
When I first started finding information on aquaponics it originated from
my search for 55 gallon plastic barrels on craigslist. I had recently completed
a rain barrel system that holds 180 gallons of delicious precipitation. Rain barrels fill up very quickly. I utilized a
large amount of 2 inch PVC piping to connect all three barrels together and to
attach a spigot. My excitement that emerged from melding various combinations
of plastic and glue led me to look for other useful variations that employed a
similar set of materials. It turns out that a lot of people use 55 gallon
barrels for aquaponics fish tanks.
I am
not a carpenter, builder, or in any other way a construction oriented
individual, but glue, saws and hammers do have a certain appeal to me. I am
not a green-thumbed gardening genius. I can keep orchids alive, the phalaenopsis
variety, since mine seem to enjoy being neglected and forgotten. They tend to
bloom after a particularly long period of intermittent watering. I take it as a
sign that they want attention. I place them in a prominent spot on
the coffee table for the time their blooms are full and then send them back to
my office desk once the blooms have fallen off. It’s not a perfect
relationship, but I am hoping to expand my gardening knowledge with this foray into aquaponics.
I am
25 years old with a degree in English. I know vastly more about Chaucer
than I do about growing spinach or eggplants. However, my spinach seedlings
seem to be growing just fine right now! I don’t really know why I’ve forsaken
dirt for water except that I’m hoping to raise some tilapia and end the growing
season with a nice fillet or two. The success of aquaponics originates in the
waste the fish deposit in their tank. The ammonia that fish create will attract
bacteria to the tank called nitrosomonas. The job of this critter is to change
the toxic ammonia into nitrites, which is even more toxic to the fish. The presence
of nitrites will then attract another microscopic friend, nitrospira which is a
nitrobacter. These bacteria will transform the toxic nitrites into harmless
nitrates that plants love and devour. This
is clearly book/Internet knowledge that I am attempting to put into practical
application. In the process, I figured I’d write about my triumphs and learning
experiences.
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