Aquaponics Digest - Thu 01/22/98





Message   1: Re: Re: Papers from James Rabocy
             from PeterJTheisen@eaton.com

Message   2: Fwd. Tilapia Aquaculture in the Americas, Vol. 1 Now Available
             from S & S Aqua Farm 

Message   3: Tilapia Conference Proceedings
             from Gordon Watkins 

Message   4: Re: Tilapia Conference Proceedings
             from S & S Aqua Farm 

Message   5: 2nd Call for abstracts - Internet Conference on
IntegratedBio-Systems
             from Jacky Foo 

Message   6: Since we are talking about books, articles, papers etc.
             from PeterJTheisen@eaton.com

Message   7: Flies and Disaster
             from "Harrop" 

Message   8: Re: fly problem
             from Rebecca Nelson 

Message   9: Re: Re: fly problem
             from PeterJTheisen@eaton.com

Message  10: fungus gnats
             from james.rakocy@uvi.edu (James Rakocy, Ph.D.)

Message  11: Re: fly problem
             from Rebecca Nelson 

Message  12: Re: fly problem
             from S & S Aqua Farm 

Message  13: Fly identification
             from S & S Aqua Farm 

Message  14: Ice Storm Disasters
             from S & S Aqua Farm 

Message  15: Fly identification
             from PeterJTheisen@eaton.com

Message  16: Re: Algal turf scrubbers
             from "Ted Ground" 

Message  17: Re: Fwd - spirulina information
             from "Ted Ground" 

Message  18: Re: Perlite/Fish System
             from S & S Aqua Farm 

Message  19: Re: Trout
             from Ceila & Jeff 


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| Message 1                                                           |
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Subject: Re: Re: Papers from James Rabocy
From:    PeterJTheisen@eaton.com
Date:    22 Jan 98 07:37:34 EST

Thank you very much:

My address is : 
Peter Theisen
5638 Maple Road
West Bend Wi. 53095

Postage is no problem, but if you want to contact me off the net, you can
reach me at 340-692-4031 or University of the Virgin Islands, Agricultural
Experiment Station, RR 2, Box 10,000, Kingshill, VI  00850. 

>If I understand the last post, James, you will be sending Gordon some 
>information on recent studies of a  certain Aquaponics system.  Can you 
>post or attach these papers for all of us?  Or can I get a copy?  As to 
not 
>overburden you with postage I would be gald to send you a self addressed 
>envelop if you give me your address.
>
>Thank you
>Pete T.
>
>
>




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| Message 2                                                           |
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Subject: Fwd. Tilapia Aquaculture in the Americas, Vol. 1 Now Available
From:    S & S Aqua Farm 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 08:51:32 -0600

Dr. Rakocy - welcome to the group.  We're very pleased that you're willing
to share your many years experience with us.

To the list - The book Dr. Rakocy refers to in his message January 21 is
available as follows.  Having read some of his earlier work, I'm certain
this should be required reading for those of us serious about raising
Tilapia in an "aquaponics" system.

Will the papers from the "proceedings of the recent tilapia conference in
Orlando" be available via the internet, or only in hard copy?  If only by
mail, please add us to your distribution.  Paula Speraneo

>----------forwarded message------
>
>From:   Barry Costa-Pierce [bcp@UCI.EDU]
>
>Colleagues, this book is now available from the World Aquaculture Society:
>
>TILAPIA AQUACULTURE IN THE AMERICAS, VOLUME 1 (1997)
>Edited by Barry A. Costa-Pierce, Ph.D. and James E. Rakocy, Ph.D
>
>Published by The World Aquaculture Society & The American Tilapia
>Association ISBN #1-88807-01-6 Soft cover, 258 pp. (many illustrations,
>figures, graphs & tables)
>
>Tilapia aquaculture is growing quickly in many nations of the Americas due
>to increased market acceptance by domestic consumers and lucrative export
>markets. Commercial tilapia farms and polyculture of tilapia with shrimp
>are developing rapidly in Central and South America to meet a growing
>demand for tilapia in the United States, where imports have skyrocketed.
>The US imported an estimated 62 million pounds of tilapia in 1996. This
>book reviews the rapid development of tilapia markets and economics in the
>Americas. Included are state-of-the art reviews of research and development
>of the tilapias in various systems: in seawater and brackishwaters, in
>integrated hydroponics and in intensive recirculating units. Important
>chapters on the regulatory environment for tilapias in the Americas, a
>comprehensive review of tilapia diseases, and a detailed review on feeds
>and tilapia nutrition are included. The geographic spread of chapters is as
>diverse as tilapia aquaculture itself. There are contributions on research
>that led to the rapidly developing tilapia industry in Honduras, tilapias
>in different systems in the Caribbean, intensive culture in the United
>States, and information on the status of wild and cultured tilapia stocks
>in California.
>
>Payment Policy:  Pre-payment is required for all orders; all sales final.
>
>Price: US$ 55 (Non-WAS members) or $45 (WAS Members) PLUS  $5/volume (for
>parcel post/surface mail delivery). ADD$20 for international air mail.
>
>PLEASE SEND ? COPIES OF THIS BOOK TO:
>
>Name:
>Mailing Address:
>Country and Postal Codes
>
>Checks and money orders to be made payable to the WORLD AQUACULTURE
>SOCIETY.  Funds must be in US dollars drawn on a US Bank. VISA, MASTERCARD
>or AMERICAN EXPRESS bank cards are accepted and encouraged.
>
>World Aquaculture Society
>143 J. M. Parker Coliseum
>Louisiana State University
>Baton Rouge, LA  70803 (USA)
>Phone:  +1 (504) 388-3137
>FAX:    +1 (504) 388-3493
>E-Mail:  WASMAS@aol.com
>
>________________________________________________________________
>Barry A. Costa-Pierce, Ph.D.(Oceanography, Hawaii, 1984)
>Sustainable Fisheries & Aquaculture Research & Development
>  Department of Environmental Analysis and Design
>  4216 Biological Sciences II Building
>  University of California Irvine, CA 92697-7070
>TEL: 714-824-8573, FAX: 714-824-3571
>E-mail: bcp@uci.edu AND aquaecos@cts.com
>http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/state/index.html
>http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/shrimpecos/research.html

S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775  417-256-5124
Web page  http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/



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| Message 3                                                           |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: Tilapia Conference Proceedings
From:    Gordon Watkins 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 08:58:58 -0600

A list of the papers presented at the ISTA conference and ordering
information is available at  http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ata.html
                        Gordon


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| Message 4                                                           |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: Re: Tilapia Conference Proceedings
From:    S & S Aqua Farm 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 09:07:21 -0600

At 08:58 AM 1/22/98 -0600, you wrote:
>A list of the papers presented at the ISTA conference and ordering
>information is available at  http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ata.html
>                       Gordon


Thanks Gordon - a logical place and one I should have checked myself.
Thanks for the quick response.

Paula
S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775  417-256-5124
Web page  http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/



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| Message 5                                                           |
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Subject: 2nd Call for abstracts - Internet Conference on IntegratedBio-Systems
From:    Jacky Foo 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 16:37:03 +0100



***** 2nd CALL FOR ABSTRACTS ***** :

Internet Conference on Integrated Bio-Systems (April-Dec 1998)
(http://home2.swipnet.se/~w-25860/icibs)

The Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU/IAS) of the United Nations
University (Tokyo) and the UNESCO Microbial Resources Center
(MIRCEN-Stockholm) invites you to participate and present a paper on the
science, technology and practice of integrated bio-systems in agriculture,
aquaculture, horticulture, forestry, industry, built structures and in
natural ecosystems. The purpose of the conference is to permit Internet
access to a comprehensive documentation of  past and current work on
integrated bio-systems,  to facilitate authors to share knowledge and
know-how and to encourage interactions between the authors and
participants.

The Conference is a virtual conference on Internet; full papers will be
available on the web and their discussions will be conducted via electronic
mailing lists. Please join the electronic mailing list "IAS-WG08" to
receive updates on the  conference. To join, email:
 listserv@msias.ias.unu.edu and write the message :
SUB IAS-WG08 yourfirsrname yourlastname, organization
e.g. sub ias-wg08 Jacky Foo, UNESCO MIRCEN, Stockholm

Scope :
The conference covers the science, technology and practice of integrated
bio-systems in agriculture, aquaculture, horticulture, forestry, industry,
built structures and in natural ecosystems. It will emphasize on the use of
integrated bio-systems in human activities and their roles in creating a
better environment and to sustain development. The main topics are :
* Integrated bio-systems for agriculture, aquaculture, horticulture and
forestry
* Integrated bio-systems for treatment and utilization of
    industrial/municipal solid wastes and wastewaters
* Integrated bio-systems for management of natural resources
* Integration of bio-systems into built structures

You are invited to describe existing or propose new integrated bio-systems
that can be used for a wide variety of purposes, e.g. energy and primary
food production, solid wastes and wastewater treatment and utilization.
Some of the examples are fish-bivalve polyculture systems in aquaculture;
crop-mushroom-compost systems in agriculture; integrated
agriculture-aquaculture systems (e.g. rice-fish systems); aquaponics and
wetland systems for wastewater treatment and utilization; water quality
management; solid waste treatment and utilisation (e.g. municipal solid
waste-vermiculture-compost-duck systems, and livestock
manure-biogas-crop/horticulture systems); etc.. Scientific papers related
to the above topics on their microbial ecosystems, their materials balance
and nutrients flows, transfer of toxics in the food chains, analysis and
assessment of whole systems, ecological bioremediation, etc. are also
welcomed. Other systems may have a wider landscape applications, including
integrated resource management in coastal zone aquaculture, agro-forestry,
lowland-upland and urban-agriculture, lakes, villages, communities,
industrial and recreation parks, cities).

Instructions for Submission of Abstracts :
An abstract should not be longer than 55 lines (65 characters per line) and
to include (a) title, author(s) name(s), postal address, and other
electronic addresses. Please send your abstract(s) to: foo@swipnet.se . All
abstracts will be reviewed by the planning committee.  Deadline: two months
before the date of your presentation.

Submission of Manuscript :
Upon approval of abstracts, authors will be requested to submit the full
paper of minimum 5 pages. See homepage in "Instructions to Authors" for
more information. Illustrations and photos illustrating your ideas and/or
showing existing facilities of pilot  research or practice are essential
and encouraged; assistance to scan materials (photo, published works, other
illustrations) will be provided if needed (contact foo@swipnet.se for
help). If you are submitting a published works, permission from the
respective journals or authorities must be obtained to avoid copyright
problems. Deadline: one month before the date of presentation.

Support to Authors from Developing Countries :
Funds (150-200 US$) to cover the communication costs of authors from
developing countries may be available for deserving cases. Please contact
foo@swipnet.se

Contact Person:
Eng-Leong "Jacky" Foo
Director, UNESCO Microbial Resources Centre, Stockholm.
foo@swipnet.se





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| Message 6                                                           |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: Since we are talking about books, articles, papers etc.
From:    PeterJTheisen@eaton.com
Date:    22 Jan 98 10:21:45 EST

I would be valuable for me, and I think for everyone on the list,  for all 
of all of us to shoot out an email, listing the most valuable resources in 
the area of aquaponics and maybe tilapia/other fish culture that we have 
and use.  In the email I suggest that we provide a summary of the resource 
and how others can obtain it.  
Paula:  as you update your website you might consider adding a listing of 
these resources to it.  What a great way to catalog the best information.

I will post my most valuable resources tomorrow; they are at home and I 
need to find them.

By the way:  I just got rid of a nasty fly problem in my system.  About 3 
months ago i got an infestation of a type of small fly, maybe 1/4 the size 
of a house fly.  To describe it I would only say that when they are resting 
on a surface the two wings take on the clear shape of a Heart.  They seem 
to breed in the gravel and became very prolific.  They did not seem to eat 
my lettuce, they only added their organic waste to it.  This caused us to 
need to clean the produce more thoroughly.  The only way I finally got rid 
of them was to remove the top 3 inches of gravel and sterilize it, followed 
by killing every fly I saw from that point on.  This hand killing process 
took 6 weeks.  I chose not to use any pesticide due to possible 
contamination to the Tilapia.  Since my system is small this was not too 
bad.  But with a larger system this could be a nightmare.  
Has anyone also had this problem?  Is there a non chemical method of 
getting rid of them? Any other comments?

Regards
Pete T.



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| Message 7                                                           |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: Flies and Disaster
From:    "Harrop" 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 11:45:10 -0500

Dear Pete: You can hang 4"x 4" yellow sticky paper which attracts flies at
various points above your crop- not a perfect solution but  at least traps
significant numbers of flies. 
I will be busy for the next little while- the ice storm caused severe power
failures and shredded my greenhouse- and killed everything. A bit of a
downer; however, I intend to continue and re-establish the operation: this
time with a power generator back-up (I know, should have had one in the
first place) and possibly setting up in a warehouse with greenhouse
extensions.
I encourage subscribers to donate funds to either the American Red Cross or
the Canadian Red Cross- tagged for ice storm disaster relief. We still have
people and farmers up here who are in their third week without any power in
the dead of winter- a lot of farm suicides and psychological breakdown. The
Red Cross has plenty of supplies- they need cash to give to people to buy
basic survival items like batteries, candles and kerosene. Hope you can
help. Rob Harrop

> by killing every fly I saw from that point on.  This hand killing process

> took 6 weeks.  I chose not to use any pesticide due to possible 
> contamination to the Tilapia.  Since my system is small this was not too 
> bad.  But with a larger system this could be a nightmare.  
> Has anyone also had this problem?  Is there a non chemical method of 
> getting rid of them? Any other comments?
> 
> Regards
> Pete T.
> 
> 
> 


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| Message 8                                                           |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: Re: fly problem
From:    Rebecca Nelson 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 10:34:34 -0800

Hi Pete,

We've experienced problems with fungus gnats in our commercial
hydroponic grrenhouses.  It sounds like the same insect you described. 
They normally live in soil, but seem to like any moist media.

They weren't a problem for the tomato plants, but were very annoying. 
For control we used predator nematodes.  They  look like microscopic
"worms" and attack many types of problem insects (fleas, thrips, fungus
gnats, etc.).  They are unrelated to pest nematodes and do not attack
plants. 

I would think they can be used in an aquaponic system without harm to
the fish, but my experience was in hydroponics.  Has anyone out there
tried this in aquaponics?

Rebecca Nelson
Nelson / Pade Multimedia,  ph 209.742.6869, fax 209.742.4402
http://www.aquaponics.com


 I just got rid of a nasty fly problem in my system.  About 3
> months ago i got an infestation of a type of small fly, maybe 1/4 the size
> of a house fly.  To describe it I would only say that when they are resting
> on a surface the two wings take on the clear shape of a Heart.  They seem
> to breed in the gravel and became very prolific.  They did not seem to eat
> my lettuce, they only added their organic waste to it.  This caused us to
> need to clean the produce more thoroughly.  The only way I finally got rid
> of them was to remove the top 3 inches of gravel and sterilize it, followed
> by killing every fly I saw from that point on.  This hand killing process
> took 6 weeks.  I chose not to use any pesticide due to possible
> contamination to the Tilapia.  Since my system is small this was not too
> bad.  But with a larger system this could be a nightmare.
> Has anyone also had this problem?  Is there a non chemical method of
> getting rid of them? Any other comments?
> 
> Regards
> Pete T.

-- 


Publisher of the Aquaponics Journal, a bi-monthly newsletter
The Encyclopedia of Hydroponic Gardening CD-Rom
All About Aquaculture CD-Rom
Hobby Hydroponics Video
Hydroponics Curriculum
How To Start and Succeed in the Hydroponics Business


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| Message 9                                                           |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: Re: Re: fly problem
From:    PeterJTheisen@eaton.com
Date:    22 Jan 98 13:36:17 EST

Thank you Rebecca:

>For control we used predator nematodes.  They  look like microscopic
>"worms" and attack many types of problem insects (fleas, thrips, fungus
>gnats, etc.).  They are unrelated to pest nematodes and do not attack
>plants. 

Do you know where predator nematodes can be obtained?

Pete T.



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| Message 10                                                          |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: fungus gnats
From:    james.rakocy@uvi.edu (James Rakocy, Ph.D.)
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 14:59:01 -0400 (AST)

Fungus gnats and shore flies can introduce and spread pathogens in
greenhouses. They should be eliminated. 



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| Message 11                                                          |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: Re: fly problem
From:    Rebecca Nelson 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 11:04:09 -0800

We purchased ours from Nature's Control in Medford, OR   (800) 698-6250

Good luck,Rebecca

PeterJTheisen@eaton.com wrote:
> 
> Thank you Rebecca:
> 
> >For control we used predator nematodes.  They  look like microscopic
> >"worms" and attack many types of problem insects (fleas, thrips, fungus
> >gnats, etc.).  They are unrelated to pest nematodes and do not attack
> >plants.
> 
> Do you know where predator nematodes can be obtained?
> 
> Pete T.


-- 
Nelson / Pade Multimedia,  ph 209.742.6869, fax 209.742.4402
http://www.aquaponics.com

Publisher of the Aquaponics Journal, a bi-monthly newsletter
The Encyclopedia of Hydroponic Gardening CD-Rom
All About Aquaculture CD-Rom
Hobby Hydroponics Video
Hydroponics Curriculum
How To Start and Succeed in the Hydroponics Business


.------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------.
| Message 12                                                          |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: Re: fly problem
From:    S & S Aqua Farm 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 13:22:02 -0600

At 01:36 PM 1/22/98 EST, you wrote:
>Thank you Rebecca:
>
>>For control we used predator nematodes.  They  look like microscopic
>>"worms" and attack many types of problem insects (fleas, thrips, fungus
>>gnats, etc.).  They are unrelated to pest nematodes and do not attack
>>plants. 
>
>Do you know where predator nematodes can be obtained?
>
>Pete T.

Pete - the two insectaries that we have used successfully are IPM
Laboratories, Locke, NY (ipmlabs@baldcom.net) and Rincon-Vitova Insectaries,
Ventura, CA (800-248-2847).  

Rebecca also asks:

"I would think they can be used in an aquaponic system without harm to
the fish, but my experience was in hydroponics.  Has anyone out there
tried this in aquaponics?"

Paula - We have used beneficial nematodes in our system, and find them quite
effective in reducing/eliminating pests that breed in the gravel.  

Specific types should be directed toward your pest insect, but both the
insectaries listed above are quite knowledgeable and willing to send lots of
information to help you.

Rob Harrop writes:
"Dear Pete: You can hang 4"x 4" yellow sticky paper which attracts flies at
various points above your crop- not a perfect solution but  at least traps
significant numbers of flies."

Paula - yellow sticky traps are quite effective in attracting/trapping many
insects, and can be assembled using yellow plastic plates coated with
vaseline.  But be aware of your insect problem.  While whitefly and others
prefer yellow, thrips are more attracted to pink (if I remember correctly
from my greenhouse seminar).

Good references (with lots of useful pictures) for insect identification,
both beneficial and pests, are absolutely necessary for informed insect
management, especially in a system where chemicals are not used.

My personal preferences (all it seems published by Rodale Press)

Rodale's Color Handbook of Garden Insects, by Anna Carr

The Encyclopedia of Natural Insect and Disease Control, edited by Roger B.
Yepsen, Jr.

The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control,
edited by Barbara W. Ellis and Fern Marshall Bradley

Lots of helpful information, but most importantly, good data on insects,
disease symptoms, how to treat, and many things that will save you money on
"overkill" through non-specific treatments.

Paula


S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775  417-256-5124
Web page  http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/



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| Message 13                                                          |
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Subject: Fly identification
From:    S & S Aqua Farm 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 13:28:41 -0600

At 10:21 AM 1/22/98 EST, Pete Theisen wrote:
>
>By the way:  I just got rid of a nasty fly problem in my system.  About 3 
>months ago i got an infestation of a type of small fly, maybe 1/4 the size 
>of a house fly.  To describe it I would only say that when they are resting 
>on a surface the two wings take on the clear shape of a Heart.  They seem 
>to breed in the gravel and became very prolific.  

The fly you describe is one we've had some problems with in the past.  An
entemologist at a semi-local university research station identified our as
drain flies - common in many homes, preferring the moist environment of
shower drains.  We couldn't find any references close to it in our garden
pests, so were lucky we had this resource available to us.

Along with beneficial nematodes, we also imported some praying mantis - the
combination seemed to work, and the numbers were reduced.  This was our
first experience with praying mantis, and I would caution anyone who uses
them.  In a system where you're trying to control pests with beneficial
insects, remember that the mantis doesn't care what it eats (even each
other), and will probably be the last insect you observe in your greenhouse,
although they're quite effective.  

They did not seem to eat 
>my lettuce, they only added their organic waste to it.  This caused us to 
>need to clean the produce more thoroughly.

This puzzles us - are you certain the leavings were from those insects?  We
never had any plant damage, just aggravation from flies in our faces when we
were working the plant beds.

Paula 
S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775  417-256-5124
Web page  http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/



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| Message 14                                                          |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: Ice Storm Disasters
From:    S & S Aqua Farm 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 13:32:34 -0600

At 11:45 AM 1/22/98 -0500, Rob Harrop wrote: 
>I will be busy for the next little while- the ice storm caused severe power
>failures and shredded my greenhouse- and killed everything. A bit of a
>downer; however, I intend to continue and re-establish the operation: this
>time with a power generator back-up (I know, should have had one in the
>first place) and possibly setting up in a warehouse with greenhouse
>extensions.
>I encourage subscribers to donate funds to either the American Red Cross or
>the Canadian Red Cross- tagged for ice storm disaster relief. We still have
>people and farmers up here who are in their third week without any power in
>the dead of winter- a lot of farm suicides and psychological breakdown. The
>Red Cross has plenty of supplies- they need cash to give to people to buy
>basic survival items like batteries, candles and kerosene. Hope you can
>help. Rob Harrop

Sorry to hear of your misfortune, and especially the devastation to others
in your area.  

We'll cross-post your message to other mailgroups in order to build
awareness of the problem, and perhaps there are many who can help.

Please stay in touch.

Paula
S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775  417-256-5124
Web page  http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/



.------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------.
| Message 15                                                          |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: Fly identification
From:    PeterJTheisen@eaton.com
Date:    22 Jan 98 14:31:21 EST

 They did not seem to eat 
>my lettuce, they only added their organic waste to it.  This caused us to 
>need to clean the produce more thoroughly.

This puzzles us - are you certain the leavings were from those insects?  We
never had any plant damage, just aggravation from flies in our faces when 
we
were working the plant beds.

Paula 
S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775  417-256-5124
Web page  http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/


Response from Pete t.
Since I stopped growing lettuce while I was cleaning up the fly problem, 
its been a while and I am relying on memory.  What I remember is small 
areas of black stuff on the lettuce leaves.  It could be either leavings or 
crushed flies when the lettuce was picked.  It also could have just been a 
psychological response to seeing so many flies on what we were about to 
eat.

Thanks for the information.

Pete t,



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| Message 16                                                          |
'------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------'
Subject: Re: Algal turf scrubbers
From:    "Ted Ground" 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 20:35:21 -0600

Dr. Rakocy recommends that we

"let the hydroponic plants contribute to wastewater treatment, as they
remove nutrients even  faster than algal turf, the rate of uptake depending
on the type of  vegetable, herb, etc."

This may be true for certain systems in which vascular plants dominate the
entire plant area, however, algal turf biomass productivity on  a unit area
or per square meter basis, is much greater that the hydroponic plants, and
therefore the rate of uptake of nutrients by algal turf can be 2 to 5 times
greater than conventional agricultural field crops.  Much of this is due to
the fact that algae grow so rapidly, that they do not grow much cellulose
in supportive tissue, etc.  I do not suggest algal turf scrubbing as a
complete substitute for the economically desirable vegetable crops- I only
meant to lead the inquisitive toward "polishing" their system waters if
nitrogenous wastes are accumulating at an undesirable rate, then you can
feed the very nutritious filamentous algae to the fish- ie, a small area of
algae turf scraped off periodically can supplement the fish diet with much
needed essential fatty acids, plant pigments, etc., 

Is that clear now?

Ted

> 
> Jim R. 
> 


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| Message 17                                                          |
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Subject: Re: Fwd - spirulina information
From:    "Ted Ground" 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 21:00:09 -0600

To everyone:

Although I think Spirulina is not a bad source of nutrition for fish and
other animals, and I think that it should be "encouraged as an ingredient
in fish diets", I do not mean to suggest that we all go out and pay $20 a
pound at the health food store for such a substance.  Actually, Spirulina
is not all that difficult to grow oneself, if you really want to develop
nearly pure monocultures of this cyanobacteria at home.  Furthermore, I
don't think aquaponics folks should get hung up on Spirulina in and of
itself- Spirulina is good stuff, but it is a health food buzzword and a fad
right now.  That is why I suggested the homespun algal turf scrubber, in
which filamentous greens tend to dominate, depending on what is happening
in the other parts of the system, and they ( the filamentous greens) are
very nutritious, generally speaking.  Experiment with them-  they are fun
to do, whether you manage commercial aquaponics systems or a home aquarium-
and, I believe they will benefit your systems if you manage them properly.

Ted


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| Message 18                                                          |
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Subject: Re: Perlite/Fish System
From:    S & S Aqua Farm 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 22:02:36 -0600

No response to this post - does anyone have this information?  Paula

>Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 11:24:27 -0800
>From: Rebecca Nelson 
>
>Hi Donald
>
>Do you know where we can purchase 
>
>>>the product mined by W.R. Grace company and marketed under the
>>name Aztec Perlite here in Southern California>>
>
>that you mentioned in a previous post?
>
>I would greatly appreciate a phone number or contact info for a company
>that sells it.
>
>Thanks,
>Rebecca
>Nelson / Pade Multimedia,  ph 209.742.6869, fax 209.742.4402
>http://www.aquaponics.com
S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775  417-256-5124
Web page  http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/



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| Message 19                                                          |
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Subject: Re: Trout
From:    Ceila & Jeff 
Date:    Thu, 22 Jan 1998 22:01:20 -0700


Paula could you provide an address, phone number for the shepardstown
folks?


S&S Aqua Farm, 8386 County Road 8820, West Plains, MO 65775  417-256-5124
Web page  http://www.townsqr.com/snsaqua/




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