tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43605440590789236452024-02-02T10:38:54.031+00:00Aquaponics - Commercial aquaponics - Hydroponics - Grow bedaquaponics, hydroponic, aquaculture, hydroponic, commercial aquaponics, indoor garden, tilapia, hydroponic farming, ækwəˈpɒnɨks, pisciponics, aquaponics grow bed,organic gardening, backyard aquaponics,
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-33096527464305481242013-09-28T15:50:00.000+01:002013-09-28T15:50:08.955+01:00tom tato aquaponics video<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/vppZaxLykt4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexJ2ekTtTCDVFCg6o4ngLcDnHbjvATKvhm4uQjRiJr_oUl_nqknk95ZveuljJJIYOVot3sWzuDmakUlfhLEQr9y7vHP9WojqoIBB52-y8fz836kVDOyb6iXhLBu5vcEdm56Yd7Y8VXjM/s1600/TomTato_TMHF-30_2682289b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexJ2ekTtTCDVFCg6o4ngLcDnHbjvATKvhm4uQjRiJr_oUl_nqknk95ZveuljJJIYOVot3sWzuDmakUlfhLEQr9y7vHP9WojqoIBB52-y8fz836kVDOyb6iXhLBu5vcEdm56Yd7Y8VXjM/s200/TomTato_TMHF-30_2682289b.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<h2>
tom tato aquaponics video</h2>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="firstPar">
It sounds like something from a science fiction film, but a plant which
produces both potatoes and tomatoes has been launched in the UK.
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a></div>
<div class="secondPar">
The ‘TomTato’ can grow more than 500 sweet cherry tomatoes above ground, while
beneath the soil it produces white potatoes that are suitable for boiling,
roasting or turning into chips.
</div>
<div class="thirdPar">
Horticultural mail order company Thompson & Morgan, which is selling the
plants for £14.99 each, described their new product as a “veg plot in a
pot”.
</div>
<div class="fourthPar">
The hybrid plants are not a product of genetic engineering, but are each
individually hand-grafted. Like potatoes, tomatoes are members of the
nightshade family (<i>Solanaceae</i>), which makes them compatible for
grafting.
</div>
<div class="fifthPar">
Grafted potato/tomato plants have been around for decades, including from some
small British nurseries, but Thompson & Morgan say this is the first
time the plants have been widely produced commercially in the UK.
</div>
<h2>
</h2>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/110868552307055286150?rel=author">D. Koster</a>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-51797092462899372172013-09-28T11:59:00.000+01:002013-09-28T11:59:26.542+01:00Tom tato<h2>
TomTato: 'mutant' plant that grows tomatoes and potatoes unleashed</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKyX2Umpbm3zcV-Zn2h8NfVpHpKZXHN1GDw1N6-UpVqQvknqHNJm9a_bD7AZRVwH1O7OWgI5r4-E2MgVkFdk_ms4ixKLLwgsMhHFi8f-8_j9OULWgOuoODUCkc9Gbf5rDGNtZVw3zeM0/s1600/TomTato_TMHF-30_2682289b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tom Tato aquaponics" border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKyX2Umpbm3zcV-Zn2h8NfVpHpKZXHN1GDw1N6-UpVqQvknqHNJm9a_bD7AZRVwH1O7OWgI5r4-E2MgVkFdk_ms4ixKLLwgsMhHFi8f-8_j9OULWgOuoODUCkc9Gbf5rDGNtZVw3zeM0/s400/TomTato_TMHF-30_2682289b.jpg" title="Tom Tato aquaponics" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2>
TomTato aquaponics</h2>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
</h2>
<div class="firstPar">
It sounds like something from a science fiction film, but a plant which
produces both potatoes and tomatoes has been launched in the UK.
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="secondPar">
The ‘TomTato’ can grow more than 500 sweet cherry tomatoes above ground, while
beneath the soil it produces white potatoes that are suitable for boiling,
roasting or turning into chips.
</div>
<div class="thirdPar">
Horticultural mail order company Thompson & Morgan, which is selling the
plants for £14.99 each, described their new product as a “veg plot in a
pot”.
</div>
<div class="fourthPar">
The hybrid plants are not a product of genetic engineering, but are each
individually hand-grafted. Like potatoes, tomatoes are members of the
nightshade family (<i>Solanaceae</i>), which makes them compatible for
grafting.
</div>
<div class="fifthPar">
Grafted potato/tomato plants have been around for decades, including from some
small British nurseries, but Thompson & Morgan say this is the first
time the plants have been widely produced commercially in the UK.
</div>
<h2>
</h2>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/110868552307055286150?rel=author">D. Koster</a>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0Palma de Mallorca, Balearen, Spanien39.57119 2.646633999999949139.473275 2.4852724999999491 39.669105 2.807995499999949tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-55829858778294768222013-08-27T09:39:00.005+01:002013-08-27T09:39:58.509+01:00Where Should You Place Your Aquaponic System<h2>
Where Should You Place Your Aquaponic System</h2>
<br />
<br />
If you are decided to set up an aquaponic system in which to grow vegetables and fish for you and your family,
there are some things which you should know. The types of fish, the seeds which can be propagated and the details
about the appropriate water conditions are the basic notions you have to know before venturing in this activity.
Once you know that you can start putting all the pieces of the puzzle together. Yet, another question arises: where
should you place your aquaponic mini-garden?<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSY02EUXgSEzKKJRB8Q0tvu-r6HxQIT0VIH_xp31U0665E2NIvohmdl_IJpx4h1T41S_zKB8JqE51y7wy1XplGZR2QqnsS_TEETiQuNoj8qGdo26IM9Wlusgskzl2NUXZUo_WkhOLFaFE/s1600/Aquaponics+world.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="where aquaponics, how aquaponics, build aquaponics" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSY02EUXgSEzKKJRB8Q0tvu-r6HxQIT0VIH_xp31U0665E2NIvohmdl_IJpx4h1T41S_zKB8JqE51y7wy1XplGZR2QqnsS_TEETiQuNoj8qGdo26IM9Wlusgskzl2NUXZUo_WkhOLFaFE/s320/Aquaponics+world.jpg" title="where aquaponics, how aquaponics, build aquaponics" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">where aquaponics, how aquaponics, build aquaponics</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The answer is simple: you can put it anywhere you like as long as the place has enough light to offer the plants.
As you probably know, the plants need light to prepare their food. If the place where they are put has no or few
light, they will be unable to prepare their food, which in time will lead to their death. This is something you do
not want! Yet, if you have a room (no matter if it is your kitchen, living room or garage) where there is a
moderate light, then there is where you should place your aquaponic garden.<br />
<br />
If you live in an area with extreme temperature or weather conditions, there are also some other things you will
need to take into consideration. First, the temperature: your fish like to have a moderate temperature (usually
varies according to the type of fish you choose), so you should monitor it to meet your fish’s needs. If you are in
a desert are a you will need to keep them away from the direct solar rays, while if outside is freezing you will
need to make sure that the water is warm enough to provide your fish a good environment.<br />
<br />
You should also keep your fish and plants away from chemicals as they are quite sensitive to that, so the room
where you keep your cleaning products will not be a great location for them. Rather go for airy places where the
plants can feel good and with moderate temperature so that the fish will grow and develop properly.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/110868552307055286150?rel=author">D. Koster</a>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-29546293714663897082013-08-26T04:30:00.000+01:002013-08-26T04:30:00.974+01:00PVC in Aquaponics <h2>
PVC in Aquaponics </h2>
<br />
Recently someone questioned me about using PVC pipe with an aquaponics system. My first response was it was safe.
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></h2>
PVC is safe!...Millions of homes across the world have these pipes installed. <br />
What was now running around in my head was "organic and safe food." I am
big on research and so I set out to prove the PVC safety issue was
fine.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY60ZVcUfjkp5rwhuWL6B3-aENTRAlvtGmotC024-Z-JaGm9W5a79u9V-OISjf_qLmCG_awVjEVuyp3gHzT75l0Y5kEHeDS-g5oFrPaYyGWADU5pSeCpmJpsJtiMQ1WoYjQgOD7wmSMB4/s1600/pvc+aquaponics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PVC in Aquaponics , aquaponics, design aquaponics, " border="0" height="479" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY60ZVcUfjkp5rwhuWL6B3-aENTRAlvtGmotC024-Z-JaGm9W5a79u9V-OISjf_qLmCG_awVjEVuyp3gHzT75l0Y5kEHeDS-g5oFrPaYyGWADU5pSeCpmJpsJtiMQ1WoYjQgOD7wmSMB4/s640/pvc+aquaponics.jpg" title="PVC in Aquaponics , aquaponics, design aquaponics, " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PVC in Aquaponics , aquaponics, design aquaponics, </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Problem was the more I researched it the more it became apparent that I might be wrong.</b><br />
<br />
You can only deny for it so long. PVC is very questionable to use in
aquaponics systems. I have a friend in the aquaponics industry that I
have become friends with. I value his opinion immensely and see him as a
mentor. I recently wrote to him about my findings and sent him a copy
of the guide I created. I shared with him all the facts and research on
PVC pipe. To my surprise he was very understanding and even thanked me
for an excellent guide.<br />
<br />
He even offered to help out by suggesting this guide to others growing
produce with aquaponics. My friend said he often came across people
asking all kinds of questions regarding PVC pipe. This was a huge relief
for me because other people in the aqua community had become angry,
when I said that PVC was not the safest product to be using in an
aquaponics system. <br />
<br />
Most of us never want to believe that we can be harmed by products that
we are told are safe for humans. However you should know that PVC (Poly
Vinyl Chloride) is a thermoplastic polymer made up from different
chemicals. Industrial products like Phthalates, Lead and Cadmium. All of
which are toxic to us.<br />
When PVC is burned it creates an extremely dangerous chemical called Dioxin. This is a class 1 carcinogenic. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
PVC
pipe cannot be recycled and if it is exposed to sunlight for too long
there is a good chance lead ash is being passed through the pipe. This
means that there are thousands of landfills across the globe with
exposed PVC pipe sitting there breaking down and creating a potential
health hazard to humans. Is it leeching into the earth and waterways?
What do you think? </div>
<br />
I want you to think about this for a minute. Most aquaponics systems use
PVC Pipes. They are usually exposed and people can clearly see them. If
your system is not covered up and is sitting out in the sun, then you
could be running the risk of lead ash being transferred from your
produce to your fish tank. This means there is a risk that your fish
could also be contaminated with lead. There is a good reason why PVC
pipe is usually buried. <br />
<br />
Humanity found out 100 years ago what lead paint could do to the human
body. Why would we ignore such a side effect now for the sake of
profit? Lead is directly absorbed, distributed, and excreted into our
bodies. Once lead enters into the bloodstream it is distributed into
different areas of our body.<br />
They are...blood, soft tissue like the kidney, bone marrow, liver,
brain, and our mineralized tissue such as the bones and teeth. Lead
poisoning affects children in different ways too. <br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: medium;">I am not telling anyone to change their PVC pipes out in their aquaponics systems.</span> </h4>
<br />
Rather I am providing people research material to look over and make
their own decisions. In this guide there is over 12 years of studies,
research and information collected. Some of the studies were done by
scientists from different parts of the world. This is a free guide for
you because I believe people should have the facts and truth about PVC. <br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/110868552307055286150?rel=author">D. Koster</a>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-43876882439169911772013-08-25T10:07:00.000+01:002013-08-25T10:07:40.038+01:00Advantages and Disadvantages of Aquaponics<h2 align="left" id="sites-page-title-header">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="ltr" id="sites-page-title">Advantages and Disadvantages of Aquaponics</span></span></span></h2>
<div align="left" id="sites-page-title-header">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="ltr" id="sites-page-title"> </span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<span class="announcementsPostTimestamp" id="afterPageTitleHideDuringEdit">
posted <span dir="ltr">Feb 6, 2011, 10:17 AM</span> by Matthew McCarthy
<span class="updatedTime" id="sites-announcement-updated-time">
[
updated <span dir="ltr">Feb 6, 2011, 2:27 PM</span>
]
</span>
</span>
</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We
covered this briefly during the early part of our research phase but I
though it would be good to provide some additional detail and opinion
now that we have researched aquaponics in greater depth and have some
personel experience. It is obvious (from looking through this site) that I have a bais in favour of aquaponics (we
have invested significant time, energy and money in aquaponics) though I
have attempted to set this aside and provide an unbiased assessment of
some of the claimed advantages and disadvantages. The purpose of this
post is is to determine if there is evidence to support the commonly
made claims found on forums and wedsites (and as important some of the perceived claims) and where there isn't to provide an opinion based on our experience and/or the information available.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The emphasis of this list is a discussion relating to back yard systems rather then commercial systems.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h2 align="left" id="sites-page-title-header">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="ltr" id="sites-page-title">Advantages and Disadvantages of Aquaponics</span></span></span></h2>
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<h3>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Claimed Advantages </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="ltr" id="sites-page-title">Aquaponics</span></span></span></b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<ol>
<li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b><u>Significant reduction in the usage of water</u></b> (compared to traditional soil methods of growing plants) </span></span><span style="color: #666666; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">as all water is recycled through the system and it is not necessary to discard or change any water (under normal conditions)</span></span><span style="color: #666666; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">.
It has been reported on various forums and websites that water usage is
around 90% lower then traditional soil gardening. I have not seen in
any of my research any detailed documentation of experiments/monitoring
of both aquaponics and soil gardening side-by-side; so I would say that
this a 90% reduction is probably anecdotal. With our system I have added
water once since the middle of December (approximately 6 weeks ago) and
I would estimate the water level had dropped by between 10% and 20%</span></span><span style="color: #666666; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> of
the tank height over this period and that 70-140l of water was added to
the system. This is equivalent to water usage of 2-3 litres of water a
day - much less then I expect would be required in a similar soil based
garden.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><b><u>Growth of plants is significantly faster</u></b> then
traditional methods using soil. Again I haven't found any documentation
of detailed monitoring of side-by-side gardening. I imagine any
time differential between the two methods would be dependent on how well
each method is carried out. In aquaponics the plant roots are watered
(flooded) at least once an hour in most system and have constant access
to high levels of nitrates that are in the water. Though soil gardens
can be set up to provide good levels of w</span><span style="line-height: 20px;">ater and the required nutrients. Perhaps specific plants will grow better in soil and others in aquaponics?</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aquaponics grown <b><u>vegetables are bigger and healthier</u></b>
then when grown in soil. Certainly the pictures and videos I have seen
show aquaponics systems that look remarkably prosperous with big,
vibrant and healthy fruit and vegetables. There is no indication that
the same could not be produced in a well managed soil garden. </span></span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #666666; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">There is <b><u>no need to use artificial fertilizer</u></b> to
feed the plants. In the perfect system this is probably true though
some aquaponics owners add "supplements" such as iron to their system to
compensate for non-ideal environments (e.g. high pH systems).
Fertilizer in the traditional sense is not used and </span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">indeed
using fertilizer would likely harm or kill the fish. So there is
probably a real cost saving over soil gardening in this area as there is
no need </span><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"> to be improve soil before planting or during plant growth.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">There is <b><u>no need to dispose of fish waste or provide an artificial filtration</u></b> system.
In land based aquaculture systems either water needs to be replaced or
some filtration needs to be provided to remove ammonia (fish waste) from
the water. Filtration needs to be provided for the same reasons in
aquaponics systems - though in a lot of systems the filtration serves as
the medium to grow the plants and the plants remove the (less toxic to
fish) nitrates from the system.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Significant <b><u>reduction in land is required to grow the same crops</u></b> as
traditional soil methods. I believe this is true though again I haven't
seen concrete evidence to support this claim. As water and nutrients
are constantly provided it should be possible to grow plants close
together with the main requirements for spacing being access to light.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">It's <b><u>easier to setup for year round use</u></b> compared
to traditional gardening methods as grow beds are raised of the ground
and growing area is compact allowing for economical "green house" type
methods to be employed. I guess this would be true in very cold climates
where the ground freezes in winter though in many climates using ground
temperatures can help to moderate the temperature of water/media in the
system.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><b><u>It's organic</u></b>.
I guess if the fish are fed organic feed and food grade plastics are
used then this could be the case. Though there seems to be little good
evidence (and I haven't done an extensive search) to show that
non-organic crops are necessarily unsafe or less</span><span style="line-height: 20px;"> healthy then organic ones.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #666666; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Commercial setups have been used as </span></span><b style="line-height: 20px;"><u>tourist attractors in rural communities</u></b><span style="color: #666666; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> to
provide and additional revenue source. I haven't really looked into
this but I know that in some areas agro-tourism is used
to supplement commercial incomes. Less likely to meaningful in a back
yard setting.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b><u>Yummy - fish for dinner every night</u></b>!
I don't think this is an actual claim that any backyard aquaponics
owner would make but it is certainly the impression that people have
when they first hear about aquaponics. In fact, somewhere in the order
of 90% of the produce from an aquaponics system will be from the plants -
so unless you have a very large system you will be more likely to be
eating fish once a week or once a month.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b style="line-height: 20px;"><u>Reduced damage from pests and disease</u></b><span style="color: #666666; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">.
I don't know if this is an actual claim many or any people make but I
have noticed that there is a lot less leaf damage on my plants this year
(grown via aquaponics) then my soil based plants last year. I should
note that we are growing different vegetables this year to last and the
tomatoes are yet to fruit. Many aquaponics system owners do have
problems with pests and as there are fewer options available to control
pests (i.e. pesticides can not be used as they could harm or kill the
fish) some plant damage is accepted.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="line-height: 20px;"><u>No weeding or bending down</u></b> on
the ground required. Many backyard systems are setup so that the grow
beds are at waist height (to allow gravity return of water to the fish
tank) so this allows for a pleasant way to inspect and harvest the
plants. This does not have to be the case as there are many different
system designs. To my knowledge and from our experience weeds do not
grow in aquaponics systems. Inaddition the system pretty much looks
after itself - it waters itself and once established provides a great
environment for both fish and plants to grow. There is occasional (once
or twice a month) maintenance required in cleaning the fish tank with a
broom and checking and cleaning the pumps.</span></span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<h3>
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">Claimed Disadvantages</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="ltr" id="sites-page-title"> Aquaponics</span></span></span></span></b></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Can be <b><u>expensive to setup</u></b> as
the system requires pumps, tubing, and tanks/beds. This is certainly
true though it doesn't necessarily need to be. A small backyard system
purchased complete from an aquaponics retailer can cost over $2,000
installed and the larger backyard systems capable of feeding a family
between $5,000 and $10,000. Though if you are willing to devote some (or
a lot) of your own time and energy then I think similar systems could
be built for 25-50% of these costs (this is my guestimate). Grow beds
and fish tanks can often be obtained for free (in western countries) and
gravel obtained from the local river, though components such as pumps
and backup power supplies will still need to be purchased. System
purchase sosts have obtained from this source: </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/Travis/CostBenefitAnalysisofAquaponicSystems.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/Travis/CostBenefitAnalysisofAquaponicSystems.pdf</a></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><b style="line-height: 20px;"><u>You need a green house</u></b><span style="line-height: 20px;"> to
really have a good aquaponics system. I guess this depends on what type
of climate you live in. A green house can be advantageous to provide
heat in cold winters, protect the system from heavy rains and keep out
pests. This is also true for soil based gardening.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Setup </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><u style="line-height: 20px;"><b>r</b></u><b style="line-height: 20px;"><u>equires technical knowledge of aquaponics systems</u></b><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> and
hence is possible to make mistakes. True - there are stories around of
people who loose fish and give up on their aquaponics system early on
and there is some knowledge required to establish the necessary bacteria
within the system. In a lot of cases these failures are because systems
have fish stocking rates that are to high. We have yet to stock our
system with fish so I can not provide a lot of information from our
personal experiences though the initial establishing of bacteria (known
as cycling the system) was very simple and took a lot less time then the
average system cycling time.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><b><u>Water needs to be constantly monitored</u></b>
to make sure the water quality is OK for fish. This is certainly the
case during the first couple of months. After the system has matured
water testing is usually carried out only once a week unless there are
problems. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seems very <b style="line-height: 20px;"><u>complicated for the amount of fish</u></b>
I will get. Yes keeping a healthy environment for the fish is where
most of the complexity lies within the system. Water needs to be free of
toxins (especially ammonia and nitrite) and also have enough oxygen for
the fish you are keeping. This can involve adding
extra aeration sources and making partial water changes to improve water
quality. Stocking fish at a lower density will in most cases reduce
the pressures on a system and make it more tolerant to changing
conditions and less likely to suffer from the above problems - though
this means you will have less fish to eat.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aquaponics <b><u>requires electric energy input</u></b> to
maintain and recycle water within the system. In most cases you will
need to provide electricity to run a water pump and possibly aeration
pumps as well. We run our 80w water pump for 5 minutes every hour to
flood and drain our three grow bed buckets. As we currently run the pump
day and night this amounts to 2 hours of usage a day - so similar to
having a light in your house (with an old style bulb) on for the same
length of time. We plan to add another three grow beds to the system so
this will increase our electricity usage further. At this stage we have
not made any attempt to optimize the flood/drain cycle so there may be
opportunities to reduce the number of times the system is flooded each
hour or to not run the system at night with little impact to plant
growth. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">If one or more </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="line-height: 20px;"><u>components fail this could lead to the loss</u></b><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> of
fish and or plants. In this regard you are dependent on using reliable
technology (and back up systems) to ensure that your fish, which require
oxygen in the water, remain alive an healthy. Your plants are likely to
be unaffected in the short term, as the growing medium will likely
retain more then enough moisture, though if the fish are not provided
enough oxygen, they can suffer and die. This is the same situation for
aquaculture systems.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>You can't grow root crops</u></b>.
You can grow pretty much anything in an aquaponics system from fruit
trees to root crops, though depending on the type of growing medium
potatoes and carrots may grow into some weird shapes. Most people focus
on growing leafy vegetables.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Ok so you don't have to add fertilizer or nutrients but you do </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="line-height: 20px;"><u>have to provide fish food</u></b><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">.
Yes you do, the fish eat the food and their waste is used to produce
nutrients for the plants. Of course you also have to feed fish in an
aquaculture system and in an aquaculture system fish waste is not used
in such a productive way. Fish are some of the best animals at
converting food into body mass (different fish species vary) and so are
an efficient way of producing meat and protein. Most people buy
commercially available fish food for their fish although many
people supplement this feed by growing worms, duckweed and other plants
and animals. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Conclusions</b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
seems that a lot of claims are made based on personal experiences which
is not surprising as it appears that very little research has been
carried out in this area or in the field of the best aquaponics
practices. Most claims (in regards to both advantages and disadvantages)
have some truth to them, though in many cases these seem to be littered
with over generalizations and are largely based on what has or hasn't
worked for an individual.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So
is aquaponics the best way to garden? It does produce very good results
but are they better then soil based gardening? Well that probably
depends to a large extent on where you live and the type of climate you
have. If you live in drought effected areas (as much of Australia has
experienced over the last decade) then I believe there could be some
significant benefits using aquaponics to reduce water usage. Also if you
have a limited space to grow vegetables then it is possible that
aquaponics could allow you to grow more produce and make the best use of
your vertical space. These I think are the distinct advantages to
aquaponics; after these the advantages become a little more cloudy and,
compared to soil based gardening, the disadvantages start to balance
the advantages that aquaponics has to offer.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So
why haven't I talked up the fish element of aquaponics. Well
for starters we don't have any fish at the moment in our system and have
been using aged human urine as our ammonia source (though we do intend
to get some fish soon). In aquaponics and small aquaponics systems in
particular it seems like the fish should be considered as a nice
by-product rather then a primary produce. In a system such as ours (i.e.
small with less then 20 fish) the fish are primarily there to provide
an ammonia source rather then for the quantity of fish that will be
eaten. In addition keeping fish is the riskiest and most complicated
part of the system, so if looked at from that very narrow perspective,
keeping fish provides a relatively high risk for little gain (in terms
of produce). In larger systems it is possible that the fish produced
would be considered an distinct advantage but in most systems they seem
to simply be the "cream" on top of the fruit and vegetables produced. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our
system is still young; for me the biggest advantages have been working
as part of our small team to design and build a system that appears to
be strange and that most people are amazed when they see it and
understand how it works. Also being able to sit back and watch the
plants grow (and recently explode) has been particularly satisfying. We
had our first green salad from the garden last night, which was great,
but for me success (or at least proof of concept) will be when we get to
eat some of the beans and tomatoes that are currently growing.</span></span></div>
<div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-90090581802841692692013-08-24T09:29:00.004+01:002013-08-24T10:48:33.170+01:00Aqauponics android appGet Aquaponics app for free on your Android phone to stay up to
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appbuilder.u307540p602748" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Android aquaponics, aquaponics app" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMNTP0MJmMuZrsIXQibcTJiyV1Rxj4t1guDfEJX3tlV1xaLWBfZY4zK4O8lM7UAu94UaX1UPc7_jZiXJuP2KYx-tws1qSPPlofDKLWM00uIbyCEm3C4CbPGXQXMXi0JJ4orHBdRANTKk/s320/android+aquaponics.jpg" title="Android aquaponics, aquaponics app" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appbuilder.u307540p602748" target="_blank">Android aquaponics, aquaponics app</a><br />
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<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appbuilder.u307540p602748" target="_blank">Download link Android play store</a> </td></tr>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-14824148768850498662013-08-24T07:06:00.000+01:002013-08-31T07:39:25.694+01:003D-1 Aquaponics systems video<br />
<h2>
3D-1 Aquaponics systems video</h2>
<br />
The internet is full of free resources to use in order to make your life
easier. There are many reasons to download models rather
than creating one from scratch. To save time, save money or even for
testing lighting. As long as you follow the users rules, it is perfectly
acceptable to download these models. Below an 3D movie<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09CyALwzU4xP-DVQcj7WXaW1OcXrq22GwxOKyCXarSWqz77N7puqRpHT6dTsXbsDxF7_xqaJvVX1YH9FF3bo3BgWlXJSFl4tJOmNzvro2uPFZxkdbJ5ArAboElOoTYmLIbKBaspZL-p4/s1600/Aquaponics+3d+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3D-1 Aquaponics systems video" border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09CyALwzU4xP-DVQcj7WXaW1OcXrq22GwxOKyCXarSWqz77N7puqRpHT6dTsXbsDxF7_xqaJvVX1YH9FF3bo3BgWlXJSFl4tJOmNzvro2uPFZxkdbJ5ArAboElOoTYmLIbKBaspZL-p4/s200/Aquaponics+3d+7.jpg" title="3D-1 Aquaponics systems video" width="100" /></a></div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-74612861072568249982013-08-23T12:12:00.000+01:002013-08-23T12:22:16.955+01:00How tilapia grow in aquaponics<h2>
Tilapia Growth Chart</h2>
<br />
About 4 to 6 weeks from hatching,
fingerlings should be about 1 gram, if culture temperatures are in the
mid 80's (degrees F). The following table assumes that warm temperature
range, moderate to aggressive feeding, in terms of percent biomass per
day, and also assumes that fish stocking densities do not exceed 80kg
per cubic meter (about 2/3rds pound per gallon) <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQT_uwClp-PkBbKMG0jM6Z1QogzTPp0Ia20iCjfYQL2Rx_TlCF4msYFkTCCkNPyZfW1FHdDv6Dah9wZ7gsqNUmJPce84Ax5GgdYmucvr9ReefsapbVgZFrSkDuZAoBUiDvR9sOG-azzHw/s1600/grow+aquaponics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="How tilapia grow in aquaponics" border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQT_uwClp-PkBbKMG0jM6Z1QogzTPp0Ia20iCjfYQL2Rx_TlCF4msYFkTCCkNPyZfW1FHdDv6Dah9wZ7gsqNUmJPce84Ax5GgdYmucvr9ReefsapbVgZFrSkDuZAoBUiDvR9sOG-azzHw/s640/grow+aquaponics.jpg" title="How tilapia grow in aquaponics" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How tilapia grow in aquaponics</td></tr>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/110868552307055286150?rel=author">D. Koster</a>
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<br />
This is the target average weight of the individual fish.<br />
<br />
Week 1, about 3 grams Week 2, 5 g<br />
<br />
Wk 3, 7g<br />
<br />
Wk 4, 10g<br />
<br />
Wk 5, 13g<br />
<br />
Wk 6, 18g<br />
<br />
Wk 7, 23g<br />
<br />
Wk 8, 29g<br />
<br />
Wk 9, 37g<br />
<br />
Wk 10, 45g<br />
<br />
Wk 11, 60g<br />
<br />
Wk 12, 78g<br />
<br />
Wk 13, 97g<br />
<br />
Wk 14, 118g<br />
<br />
Wk 15, 140g<br />
<br />
Wk 16, 162g<br />
<br />
Wk 17, 184g<br />
<br />
Wk 18, 207g<br />
<br />
Wk 19, 231g<br />
<br />
Wk 20, 256g<br />
<br />
Wk 21, 282g<br />
<br />
Wk 22, 309g<br />
<br />
Wk 23, 337g<br />
<br />
Wk 24, 365g<br />
<br />
Wk 25, 393g<br />
<br />
Wk 26, 422g<br />
<br />
Wk 27, 451g......about 7 months, about 1 pound now.<br />
<br />
Wk 28, 480g<br />
<br />
Wk 29, 509g<br />
<br />
Wk 30, 538g<br />
<br />
Wk 31, 567g<br />
<br />
Wk 32, 596g<br />
<br />
Wk 33, 625g<br />
<br />
Wk 34, 654g<br />
<br />
Wk 35, 683.......about 9 months, about 1.5 pounds now.<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-81279770316288381052013-08-23T09:46:00.000+01:002013-08-23T12:23:13.247+01:003D Aquaponics systems<h2>
3D Aquaponics systems</h2>
<br />
The internet is full of free resources to use in order to make your life easier. There are many reasons to download models rather
than creating one from scratch. To save time, save money or even for
testing lighting. As long as you follow the users rules, it is perfectly
acceptable to download these models. Below an a linkto 3D aquaponics system<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-79037018877968036842013-08-23T09:33:00.000+01:002013-08-23T09:33:06.299+01:00Step By Step Aquaponics Backyard<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (<span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">fish farming</span>) and hydroponics (soil-less plant culture).</strong>
Aquaponics is the ideal answer to a fish farmer’s problem of disposing
of nutrient rich water and a hydroponic grower’s need for nutrient rich
water. Essentially, aquaponics mimics every natural waterway on earth.
It is used to grow food crops in a concentrated, yet sustainable
manner.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step By Step Aquaponics Backyard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As <strong>aquaponic technology</strong> continues
to develop, there are two primary methods that have evolved. The
media-filled bed system, which many backyard enthusiasts use, and the
raft system, which most commercial growers use. NFT (nutrient film
technique) is a third, less popular method of aquaponics. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In a
raft system (also known as float, deep channel and deep flow) the plants
are grown in floating Polystyrene boards that float on top of water
while a media-filled bed system uses a tank or container that is filled
with gravel, perlite or another media for the plant bed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="more-406"></span>While
algae, submerged plants, and floating plants do a good job of removing
fish wastes from a recirculating aquaculture system, so can lettuce,
basil, or many other common vegetables and herbs. Fish wastes can be
treated with a bio-filter and then allowed to pass through hydroponic
troughs, where the roots of cultivated plants can remove the wastes as
fertilizer.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>In this system, fish
are fed in the fish tank. Their wastes are pumped with an airlift pump
into a biofilter pipe. This pipe is a smaller version of the biofilter
tank used in the recirculating system. As waste-filled water seeps
through the biofilter pipe, bacteria and other micro- organisms
breakdown and convert the wastes into forms that plants can use as
fertilizer.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>At the end of
the biofilter pipe, the water spills out through an irrigation bar
which distributes the fertilizer- filled water into the two hydroponic
troughs. As the water slowly flows along the bottom of the hydroponic
troughs, plants in pots draw water and nutrients from the passing flow.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Small
plants and seedlings are watered through the wicking action of wicking
materials in the bottom of their pots. Larger plants grow roots out of
the bottom of their pots and into tile flow, soaking tip lots of water
and fertilizer.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>After
passing through the biofilter pipe and the hydroponic troughs, the
cleaned water trickles back into the fish tank, where the cycle starts
once again.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>This article shows you how to build a simple <strong>aquaponic</strong>
system that will produce both fish and vegetables. Like the simple
recirculating system, it runs off of one double-outlet air pump. This
design takes up a four foot by nine foot space but can be made smaller
if space is limited.</span><span> </span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>SITE</strong></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>This
system needs more light than the simple recirculating system, because
vegetable crops tend to need more light than water plants. A
greenhouse, bright south-facing window, or protected outdoor location is
best. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>If, you want to put it inside, you’ll need to use lights to grow your plants. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>
This system weighs less than the simple recirculating system, but you
should get an engineer to look at any floor you think may not be strong
enough. There are no through-hull fittings in this system, and
as long as the hydroponic tray is<strong> </strong>higher than the fish
tank it can be put just about anywhere. For example, you could put the
hydroponic tray on top of an old table with the fish tank on the floor
at one end.</span><span> </span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>PARTS AND TOOLS NEEDED</strong></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>Hardware</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>1</strong>- 50 gallon <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3">plastic barrel</span> – preferably food grade and semi-transparent</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>1</strong> – 10′ long 1/2″ PVC pipe </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>1</strong> – 1/2″ PVC male adapter</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #000077;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>2</strong><em> </em>- 1/2″ PVC tee fittings</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>1</strong> – 10′ long 4″ PVC pipe</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>1</strong> – 4″ end cap</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>1</strong> – 4″ “L” fitting</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>1 – </strong>aquarium air pump with double outlet</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>2</strong> – air stones</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>10′</strong> of air stone tubing</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>1</strong> – 4′ x 8′ board, 1/4″ or thicker</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>3 – </strong>1″<strong> </strong>x 4″ boards, 8′ long</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>2</strong> – 1 ” x 2″ boards, 8′ long</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>50</strong> – 1″ nails</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>White or carpenter’s glue </strong>for bonding the boards together</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>1 – </strong>6′ by 10′ piece of polyethylene vapor barrier (6mil is<strong> </strong>best). This is simply a thick plastic sheet used to protect houses from moisture and can be found in most hardware stores. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Staples </strong>for staple gun (if using)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>5 gallons </strong>of oyster shells or dolomite</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Plastic pots </strong>for plants</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong> Bag </strong>of potting soil</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong> Bag </strong>of perlite, vermiculite, c</span><span>ocofiber, or peat moss</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Tools</strong></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Saw – </strong>to remove tops of barrels, cut boards and cut pipe</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Hammer</strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Staple gun </strong>(optional – see STEP 9)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Felt pen – </strong>to mark cuts</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Power drill</strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>3/4″ hole saw </strong>(or large bore drill bit)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Scissors – </strong>to cut plastic</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong> </strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Biological Materials</strong></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Buckets of water </strong>from local lakes, rivers or ponds</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>A handful </strong>of fresh compost</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>A handful </strong>of good garden soil</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>A handful </strong>of soil from a forest</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>A</strong> <strong>handful </strong>of soil from a meadow</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>Some snails </strong>from an <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">aquarium store</span> or local pond</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Vegetable and herb <strong>seeds </strong>and <strong>seedlings</strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>20</strong> – <strong>30 fish fingerlings </strong>(Nile tilapia are recommended)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE</strong></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>This system takes a day to build if you can get all the materials together and wash and leach the barrels beforehand. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>It
is a good idea to add the plants a week or so before adding the fish,
so that their roots can grow into the water. Add the fish after the
system has stabilized for a week or two. Be sure to read ALL the
Instructions CAREFULLY before starting to build so that you won’t be
surprised by what comes next.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>STEP 1. Rinsing the barrel.</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Rinse out the barrel with a garden<strong> </strong>hose.
Barrels often contain nasty toxins and should always be handled with
care. Wear gloves, long sleeved shirts, long pants, and safety glasses
when rinsing.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>STEP 2. Leaching the barrel.</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>The
barrel can be leached by filling with water, letting it sit overnight,
and then draining the next day. Do this several times, using
hot water if available. This will draw out any toxins that are in the
plastic itself.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em><span>STEP 3. Cutting the lid out of the barrel.</span></em></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Cut
the lid out of the barrel as shown. Leave the rim intact, as it
provides support for the barrel, and be sure to leave a small flap to
hold the airlift pump. There are several ways of cutting the lid out,
depending on what tools you have available. For example, you could drill
a small hole and then use a skill saw, or you can drill holes all the
way around if you don’t have a saw.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em><span>STEP 4. Washing the barrel.</span></em></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Wash the barrel. Use soap, warm water, and a scrub brush or sponge. Or take the barrel to a <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2">commercial car</span> wash. Rinse off the soap, re-fill, and let the barrel leach overnight again.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em><span>STEP 5. Making the hydroponic trough.</span></em></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>The
hydroponic trough is basically a box lined with plastic. A plan for a
four by eight-foot double trough is shown. You can make the
trough longer, shorter, narrower, or wider, if you wish. The <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5">important</span>
thing is that the drains are spaced so that they drain directly into
the fish tank, and that there is a space to hold the biofilter pipe.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Cut <strong>one </strong>of
the 1′x4″ boards into a 46 1/2 ” piece and two 16″ pieces. Glue and
nail the other two 8′ long 1″ x 4″ boards onto the long sides of the 4′ x
8′ board. Glue and nail the 461/2″ piece onto one end of the 4′ x 8′
board, and glue and nail the 16″ pieces to the other end as shown.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Find
the center of the 4′ x 8′ board at-id mark it with a pencil. Mark a
line 2 1/4″ from the center line on both sides of the center line. Glue
and nail the two 1 x 2″ boards so that their inside edge runs along the 2
1/4″ lines. You should end up with a 4 1/2-” wide trench in between the
two 1″ x 2″ boards, where the biofilter pipe will sit.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Using
sandpaper, go over the inside of your trough carefully, looking for
sharp edges and splinters that might poke through the plastic. Also look
to see if any nails have come through that might tear the plastic.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em> </em></strong></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em><span>STEP 6. Building the irrigation bar.</span></em></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Drill
a 1/4″ hole through the 4″ endcap, as shown. Be very careful to drill
this hole straight or else the joint will leak. Use the caulking gun to
cover the threads of a 1/2″ male adapter with silicon sealant. Using a
wrench, carefully screw the adapter into the 3/4″ hole. Be sure that it
goes in<strong> </strong>straight. You should be able to screw it until it is flush with the surface of the end cap.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Cut
two pieces Of 1/2″ pipe 1 foot long. Cut one piece 1 inch long. Clean
the cut edges with sandpaper and then push the pipe together as
shown.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>STEP 7. Building the biofilter pipe.</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>If
your trough is eight feet long, then cut your 4″ pipe to be nine feet
long (i.e. cut one foot off the end). The pipe should be 1 foot longer
than the trough. Being careful not to bump the newly attached irrigation
bar, twist the end cap onto one end of the 4″ pipe.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Carefully
rinse the oyster shells or dolomite. The smallest pieces should be no
smaller than ‘/4″ diameter, to prevent the biofilter from getting too
clogged. Scoop the oyster shells or dolomite into the biofilter pipe
until it is 90% full. Attach the 4″ “L<em>” </em>fitting and set the biofilter pipe aside.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>STEP 8. Assembling the system.</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>The
system needs to sit on top of something. Pallets, saw-horses, or
concrete blocks could Al be used to support the hydroponic troughs off
of the ground. The end of the hydroponic troughs nearest to the barrel
should be just slightly higher than the lip of the barrel, and the far
end an inch or so higher than that. The lip of the barrel should be
about 36″, so you need to find supports that will hold the troughs 36″
to 38″ off the ground.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Once
you have set up supports for the troughs, set the trough onto them and
secure with nails. If you are using cement blocks as a support, you may
need to use rope or cord to hold the troughs ‘in place.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Place
the barrel under the draining end of the troughs. It should just barely
fit beneath the troughs, and the two drains should hang well over the
open top.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>STEP 9. Lining the troughs</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Check
for sharp or rough edges in the troughs one last time. Lay the plastic
over the hydroponic trough and begin fitting it into the
troughs. Be sure to allow enough slack in the corners so that the
plastic won’t have to stretch when you put plants on top of it. The
central trough, where the biofilter pipe will lie<strong>, </strong>is
lined ‘in case of overflows or blockages in the pipe. If the pipe
overflows or breaks, the water will simply flow back into the fish tank.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Once
the plastic has been fitted, secure it by using a staple gun, home-
made pipe-clips’ or binder clips from an office supply store.
Although harder to make and use, ‘pipe-clips’ will last longer because
they won’t rust.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>STEP 10. Placing the biofilter pipe.</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Carefully lay the biofilter pipe into the central trough, being careful not to tear the plastic or break the irrigation bar.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Water
flows through the biofilter pipe because the entrance to the pipe is
higher than the exit. You can adjust the maximum height of water in the
biofilter by twisting the “L” fitting at the entrance. Ideally,
the biofilter should be mostly full of water, with a thin layer of air
at the top.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>STEP 11. Setting up the air-lift pump.</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Cut
a piece of 1/2″ pipe 30″ long. Drill a 3/4″ hole in the middle of the
flap that is leftover from the barrel lid and insert the 1/2″ piece
through it. You will probably have to widen the hole a little bit with a
knife. Push the 1/2″ tee fitting onto the 30″ pipe so that one hole
sticks straight up and the other is sideways.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Measure
the horizontal distance from the tee fitting to the middle of the 4″
“L” fitting on the end of the biofilter. The idea is to raise the water
up the 30″ long pipe, and across to the biofilter. Cut a piece of pipe
to span the distance between the 30″ long pipe and the b1ofilter and
push it into the tee fitting. Cut another 6″ long piece of 1/2″<strong> </strong>pipe and push it into the top of the tee fitting.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Cut
two 5′ long pieces of air tubing and hook them up to the outlets of the
air pump. Attach an air stone to one of them. Remove the air-lift pipe
and drill a ?” hole 4″ from the bottom of the pipe. Insert the
air tube without any airstone into the hole. You may have to fold it to
get it in<strong>. </strong>Attach a rock to the to the airstone end of
the other air tube and let it rest near the bottom of the tank. This
will provide extra oxygen to the fish.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Begin
filling the tank with water and turn on the air pump. As the tank
becomes full, you will see the amount of water the air-lift pumps
increase. When the tank is full, the air-lift should be pumping a
reasonable amount of water into the biofilter, the b1ofilter should fill
with water, the irrigation bar will drain into the hydroponic troughs,
and the troughs should drain back into the fish tank. Check for leaks,
add more water if necessary, and let the system run for 24 hours so that
it can leach. After 24 hours, drain the system, refill, and let run for
another 24 hours before Inoculating.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>STEP 12. Inoculation.</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Inoculate
the tanks with biological materials. Sprinkle the handful of compost
and soils into the entrance of the b1ofilter. Add the pond/ stream/river
water directly to the fish tank, and add a few snails as well. Two or
three tablespoons of rotten milk can be added to the b1ofilter tank to
encourage a healthy microbial community.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>STEP 13. Adding the plants.</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Half
fill the plant pots with peat, cocofibre, vermiculite, or perlite. This
layer will wick water up to the plants until their roots grow out of
the bottom of the pots. Fill the remaining half of the pots with compost
or good potting soil. Plant seeds or seedlings in the pot and arrange
them in the troughs. You should try to place them so that the bottom of
the pot touches the<strong> </strong>water flowing through the trough. Water them<strong> </strong>well
with water from the fish tank once you have put them in the place you
want them. Watering them will start the wicking action.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>You
should make sure that the plants you are growing have enough light and
the right temperature. Consult a good hydroponic or gardening book to
get this information.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><em><span>STEP 14. Preparing the system for fish.</span></em></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>You
should let the system run without fish for a few days, so the various
micro-organisms have time to stabilize and the plants day or two for the
water to warm have time to sprout or compensate for transplant shock.
This waiting period is also a good idea as it will allow any residual
chlorine in the water to escape into the atmosphere. If you are planning
on<strong> </strong>keeping fish that require high temperatures, you
will have to install a submersible heater in the system or put the
system in a hot place such as a heated greenhouse. Because the system
contains a lot of water, it will take a day or two to warm up to the
desired temperature. </span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong><em>STEP 15. Adding the fish.</em> </strong></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>You
have to introduce the fish fingerlings slowly to prevent them from
being too stressed. If the fish came in a bag, open the top to allow
oxygen to enter. Float the bag in the fish tank for an hour or so to
allow the water inside the bag to come to the same temperature as the
tank. You can hang the open bag from the b1ofilter pipe or the airlift
pump so that the fish don’t swim out. Once the temperature is the same,
add a little bit of water from the fish tank into the bag. Five minutes
later, add a little bit more. Do this a few more times, then slowly tilt
the bag underwater so that the fish can swim out of the bag and Into
the tank.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Fish that are delivered in other types of containers should be handled the same way.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>STEP 16. The first few days.</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>It
is a good idea to cover the tank after first introducing the fish
because sometimes fish will try to escape from a new tank. After a few
days, the fish will become accustomed to their new tank and a cover will
no longer be necessary.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>When
fish are first moved, they may not be as hungry due to stress. Feed
them only a little bit at first, gradually increasing the
amount of food as they become accustomed to their new environment.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>If
all your fish die in the first few days, then something is wrong with
your system, with the fish or something happened during transit. Call
the person you got your fish from and try to figure out what the problem
could be. Usually, you can get replacement fish at a discount if you
can convince the fish supplier that there was something wrong at their
end.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>MAINTENANCE</strong></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Regular
maintenance helps keep a system healthy by spotting small problems
before they become big problems. The regular tasks that you need to
perform are listed according to how frequently they need to be done.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>Daily Tasks</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>1.
Feed the fish. You can feed fish until they stop eating, or feed them a
set amount. Calculating the exact amount of feed to provide is quite
complicated, so I suggest feeding them until they stop eating on a daily
basis. It is important to watch your fish eat. If they aren’t eating
happily then there may be something Wrong.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>2. Check that the water level in the fish tank is high enough so that the airlift pump is operating efficiently.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>3. Look at the fish to see if they seem healthy.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>4. Look at your plants to see if they are happy. Check for insect pests, diseases, and nutrient problems.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>Weekly Tasks</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>1. Harvest plant materials and eat. Feed scraps to the fish or put into a compost pile.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>2.
Check sediment levels at the bottom of the fish tank. They should not
be building up but rather be removed by the airlift pump. If they have
built up, use a siphon to remove any excess.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>3. Check the air stone to make sure that it isn’t clogged. Clean or replace when necessary.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>4.
Check ammonia levels. There are numerous kits to measure ammonia
available at aquarium stores – read the directions carefully. If
ammonia levels are too high, cut back on feed and/ or increase aeration
(i.e. add another air stone to the fish tank.)</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span><strong>Monthly Tasks</strong></span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>1.<strong> </strong>Harvest and restock fish, if required.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>2.
Remove 5 or 10 gallons of water from the system and replace with water
that has sat overnight to let chlorine escape. Use the removed water in a
garden.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>3.
Check to see if the biofilter pipe is becoming clogged. If It is,
remove the el fitting, dump out the oyster shells or dolomite,
rinse, and then replace.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><strong>CONCLUSION</strong></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>You
are now an aquaponic farmer, growing happy, healthy fish and vegetables
in a recirculating aquaponic system. Congratulations! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/110868552307055286150?rel=author">D. Koster</a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://aquaponics-commercial-backyard.blogspot.com.es/">Aquaponics - Commercial aquaponics - Hydroponics - Grow bed</a>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-36711117123247075822013-08-22T12:54:00.000+01:002013-08-22T12:02:23.154+01:00How to start an aquaponic system<h2>
Starting an aquaponic system</h2>
<h3>
Introduction</h3>
This
experiment is an introduction into the functions and management of a
small aquaponic system. Like a home aquarium, an aquaponic system
requires special
attention in the first weeks, since the microbial community in the water
and in
the plant boxes need some time to get established.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h3>
Learning goals</h3>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Know why an aquarium requires a filter.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Know how to monitor the water quality by
using simple aquarium test kits.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Be able to explain what the measured
factors indicate in terms of water quality, fish health and plant growth.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Understand how to react in case of bad water
quality in the aquarium.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOfuN2xaOqwMWGDJE8Hwn9lmqwmSM-GTl0-S9EQX7D1vhOJQsv6msbX-VmdG11u9hKeeZB2v3DtnDOqfkKRNDgAoH_f6-e0XtiI2wslAc_b7qU7vQ-r_d5yLPcQMEbYYU9A8cQpP98IU/s1600/aquaponics+system+start+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Starting an aquaponic system" border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOfuN2xaOqwMWGDJE8Hwn9lmqwmSM-GTl0-S9EQX7D1vhOJQsv6msbX-VmdG11u9hKeeZB2v3DtnDOqfkKRNDgAoH_f6-e0XtiI2wslAc_b7qU7vQ-r_d5yLPcQMEbYYU9A8cQpP98IU/s320/aquaponics+system+start+up.jpg" title="Starting an aquaponic system" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting an aquaponic system</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Background information</h3>
There are at
least three species of living organisms in an aquaponic system. There
are fish,
plants and bacteria. In our small classroom system we will have about
four
goldfish in the aquarium, 60 plants in the plant beds and about 100'000
billion of bacteria and other very small species in the gravel or LECA.
Bacteria have been on this planet for 3 billion years while man exists
for at most 3 million years, and our civilisation for just 10'000 years.
A human being
couldn't survive a day without the help of bacteria and neither would
the fish
and plants in our classroom system. <br />
The fish need
oxygen to survive - in the same way as human beings, i.e. by breathing - but
the fish take oxygen from the water and excrete ammonium and carbon dioxide
over the gills. There is also ammonium in the excrements (faeces) from
the fish. The ammonium in the water can become dangerous to the fish. The
bacteria can transform ammonium into a substance (nitrate) which is harmless to
the fish and at the same time an important plant nutrient. This process is
called nitrification
and it is necessary to supply the plants with nitrogen <a class="glossar" href="http://www.blogger.com/null" target="_main">fertilizer</a>.<br />
So the first thing we need to do before we put any fish in the aquarium, is to
start growing a lot of bacteria in the plant boxes, so that they can take care of
the fish excrements i.e. the ammonium in the water.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Another important factor influencing the water quality is pH. It
indicates whether the water is acidic, neutral or basic. The pH is measured on a scale of 1-14 with 7 being neutral. Is the pH
lower than 7, the water is acidic, if it is higher, the water is basic.
Depending on the fish species, the optimum pH varies. Goldfish tolerate
variations in pH much more than other fish species, but to avoid stress, the pH
should stay within the range of 6.5 - 8. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Time requirement</h3>
The
starting phase should last at least for three weeks.
<br />
<h3>
Material requirement</h3>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">1 classroom aquaponic system </li>
<li class="MsoNormal">1 aquarium test kit for ammonium (NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">1 aquarium test kit for nitrite (NO<sub>2</sub><sup>-</sup>)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">1 aquarium test kit for nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">1 aquarium test kit for pH</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">1 bacteria starter
package for aquarium filters</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">1 aquarium thermometer</li>
</ul>
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<h3>
Let's start</h3>
<b>Start the
biofilter - multiply the bacteria! </b>Fill the system with water and
start the air pump. It is important to keep the oxygen level high for the
bacteria to thrive. The water pump is now circulating the water through the
system. There are different ways to multiply the bacteria. For example you can
add a starter package of bacteria, or you add a very small amount of ammonium
to the system in order to feed the already present bacteria in the substrate. We
suggest to add a fertilizer containing ammonium, to achieve an ammonia
concentration of 10 mg/l. If using ammonium sulfate, you would add 4.7 g of the
powder to 100 l of aquarium water.<br />
<br />
<b>Is the filter
working?</b> If there are enough bacteria in
your filter to transform ammonium into nitrate, your filter is working. To find
out, you need to measure ammonium, nitrite and nitrate. You can begin with
measuring the ammonia concentration and monitor, how every day it is decreasing.
After a week you can start measuring nitrite and nitrate, using the sticks from
the pharmacist or the aquarium dealer. During the first days you can have some
indication of nitrite but when the system is ready you should have no response
of nitrite. It normally takes between three to six weeks to multiply the
bacteria enough so they can digest the ammonium amount that will be caused by
the application of fish food.<br />
<br />
<b>Control
and regulate pH! </b>To measure the pH in the water use the pH-sticks. If the
value is between 6.5 and 8,
there is no need to do anything. If it is above or below that value,<b>
change part of the water</b>! If you feel experienced enough, instead of
changing the water, you could add formic acid in case the pH is higher than 8.
Add one part of the acid to 50 parts of water and use a drop of this solution
every day until pH is right. If pH is too low, you can add a tea spoon of
calcium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide in a cup of water and use a drop of
this until pH has the right level.<br />
<br />
<b>Temperature:</b> Temperature is very critical because it influences
other water quality variables. For example cold water can hold more
dissolved
oxygen than warm water. Fish are very sensitive to changes of
temperature,
smaller fish being more sensitive than larger ones. Goldfish belong to
the
group of coldwater fish and prefer temperatures between 18 -25 °C. They
will tolerate any temperature from 4-30 ºC however, as long as the
water still contains enough
oxygen and low amounts of ammonia. Remember that the body temperature of
fish
is always the same as the water temperature. Therefore, in colder water
fish
will eat less or stop eating at all when the temperature drops below 9
°C
(Mette, 2006). On the contrary, in warmer water fish will digest faster
and get a lot
more hungry. Be careful, though, not to give too much feed! More feed
means that the fish need more oxygen, but in warmer water there is less
oxygen. So these two factors
are working against each other, and you have the balance in your hand.<br />
<h3>
See and feel</h3>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Ammonia
(tolerance value: < 0.8 mg/l) and Nitrite (should be 0 mg/l at all
times, max. 0.2 mg/l) (measure each second day).</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Nitrate - its raising indicates that the filter
process has been started (once per week). The nitrate value should be
between 10-100 mg/l.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">pH should be between 6.5 and 8 (once per
week).</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Water
temperature should be between 18 - 25°C, depending on the fish species</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">If the values of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate
and pH are out of range, stop feeding. In severe cases, change part of the
aquarium water.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Didactical comments</h3>
In order to understand the
process of nitrification, or what happens in the filter, some
basic knowledge in chemistry is required. However it is possible to explain it in using
metaphors: two little animals (bacteria) are responsible to transform the
poison (ammonium) into a non toxic substance (nitrate), which at the same time
will feed the plants. With the ammonia and nitrite test kit we indirectly measure
the existence and quantity of these bacteria.
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-55560542907638072002013-08-21T14:03:00.001+01:002013-08-21T15:56:37.918+01:00Fish vs Liter vs Growbed aquaponics<h2 style="color: #003366;">
How much space is required for
an Aquaponics System?</h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well that depends on how big a
system you want to build and what you make the system out of.
We are always being asked how big a system do I need to feed a
family of four - the answer is how much does a family of four eat!
Consider, how many fish do you want and how many plants do you want
to grow. A 1,000 litre (264 US Gallons) tank in your aquaponics
system will support between 50 and 80 fish. That will support
between 1,200 (317 US Gallons) and 1,800 litres (475 US Gallons) of
grow beds taken that the grow beds are about 300 millimeter (12
inches) deep.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6xVVle3dZ0pQ8H7-RVyrCjJAuk4R7S08ZaHZqvowB45bvNzIJh_aLns-aaOs6Pqd3KdwiT2HhgVBitc81uADES2etrIHWPhjVtUsjeM0sjmZ89Y6pgHHwYsohd0AcDIRjhbMEZ2b5Ts/s1600/raft-aquaponics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fish vs Liter vs Growbed aquaponics" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6xVVle3dZ0pQ8H7-RVyrCjJAuk4R7S08ZaHZqvowB45bvNzIJh_aLns-aaOs6Pqd3KdwiT2HhgVBitc81uADES2etrIHWPhjVtUsjeM0sjmZ89Y6pgHHwYsohd0AcDIRjhbMEZ2b5Ts/s320/raft-aquaponics.jpg" title="Fish vs Liter vs Growbed aquaponics" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish vs Liter vs Growbed aquaponics</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A system made up of 1x 1,000 litre
tank and two 600 litre grow beds will need at least 18 metres
square (200 square feet). That is 3 m x 6 m (10 ft x 20 ft). It
would support say 50 fish and a growing area of 4 square meters (44
square feet). A system with a 2,000 litre tank (528 US Gallons)
will hold about 120 to 240 fish. It will accommodate between 2,400
litres (634 US Gallons) and 3,600 litres (950 US Gallons) of grow
beds. A system made up of 1x 2,000 litre tank and four 600 litre
grow beds will need at least 32 square metres (338 square feet).
That is 4 m x 8 m (13 ft x 26 ft). It will support say 120 fish and
8 square metres (88 square feet) of growing area.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, depends whether you are
building a Backyard Aquaponics System or a Commerical Aquaponics
System or whether you have an area that is the perfect place and
whatever can fit in will work.</div>
<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/110868552307055286150?rel=author">D. Koster</a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://aquaponics-commercial-backyard.blogspot.com.es/">Aquaponics, ækwəˈpɒnɨks, pisciponics</a>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-54743818854890626672013-08-21T13:00:00.002+01:002013-08-21T15:26:21.603+01:00Day to day Aquaponics<h2>
Day to day handling of fish and plants in the aquaponic system</h2>
<h3>
Introduction</h3>
This
experiment focuses on the day to day handling of fish and plants in your
already established aquaponic system (please carry out experiments 1-3 of this teaching unit first). It
gives you useful hints about monitoring the plants, the fish and the system as
a whole. <br />
<h3>
Learning goals</h3>
<ul>
<li>Know
what are the daily, weekly and monthly tasks when maintaining an aquaponic
system</li>
<li>Know
what is causing stress to fish and what to do about it</li>
<li>Be able
to make a fish health check up by observing different body characteristics </li>
<li>Know
what can make your plants ill and what to do about it</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDlnNxHq8FJwLor_b-2e5r1vpTGpmOZ09H10vaBrEgb34OyHOCasa1p-AbRospImFKmI-n8lypFvVVgBDPmAUh4040M1gh6ow7dmWl8qu0PFp06gVU-tLpUjATO55JRZVY-I16fF3tyA/s1600/day+to+day+aquaponics.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Day to day Aquaponics" border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDlnNxHq8FJwLor_b-2e5r1vpTGpmOZ09H10vaBrEgb34OyHOCasa1p-AbRospImFKmI-n8lypFvVVgBDPmAUh4040M1gh6ow7dmWl8qu0PFp06gVU-tLpUjATO55JRZVY-I16fF3tyA/s640/day+to+day+aquaponics.png" title="Day to day Aquaponics" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day to day Aquaponics</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h3>
Background information</h3>
Previous
testing of the teaching unit showed that the classroom aquaponic system offers
a large potential to arouse interest in food chains, ecosystems, and ecology in
general. A model system with living fish and plants in a classroom, combined
with the observation and care, can contribute to sensitise pupils to develop an
understanding of sustainable systems. <br />
<br />
The
function of the aquaponic system can be combined in context with the entire
ecosystem of the earth. Both can only exist, if environmental conditions are
present, which allow all involved life forms to optimally thrive and to realize
their role in the system. If certain components or entire partial systems were
destroyed or arranged incorrectly, the entire system would not react over time
as we would wish.<br />
<h3>
Time requirement</h3>
Usually a few minutes per day.
<h3>
Material requirement</h3>
See experiments 1-3 of this teaching unit!
<h3>
Let's start</h3>
A sound running aquarium
has clear water, and the plants and fish are growing well and looking healthy.
It is of great importance to compile a list of all the specific tasks and to
make the pupils responsible for one or more.<br />
<br />
<b>Daily tasks </b><ul>
<li>report
time of feeding and amount of feed (daily amount of feed corresponds to 1-2 %
of fish body weight).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>observe
the fish during feeding (for example: no fish eating / fish eat less than
normal / fish eat normally / fish eat aggressively); observe fish that do not
feed carefully and try to figure out why (are they too stressed by other fish /
are they injured or sick?); maybe you can attract shy fish by feeding at
several places at the same time.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>check, if
there are any dead or ill fish. This is best done during feeding time, at other
times observe swimming behaviour and territorial range. A fish that is hiding
has weaknesses.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>check
water temperature (it should be between 18-25°C, depending on fish species)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK11">each
second day: measure ammonia (tolerance value: < 0.8 mg/l) and nitrite (should
be 0 mg/l at all times) </a></li>
</ul>
<b>Weekly tasks
</b><br />Some tasks don't have to be
done every day but at least once a week:<br /><ul>
<li>plant
control for pests (white flies, spider mite, cooties etc.) and disease</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>clear
away rotten leaves</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>replace
evaporated water </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>measure
pH (tolerance value: 6.5 - 8); if you suspect a problem in water quality,
measure <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="OLE_LINK12">immediately</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>measure
nitrate (tolerance value: 10-100 mg/l)</li>
</ul>
<b>
Monthly tasks
</b><br />Clean Aquarium thoroughly:<br /><ul>
<li>Suck away
sediments from the bottom and between plants using a cleaning tube in a bucket,
throw this water away and replace it. </li>
<li>Remove
old and damaged plant leaves.</li>
<li>Control
filter pump; if necessary, disassemble and clean the rotor with a tooth brush.</li>
<li>
Control
plant buckets. Important: no clogging of outflows, no anaerobic sludge
concentrations, wash bucket completely, removing it from the system.
Plant replacement
can be done at any time, just not all biomass at once. Never clean all
filter buckets at once: you could loose too many helpful bacteria.</li>
</ul>
<b>ANIMAL PROTECTION ISSUES</b><br />Whenever fish are stressed during handling of the
system they become vulnerable to injuries and diseases. Therefore, proper care
at all times is important.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Cause of stress and how to reduce it</u></b><ul>
<li><b>
Poor water quality:</b> Observe
pH, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite as explained in Experiment 2. If the values
are out of range, stop feeding or change half of the water volume.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Wrong
water temperature: </b>The
water temperature of your tank should match the needs of the fish species. Make
sure the aquarium isn't exposed to too much sunlight, for it will heaten up. Intensive
lighting can cause a daily temperature fluctuation, too.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Low
oxygen concentrations: </b>When the fish start
breathing hastily or they even swim to the surface and gasp for air, this is a
sign for low oxygen concentration. Note
that as the water temperature increases, the amount of dissolved oxygen in
water decreases.
Check ammonia and
nitrite, if they are tolerable, pause feeding for two days and continue feeding
on a reduced level. If they are out of range, change half of the water volume.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Sudden
changes in water conditions: </b>Within limits, most fish can adjust to sub-optimal
water conditions. However, fish have difficulty adjusting to sudden changes in
water chemistry. So try to avoid them whenever you have to dislocate a fish.
This is the case when you buy new fish (see Exp. 3 "Establishing fish and plants..."), or when you change the
water as a maintenance task. <br /><br />How do you proceed when <b>changing the water? </b>Only change part of the water, it is better to
change more often but lower volumes than 80 % every six months. Over time, the
water will get a yellowish/brown touch, indicating that humic acids, a residue
of carbon breakdown, have accumulated. So you can take visual observations and
smell as guiding criteria how often to change the water. With low fish
biomass, it is probably enough to change a third of the water every month or you
even might not have to change it at all. With higher stocking, it may be
necessary to change a third of the water every week. If not for emergency cases,
water change should not be intensified any further.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Diseases
and injuries:</b> Observe
fish behaviour and make health check-ups as described below. Sort injured or sick
fish out in a separate vessel to provide time
to cure. Remember that this vessel needs proper filtering, too! Otherwise you
could insert a plastic box into the aquarium, and keep it floating with
styropor supports (drill holes into the sides to enable water exchange).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Stress
due to incautious handling of the fish:</b> Make
sure not to injure the fish skin because the slime above the scales works as a
microbial barrier between the body and the water. Only handle fish with wet
nets and wet hands.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Escapes:</b> Cover
basins in a way that fish can't jump out of the aquarium (cover with glass, or
better plastic coated metal grids: they are easier to adapt because of backflow
water). When handling the fish, always keep them in a net in order to have a
controlled grip on them.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Mixing
of different species: </b>Not
all species of fish mix well with others. For example, most cichlids will eat
smaller tank inhabitants. Peaceful fish will be stressed if kept with
aggressive fish that chase them around all day. Ask your pet dealer, and heed
his advise about mixing fish species.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Poor
nutrition:</b> Make
sure, the diet is balanced and adapted to the fish species as described in experiment
3 ("Establishing fish and plants..."). Take any uneaten food out of the water and make sure not to overfeed the
fish!</li>
</ul>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-26110371271791268172013-08-21T09:50:00.004+01:002013-08-22T12:01:09.525+01:00Yellow leaves in my Aquaponics<b>Iron deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies in an
aquaponics garden, it is responsible for the yellowing of plant leaves.
Furtunately, this Iron deficiency is also one of the easiest problems to
fix: simply adding a small amount of Chelated Iron fertilizer at
regular intervals is all that is needed.</b><br />
Iron deficiency in an
aquaponics garden is quite common. In aquaponics, unless you add
additional sources for the nutrients, all nutrients that come into the
system will come through the fish food. Not all trace elements are
introduced in the fish food.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge72aB32TLqXr9OPf2JIibIvI9b_p0brWmV4hVTaOPk4VDyz2Jm0FfGox47qMyaWVXM8bjsowxGkTW2XLdDrl1WK2F493btZFS2hk_zpm1cz_TblPH76iWqiV01oWwCxfF5vrZP35hBfU/s1600/yellow+leave+aquaponic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Yellow leaves Aquaponics" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge72aB32TLqXr9OPf2JIibIvI9b_p0brWmV4hVTaOPk4VDyz2Jm0FfGox47qMyaWVXM8bjsowxGkTW2XLdDrl1WK2F493btZFS2hk_zpm1cz_TblPH76iWqiV01oWwCxfF5vrZP35hBfU/s320/yellow+leave+aquaponic.jpg" title="Yellow leaves Aquaponics" width="309" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow leaves Aquaponics</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Once you have run your aquaponics system for some time, you can quickly
and easily tell if the plants are showing iron deficiency just by
looking at them. When the plants have a slight yellowing of the leaves
this is a strong indication for iron deficiancy. If it is left
untreated, the yellowing of the leaves will become more pronounced.
Plants generally react really well when the missing nutrients are
introduced into the system and you should expect to see a result within a
couple of days.
<br />
<h2>
What is "Chelated Iron"?</h2>
Chelated means that the Iron has been chemically altered so that it is
possible for the Iron the be dissolved in the water. You cannot simply
through a bunch of Iron nails somewhere in the system and expect the
Iron to somehow dissolve (it will dissolve very slightly if your water
is acidic, but you don't want it to be too acidic).
<br />
<br />
It usually comes in a powder form, and it is a yellow powder. Often,
some spoon or other measuring device is included in the pack. Some shops
will sell chelated iron as a liquid, but this usually turns out to me
much more expensive per gram of iron. Check the labels and compare
prices between powdered and dissolved chelated iron fertilizer to ensure
the optimal deal.
<br />
<h2>
Buying Chelated Iron</h2>
You can buy this product in virtually every plant shop, it is very
common indeed. It is quite expensive, it usually costs around $20 and
will last in a small DIY homesystem for approximately one year. You can
also buy it in a number of online webshops that will ship it to you in
bulk if you require larger amounts of cheaper Chelated Iron fertilizer,
for example if you operate a very large aquaponics system.
<br />
<h2>
How much and how often?</h2>
Don't add too much of anything in one go in an aquaponics system. Adding
about one teaspoon full at one time should be sufficient. You will have
to add it about once every month.
<br />
<h3>
Where to add it in the system</h3>
Murray Hallam suggests adding the Chelated Iron in the autosiphon of the
aquaponics plant bed. The chelated iron will dissolve there and the
pumps will bring it into the plant beds.
<br />
<h2>
Is it safe? Will it hurt the fish?</h2>
Yes it is safe. No, the Chelated Iron fertilizer will not hurt the fish.
Just avoid adding an massive amount of Chilated Iron fertilizer to the
system. Also avoid adding it directly into the fish tank, the fish might
mistake the powder for fish food.<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-60532222656459283292013-08-21T09:22:00.000+01:002013-08-21T15:27:37.486+01:00Aquaponics and iron magnesium calciumOne of the shortcomings for all aquaponics systems has been the ability
to provide the systems with the right combination of trace elements to
grow blooming plants. This is not to say that the nutrients in fish
waste aren’t ample to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, beans,
zucchini, etc. because we have been able to grow them. However . . .
fish waste alone doesn’t produce <strong>ENOUGH</strong> iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium to <em>continually</em>
grow large amounts of these blooming plants. This is one of the key
reasons that aquaponics has been slow to commercialize. It’s a fact that
greens (lettuce, basil, kale, etc.) can be grown in almost any
aquaponics system very successfully in almost any climate. But the trick
is to<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> consistently</span>
grow blooming plants that produce multiple crops of (example) tomatoes,
peppers, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and beans on fish waste alone
because the required blossoming-supportive nutrients are quickly
stripped out of the water and blooming plants cannot continually blossom
and grow plants that produce fruit/vegetables without adding chemicals
because of nutrient deficiencies; <strong>fish waste alone does NOT
produce ENOUGH iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium to continually
grow blooming plants that produce food in aquaponics. </strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBWwIJA9e135Y9mvYnGcUvr0YM5ODzKlI_oYhtjefyKYP_zImh6xcXyf5WMkOUlCYBqEcpvz-dSxUt_jUG4z2c3pmp3WR-eVREeFSxGBywPk8tbVDNr5WTWxfr6j2mDoo1r8TIkD2uA0/s1600/rna-molecule-shape-same-with-magnesium-or-iron-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Aquaponics iron, aquaponics magnesium, aquaponics calcium " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBWwIJA9e135Y9mvYnGcUvr0YM5ODzKlI_oYhtjefyKYP_zImh6xcXyf5WMkOUlCYBqEcpvz-dSxUt_jUG4z2c3pmp3WR-eVREeFSxGBywPk8tbVDNr5WTWxfr6j2mDoo1r8TIkD2uA0/s1600/rna-molecule-shape-same-with-magnesium-or-iron-lg.jpg" title="Aquaponics iron, aquaponics magnesium, aquaponics calcium " /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aquaponics iron, aquaponics magnesium, aquaponics calcium </td></tr>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-42630668562239671172013-08-21T09:12:00.001+01:002013-08-21T15:28:02.552+01:00Aquaponics Worms<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>How do worms survive in an aquaponic grow bed? Don’t they drown?</strong></span></span>
</h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have all seen worms crawling out onto the sidewalk after a soaking
rain, seemly gasping for air. That they choose exposure to the sun and
hungry birds to the water logged soil seems to tell us that worms don’t
like soaking wet environments. And what is an aquaponics grow bed if not
a soaking wet environment?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The difference with aquaponics worms is that they do not remain
constantly full of water, but rather flood, and then drain. This allows
for a “drying out” period between soakings that also encourages air
circulation within the grow media.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This brings me to the most important reason why worms thrive within
aquaponics: oxygen. The reason why those worms crawl from the soil to
their death on the sidewalk is not because of the water, but because the
water has forced the oxygen out of the soil. In aquaponics, however,
not only does the flood and drain action pull oxygen into the grow bed
media, but the water that is circulating throughout the system is highly
oxygenated. In fact, I’ve found aquaponics worms thriving within my
sump tanks!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NH1Z816M2JxqK9eibeYGUtXMNLSbOFNBxBbq-hc57T4TAdIwWCqEzFC2mgmxaoHTjdusje6zL2NZ1lXWGmYJLzJB3OHK9R7dZq_0ZPcaCE4QpK0cOSzbOjZ7UG8r9nJeQnMTP1j2Abw/s1600/worm+aquaponics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Aquaponics Worms" border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NH1Z816M2JxqK9eibeYGUtXMNLSbOFNBxBbq-hc57T4TAdIwWCqEzFC2mgmxaoHTjdusje6zL2NZ1lXWGmYJLzJB3OHK9R7dZq_0ZPcaCE4QpK0cOSzbOjZ7UG8r9nJeQnMTP1j2Abw/s400/worm+aquaponics.jpg" title="Aquaponics Worms" width="400" /></a></strong></span></div>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong> </strong></span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong> </strong></span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong> </strong></span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong> </strong></span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong> </strong></span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong> </strong></span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong> </strong></span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><a name='more'></a></strong></span></span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Do you ever have too many worms?</strong></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sadly, no. My fish certainly wish there were too many worms! But
the fact is that worms regulate their population to match the conditions
within their environment and as soon as those conditions no longer
support additional aquaponics worms they slow down or stop reproducing.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>I’m considering a system inside my home. Will they escape?</strong></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Again the answer is “no”. Worms hate the light, and are happiest
in the moist dark of your grow beds. The only time you will see your
aquaponics worms once they are in your grow bed is when you pull out a
plant. They will be happily intertwined in the roots taking care of
sloughed off dead root material.</span></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>I heard that worms can carry E. coli. Is this true?</strong></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">NO! In fact this rumor is so silly that I wrote an entire blog post on it in October, 2011 titled “Aquaponics and The Wonderful Worm“. Click on the title to read more.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>How do I get the worms to go into my grow beds?</strong></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First, you need to purchase them from a reliable source. Our worms are
drop-shipped directly to you from a USDA inspected and certified
facility. Once they arrive you should add them to your grow beds ASAP.
They will actually dig themselves in without any help from you! Watch
this five minute video to see how I do it.</span></span><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-91740608427956340052013-08-21T09:03:00.000+01:002013-08-21T09:17:00.375+01:00Water Hardness and ph in aquaponicsMost of us aquapons know that the health of all the creatures in our
systems (fish, plants, worms, and bacteria) depends on proper pH. We
also know that we are targeting pH in the 6.8 to 7.0 range but that we
don’t have to worry about adjusting it until it goes down to 6.4 or up
to 7.8. We also know that the best way to lower pH is with an acid, and
that the best way to raise it is with carbonates or hydroxides. We know
that rapid changes in pH can be very stressful to fish. And we know that
the pH will probably decrease over time because the nitrogen cycle
produces an acid (nitric).<br />
But often, knowing all of this and applying it to our systems are two different things. At The Aquaponic Source, we handle questions and concerns each and every day about pH. Generally, the questions fall into one of two categories:<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<br />
<ol>
<li>- The water out of my tap is a pH of 8 (or more) and I can’t seem to lower it reliably. What should I do?</li>
<li>- The pH in my system is dropping constantly and I have to add something to raise it almost daily. Is this normal?</li>
</ol>
Most pH mysteries in aquaponic systems boil down to how ‘hard’ the
water is that we put into our systems. This ‘hardness’ dictates the
buffering capacity of water… Let me explain.<br />
Water from most sources has some level of mineral salts dissolved in
it (purified water such as distilled or RO [reverse osmosis] filtered
are clear exceptions). Among these dissolved salts are certain specific
minerals that strongly affect your water pH. The concentration of these
minerals in your water is often described by the term ‘hardness’, the
higher the concentration of these minerals, the ‘harder’ your water is.
There are two types of hardness in water: ‘carbonate hardness’, (KH),
which is sometimes also referred to as the water’s ‘buffering capacity’
or ‘alkalinity’ (not to be confused with an ‘alkaline’ solution which
would have a pH greater than 7) and ‘general hardness’ (GH) which refers
to the concentration of calcium and magnesium ions in the water.<br />
The general hardness of the water affects pH but it is the buffering
capacity (KH) of your water that is the more critical pH factor. This
buffering capacity acts like an invisible sponge that soaks up whatever
acid or base is in your system, or that you add to your system, until
the buffer is ‘used up’. With this sponge-like behavior in mind, imagine
trying to adjust your pH. Let’s say you have a pH of 8.0 in your
aquaponics system and you would like to bring it down to 7.0. You start
adding our AquaDown pH Lowering Agent,
and adding, and adding, and little or nothing changes. And then all of a
sudden the pH plummets. What has happened? You had a strong buffer
(meaning there was a lot of KH) in your system which you eventually
‘overwhelmed’. Another way of thinking about this is that you ‘filled
up’ the sponge.<br />
You can actually measure your KH level and doing so may help you
manage your pH. The larger the KH number, the more resistant your system
will be to attempts to alter pH. Having a higher KH level can be
beneficial in a fully cycled system because the nitrification process
produces nitric acid which will persistently drive pH down in an
unbuffered environment. A rule of thumb is that a KH of less than 4.5 dH
(degree hardness) means that you don’t have much buffering capacity and
you should be checking your pH a few times a week.<br />
How do you increase your system’s buffering capacity? When you are
fully cycled and your pH drops below 6.8, add calcium and potassium
carbonate (the ingredients in our AquaUp pH Raising Kit)
on a regular basis once you have fully cycled and start seeing your pH
decrease below 6.8. You will find that over time, you will build an
excellent buffer and your system should become more and more pH stable.<br />
<br />
<br />
Aquaponics, ækwəˈpɒnɨks, pisciponics
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-25248965776855368392013-08-21T08:56:00.000+01:002013-08-21T08:56:14.276+01:00Pollination in an Aquaponics system<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">O<span style="line-height: 19px;">ne of the challenges of growing in an <b>indoor</b>
aquaponics environment is that we don’t have nature’s pollinators
available to us. But is this a big problem for most aquaponic gardeners?
It depends entirely on what you are growing. The only time that you
need to worry about pollination is when you are growing a plant to
harvest its fruit (e.g. tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, etc.) or if you are
saving seeds and you need the non-fruiting plants to produce seeds.</span></span></span><br />
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Let’s start with a brief lesson on plant physiology and how
pollination happens. Plant flowers actually contain reproductive parts
known as ‘essential organs’. The male organ is called the ‘stamen’ and
it is comprised of the long, stem-like ‘filament’ that is capped off
with the ‘anther’ that contains the pollen. The female organ is called
the ‘pistil’. At the top is the pollen receptacle called the ‘stigma’,
followed by a tube called the ‘style’ which terminates in the ‘ovary’
which contains the eggs. Pollination is the act of getting the pollen
from the male stamen into the female stigma so it can travel down the
style and fertilize the eggs in the ovary. Flower petals attract insects
to the flower which in turn unwittingly transfer the pollen (I’ll bet
you are now realizing that this amazing plant sexuality is where the
phrase ‘the birds <span style="text-decoration: underline;">and the bees’ </span>comes from!).<br />
But not all plant flowers are ‘complete’, i.e. not all plant flowers
contain both male and female organs. In fact, horticulturalists divide
plants into four pollination categories based on the location of their
essential organs.<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Self-pollinating </b>- Complete flowers that don’t need insects
or wind to pollinate them. This group includes beans, peas and tomatoes.
Vibrating or tapping the flowers of these plants will help with release
the pollen and promote maximum fruit production.</li>
<li><b>Requires pollen from an unrelated plant</b>. The only vegetables
in this category are cabbages and radishes, and pollination is only
required if you are growing the plant for seed.</li>
<li><b>Cross-pollination group. </b>These make up the largest group and each plant has both male and female flowers. This group can be broken into two subgroups.
<ol start="1">
<li>Windblown pollen – Vegetables in this subgroup are sweet corn,
beets, carrots and onions. Of these, only corn needs to be pollinated
for food crop production as the corn kernels are actually seeds.</li>
<li>Pollinated by insects – Some of these vegetables are
self-pollinating, but the fruit set will be greater if insects visit the
flower. Fruits and vegetables in this group include broccoli, collards,
cauliflower, cucurbits (cucumber, cantaloupe, pumpkins and watermelon),
okra, peppers and squash.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li><b>Male and Female plants. </b>The best examples are asparagus,
spinach and some hybrid cucumbers. Again, pollination is only required
if you are growing the plant for seed.</li>
</ol>
The bottom line is that unless you are growing plants to save their
seeds, the only time that you will need to become actively involved in
the transfer of pollen from the male organ to the female organ is with
the Cross-Pollination group that is pollinated by insects (Group 3.2).
And in this group the only fruits and vegetables that you can
practically hand pollinate are the cucurbits (cucumber, cantaloupe,
pumpkins and watermelon) because they have large flowers. How do you do
this? Early in the day, while there is a lot of pollen on the flowers,
follow these steps:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Identify the male and female flowers. The female flowers have the
stigma, which receives pollen, and the male ends have a stamen
containing pollen. The pollen can be any color, including a light
yellow, dark yellow or white.</li>
<li>Touch the stamen of the male flower to make sure it is ready for
pollination. If your finger has pollen on it, the stamen is ready.</li>
<li>Touch the tip of the stamen, or the anthers, with a cotton swab,
artist’s brush or your finger. Pollen should adhere to the swab. You can
also remove the flower from the plant and fold the petals back,
exposing the stamen.</li>
<li>Transfer the pollen to the female flower’s sticky stigma.</li>
<li>Repeat the process until you have pollinated as many of the flowers and plants as you desire.</li>
</ol>
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Aquaponics, ækwəˈpɒnɨks, pisciponics
http://aquaponics-commercial-backyard.blogspot.com.es/<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://aquaponics-commercial-backyard.blogspot.com.es/
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-28179697129513742892013-08-20T17:24:00.002+01:002013-08-20T17:24:32.335+01:00Modern Design System<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
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The future design<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-57946054741794507752013-08-20T14:11:00.002+01:002013-08-20T17:20:21.309+01:00Integrated Vertical Tube SystemHere's a drawing and a photo of the integrated vertical tube aquaponics system we
built. The photo shows the tubes in the planting/harvesting position; normally
they are rotated 180 degrees so that the openings face the window.<br />
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<h3>
Aquaponics Vertical grow </h3>
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To make the grow tubes, I cut slots across with a hack saw and then heated
the plastic with a heat gun to soften it. Once it was soft I pushed in a tapered
wooden plug to hold it open until the plastic hardened again. I did this outside
because the PVC gives off some fumes when you heat it. The second photo below
shows a close up of one of the openings after the tube was filled with pea
gravel.<br />
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Aquaponics Vertical grow </h3>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-3063741582247408372013-08-20T11:32:00.000+01:002013-08-20T17:19:59.525+01:00Speeding Up The Cycling Process<h2>
<b>Speeding Up The Cycling Process</b></h2>
When cycling aquaponics systems, the process can be speeded up by
adding bacteria to the system, rather than waiting for it to show up on
it’s own. Heating the water to the optimum temperature will speed things
up further.<br />
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Bacteria can be obtained from the following sources:<br />
<ul>
<li>Media from an existing aquaponics system</li>
<li>Filter media from an established, disease-free aquarium or pond</li>
<li>Squeezings from a filter sponge, from an established, disease-free aquarium or pond</li>
<li>Gravel from an established, disease-free aquarium</li>
<li>Commercial bacteria product eg. Cycle – the jury is still out on the effectiveness of these products</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
</ul>
The best temperature range for cycling aquaponics systems is between
86-95°F (30-35°C). This is the optimal range for the nitrifying
bacteria. You can use a suitably rated aquarium heater, or multiple
heaters, to raise the temperature during cycling. You will need to
monitor the temperature, and the easiest way is to use a floating pond
thermometer. Once cycling is complete allow the temperature to drop to
the right level, then do a water change as mentioned previously.<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://aquaponics-commercial-backyard.blogspot.com.es/
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-2851459450738674302013-08-20T10:40:00.002+01:002013-08-20T17:21:34.227+01:00Aquaponic System Final Design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, here’s the floor plan. As you can see, it is 22.4m long and 6.55m wide. Some system details are as follows:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Rearing Tank — The rearing tank will hold roughly 9.5m3 of water. I
rounded the ends so the stupid fish don’t get bloody noses all the time.
The tank will be stocked every 4 weeks with 120 fish. There will be 6
cohorts of fish aged 4 weeks apart at all times. I will separate the
cohorts with suitably sized netting. The position of these divisions
will be adjustable in accordance with the growth rate of any given
cohort. Harvesting will be done weekly, 30 fish at a time. The outside
of the tank facing south will be painted black and exposed to the sun.</li>
<li>Hydroponic Tanks — There will be 4 hydroponic tanks. Each will be
12m long and 1.2 meters wide. At a water depth of 30cm, each tank will
hold roughly 4.32m3. Plants will be put in net pots which are inserted
into holes in Styrofoam boards (1.2m x 0.6m) and dangle their roots
happily in the nutrient rich water.</li>
<li>Clarifier/Filter/Degassing Units — Each hydroponic tank will get its
own set of these highly important if simply designed contraptions. A
clarifier, otherwise known as a swirl filter and other such names,
removes the lumpier pieces of fish waste. I intend to use 200l plastic
barrels. The filter is just another smaller barrel that’s got an armload
of orchard netting in it to which the finer solids will be instructed
to attach themselves in an orderly fashion. The degassing tank is
another small barrel with a few air stones in it to help remove carbon
dioxide, methane, and such.</li>
<li>Pump — I’ve purchased a Reef Octopus recirculation pump which will
push 7,000l per hour while consuming a frugal 88W. This is roughly 1/4
of the flow rate that the UVI system uses.</li>
<li>Air Pumps — I’ve purchased 5 Hailea air pumps. Each would push 60l
of air if only I were at sea level instead of 1,200m. They are also
frugal, using 55W each. Each hydroponic tank will have its own air pump.
Ten of the 12 diffusion nozzles fitted to an air pump will go to air
stones spaced equally along the bottom of the respective hydroponic
tank. The other two will be fed to the degassing tank. The 5th air pump
will be devoted to keeping the fish bubbly and happy.</li>
<li>Sump — The sump is just a 1.2m round concrete ring set in the ground
at a lower height than the rest of the system. The pump will reside
here and replace the water that has flowed by gravity from the rearing
tanks through the other system components. There will be certain losses
due to evaporation, plant uptake, leaks, etc. Depending on the water
temperature, this loss will be replaced by either hot water produced in a
solar water heater (a nice name for a couple of 200l barrels painted
black, facing the sun, and enclosed/insulated) or ambient temperature
water from a rain barrel. This is also the place where additives such as
hydrated lime are gradually added if necessary to raise the PH.</li>
<li>Total Water Volume — About 30m3</li>
<li>Total Growing Area — 55 to 57.6m2</li>
<li>Greenhouse Footprint — 147m2</li>
</ul>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-54507569206761786942013-08-20T10:37:00.001+01:002013-08-20T17:22:35.353+01:00Aquaponic Systems Growing Methods<h2>
Aquaponic Systems Growing Methods</h2>
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<br />
The way <b>aquaponic systems</b> are built are endless. The
two parts that are the same are the fish tank and a plant bed. Some of
the differences include filtration techniques, plumbing, the type of
plant bed, growing medium, and the frequency of water and aeration. Some
of the more popular aquaponic methods emerging in the industry are
methods based on a hydroponic system design, and raising fish for
filtration.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h2>
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b></h2>
<h3>
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Raft Methode </span></b></h3>
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The raft system method is the first of our easy aquaponic systems.
The raft system is also known as deep channel, float and deep flow. The
plants are grown on rafts made from Styrofoam boards that float on the
water. The rafts are usually in a tank separate from the fish tank.
Water flows continuously from the fish tank, through filtration
components, through the raft tank where the plants are grown and then
back to the fish tank. The beneficial bacteria live in the raft tank and
throughout the system.<br />
The water in the raft tank provides a buffer for the fish, reducing
stress and potential water quality problems. This is one of the greatest
benefits of the raft system. Plus, this method has been improved for
over 20 years. The raft system is a well developed method that allows
for high plant production per square foot. Commercial raft systems can
cover large areas, best utilizing the floor space in a greenhouse.
Vegetable seedlings are best placed on one end of the raft tank. The
rafts are pushed forward on the surface of the water over time and then
the mature plants are harvested at the other end of the raft. Once a
raft is harvested, it can be replanted with seedlings and set into place
on the opposite end. The optimizes floor space, which is especially
important in a commercial greenhouse setting.<br />
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<h3>
<b>The NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) Method</b></h3>
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<a href="http://www.aquaponicsecrets.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/NFT-lettuce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
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The second setup is hydroponic NFT (Nutrient Film Technique), which is a
method in which long narrow channels are used to grow the plants. A
thin film of water continuously flows down each channel, providing the
plant roots with water, nutrients and oxygen. As with the raft system,
water flows continuously from the fish tank, through filtration
components, through the NFT channels where the plants are grown and then
back to the fish tank. In NFT, a separate bio filter is required,
however, because there is not a large amount of water or surface for the
beneficial bacteria to live. In addition, the plumbing used in a
hydroponic NFT system is usually not large enough to be used in
aquaponics because the organic nature of the system and “living” water
will cause clogging of small pipes and tubes. NFT aquaponics shows
potential however, it is used less than other aquaponic methods.<br />
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<h3>
<b>The EBB (Flood and Drain) Method</b> </h3>
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Hydroponic EBB and Flow is the third method of aquaponic systems. EBB
and Flow or Flood and Drain uses media filled beds that are periodically
flooded with water from the fish tank. The water is drained after the
water level rises above the bell siphon and flows back to the fish tank.
All waste, including the solids, is broken down within the plant bed.
Sometimes worms are added to the gravel-filled plant bed to enhance the
break-down of the waste. This method uses the fewest components and no
additional filtration, making it simple to operate and naming it one of
the best aquaponic system methods. The plant production is less than the
two methods described above. The media-filled bed is often used for
hobby applications where maximizing production is not a goal.<br />
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<h3>
<b>The Aeroponic Method</b></h3>
<h3>
<b> </b></h3>
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Another method that can be use with aquaponic systems it the basic
principle of aeroponics. Your vegetables and plants are suspended in a
closed or semi-closed environment by spraying the plant’s dangling roots
and lower stem with an nutrient-rich fish water. The leaves and crown,
often called the “canopy”, extend above the the growing container. The
roots of the plant are separated by the plant support structure. Many
times closed cell foam is compressed around the lower stem and inserted
into an opening in the aeroponic chamber, which decreases labor and
expense; for larger plants, a trellis structure is used to suspend the
weight of your crops.<br />
Ideally, your system is kept free from bugs, pests and disease so
that the plants may grow healthier and more quickly than plants grown in
a medium or the soil. However, since most aeroponic environments are
not perfectly closed off to the outside, pests and disease may still
cause a threat. Controlled environments advance plant development,
health, growth, flowering and fruiting for any given plant species and
cultivators.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://aquaponics-commercial-backyard.blogspot.com.es/
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-12078363986291680282013-08-18T09:58:00.001+01:002013-08-20T17:36:28.763+01:00What are the benefits of aquaponics<h2>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span name="whatarethebenefitsofaquaponics" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><b>WHAT
ARE THE BENEFITS OF AQUAPONICS?</b></span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span name="whatarethebenefitsofaquaponics" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><b> </b><br />
Reduced water use<br />
Reduced chemical use<br />
Reduces pesticide use when set up in a greenhouse<br />
Reduces erosion by eliminating the need to plough
the soil<br />
Reduced running costs compared to a conventional horticultural
farm</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span name="whatarethebenefitsofaquaponics" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span name="whatarethebenefitsofaquaponics" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><br />
Stops backbreaking work of digging the soil and weeding
for the home gardener<br />
Can produce fish and plants for the family / grower
all year round, using a greenhouse<br />
Compared to conventional Hydroponic growers, Aquaponics
does not need to use chemical nutrients for the plants,
as the fish waste provides these nutrients to the
plants. This eliminates the pollution of waterways,
which is usually used to dispose of the eliminated
chemical water.<br />
Compared to conventional Aquaculture growers, an Aquaponics
system does not have a build-up of wastes in the system
that causes the water to become toxic due to the nitrites.
Aquaponics utilises this waste, with the bacteria
in the grow beds converting the nitrites into nitrates,
which the plants then consume as their main nutrient
source.</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://aquaponics-commercial-backyard.blogspot.com.es/
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360544059078923645.post-68740997236391228322013-08-18T09:57:00.000+01:002013-08-20T17:23:06.391+01:00HOW MANY FISH IN A TANK?<h2>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><b>HOW
MANY FISH AM I ALLOWED TO HAVE IN A TANK?</b></span></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IQySEUfsR4ynIPj7bY29JjyOG5Ru_01yl3JBQcatHF6gYyJbLxKYE5XrNuNZWwCUigTJYT1OnE1yIM1grpqWOTLHhYYzg9z7wgGx526FSGj-xZQ-p9-DLng6qZJToljvo5kOpENchBA/s1600/aquaponics++fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Aquaponics, ækwəˈpɒnɨks, pisciponics" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IQySEUfsR4ynIPj7bY29JjyOG5Ru_01yl3JBQcatHF6gYyJbLxKYE5XrNuNZWwCUigTJYT1OnE1yIM1grpqWOTLHhYYzg9z7wgGx526FSGj-xZQ-p9-DLng6qZJToljvo5kOpENchBA/s640/aquaponics++fish.jpg" title="Aquaponics, ækwəˈpɒnɨks, pisciponics" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;">Again this will depend on whether the system is a
commercial or backyard system, with the commercial
systems requiring the correct amount of fish and plants
for optimum production. The more fish there are in
a system, the more nutrients there are for the plants
to consume, but if there are not enough plants to
consume these nutrients, the excess build up in the
water can cause the fish to suffer.
</span>As a general rule, backyard<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"> systems can stock between 10 - 30 kg of fish per 1000 litres of water. </span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://aquaponics-commercial-backyard.blogspot.com.es/
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16941090999722669878noreply@blogger.com1