Originally Posted 9-April-2009

The DWR has approved Blue Gill, but again declined Red Claw Crayfish. Now I have to go through the expensive and painful variance process. They are concerned that they will escape and become invasive. Every waterway within 100 miles freezes over!!!. Not a single red claw will survive a single season!

Well, at least I have something to put in my tanks beside goldfish.

The plants are doing well, I finally have lettuce started from seed 4 weeks ago, ready to go into the raft system. PH is around 7.2-7.4, I'll see if it settles in there long term or not. The water heater is keeping the temperatures above 68 Degrees (20C). I had to insulate the fish tank as the greenhouse gets warm on sunny days and the temps in the tank ran up 78 degrees (25C) one day, and will be worse as the summer comes. Wrapping the tank with 2 layers of a 1/2 inch bubble/foil faced insulation keeps the temps below 74 degrees in the day.

In the greenhouse (not part of the system) I have Avocados blossoming, Pomegranates blossoming, in addition to the year round citrus. Spring is in the air and it feels good. 4 of my 5 beehives are just chock full of bees and should produce tons of honey this year. The other one will get re-queened next week and it will be off running as well.

Now just to recoup and get ready to tackle the DWR.

Originally Posted 22-April-2009

There be whales here!

Yesterday afternoon I traveled an hour north to Erda Utah and picked up 100 3-4" Blue Gill Fingerlings. We just bagged them inside a cooler and a 10 gallon drinking jug. They made the trip without suplimental oxygenation and 100% were still alive this afternoon.

Four hours after putting them in the system, amonia and nitrites were up to .25, but by this morning they both had gone back to zero.

I have lettuce ready to harvest, 3rd crop of radishes, Cucumbers are 2-3 inches long and growing fast, peas and beens have small pods/beens, next week I should have a full compliment of veggies to choose from.

Whenever I add water, I add 1 tablespoon of Phosphoric Acid (carefully) as my water source has a PH of 8.0 and I've been keeping the PH in the 7-7.4 range, temps in the 68-72 range. At present everything is happy.

100 Bluegill is not much for my system, but I hope to add Hybrid Striped Bass fingerlings in 2 months when they are available, then harvest the bluegill as they reach pan size, while the bass are growing.

I've requeened the 1 weak beehive and my son added a new hive as well. We should have 6 good hives for this year.

Originally Posted 29-April-2009

Yellow Leaves
100 Bluegill and 100% still alive. I have leaves on lettuce and radish that are yellowing. The tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and beans all are green, healthy, and growing vigorously. The plants get full sunlight for 14 hours a day, so light should not be the issue. PH is 7-7.4.

Would this be Iron, Magnesium or Nitrogen deficiency? It seems to be the outer/older leaves that are yellowing, but I thought the fish load should be big enough (1-2oz of food per day) to keep the nitrogen levels up. Total Disolved Solids run 400-450ppm. The water is clear, algae is almost non-existant (bluegill keep it cleaned up).

Any thoughts I would appreciate. (Note: Most systems, especially new systems require the addition of some iron, this was my primary deficiency.)

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