Peas and Nitrites

[jrlevers]

Wow I go to work for one day and come back to a thousand posts. Lol.

I realize I probably overdosed with salt but the tilapia were as vigorous as ever this morning when I came home. I did a 50% water change just to be safe and there has been no evidence of stress whatsoever.

For me AP is more about the fish than the veggies (however fresh produce in winter is a bonus) so if I lose a few plants or all, I won't be crushed.

[urbanfarmer]

Wow I go to work for one day and come back to a thousand posts. Lol.

I realize I probably overdosed with salt but the tilapia were as vigorous as ever this morning when I came home. I did a 50% water change just to be safe and there has been no evidence of stress whatsoever.

For me AP is more about the fish than the veggies (however fresh produce in winter is a bonus) so if I lose a few plants or all, I won't be crushed.

Yea, I started out thinking that too. Who wants to eat vegetables? However, the majority of the production will always come from the vegetables. There's just no way around it. You can minimize the vegetable production, but then you're just making waste.

[foodchain]

Just out of curioustiy, WHY NOT?
Polyculture allows for dense production of multiple species in the same water. Plants grow faster, so you will have more produce I suppose.
But more in volume, doesn't mean limited selection of the higher protein and aquatics selection. I am doing this now, and am experimenting with higher densities. The plants and media simply filters out the ammonia/nitrates. Just saying....

[urbanfarmer]

You mean why not get more production from the fish? I was just pointing out it takes longer (let's say a year) to grow out a pound to pound and a half of fish vs. a few months for the same production of vegetables. Unless you are removing solids or using denitrification, etc., to remove the waste products then you will need more plants to uptake these toxins/nutrients. There's a "minimum ratio" between the plants and fish unless you are throwing out wastes, and the "minimum ratio" will still produce more plant mass than fish mass.

OR, think about it like this. The fish NEED you to find an energy source for them whereas the plants have a free and nearly unlimited energy source. The plants produce more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals for humans and in greater quantity.

My brain is tired today so I hope I wrote that in a way that makes sense??

[foodchain]

You are absolutely correct in the timeline, greens grow faster than the fish do. They are cheaper, faster, and easier. Fish are funner, least I think so especially when you mix multiple species into a poly format maximizing production off othe same volume of water. Polyculture has been linked to more of a symbiotic relationship, even if unintentional between Tilapia and Prawns. So there are pros and cons both ways.

[urbanfarmer]

Yes, the literature consistently describes polyculture as a means of maximizing a system's production. I don't know much about it though. Maybe you could start a thread and tell us about yours and how it's done in the past, etc??

[foodchain]

I am not sure anyone would be too interested. Some people are already doing it, and don't know it. I suppose I should. Let me get myself organized and put together something that's not ramblings/grunts/whistles, etc and see if I can get some pictures...It's winter though...um, maybe find something so I can illustrate it. Okay Urban, I can do it...just give me some time. Scatter brained right now.

[Basil1]

Would also be interested in hearing about this.

[Madmax478]

Dose anyone think adding Store Bought Aquarium bacteria to this system would help? I was talking to a fellow that double dose his fresh water aquarium to straiten out his 100 gallon aquarium. He said it always straiten out his water test to where he wanted them with in 48 to 72 hours.

I have never tried it myself. It sounds like it might work though.

[urbanfarmer]

Dose anyone think adding Store Bought Aquarium bacteria to this system would help?

Nope.

AT BEST, and if the product you buy is of decent quality... Well, it's a short term solution for a long term problem. You would have to dose regularly.

The right bacteria are free. Just balance your system the right way and you won't have a need to use these kinds of short term fixes.

ANALOGY: It's like filling your tire with air every morning before you drive it as a fix for a small hole in the tire. Balancing your system is like replacing the tire or patching the hole.