unusual

Perennial Purple Tree Collard

A tall growing, non heading member of the cabbage family, tree collards were introduced to California, probably during the latter half of the eighteenth century. They are nutritious and a 100 square foot bed can provide four times more protein and eight times more calcium than the milk produced from a fodder crop grown in the same area.  In addition, tree collards contain no oxalic acid; therefore, they may be eaten raw without iron being tied up.  Perennial Purple Tree Collard leaves are rich in calcium (226 mg per cup, cooked), vitamins B1, B2, B9, and C (which may be leached by cooking, however), as well as beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A).
Read more:  http://richardsfarms.vpweb.com/Tree-Collard-Information.html

Fooled You is a hybrid (F-1) variety of jalapeno with virtually no heat. 

They have the flavor and appearance of jalapenos, but you can munch them like bell peppers.  They are typically just a bit larger than regular jalapenos at about 3 ¼ inches long and 1 inch wide.  The fruit is heavy, thick-walled, and will turn from green to red if allowed to mature on the plant.  The plant will grow to just over 2 feet tall and many seed companies boast large yields in about 65 days.
Read more: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1353/#ixzz2RhzxxjRB 


Mouse Mellon

Tiny, 1 x 1/2 in. light-green fruits with darker mottling look like watermelons for a doll house. The flesh is white, crisp, crunchy with a slight lemony tartness. The flavor is closer to a cucumber than a melon. One person described them as,"Cucumber with a bit of watermelon rind and a squeeze of lemon juice." It is said that the missing crunch can make people go off diets.
Read more:  http://store.underwoodgardens.com/Cucamelon-_-Mouse-Melon-Melothria-scabra/productinfo/V1041/


Lemon Cucumber

Yellow-colored, spherical, the dimensions of an ample fist. Yep, these types of cucumbers appear like lemons (significantly, that’s a image of cucumbers, lemon cucumbers, not really lemons). These are sweet, without having that nasty side that a majority of cucumbers have got, thin skins, minimum gentle seeds, as well as tasty. They’re delicious raw, however create tasty pickles as well. 
Read more: http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/lemon-cucumbers-with-pesto/

Strawberry Spinach

One of the more interesting plants we grow, or should I say, grows itself is strawberry spinach, also called strawberry blite, beet berry, Indian paint, and a number of other names. The plant is very cold hardy but will thrive in the hottest weather. With a long taproot it can get by on very little water, of course the more water it gets the larger the fruit. 

Ground Chery 

The typical Physalis fruit is similar to a firm tomato (in texture), and like strawberries or other fruit in flavor; they have a mild, refreshing acidity. 

Litchi Tomatoes

Because the plant itself is covered with thorns, it is sometimes used as a hedge plant to discourage animals from wandering into vegetable gardens — not a bad idea.
The fruits ripen dark red and are round and somewhat bullet-shaped, tapering to a blunt point. The interior flesh is yellow and full of tiny flat seeds that are arranged much the same way as seeds in a cherry tomato. Thus, when eaten out of hand, the raw fruit has the mouth feeling of raspberries. The actual flavor is tart and refreshing, quite similar to a sour cherry, for which it can be used as a relatively good substitute in pies.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Litchi-Fruit-Morelle-De-Balbis.aspx#ixzz2RjYTsdlI



Moringa Oleifera and Moringa Stenopetala 

Moringa, native to parts of Africa and Asia, is the sole genus in the flowering plant family Moringaceae.

The most widely cultivated species is Moringa oleifera, a multipurpose tree native to the foothills of the Himalayas in northwestern India and cultivated throughout the tropics. M. stenopetala, an African species, is also widely grown, but to a much lesser extent than M. oleifera.
Moringa grows quickly in many types of environments.

Much of the plant is edible by humans or by farm animals. The leaves are rich in protein, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C and minerals

Do you have more that you would like me to add to this list?

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Plant Pictures and Water Data

Here are a couple of pictures of the growbeds today.  The lettuce in growbed #1 had stopped growing and started wilting right after it sprouted.  I think this is because of a heat wave we had.  That was the same time the mature lettuce we had outside had turned bitter and started bolting, which is what lettuce does when it gets too hot.  I was about to give up on the lettuce, but once the weather cooled down this weekend, it started to grow again.

Growbed #2, which had tiny pea sprouts on Sept 1, now has lots of peas and beans, and I think even some tomato sprouts.

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Growbed #1-beans, peas, lettuce and basil

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Growbed #2 - beans, peas and tomatoes

??I had to add a little bit of ammonia last week because the nitrate levels dropped.  I need to keep the nitrate levels up until I get the fish.  Once the fish are introduced to the tank, their waste should produce enough ammonia to keep the nitrate levels up.  Here is the data Ive collected since starting the tank.  Note that our tap water pH is about 6.5. 

Date	pH	Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate
17 Aug 2011	7.2	0	0	0
18 Aug 2011	7.6+	4 ppm	0	0
23 Aug 2011	(not taken)	2 ppm	0	0
24 Aug 2011	7.6	1 ppm	0-.25 ppm	5 ppm
27 Aug 2011	7.4-7.6	0.5 ppm	5 ppm	8 ppm
31 Aug 2011	7.8	0 ppm	0+ ppm	2 ppm
NOTE: added about ½ tsp ammonia powder on 31 Aug 2011
06 Sept 2011	7.4-7.6	0 ppm	0+ ppm	30 ppm

Room and water temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit -

Date	Room Temp	Water Temp	Notes
16 Aug 2011	70	56	This is fresh from outside tap
21 Aug 2011	70	65	9:30 am
24 Aug 2011	75	Read More.. الاكسجه بطريقه Ù Ø ØªÙ„ÙÙ‡ Oxygenation By different way Diposting oleh panitra di 13.30 And 0 komentar Using pressure differences and gravity and capillary and the rate of water flow in the pipes make this simple function....... ............... ???????? ???? ????? ????????? ???????? ??????? ????? ????? ????? ?? ???????? ???? ??? ?????? ??????? ........................ ??? ????? ??? ??????? ....?????? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ??????? ...???? ??????.....????? ????? ?????....??????? ????? ?? ??????? ??? ?????? ????????? ?? ??????....??????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ?????... Read More.. How to Cycle Aquaponics Diposting oleh panitra di 03.03 And 0 komentar Starting Up (Cycling) Your Aquaponics System  This article was borrowed from our friends at The Aquaponics Source Bacteria are the carburetor of an aquaponics system that takes the otherwise unusable fish waste and creates a near perfect plant fertilizer. In this article I will demystify the process of establishing a beneficial bacteria colony in your aquaponics system. This process is often called system “cycling”. By the end of this article you will fully understand what you MUST do to initiate cycling and to ensure its success. You will also understand what you CAN do to both make the process less stressful for your fish and your plants, and to speed up the process. What is Cycling? Cycling starts when you (or your fish) first add ammonia to your aquaponics system. Ammonia (chemical formula NH3) is a compound made of nitrogen and hydrogen. It can come either from your fish or from other sources. Ammonia is toxic to fish and will soon kill them unless it is either diluted to a non-toxic level or converted into a less toxic form of nitrogen. In addition, nitrogen in the ammonia form is not readily taken up by plants, so no matter how high the ammonia levels get in your fish tank; your plants will not be getting much nutrition from it. The good news is that ammonia attracts nitrosomonas, the first of the two nitrifying bacteria that are present in the air and will populate the surfaces of your system. The nitrosomonas bacteria convert the ammonia into nitrites (NO2) (the golden line in the chart above). This is a necessary step in the cycling process; however, nitrites are even more toxic than ammonia! But there is good news because the presence of nitrites attracts the bacteria we are truly after – nitrobacter. Nitrospira convert the nitrites into nitrates (represented by the green line in the chart above), which are generally harmless to the fish and excellent food for your plants. Once you detect nitrates in your water and the ammonia and nitrite concentrations have both dropped to .5 ppm or lower, your system will be fully cycled and aquaponics will have officially begun! The Importance of Testing Tools API Freshwater Master Test Kit You must have some way of telling where you are in the cycling process – typically a four to six week endeavor. Specifically, you must monitor ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels as well as pH so that you know that all these elements are “in range”. If they are not, you may need to take corrective action. This is also the only way that you will know when you are fully cycled and ready to add your fish. Plus, watching the daily progress of the cycling process is fascinating and something you can only see through the lens of a test kit. By the way, once you reach the point that your system is fully cycled, you will need to do much less monitoring than during the cycling process. So get through the cycling process and look forward to reaping the fruits (… or should we say the fish) of your labor. To do their testing, most aquaponic gardeners use a product by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Inc. called the API Freshwater Master Test Kit. This kit is easy to use, is inexpensive, and is designed for monitoring the cycling process in fish systems. You will also need a submersible thermometer to measure your water temperature. Temperature affects both the cycling rate and the health of your fish and plants once you are up and running. See more on this below. Starting the Cycling Process Once you have your aquaponics system set up and your test kit in hand all you need to do to start the cycling process is add a source of ammonia. Traditionally this has been by adding fish and letting their waste be the ammonia, but I’m not a big fan of using fish as an ammonia source. Instead I prefer a technique called “Fishless Cycling” where an external source of ammonia is added to your aquaponics system. Why is this? Typical Nitrogen Cycle First, both you and your fish will likely experience much less stress because you will not be trying to keep anybody alive during the process. Second, you can more precisely control how much ammonia is added to your system during the process. For example, if you see that your ammonia level is creeping up to 8 ppm, but no nitrites have shown up yet, just stop adding ammonia for a few days and let the bacteria catch up. You can’t do this with fish! The practical result of this is that with Fishless Cycling you can fully stock your tank once cycling is complete, versus gradually increasing your stocking levels as is recommended when cycling with fish. This is especially beneficial to those who are growing aggressive or carnivorous fish because they are less likely to attack each other if they are all introduced to the tank at the same time. Cycling Without Fish There are several ways to add ammonia to your system, but honestly the best is to simply purchase our Cycling Kits.  They come in 3 sizes – Small (< 100 gallons), Medium (100 – 300 gallons) and Large (300 – 500 gallons).  They come with all the ammonia you will need to fully cycle the corresponding size tank, powdered seaweed to provide a rich supply of micronutrients to get your plants off to a great start, and detailed instructions. With Fishless Cycling you can add safely fish to your aquaponics system after your ammonia and nitrite levels drop to zero, or close to it, and you have measurable levels of nitrates.  This tells you that both the ammonia converting bacteria (nitrosomonas) and the nitrate converting bacteria (nitrospira) have become fully established and are ready to efficiently process fish waste. Speeding up Cycling Unfortunately nitrifying bacteria are some of the slowest growing bacteria in nature, and the cycling process can take as long as six weeks. There are a few things you can do to speed up this process, however. • Temperature – like most microorganisms, nitrifying bacteria multiply more quickly in warmer conditions. Their optimal temperature is between 77-86°F (25-30°C). At 64°F (18°C) their growth rates is decreased by 50%. At 46-50°F (8-10 °C) it decreases by 75%, and stops all together at 39°F (4°C). It will die off at or below 32°F (0°C) and at or above 120°F (49°C). • pH – Bacteria prefer a pH range between 7 – 8. Use hydroponic pH up and down products to keep your pH in this range during cycling. • Oxygen – Nitrifying bacteria are aerobic and will multiply much faster under highly oxygenated conditions. Even if you are cycling without fish be sure to have as much oxygen in your tank water as you would if the fish were there. Think of the bacteria as just another living organism that requires oxygen in your system. • Adding bacteria – You can “jump start” the process by adding bacteria from an existing colony. Good sources of beneficial bacteria are ranked here, leading with the best (the lower you go on the list the more chance you have of introducing a disease into your system): Our Microbe Lift Nitrifying Bacteria product (included with the Cycling Kits) Media from an existing aquaponics system. Filter material (floss, sponge, biowheel, etc.) from an established, disease-free aquarium. Gravel from an established, disease-free tank (Many local pet and aquarium stores will give this away if asked.). Other ornaments (driftwood, rocks, etc.) from an established aquarium. Squeezings from a filter sponge (any pet and aquarium store should be willing to do this…). Rocks from a backyard pond with fish in it. Rocks from a river, lake or wild pond. When to add plants We recommend adding plants as soon as you have started the cycling process.  The reason for this is that it gives the plants some time to put down roots and establish themselves before the fish are introduced and nitrates need to be absorbed Read More.. 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