Update / Journal entry

NOTE:  To those that read this post on your phone, through school, or email you may not see the pictures in the post.  To see the actual blog you need to go to:  http://www.theaquaponicsproject.blogspot.com

This post will be a summary of different aspects of this project

Fish

One of the fish appeared to have a "white" round spot between its eyes.  It was taken out today and quarantined spending the night in the garage.  Our fish quarantine facilities is a 5 gallon bucket with a small aquarium pump that is left in the garage.  I will observe when I have time this week.  I may need to take a biopsy scrape from its head.

Water Quality

I take readings once a week.  My readings include;

• General observations 
• Dissolved oxygen
• Temperature
• Ammonia
• Hardness
• pH
• Alkalinity
• Nitrite
• Nitrate

The concern is the high nitrite and nitrate.  This is why I am rushed to get plants in the system to take clean the water up.

New Procedure

I needed to get plants in the water now.  The nitrate is up and I need plants to utilize this and clean the water.  Therefore, I went to Home Depot and bought four plants.  A banana pepper, Anaheim chili, cayenne pepper, and bell pepper.  I carefully removed them from the pot and washed all the soil away.  I cannot plants these plants into the Styrofoam because I do not know the substrate.  If there is contaminant in the soil them this could wreak havoc on my system.  Therefore, I removed all the soil, placed the plant in one of the net pots I use and then added the coconut noir/vermiculite mixture. I then ran the roots out the bottom and placed in the system.  The two that I put in last night looked great this morning.

Seedlings

My second batch has been very successful.  I decreased the water, took the plastic covers off and moved them on the counter of the kitchen sink (my wife loves this).  No, I have not controlled for the differences.  I will do this in the future.  I just need to get these plants going.  I have had great success on the sprouts.

1st Batch:  9 Pak Choi, 1 leek, 8 Swiss Chard, 3 corriander, 4 Spinach  

2nd Batch:  tomatoes (100%), jalapenos (80%), serranos (100%) bell peppers (100%), squash (80%), cucumbers (100%), basil (75%), oregano (75%), beans (0%)

3rd batch (3/11/2012, All plants are outside.

• 7 corriander
• 2 cucumbers
• 1 squash
• 8 leeks
• 9 green onions
• 9 beans

Below are winter and or spring plants.  They will not do well in the summer.  I am planting them for practice and testing purposes. (Greenhouse cover placed on these)

• 4 romaine (test)
• 5 arugula (test)
• 4 lettuce GL (test)
• 5 lettuce bib (test)
• 7 spinach (test)

Layout

I will construct a small 2 x 4 square foot area to plant a few plants in the soil for some control.  This first go around I will not perform everything as an experiment.  I am in the testing phases.  If I feel, through my initial testings, that one procedure or method is better than the other THEN I will test it through experimentation.  The plant box will act as a semi control and for initial testing.  The reason it is not a full control is due to many factors.

I will not replicate.  A good experiment replicates and controls all other variables.  Therefore, I would need at least three of the same plants in the raft and the soil of one species.

Also, I am not controlling for the water used.  If I wanted to say that the raft system is better than the soil then I would need to use the same water to control for that.  I will not waste fish water to water my plants, as of today.
 

Out........