Aquaponics Digest - Sun 02/28/99




Message   1: Re: mail systems help/twins

             from "Susanne Machler" 

Message   2: Test for URL

             from Colin Johnston 

Message   3: 

             from "carol busson" 

Message   4: url

             from "carol busson" 

Message   5: Re: Test for URL

             from Michael Strates 

Message   6: Live feed

             from Brian Gracia 

Message   7: Subduing nitrates and nitrites

             from Brian Gracia 

Message   8: Garden wall, peatcrete,  bentonite and thorite

             from "Robin Jenkins" 

Message   9: RE: Subduing nitrates and nitrites

             from Andrew 

Message  10: RE: Live feed

             from Andrew 

Message  11: RE: Mosquito Control

             from Andrew 

Message  12: RE: Mosquito Control

             from doelle 

Message  13: Re: Garden wall, peatcrete,  bentonite and thorite

             from Adriana Gutierrez 

Message  14: Re: Garden wall, peatcrete,  bentonite and thorite

             from KLOTTTRUE

Message  15: Re: Subduing nitrates and nitrites

             from "Ted Ground" 

Message  16: New comers

             from "Dale Robinson" 

Message  17: Re: Test for URL

             from "Dale Robinson" 

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| Message 1                                                           |

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Subject: Re: mail systems help/twins

From:    "Susanne Machler" 

Date:    Sat, 27 Feb 1999 22:52:12 PST

Thanks Dale and please keep them coming, I will compile this prbaly into 

a ist for this group.

I think you forgot a colon after the http BTW....

Sue ;)

From: "Dale Robinson" 

To: 

Subject: Re: mail systems help/twins

Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 12:46:37 -0600

Reply-To: aquaponics@townsqr.com

I belong to the worm forum list and the hydro list.  You can join these 

from

my web site links page.

Best regards

Dale Robinson

prof-robinson@worldnet.att.net

http//home.att.net/~prof-robinson/page7.html

Dale's links

This is also a test to see if the second address comes back to me as 

html or

as typed.

Perhaps I should check my format or something.

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| Message 2                                                           |

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Subject: Test for URL

From:    Colin Johnston 

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 17:09:05 +0800

Hi Prof.

Why not simply :



You have to watch because some URLs expect

the 'l' in html to be included, others do not. Oh, 

and the colon after the http needs to be included.

Colin

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| Message 3                                                           |

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From:    "carol busson" 

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 13:52:50 -0500

www.http//home.att.net/~prof-robinson/page7.html

in my mail program it switched over when I added www.    

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| Message 4                                                           |

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Subject: url

From:    "carol busson" 

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 13:55:44 -0500

www.http//home.att.net/~prof-robinson/page7.html

in my mail program it changed over when I added www.

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| Message 5                                                           |

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Subject: Re: Test for URL

From:    Michael Strates 

Date:    Mon, 1 Mar 1999 18:16:18 +1100 (EST)

On Sun, 28 Feb 1999, Colin Johnston wrote:

CJ> You have to watch because some URLs expect

CJ> the 'l' in html to be included, others do not. Oh, 

CJ> and the colon after the http needs to be included.

.html is NEVER implied. It is always expected that you supply an extention

of either .htm or .html for hypertext pages. There is no way a browser can

autodetect this reliably. Hence, I usually make symbolic links (you

windoze guys will know these as Shortcuts) to the .html pages so those

looking for .htms will find them as well.

--

e-mail: mstrates@croftj.net   www: http://www.croftj.net/~mstrates

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| Message 6                                                           |

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Subject: Live feed

From:    Brian Gracia 

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 15:52:07 -0600

Anyone have any info on live feed?  How bout green water?

I am going to be raising large mouth bass in a large tank, as well as

trying my hand at raising Red Snapper in another tank.  Both fish like live

feed.  I have plans to raise worms, meal worms, crickets and minnows.  I

thought about raising guppies, as I understand they breed rather quickly. 

I know all of this sounds like a lot to do, and it is, but I have several

friends that are teachers here in the area that are interested it bringing

their classes to see the operation.  It will feed my family, and give the

kids an education at the same time.

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| Message 7                                                           |

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Subject: Subduing nitrates and nitrites

From:    Brian Gracia 

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 15:58:23 -0600

I have yet another question.  I went on a net safari to find the ever

elusive "information" about amonia, nitrates and nitrites.  One of the

links I came across involved using 50ft of 1/4" tubing to raise bacteria to

change amonia to nitrates and nitrites and nitrogen gas.  Has anyone done

this for their tank systems?  I know that S&S uses grow beds and this works

for them, but I will be using troughs to grow veggies in.

Brian

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| Message 8                                                           |

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Subject: Garden wall, peatcrete,  bentonite and thorite

From:    "Robin Jenkins" 

Date:    Mon, 1 Mar 1999 17:36:03 -0600

Hello everyone!=20

Thanks in advance for letting me pick from the fruits of your fertile =

minds. I really enjoy this list.  I read,  catalog, and save almost =

every tidbit of information garnered here. =20

 My greenhouse is nearing completion,  seeds are sprouting,  4 of my =

tilapia breeders are expecting,  and I should have water flowing through =

my 500 gal aquapocics system within the next 6 weeks.  I'm having a =

little trouble finding a suitable grow media,  but still working on it.  =

All running totally off grid and on DC power.  I will have some =

questions I'm sure and will want to run the final scheme and numbers by =

you all for your input,  but for now I have some other questions =

pressing on me.

My homebuilt plywood aquarium sits in my living room and houses my =

brooder colony of 10 tilapia.  The tank volume is 110 gallons when =

completely full.  The biofilter is also homebuilt and so far everything =

is going swimmingl:)  Someone on this list has mentioned their "garden =

wall" for greywater treatment and it got me to thinking..... I want to =

make a garden wall as a biofilter for my brooder tank.  The tank sits in =

a perfect spot where I have a high (12-16') and wide(8-14') wall =

directly behind and above the tank.  The wall is completely lit from one =

end to the other with  a  long (12') sky light.  I calculate =

approximately 100 square feet of odd shaped but usable space.   The =

idea: pump water up,  it gravity flows down the wall in a convuluted =

path through various and sundry grow media planted with ornamental house =

plants fed through hoses on a contiual flow.  Then through a "marsh" =

area where water would travel much more slowly through the media and =

then overflow and cascade down the rest of the way hopefully over moss =

and algae that would accumulate on the faux stone with which the wall is =

made.  I can make it look like a rock wall that comes out into the room =

about 18 inches or so and goes all the way up to the sky light.  I =

calculate the water volume of the tank at 13.75 ft^3.  Surely I can fit =

at least 13.75 ft^3 of grow media on the wall,  assuming an average =

depth of 1 foot I could have up to 100 ft^3 of grow media volume.

Questions:

    1.. How do I calculate how much grow media volume and plant mass I =

need based on the given water volume,  fish density,  and available =

square feet of growing area?

    2.. Planting recommendations? What plants should I place where?  =

Lars has mentioned good marsh plants like Taro,  arum,  iris.  Other =

ornamentals that would like their new job of cleaning my fish water?  =

(Thanks Lars!  I read and reread the frog mod description and got many =

ideas from it!)

    3.. Should the entire stream of water pumped to the top of the wall =

be controlled going from one plant and media to another,  then another =

in "series"?  Or can the water be pumped up then distributed in a random =

fashion at the top to cascade down the wall where it will through the =

different media and plants in "parallel"?

    4.. Has anyone used sawdust for a grow medium?  It's the only thing =

I produce regurly and can get by the truckload (cottonwood sawdust) for =

next to nothing.

The "faux stone" wall.  I am an "industrial artist".  My main work is =

refinishing conrete floors with hand painted finishes like marble,  =

stone,  tile,  etc.  In the past I have made what I call "foamcrete".  =

Basicly it is an extremely light weight concrete poured in a thin layer =

onto rigid styrofoam insulation board.  It can be made to look just like =

old brick,  rock,   or cut stone moulding.  I have installed it in a =

decorative application on commercial buildings and it has withstood =

weather and people for the last three years.  I have also made modified =

concrete planter boxes made with white cement (much more stable than =

gray),  perlite,  and peat moss.  I call it peatcrete.  This concrete is =

even lighter than my foamcrete concrete mix. The perlite/peat makes the =

concrete very pourous,  breathable,  and light weight.   You can paint =

the finished planter box with buttermilk and lichens will soon form on =

the outside,  unless you live in a virtual desert like me here in West =

Texas.   Buttermilk?  Didn't they used to make paint with milk?  I would =

like to use this perlite/peat concrete mix to construct the planter =

boxes and faux stone of my garden wall. =20

Questions:

    1.. Would I need to paint the inside of my "breathable" planter box =

with something to completely seal the concrete,  or will multiple coats =

of buttermilk do? =20

    2.. What property of the white cement is deemed detrimental to my =

system assuming the perlite is inert and sterile,  and the peat free of =

fertilizer and chemical?

    3.. How can I test peat to see if it is fertilizer free?

    4.. Any ideas on using milk to seal the concrete?

    5.. Anyone know of bulk suppliers of perlite?  I have trucks,  big =

trucks.

The stains I use to color the concrete when I finish a floor or color  =

the foamcrete are colored concrete sealers. One version is a water based =

acrylic,  horrible on the floor,  great on the foamcrete.  The other is =

a solvent based silicone acrylic,  best product on the market for the =

floor,  will eat the styrofoam.   I know from building my aquarium that =

"aquarium safe" sealant is 100% pure silicone.  A lot of new aquariums =

are made from clear acrylic plastic.  The stain is solvent born and =

therefore toxic in the can,  but so is epoxy.   Some forms of epoxy are =

non-toxic when completely cured.  This epoxy seals the plywood back and =

bottom of my brooder aquarium.  It would be nice to be able to use these =

stains for the coloring and sealing (if needed) of the garden wall even =

if only on the outside where it wouldn't have direct contact with the =

water or grow media.

Questions:

    1.. Could the toxicity of the cured stain be considered negligible =

if used only to color concrete never coming into direct contact with the =

water?  How about if water is made to cascade down over the =

colored/sealed concrete? =20

    2.. If I allowed water to spill over the sides of the media planters =

and cascade down the wall,  would sealing the surface impede or =

encourage the growth of beneficial algae and moss? =20

    3.. Should I stick to buttermilk?

    4.. If aquarium safe is pure silicone and aquariums are now made =

with acrylic,  why isn't acrylic, or silicone acrylic concrete sealer =

safe?

Some posts regarding natural pond building a while back were very =

interesting.  One clued me in to the real name of what I have always =

known as caliche,  or bentonite.  I have also read of a cement made with =

thorite.  It is supposed to be an aquarium safe cement or concrete.  =

Large public aquariums use it to anchor corals to a frame or substrate =

in the tanks.  It is marketed under a brand name Thoroseal I believe,  =

although I have never used it.  Thorite is also supposed to be a native =

mineral to the Texas area. =20

Questions:

    1.. Has anyone worked with thorite? =20

    2.. Is it known by other names I would recognize?

    3.. How do you make concrete with it?

    4.. Is it the same as live rock?

    5.. Would bentonite have a place in the garden wall?

I hope this all makes sense written here.  Right now it's only a =

feasable idea.   Any help will be greatly appreciated as is all the info =

I receive here.  For a look at what I'm talking about with concrete rock =

walls visit  www.rockwork.com.    These people do some of the best work =

I've ever seen with faux stone,  next to mine;) =20

Thanks ya'll........ Robin out

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| Message 9                                                           |

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Subject: RE: Subduing nitrates and nitrites

From:    Andrew 

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 22:43:47 +1030

We use this technology successfully.

Feed conversions are app. 2lb of feed per ft squared.

Set up right this system becomes self cleaning.

Currently an aquaponics site uses our system for growing 

20,000 Barramundi Lates calcarifer and 30,000 head of lettuce.

They also use the N.F.T. troughs for their veggie production.

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| Message 10                                                          |

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Subject: RE: Live feed

From:    Andrew 

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 22:37:40 +1030

Green Water aquaculture is best practiced with Marine species.

Requirements are unicellular batches of algae in sterile conditions.

This algae is added to rotifer tanks or brine shrimp as feed.

Rotifers and brine shrimp are then cultured up to a density of around

10/ml. Larvae of your fish are added and allowed to graze on the live feed.

Keep your densities to around 10/ml. as practical. The rotifers and brine

shrimp will

produce asexually as long as there is no major water quality deterioration.

Don't forget

to keep adding fresh algae as required. (Sechi dish reading) 

The production of 200,000 recruitable juveniles can be attained in a 3,000

L. tank.

Alternatively, ponds can be seeded as above but in larger volumes of each unit.

We have two books available which may be of help.

1)Live feeds for marine aquaculture, a training guide.

2)The plankton culture manual.

Anyone have any info on live feed?  How bout green water?

I am going to be raising large mouth bass in a large tank, as well as

trying my hand at raising Red Snapper in another tank.  Both fish like live

feed.  I have plans to raise worms, meal worms, crickets and minnows.  I

thought about raising guppies, as I understand they breed rather quickly. 

I know all of this sounds like a lot to do, and it is, but I have several

friends that are teachers here in the area that are interested it bringing

their classes to see the operation.  It will feed my family, and give the

kids an education at the same time.

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| Message 11                                                          |

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Subject: RE: Mosquito Control

From:    Andrew 

Gambusia minnow was imported into Australia to eliminate

mosquito problem areas of this pest. Unfortunately it was discovered later

that they in fact eat very little mosquito larvae and preferred our native

fish larvae.

Research programs are now in place to produce sterile progeny to be released 

into these areas. Be very careful with these harmless looking fish. They are

an ecological 

nightmare in delicate balanced environments. Native fish stocks of some

species have been 

decimated since the introduction of Gambusia.

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| Message 12                                                          |

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Subject: RE: Mosquito Control

From:    doelle 

Date:    Mon, 01 Mar 1999 11:59:54 +1100

Andrew,

Do you know that your messages have always an attachment ? Do you really

need these attachments in every message ? I cannot open them and thus do not

know how important they are in your correspondence.

Best regards

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| Message 13                                                          |

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Subject: Re: Garden wall, peatcrete,  bentonite and thorite

From:    Adriana Gutierrez 

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 19:53:57 -0500

Robin,

Robin,

It sounds like you have a good start on an interesting system. 

I'd like some more information on your off-grid set-up.

 All running totally off grid

> and on DC power.  

>   1. How do I calculate how much grow media volume and plant

>      mass I need based on the given water volume,  fish

>      density,  and available square feet of growing area?

Paula, can you crank up your standard reply here?

>   1. Would I need to paint the inside of my "breathable"

>      planter box with something to completely seal the

>      concrete,  or will multiple coats of buttermilk do?

I would put plastic liners inside the planter boxes, possibly

flower boxes from a garden center or other plastic in order to

avoid leaks.

>   2. What property of the white cement is deemed detrimental to

>      my system assuming the perlite is inert and sterile,  and

>      the peat free of fertilizer and chemical?

Perlite is inert and sterile but peat is known to harbor the

pythium fungus so you should stay away from it if you want to

grow lettuce or herbs.

>   5. Anyone know of bulk suppliers of perlite?  

Here in Florida I bought perlite for $5.64/ 4 cubic ft bag from

an agricultural supplier dealing in primarily fertilizers and

pesticides.  I can get you the name of the manufacturer; if I

recall they manufactured in several parts of the US.  You could

then call them for the nearest distributor.

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| Message 14                                                          |

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Subject: Re: Garden wall, peatcrete,  bentonite and thorite

From:    KLOTTTRUE

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 19:58:10 EST

Hello

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| Message 15                                                          |

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Subject: Re: Subduing nitrates and nitrites

From:    "Ted Ground" 

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 19:32:13 -0600

Andrew,

You are growing Barramundi with an Aquaponics System???

I am very interested!  Please tell us more!

Ted

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| Message 16                                                          |

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Subject: New comers

From:    "Dale Robinson" 

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 13:23:40 -0600

If you are new to this list and want to get some begginers information from

one

Links page, you can't go wrong with my links page.  The links start with a

list of mail groups that have something to do with hydroponics, aquaculture

or vermiculture.  I feel that these three components need to be joined in

order to have a complete self sustaining loop in Aquaponics.  The rest are

links to indivdual web sites with related material in them and some sites

that sell systems and supplies.  There are also a few sites to research.

One such site has a paper about using nutrients.  I don't sell anything from

this page, I only use it for my reference.  If you see a link that don't

work or that you would like me to include in this list, please send me an

email.

Best regards

Dale Robinson

prof-robinson@worldnet.att.net



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| Message 17                                                          |

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Subject: Re: Test for URL

From:    "Dale Robinson" 

Date:    Sun, 28 Feb 1999 23:09:53 -0600

Thanks to all that helped me get this straitened out.  My problem was a

typo.  I left off the Collin after http.

Now it works fine.

Best regards

Dale Robinson

prof-robinson@worldnet.att.net

http://home.att.net/~prof-robinson/page7.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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