Aquaponics Digest - Sat 05/19/01
Message 1: test
from "TGTX"
Message 2: Re: test
from "Nick"
Message 3: Re: test
from "TGTX"
Message 4: OT, water usage, rain water harvesting
from "Nick"
Message 5: Fwd. Floating bed query
from S & S Aqua Farm
Message 6: Re: Tropical fish price n growth
from fishmanbruce 'at' webtv.net (Bruce Schreiber)
| Message 1
Subject: test
From: "TGTX"
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 12:20:28 -0500
testing, is the line open?
| Message 2
Subject: Re: test
From: "Nick"
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 10:30:52 -0700
Got it here
.nick
----- Original Message -----
From: "TGTX"
To:
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2001 10:20 AM
Subject: test
> testing, is the line open?
>
| Message 3
Subject: Re: test
From: "TGTX"
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 12:41:01 -0500
Thanks.
Just having problems hooking up to another server / hub / whatever.
> Got it here
.nick
>
| Message 4
Subject: OT, water usage, rain water harvesting
From: "Nick"
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 12:02:07 -0700
Our domestic water supply was a private well and system, installed many
years ago but sold to a PUD (Public Utility District) about 3 years ago. The
system had water meters installed, but until this past November, we were
charged a flat rate of $18 a month. November, PUD started charging based on
metered usage. Our water bill jumped to $48! Our indicated/metered usage
was averaging about 1800 cubic feet per month and I never could figure out
where it was all going, until about the first of May. This is when my son
and I went out one evening while no one else was at home and started
watching our water meter
.
Every once in a while the leak detector would spin, as if we were using
water, and then back off maybe a half turn or so. It was erratic but the
net indication was that we were using water
We went around making sure that nothing in our house was using or leaking
water and went back to watching the meter. It is not real interesting to
watch, but actually better than most TV shows ?: ^) I was beginning to
suspect we had an underground leak.
Our meter is about a foot away from our immediate neighbors water meter.
When they used some water (you could hear it thru their meter), our meter
would indicate we were using water too, then ours would come to a stop while
theirs was still running. When they shut off their water, ours indicated
usage again, then came to a stop and would only back off only a half turn or
so. The net indication was that we had used water.
Another neighbor came outside, no doubt wondering what my son and I were up
to out there, and we asked her to go flush her toilet. Their meter was too
far away to hear, but when we guessed that she had flushed the toilet, our
meter leak detector move a few turns, then only settled back a half turn.
Net usage was again indicated that we had used water
The next morning I was on the phone to PUD
I explained what we had
observed. Their response was "that can't happen" and my response to them was
"besides your just calling my son and I liars, you have been over charging
us for water"
"If you want to come out here and observe this anomoly, we
can discuss your calling us liars too". The guy said "someone will be out
tomorrow to look at it".
A guy came out and we turned the neighbors water on and off while he watched
the meters, and commented "that is not supposed to do that"
.duh!
After digging up the meter and check valve, we looked at the check valve
"innards" and the spring was gone, and the valve gate was erroded away by
about 50%. There was no way to test the meter but we know that it wasn't
reading the same for both directions of water flow caused by pressure
fluctuations in the supply line.
Pressure fluctuations in your water supply line can cause water to flow in
both directions thru your meter if your check valve is bad, and your meter
may not indicate accurately in both directions
So, the main crux of the reason for this post
If you are on metered water, go watch the leak detector for a while and see
if you are indicating water usage when you are not using water. For those
who are charged sewer rates based on water usage, the costs can be two fold
here if your meter/check valve are bad. The leak detector can help you
determine if you have leaks somewhere and you can fix that too.
For those who have a well and pump setup, check your system to try and
determine if you have a bad check valve, or leaks, and get them repaired to
save water and power.
>From before our meter/check valve replacement, our indicated usage was ~1800
cubic feet/month, or 60 cubic feet per day!
After meter/check valve replacement (2 May 2001), indicated usage has been
40 cubic feet per day
.or 2/3 of what we were previously indicated as
using!
We have plumbed in a 300 gallon storage tank from the rain gutters at one
end of the house. We installed a small pump with pressure switch control, a
20 micron filter, check valves, and plumbed this to our two toilets. The
300 gallon tank is a used/ex-waste receptacle so we are not using the rain
water for potable water. We only got the system this plumbing completed
this past Wednesday, so it is too early to get a good indication of usage,
using the rainwater for flushing, but so far the indication is only 15 cubic
feet/day.
There is quite a bit of info on the WWW about rain water harvesting. An
organization in Texas published a 66 page document on the process and
considerations. I also have it on our web server if you want to get it at:
www.hctc.com/~njones/solar/rwh.pdf
It is about 600kb and you need Adobe Acrobat reader but it is a great little
info booklet.
I hope that this helps someone
.nick
| Message 5
Subject: Fwd. Floating bed query
From: S & S Aqua Farm
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 15:13:20 -0500
From: "Atlas Business Services"
Subject: Floating bed query
Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 22:19:54 -0600
Hello,
I have just started a small (15'x10') greenhouse with two fish ponds (approx
150 gal. total).
The smaller pond (40 gal.) has room for floating beds, while the larger pond
(110 gal.) is a beautiful home for our goldfish.
Water will move from the larger pond into my LECA filled growing trays and
head downhill and around the perimeter of the greenhouse, ending up in a
collection tub. A few times a day the drainage water will be pumped back
into the Large pond to be used again.
We have had excellent results with Cherry tomatoes in soil, in the past.
Our greenhouse is heated (60 deg.) in the winter.
If I remember correctly, strawberries and lettuce like floating beds.
My questions are:
Which varieties of strawberries produce well (and year-round) in floating
beds.
What other plants can you recommend for floating beds ?
What are floating beds comprised of (materials) ?
Please list problems/risks/diseases associated with floating beds.
Any help you can provide is appreciated.
Thank you,
Chris
| Message 6
Subject: Re: Tropical fish price n growth
From: fishmanbruce 'at' webtv.net (Bruce Schreiber)
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 18:45:35 -0500 (CDT)
Donna if you tell me were you are located I will get you the information
to the closest fish club and auction dates. We are much like the folks
on this list .
At the last Auction here we sold over 500 bags or 6000 fish in all at
an all day auction of all types of Tropical fish . Big red Tilapia at
about $1 each for instance.
Bruce
|
