Aquaponics Digest - Wed 02/25/98






Message   1: Re: Brick chips for media (was small system)
             from Jon Hays 

Message   2: Re: Brick chips for media (was small system)
             from John Shannonhouse 

Message   3: Re: Up and running success stories
             from Whichwind@aol.com

Message   4: (Fwd) Re: urine
             from "Candace" 


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| Message 1                                                           |
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Subject: Re: Brick chips for media (was small system)
From:    Jon Hays 
Date:    Wed, 25 Feb 1998 10:35:51 -0700

Hello All: The red brick chips make good sence to me because the red brick
has a lot of Iron (Fe) and for this reason they hold a lot more O2. This
benifits fish, bacteria, and plants.  John Hays



At 07:28 PM 2/24/98 -0600, you wrote:
>At 12:10 PM 2/24/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>Brick chips (maybe brick crumbles are a better name) are heavy, but not
sharp.
>>The size is about the same as pea gravel, and they have lots of nooks and
>>crannies that ought to be good for bacteria.    I think lava rock chips
>would be
>>the ideal (although THEY might be sharp), since they are light weight and
>should
>>be a perfect media for bacterial growth, but I haven't found a local source.
>>
>>Stacy H. Charland
>>Stacy_Charland@nih.gov  
>
>Stacy - sounds like good, available media.  Any chance to send a small
>sample through the mail to us to look at?  Or could you tell me where you
>obtained them.
>
>Lava samples (very large) were sent to us some time ago.  Very sharp indeed.
>I wonder if it were "crumbled" what the results would be.  Can you crumble
lava?
>
>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 2                                                           |
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Subject: Re: Brick chips for media (was small system)
From:    John Shannonhouse 
Date:    Wed, 25 Feb 1998 13:29:54 -0600

Hello,
        On 25 Feb 1998, John Hays wrote:
<>

        The iron(II), which binds oxygen, would quickly be oxidized to
iron(III) if it is exposed to air, correct?  Iron(III) does not bind
oxygen.  The body goes to considerable lengths to prevent the iron(II) in
hemoglobin from becoming oxidized.
John Shannonhouse




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| Message 3                                                           |
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Subject: Re: Up and running success stories
From:    Whichwind@aol.com
Date:    Wed, 25 Feb 1998 16:53:05 EST


Hi everyone,
I would like to know if anyone out there has a successful system running in
the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic region.  I live in the Boston area and want to
start a small commercial business, but I want to visit other systems closer to
me in addition to MO.

So, any of you east coasters, please give me a holler.  I would also like to
hear from those of you have had continuing success, Paula says you are out
there in various other regions of the U.S.  Thanks a bunch!
Cheryl Huston


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| Message 4                                                           |
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Subject: (Fwd) Re: urine
From:    "Candace" 
Date:    Wed, 25 Feb 1998 18:25:21 +0000

Urine is a great source of nitrogen, very useful if your compost has 
a too high carbon:nitrogen ratio.
However, diluted urine is best used as a straight fertilizer.  Below is
a little article I wrote about 15 years ago.

Ken


                        Urine as a Survival resource

     Urine can be very useful in survival situations.   Two main uses can be as
an emergency eyewash and a source of fertilizer for your plants.
     Urine  as  it comes from the urethra is a sterile, (unless there exists a
bladder, kidney or urinary tract infection), saline solution of about 6 pH 
(range 4.8-8.5). This makes a perfectly satisfactory eyewash in situations 
where water is unavailable or of questionable quality.  Since urine contains 
nutrients that can support the growth of harmful organisms, the eye should be
rinsed with a boric acid or other eyewash solution as soon as possible.
     Urine output is about 600-1,600 ml./24 hours with around 55-70 gms./24 hrs
of total solids.  Typical electrolytes are (per 24 hours)
 Sodium              130-260 mEq
 Chloride            110-250 mEq
 Potassium            25-100 mEq
 Calcium             100-250 mg.
 Magnesium            15-300 mg.
 Phosphorus,inorganic .9-1.3 Gm.
     Components that contain Nitrogen are (per 24 hours)
 Ammonia        20- 70 mEq
 Creatine        0-100 mg.
 Creatnine      .8-1.9 Gm.
 Protein        10-150 mg.
 Urea nitrogen  6 - 17 Gm.
 Uric acid     .25-.75 Gm.
     That  doesn't sound like much,  but take 1 quart of urine and add 3  or  4
quarts of water and pour that on a lawn, just one application, that hasn't been
fertilized  and  you will be amazed.  Do not use urine undiluted since the
heavy dose of nitrogen will "burn" the plants.
     Since  urine has so much nitrogen it could be added to a compost pile that
is long on carbon but short on nitrogen.
     In  absolutely desparate conditions urine can used for a beverage  if  you
are  low  on water and in danger of dehydration.   This shouldn't be  taken  to
extremes, but there are religious sects in India that advocate drinking ones
own urine once a day for mytiscal reasons and they do not seem to suffer from 
any ill effects.  I doubt that you will benefit from the mystical advantages 
claimed for this, but it may keep you alive.  Needless to say, you can not rely
solely on urine for fluids for an extended period of time since urine contains
waste products.  Urine can however be used to prevent dehydration in the same
manner as seawater or other saline or contaminated waters.  You can use the 
undrinkable water to cool your skin thereby reducing water loss from 
perspiration. Where dehydration is emminant, use the salty water to cool your
skin and clothes.  The phrase, "Ration your sweat, not your water.", is the 
idea here.  Every cup of water that you can prevent losing is just as good as
an additional cup of water that you drink as far keeping yourself properly 
hydrated.






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