Duckweed and String Algae

The video above is one of the best for both duckweed and string algae.

String Algae may begin to grow in your system.  Its not all bad because it can be useful as a fish food, but it tends to clog the system.  If your fish dont keep it under control a small amount of salt in the water will kill the string algae.

There are many varieties of duckweed.  I have two, but one or the other will tend to prevail depending on the time of year.  Duckweed can be rinsed and used in salads and it provides good protein for your fish.    Under ideal conditions duckweed will double its volume in just a few days, but you will probably have to raise your duckweed separate from your fish because they will eat it faster than it reproduces.

Duckweed cleans the water, but it can also exclude oxygen if it grows too thick.  It prefers warm water, and seems to grow out of control when the conditions are right.  Creating the right conditions can be difficult, so I spread it around various areas and let it grow where it wants to grow. 


Good article about Duck Weed
http://www.fao.org/Ag/AGAInfo/resources/documents/DW/Dw2.htm

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Piece of Candy

Ok guys, I WANT a horse. Im GETTING a horse.

Let me tell you some history about my pets. Spyro was acquired from some family that carelessly bred dogs. Out of all of the dogs they have milled, Spyro is the only known survivor after 11 1/2 years. He was from his moms second litter and has a small defect (his last set of ribs curve slightly outward instead of in) but I love him anyway. My aunt had all of her current dogs taken by SPCA which is awesome. She is not allowed to own any more animals due to the fact that the litter found in her house was infested with fleas and stepping in everyones poop (including the cats which also had babies.) I guess you can say Spyro is one lucky man.

Loki was adopted from my county shelter. I couldnt find the dog I was looking for (both dogs I applied for were adopted and one was returned a week later) so we chose the little guy huddled in the back of his kennel all by himself. He was a return and had attacked the vet twice. He was to be re evaluated that day and possibly put down. Needless to say, he still hates vets but loves us.

Luna wasnt always Luna. We actually had a tweaker come in our yard so we adopted a pit x american bulldog pup that we named Zeus. Needless to say, he wasnt much of a fighter. Oh no he LOVED everyone. Unfortunately, Zeus was an impulsive choice which ended up as a bad choice. The cutie was given away and ended up at a shelter later. I kept an eye on him though and he was adopted out to a wonderful family with kids. Yes they posted on the county site...he has grown so much. It didnt feel right...It felt wrong all over. Someone left a very cute dog in our yard and she took off. This made me feel only 1000 times worse. So...we found someone else that had impulsively gotten a dog. This lady, now jobless and homeless, was specifically looking for someone into raw feeding or that fed a certain dog food. Low and behold, we sometimes gave our dogs that kibble but the boys have been raw fed for a while. Luna is now a part of our family.

Im into adoption...really.

The ranch I started working at specialized in arabs. My ex managers horse is a beautiful pinto arab gelding and my old partner is a gray (gray meaning white in the human world) arab mare. The gelding was rescued when he was just a colt from an abusive home. My partner was a rescue from someone that starved her. The other school horse, a chestnut arab, was broken in such a harsh way that her "trainer" actually broke her jaw. She was sentenced to death when my manager found her and paid for her jaw to be fixed. At my second ranch, I was working with a black mustang mare that was born wild. She was one of the most beautiful things I have seen. Ever since then, I have wanted to rescue rescue rescue. I wanted to buy a mustang and rescue all of my dogs and cats. I want to give them all a second chance at life.

but beggers cant be choosers right? Choosers cant be beggers either.

This...is a gypsy horse. As you can see, they are terribly fucking beautiful.

On top of being beautiful, they are apparently really nice and smart. Its like the class president of Perfect High School that is super beautiful, smart, funny, and super nice!

As far as rescuing goes...hahaha! These horses arent common in shelters. Would I feel guilty for buying one? Yeah about as guilty as someone eating a piece of dark chocolate after promising to diet!

DAMN YOU BEAUTIFUL HORSE!!!

But anyway...I tend to have a heart of gold which will eventually save my ass. I cant diet because I always make some sick sad excuse on why I need to eat that piece of triple chocolate cake. My dearest boyfriend should have seen it coming...our ranch full of dogs and cats that were put on death row. Of course, I could always say that I rescue these cats...a sanctuary for animals that are otherwise unadoptable (such as feral cats, old as fuck dogs....) I hear this takes away property tax as well...suhweet.

...after I buy my horse though....

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Aquaponics Direct composter duckweed drying

My system has only one fish, and Im getting a little worried about my growbeds worm population. Im not confident theres enough fish waste going into the system to feed them all.

What I thought I might try is creating a small compost bin directly in my growbed to make sure the worms have enough to eat.

I have a lot of duckweed growing in my system, and that one fish has to power the new bigger growbed, and the duckweed.

Duckweed uses quite a bit of useful nutrient so I thought I should remove some, and add it back into the system via the composter.

 I pulled out a quarter of a bucket or so of my duckweed from the system, and dumped it on some dry, sheltered concrete to dry.










I need to dry it first to kill it, because the direct composter will be a small container full of holes, sitting directly in my growbed. That means it will be damp, and the duckweed might just stay alive.

As I understand it, worms feed on the stuff that feeds on rotting vegetation so live duckweed wouldnt work so well.


120 Things in 20 years seems to be growing plants for feed to grow other plants. I think I finally developed a way to make growing vegetables as inefficient as growing beef.

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LETS LOOK AT DUCKWEED

Today in addition to our usual searches into the world of Aquaponics, We are going to try to present an array of opinions, comments and articles on the lowly Aquatic (well sort of) plant, Duckweed of which there are several distinct varieties or types.

So why did I put Sort of? Well we have a pond at the back of our farm which is fed from our creek but only when the creek floods. So the rest of the time our pond or is it a lagoon, gradually fades to a puddle and the duckweed is left on the shore WHERE IT CONTINUES TO SURVIVE UNTILL THE NEXT FILL. Just thought you may have been interested in that little bit of trivia.

Duckweed belongs to the Lemnaceae family, a group of the smallest flowering plants with no leaves or stems, though some have roots. All duckweed varieties can produce small flowers, but they rarely do.

Read more: Facts on Duckweed | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5057304_duckweed.html#ixzz19suh5pFU

So lets list the genuses:
There are four duckweed genuses: Lemna, Spirodela, Wolffi a,
and Wolffi ella – with over 40 species identified to date.
These plants are also unique in that they do not have
any stem or leaf structures. The plant is simply a fleshy
ovoid or flattened structure that may or may not bear
simple roots.
It is often spread by aquatic birds and floods. Commonplace
worldwide and quite hardy, it will even tolerate
brackish water (up to 4,000 mg/L of total dissolved
solids).
And so at this point, its time to look a little deeper into its value benefits and problems. To this end we go searching:

Lets see what the San Juan County Conservation District as part of the ‘Green Ground’ program have to say in their PDF Report:

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From the Iowa State University, Prepared by Joe Morris, extension aquaculture specialist and Charles Mischke, Department of Animal Ecology, Iowa State University.

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From Palomar College: The Lemnaceae (Duckweed Family) A brilliant website


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An Abstract from Water Science & Technology.

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Next from Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala and was supported by SAREC (Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries) and the International Foundation for Science (IFS), Grant No B/208-1. 

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 Some Photographic help and Information

Ok so what about other uses:

Finally we are off to West Africa where we are provided with a study on Duckweed specifically aimed at Tilapia food

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   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We now cross back to Studio A

Are you looking for a speaker or workshop leader?

Sylvia Bernstein, President and Founder

An experienced speaker and internationally recognized expert on aquaponic gardening, Sylvia’s speaking style is warm, friendly, and interactive.

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Aquaponics at home cultivate fish and plants by growing plants in containers filled with gravel, your plants get their food from the waste of your fish, a process that is very beneficial to both plants and the fish. Your fish are going to be healthy and more than likely resistant to infections and various disease.Read more: http://lifestyle.ezinemark.com/aquaponics-at-home-17122dd0f3a.html#ixzz19t7WSDyO

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 I could not establish the exact location of this next website but no matter. Lets just enjoy the content.

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 Fro murray Hallam: One of the fun plants to grow in Aquaponics is strawberries. We all know how great they taste especially if picked fresh and juicy from your own system. They grow very well in conventional gravel grow beds provided your....

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 From Nelson and Pade:December Workshop Wraps up a Successful Year of Training

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From Murray Hallams Forum:

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Broke down and hired a handyman

I just couldnt seem to find time to finish the construction, nor did I have the right tools for the job, and I cant keep asking friends to bring their tools and work on it with me.  So I hired a handyman to come do the construction.  Ive still got more work to do, but at least......More

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 Well heres another year started. So Buckle-Up....were on our way again.....
See you soon
O Z Z I E

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The Itch

The best part about blogging to strangers is that you can say whats on your mind without massive consequences...if youre careful that is....

I never understood why some people were shot down for "faking" things said on the internet. Maybe it is what this person really is but is too afraid to be. Sometimes this is a good thing, helping them express themselves. Other times...well some people are just plain dumb. I have a feeling my boyfriend or his friend might read this post one day and be like "why is my business all on the web?" Well, because it was in my head. If youre going to put the effort into stalking me, good for you! You will find my stories 100% true and often bone chilling, funny, or just plain bleh. A typical life is what Id like to call it.

...But there is one story poking at me so terribly right now....

I have a lot of crazy life stories because I have ran into a lot of crazy people that were either full of baggage and I was there to listen or just...bleh. I remember this girl that came into my 6th grade class. She was from [insert some midwest state] and was in her aunts custody. Well...her mom had flown out here to come get her. She kidnapped her little brother from preschool and was now after her. In fact, she had walked in the classroom, picked him up, and took off without saying a word. The police were called and our school was warned. I believe this girl and her brother moved out of town, changed their names, and her mom was arrested.

How many times does one get to hear a story like that? I mean most of us hear it on TV or on some drama but never in real life (or it isnt talked about.) But I will talk about it today. Why? Because it is bothering me and hell this is my place to write. Its not like Im using names. To keep everyone in 99% privacy though, I will give fake names.

So the main cast.

Jenna: Has 2 kids, a very young (less than year old) son and a girl (more like 7)

Cedric: This is Jennas brother

Alicia: Jennas daughter

Jaden: This is Jennas son

Cedric lives with his mom and is just starting out at life. He is around 18 years old, single, and not looking to mingle one bit. Jenna decides she has to move back in. While she is staying there, she causes only a shit ton of problems but mom loves her and keeps letting her back in. One day, Jenna doesnt come home. Cedric is now stuck watching Alicia and transiting her to and from school (pretty much playing dad while his mom plays mom.) Jenna took off over 100 miles because she just wanted to get away and have fun. Worst part about it, nobody knows where Jaden is....

True story guys.

I guess it bothers me because...I mean its not like you even have to keep your kids. Suggest surrendering them to your mom or put them in the system. I guess Im sort of on the grey about this but I think its pretty wrong to just push your responsibilities onto someone else... especially by taking advantage of people that love you. I guess it really bugs me because Id love to be a mom but I hear crazy crap like this.

-_-

If you dont want kids, dont have em. Seriously!

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Aquaponics Duckweed

Since I moved my duckweed into its new home its growing like some kind of thing that grows a lot.

It looked like this nineteen days ago.

Then eighteen days ago I lost a lot of it because I overflowed my tank and all the duckweed went for a walk over the edge.

It looks like this today.

Its not lost on me that this is a poor comparison.

I realise they look pretty much the same, but this latest one is many layers thick in most parts. The original pic is all a single layer thick. I had no idea it could grow this way in multiple layers.





I suspect this is a dangerous thing to grow on top of a fishtank as it might choke the water. I doubt  the water will see enough oxygen. If not for the fact that I only have one fish, I think there could be trouble.

I think I might scoop all this out and do a time lapse of it growing back, but then I think I might move it into some other containers or something.


120 Things in 20 years wants some trout fingerlings.

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What is a Poser

Yesterday, I met a "goth" model that...well Id never thought Id say this but, was probably a poser.
I dont like using the term poser.  Some people may seem "fake" but if that is who they are, then they arent posing as anything.

Anyway, he came up to us (a group consisting of me and some co workers) complaining about his work and about how he had to stand with the sun beaming on him for hours and only got 20 minute breaks with his hour lunch.  Even worse, he had to stay at his photo shoots for up to 8 hours including his hour lunch!

*gasp*

Of course this pissed me off.  I run around a hot fryer, get 15 minute breaks, and, even though we are entitled to an hour, I only get 30 minute lunches because were so poorly staffed in the deli.  Im at work a total of 9 hours most days but have gone up to 10.

We were talking about bands.  I told him the only real goth bands I cared for were The Cure and Bauhaus.  He didnt consider these goth and told me how much he didnt like them.

whether you like it or not, it is goth.  that is like me saying strawberries arent food because I dont like them


blah blah blah kid youre probably a poser and just pretending to look cool in front of us....a bunch of people that couldnt care less.

Truth: real goths listen to whatever they like.  He didnt like anything that wasnt labeled goth.  I see more goths in jeans and a band shirt than I see goths in black.  Yes...not all goths dress in black.
So what am I then?  Well sometimes I dress like this

sometimes like this

and this

and this

but its usually all smashed together.

Is it original?  Probably not.  I guarantee someone out there is exactly like me.  But who cares?  Its what we like.

as far as music...rock, classical, and electronic are my basic three.  Am I a goth?  Probably not.  I have stopped trying to pin a label on myself yeeaaarrsss ago.  It was much too hard.

Back on topic...this guy could have very much been a poser or could have truly been a strangely passive aggressive my way or the highway goth type thing.  I dont know!

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Wicked Beds

A look at the construction of my Earthan Beds. Previously these beds were Wicking Beds with sand in the bottom, but now I want to be able to let aquaponic water flow freely through the beds so Ive replaced the sand with rocks. The soil I place back into the Earthan Beds is a mix of sand, compost, pumice, and garden soil, amended with Azomite. Pumice is not required, but it provides plenty of surface area for bacteria while making the soil light and airy. When I first started to use my wicking beds I noticed the smell of anaerobic bacteria. By allowing some water to flow out of the overflow tube each day I was able to prevent this anaerobic condition. When I removed the sand and soil from the wicking beds I found no sign of anaerobic bacteria. By letting the water flow through the Earthan Beds I will create a good environment for nitrification and prevent anaerobic conditions. The water from the Bioponic System will also provide nitrates and other elements for good plant growth.

The first video shows how I constructed the Earthan Beds

This video starts out with a tour of my fall garden.  

Click the hot spot to skip ahead to the nearly finished wicking beds.

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Aquaponics Duckweed direct composter

Having dried some duckweed by spreading it out on some concrete for a few days, the next stage in creating my direct composter is using my cheese press to bring it all together. My PVC cheese press has seen a few different purposes in its lifetime, but this one looks like it might be the one it retires to.

The duckweed shrunk down to a quarter of its former live self.

I found my PVC pipe with holes that was formerly a cheese press, and rinsed it thoroughly.

I filled it with the dry duckweed, and planted it into the growbed.











The day after tomorrow, Im off on an adventure to the other side of the continent, but tomorrow, which is really the day after tomorrow a far as this experiment goes, Ill check to see if the worms like their new feeder. But really Ill be somewhere else.




120 Things in 20 years is wondering if anyone is actually following this convoluted narrative.







120 Things in 20 years thinks that as far as it can tell, its made a worm motel.

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