Aquaponics Digest - Sat 08/25/01
Message 1: Re: Home brew filters. from Ian Franzmann
Message 2: Re: 3rd world economies?
from Arlus Farnsworth
Message 3: Re: Artemia cysts
from (Bruce Schreiber)
Message 4: Re: Aquaponic Tomatoes in Wisconsin?
from (Bruce Schreiber)
Message 5: RE: Economy of scale
from (Bruce Schreiber)
Message 6: Re: Free floating algae problem
from (Bruce Schreiber)
Message 7: Re: Aquaponics for beliefs sake??
from (Bruce Schreiber)
Message 8: RE: Reclaiming nutrients
from "Mark Allen Wells"
Message 9: Re: Reclaiming nutrients
from "Brent Bingham"
Message 10: RE: Economy of scale
from "Mark Allen Wells"
Message 11: Dat cuppa inspiration in da morning. from dreadlox
Message 12: Fish habits.
from dreadlox
Message 13: this may be of intrest to those with recycling systems
from "Thomas Short"
Message 14: Re: Dat cuppa inspiration in da morning. from "gerry magnuson"
Message 15: Algae Control Products
from "Thomas Short"
. .
| Message 1
Subject: Re: Home brew filters.From: Ian Franzmann
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 16:15:37 +1000
Hi Mike
I don't post often but I read and glean a lot from the list, thanks to
those who do.
I feel good I am able at times to return information to the list in an
objective manner.
Thanks also for the fun and humor on the list.
Vortex clarifier for the hard bits that don't want to disolve and clog up
grow beds and biofilters.
Mike said
>I would be glad to hear from you all how you have tackled home brew
>filtration, no RBC (rotating bio contactors or filters
)
The design math involved in tuning the vortex dimensions to a particular
flow and function is beyond me so I have approached it intuitively. eg.
stab in the dark throw the ruines/bones etc.
The dimensions for the unit I have built if people are interested are a PVC
tube Height 2M X Dia .25M (would have made it larger 300mm but could not
afford it)
Top inflow is 200L/minute (has to be this rate to keep the vortex at 2M
height) filtered water is passively taken off one third from the bottom.
The residue is trapped in the lower third and allowed to settle during the
recirc pump rest cycle into a 1M X 50mm tube and tapped off when necessary,
a clear tube here would be best for easy checking. The above dimensions
were confined to what was available off the hardware shop shelf, different
dimensions will need to be met for the size and flow of your system. My
total Tank volume is 13,500L and can be turned over every hour but I will
initially use only 7000L in the tank. The recirc pumpflow rate determines
the Vortex unit size/shape.
The Unit works very effectivly with construction residue and organic
materials that have fallen in the system it's next to a 25M flowering mango
tree. Fish residue that is solid is yet to be tested.
Also check which way the water spins down your sinks Etc. Go with nature
make the water vortex spin this way. There are a number of reasons for this
from a previous post from Mark.
Hope this is helpful.
Ian
. .
| Message 2
Subject: Re: 3rd world economies?
From: Arlus Farnsworth
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 01:41:06 -0700
Good point, there are more applications for small scale non commercial
aquaponics.
And more to the point, efficiencies over modern commercial methods,
experimental or otherwise.
> The only application of small scale, non-commercial aquaponics is
> in developed regions amongst people who have the knowledge and finances to
> establish and run a venture largely for pleasure.
>
> Leslie
>
Perhaps the same way of doing things can be applied to a variety of
situations. No matter if you are feeding yourself or producing for
market. You could have expensive containers and modularize every
component or you could design a low tech natural styled system, your
choice from available options. Someone said, keep it simple. Another
said, your health is worth more than you realize. I say, natural food
tastes better. There was something about let animals do the work and
don't buy pellets instead make your own food, don't fight nature, go
with the seasons.
I went down to a village in Mexico. They just put in electricity
recently. The public phone is in the next town. They have plumbing, and
the water is good. They are mostly farmers and ranchers. The food was
excellent, fresh and tasty not preserved and dead. Everyone has personal
cornfields and chickens. I think this has been going on for a very long
time. Now they have a collective tortilla factory. There didn't seem to
be any fish farming, however you can be sure I will broach the topic in
the future. Things are changing very quickly there.
The quest for food continues.
. .
| Message 3
Subject: Re: Artemia cysts
From: (Bruce Schreiber)
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 07:34:03 -0500 (CDT)
Guess what I am off work and awake, sort of a rarity for me lately.
You did know that you can use micro worms in place of brine
shrimp/Artemia didn't you? They are very easy to raise so you can always
have them on hand although they are not as nutritious as the shrimp once
you get a starter culture you can keep them going for years and a
starter costs about $5. US . I use both plus the slightly larger
grindal worms too.
Also is there any place in Africa that has a native population of
Artemia that can be harvested ? What do the flamingos eat if not
Artemia? You could start a brine shrimp egg recovery operation to
replace the Salt lake one ,Just a thought
Bruce
. .
| Message 4
Subject: Re: Aquaponic Tomatoes in Wisconsin?
From: (Bruce Schreiber)
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 08:13:01 -0500 (CDT)
Carolyn I have to go over to Steves and see what he is up to, hopefully
we can head him off if he's going to try something to risky before he
spends the money and time. But I suspect that he's of close to 100%
Norwegian blood just sorta filtered through Texas and that sort tends to
go with their Ideas like a mule that chomps down on the the bit.You know
.Hold on Nelly were going for a ride .The socially insensitive part fits
to Yup Viking spawn!
Bruce
. .
| Message 5
Subject: RE: Economy of scale
From: (Bruce Schreiber)
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 08:38:22 -0500 (CDT)
Mark I agree with you on the Amish stile and about rabbits. Have you
thought about Guinnypigs they are raised as a food animal in the old
Inca empire area with good result think of them as free range rabbits
that when loose you just whistle and they run back into their cage good
eating lawn mowers! Unlike rabbits that tend to run to the next county
when scared
Bruce
. .
| Message 6
Subject: Re: Free floating algae problem
From: (Bruce Schreiber)
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 08:42:40 -0500 (CDT)
Tom use filter feeding fish to control the algae
Bruce
. .
| Message 7
Subject: Re: Aquaponics for beliefs sake??
From: (Bruce Schreiber)
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 09:15:12 -0500 (CDT)
Leslie the Chinese have had low tech. systems for ever as had the Aztec
with their floating raft planting beds and also I think the Inca on
Lake Titicaca,the marsh Arabs in Iraq and the Karen in Burma all used or
use floating raft planting beds.The Chinese fertilize the water with
confined livestock.
Bruce
. .
| Message 8
Subject: RE: Reclaiming nutrients
From: "Mark Allen Wells"
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 11:28:20 -0500
>If we all start thinking about integrated systems that are
outside of the box we consider our comfort zone we may surprise
ourselves. What do you throw away or waste?
Good point Brent,
this is one area where we definitely agree
.lol. There is more than
one way to approach this too. The nutrients reclaimed don't have to
go directly back to plants. I made a cheap sand/gravel filter to dump
my canister filters in. The dewatered fish waste and my rabbit manure
get mixed with kraft paper and cardboard scrap I get at work for free.
This helps me maintain carbon-nitrogen ratios in my vermicomposting
bed. The fish/rabbit waste end up becoming redworms and humus. The
nutrients come back to the fish and plants in another form. The only
cost to me is my time.
mark
. .
| Message 9
Subject: Re: Reclaiming nutrients
From: "Brent Bingham"
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 09:44:10 -0700
One more step you may find very interesting is Mushrooms. You can use them
to breakdown all sorts of organic trash and eat the results you do not pass
on to your worms.
Brent
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Allen Wells"
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2001 9:28 AM
Subject: RE: Reclaiming nutrients
> >If we all start thinking about integrated systems that are
> outside of the box we consider our comfort zone we may surprise
> ourselves. What do you throw away or waste?
>
> Good point Brent,
>
> this is one area where we definitely agree
.lol. There is more than
> one way to approach this too. The nutrients reclaimed don't have to
> go directly back to plants. I made a cheap sand/gravel filter to dump
> my canister filters in. The dewatered fish waste and my rabbit manure
> get mixed with kraft paper and cardboard scrap I get at work for free.
> This helps me maintain carbon-nitrogen ratios in my vermicomposting
> bed. The fish/rabbit waste end up becoming redworms and humus. The
> nutrients come back to the fish and plants in another form. The only
> cost to me is my time.
>
> mark
>
>
>
. .
| Message 10
Subject: RE: Economy of scale
From: "Mark Allen Wells"
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 12:30:30 -0500
>One thing you have to remember when you mention wheat is over half of
>our grain goes into livestock production
.not directly to humans.
I had a thought about this as I was eating breakfast. Myself and
millions of others in this country have sensitivities and allergies
to things like corn and wheat. This is largely from over-exposure
from the time we are born
.it is in nearly everything. There are
many doctors and nutritionists that feel over-consumption of grains
is responsible for the huge diabetes, allergy, food sensitivity
and obesity problems we have in this country. Historically, as
humans we never consumed huge amounts of grains until farming was
developed. Our primary diet was lean meats, fruits and veggies,
seeds, nuts, and some grains. Now we have flip-flopped the picture
and many consume more grains than anything else. While this has
allowed us to feed many, we are seeing it may not have been the best
way or the most productive way to do it. Add the human aspect to
what the researcher at Cornell (and other places) had to say and we
have to ask
.why?
.why are we putting millions of acres in grains
at a cost to our health and to the land? One factor, (I feel) is we
have stayed on this path as a nation because grain is an agribusiness
commodity. Did you ever see lettuce, fish, tomatoes etc. listed on the
Chicago Board of Trade? Farms that are strictly grain farms today
once produced all the meat, eggs, dairy and produce for the local
area. Now that food is often trucked from hundreds if not thousands
of miles away. The farm lost it's direct connection to the community.
Those still hanging on to the family farms can see this but agribusiness
doesn't
.they aren't into farmers markets or community supported
agriculture programs. We have our work cut out for us.
Aquaponics produces food that is healthy
.lean meats and green, leafy,
high water content veggies. A huge factor in making systems profitable
is going to be in re-educating (de-programming?) the public. Here where
I live many have a 'fastfood' mentality
they just don't care until
they get sick. Much of the public is that way. I gave some low acid
orange tomatoes to a friend. He said they were so sweet, they truly
tasted like fruit. He said he wished he could find them because he
can't eat most of the supermarket varieties. I told him I would plant
some just for him next year
.he smiled. These are the kind of people
many will have to find. The masses in this country aren't aware enough.
hopefully we can change this
.even if it is one person at a time.
Brent was right
.we have to become our own middleman.
have a great weekend everyone.mark
. .
| Message 11
Subject: Dat cuppa inspiration in da morning.From: dreadlox
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 15:12:08 -0700
Something just dawned on me this morning. Figured I hadnt passed on this
tidbit to the finity of the Web, where it can inspire someone for
generations
.(ok Mikie
. wake up!!) :>
Someone recently mentioned the Swiss method of coffee decaffeination
using distillation.
One famous Swiss coffee making machine company is Jura. Their machines
come with a grinder in built for the coffee beans which are ground on
spot
. fresh!! Ahhh
. the Swiss know how to blend and make their
coffee
Jamaica knows how to grow it
!!
For all of you making fry food, or doing homemade flour or cornmeal or
stuff like that
and dont want to spend a lot of money
try
scrapping an old brewer like the above. They are great for making that!
The machine I scrapped my main one from was one where the coffee ground
size could be set by turning a dial. This would change the "mesh size"
of the powder and influence taste of the coffee.
In making my fry food, or grinding corn into cornmeal
I use a few of
these.
Just another plug for Swiss coffee machines and for dumpdiving
. :>
Recycle !!
--
><{{{*> Mike Barnett <*}}}><
JAMAICA, West Indies
. .
| Message 12
Subject: Fish habits.
From: dreadlox
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 15:12:12 -0700
To Steve and others
I have noticed that one group of fry in a net tank just in front of me
will be always steady and calm when I come to feed them, coming
immediately to feed, whereas the one behind them will always seem to
flit and school immediately.
Is there a scaredycat in the group who gives an alarm
or what??
Why do these school and the others not?
ANy explanations?
--
><{{{*> Mike Barnett <*}}}><
JAMAICA, West Indies
. .
| Message 13
Subject: this may be of intrest to those with recycling systems
From: "Thomas Short"
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 19:44:39 -0700
=_NextPart_001_0001_01C12D9E.60ECD120
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
http://www.miraclekoifood.com/h_pv_details.htmlGet more from the Web. FR=
EE MSN Explorer download :
=_NextPart_001_0001_01C12D9E.60ECD120
Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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et more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download :
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. .
| Message 14
Subject: Re: Dat cuppa inspiration in da morning.From: "gerry magnuson"
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 16:50:38 -1000
amazing to read about a little knowledge, especially about coffee
I am a
gourmet grower, have beaten jamaica blue mountain many times in competition,
try the scandi's for great blended coffees
.and I deal with a very large
swiss company also
.cowboy
>From: dreadlox
>Reply-To: aquaponics 'at' townsqr.com
>To: aquaponics 'at' townsqr.com
>Subject: Dat cuppa inspiration in da morning.>Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 15:12:08 -0700
>
>Something just dawned on me this morning. Figured I hadnt passed on this
>tidbit to the finity of the Web, where it can inspire someone for
>generations
.(ok Mikie
. wake up!!) :>
>
>Someone recently mentioned the Swiss method of coffee decaffeination
>using distillation.
>One famous Swiss coffee making machine company is Jura. Their machines
>come with a grinder in built for the coffee beans which are ground on
>spot
. fresh!! Ahhh
. the Swiss know how to blend and make their
>coffee
Jamaica knows how to grow it
!!
>
>For all of you making fry food, or doing homemade flour or cornmeal or
>stuff like that
and dont want to spend a lot of money
try
>scrapping an old brewer like the above. They are great for making that!
>The machine I scrapped my main one from was one where the coffee ground
>size could be set by turning a dial. This would change the "mesh size"
>of the powder and influence taste of the coffee.
>
>In making my fry food, or grinding corn into cornmeal
I use a few of
>these.
>
>Just another plug for Swiss coffee machines and for dumpdiving
. :>
>
>Recycle !!
>--
> ><{{{*> Mike Barnett <*}}}><
> JAMAICA, West Indies
. .
| Message 15
Subject: Algae Control Products
From: "Thomas Short"
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 21:18:39 -0700
=_NextPart_001_0005_01C12DAB.82C6AAC0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
http://www.pondauthority.com/algae_control.htmGet more from the Web. FRE=
E MSN Explorer download :
=_NextPart_001_0005_01C12DAB.82C6AAC0
Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Get=
more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download :
=_NextPart_001_0005_01C12DAB.82C6AAC0--
|
