Selling My System

This ad is appearing in the Facebook Marketplace as of July 25, 2017.

---

Aquasprouts aquaponics indoor garden aquarium

Raise fish and grow plants simultaneously! Enjoy the aquatic cycle of nature with the AquaSprouts aquaponics aquarium setup. You can reap the benefits of your own indoor, edible garden through the symbiotic relationship of plants and fish known as the nitrogen cycle.

I’ve used this tank, with the help of two goldfish, to grow jalapeño peppers, basil, cilantro, lemon balm, and peppermint, but it certainly isn’t limited to these plants. It’d be great for any student or adult who is interested in learning about the sustainability of the environment or from someone who wants to have their own year-round garden. Since the process is natural, you can eat these plants. Larger systems are used commercially to raise fish, including tilapia, for consumption in restaurants, fruits such as strawberries, as well as for other plants and vegetables.

The tank itself has been featured on AquaSprouts’ Instagram account.

How It Works

1. You feed the fish
2. The fish digest the food and then poop in the tank, which ultimately creates a chemical called nitrites. These  turn into nitrates later. Higher concentrations of these naturally-occurring chemicals are deadly to fish if not filtered out regularly.
3. Fortunately, plants love nitrates. So, in an aquaponics system, the nitrate-rich water is pumped onto the plant bed, the plants use the nitrates for fuel, and the water, now nitrate-free, is returned to the tank so the fish can breathe. In a traditional aquarium, removing nitrates would be done through a combination of constant filtering, periodic water changes, and various treatments based on the results of water tests and analysis.

The Kit

My fully-functional kit includes:

• AquaSprouts Garden Instruction Manual
• AquaSprouts growbed and light bar.
• 10 gallon acrylic aquarium tank
• Submersible pump
• Water syphon
• Clay substrate where the plants will grow
• Water syphon (for water changes)
• Two 45-watt LED grow lights
• 15 amp 24-hour 3-prong timer for the submersible pump
• HyderFarm 7-day digital timer with two 3-prong outlets (for the lights)
• Whisper 10 aerator/air pump
• Nat Geo 50 watt aquarium heater with adjustable temperature setting
• Nat Geo 25 watt aquarium heater (when water changes are needed)
• Mag-Float aquarium cleaner
• Tetra 6-in-1 water test strips which can measure pH, NO2, NO3, KH, GH, and CL.
• API Ammonia test kit (NH3/NH4)
• API pH UP (helps to raise the pH if it is too low)
• Organic fish food (since you’re eating the plants, don’t use food from the pet store).
• Condensed experience as recorded from my blog, http://h2oponics.blogspot.com.

Some life changes have prevented me from being able to keep the system, but my loss can be your gain. Together, this system would normally cost $400, but you can begin your introductory adventure into aquaponics for much less.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLt6J-LAf9u/

If you're interested, you can either go to Facebook, send me a direct message, or a comment. I will get in touch with you.

Au revoir, aquaponics world!

Good Bye

As interesting as it was to successfully grow vegetables and herbs through an aquaponics tank, the time has come for me to exit the experiment.  I was going to do so eventually, but unfortunate circumstances have forced my hand. I'm a little sad about it, but it'll pass.

The original reasons were that I was attending trucking school in order to get my CDL license and become an over-the-road (OTR) trucker. I wouldn't be able to take care of the fish or the plants if I fell into this profession.  However, another event occurred to make my exit less graceful.

While the tank had good condition being in my bedroom, the noise every 45 minutes from the submersible water pump weren't conducive for sleeping. So, I had to move the tank to reduce the noise. Unfortunately, I moved the tank from the ideal environment of my darker bedroom to my office, which has more sunlight. As a result, the algae bloomed too much, and I couldn't control it. Ergo, the two goldfish died.

I created a rule not to name the fish because of their short life span. However, these fish did last about one year. I feel that I should have named them though. They did do a good job feeding my crops above them, so they should have at least been honored in this way. How about Laurel and Hardy? I'm sure that the lack of names didn't matter to them, but I'm sorry that I couldn't keep them alive. A toast to Laurel and Hardy.

The School and Journey to the CDL A

The first part of this school consisted of instruction and preparation for taking the necessary tests to get our permits along with the optional endorsements. The instruction here was a mix of rote via test, instructor anecdote, and various videos. Tight tabs were kept on time, and besides the lack of a syllabus, it seemed professional enough. This part was rather easy for me, partly because I had read the CDL (Commercial Driver's License) manual ahead of time and got my permit, albeit with no endorsements. Overall, the students passed the test on the first try, but others struggled. It took some many times to pass the General Knowledge test, even with two weeks of instruction. The General Knowledge test is the gateway for being able to take the other tests required to get a Class A CDL.

The second part of the school wasn't what I expected. The first day had us listening to a instructor who was more interested about preaching his personal story, and bromides about not doing drugs (didn't we pee into a cup for this?) than about teaching us the finer details of how to drive a truck. We were handed a bunch of photocopies from two chapters of a book and basically had to fend for ourselves to understand things. Some students, who had previous experience in other trucks, seemed to do well. Others, like myself, had some trouble.

Many of the instructors' maturity level hadn't extended beyond those of high school students. The singling out of some students by some instructors for ridicule without provocation along with encouragement for students to join in, was very unprofessional as well as disconcerting. There is a difference between P.C., professionalism, and manners that this school didn't care to understand. In my opinion, ridiculing students doesn't help them learn, but it may make the instructors feel better about themselves somehow (if that was their goal).

From the fourth day onward, the days' instruction was divided into practicing four maneuvers: straight-back, offset, 90º back, and blind-side parallel park. Some students would be diverted from this schedule for additional shifting and driving instruction on the road. We would take turns with each maneuver, with the instructor telling us exactly what to do each time.

Regarding this section, it was really discouraging to me that no extra attention, with the exception of one or two driving instructors, bothered to spend more time with a student to help them reach the proper level of achievement needed to succeed. There was little evaluation of our performance on each attempt. I felt like I was flailing. I could perform the maneuvers in this method, but I felt that it didn't help me to understand it so that I could do it myself. I did get better, but I felt like there was a faster, more encompassing method to learn this other than by rote.

Throughout all of the classroom and track instruction, recruiters would interrupt it in order to pitch their company to us.

To summarize, I did not like this school and would not recommend it. The rote method of learning, by itself, doesn't do it for me. I need the Why of what I'm learning along with the How. I wasn't doing as well as I wanted, but the instruction and instructors, overall, offered little encouragement; just a repeat of steps devoid of the details needed in order to do it yourself.

There was one instructor whom I thought was exceptional. Unfortunately, he wasn't in charge and I'm sure he didn't have any input into hiring either.

Ultimately, my experience really soured me on the trucking profession. I felt that I could have succeeded with better instruction, but I don't think the profession itself is the right one for me. It's not one where I could be happy and content. I think that I would get bored of it in a hurry.

Sure, I like the idea of being autonomous, but the monotony of the job would do me in even though it can pay well. It's rather disappointing that I spend over $4,200 to find this out.

My tank is kinda Instagram famous!

Instagram Famous (kinda)!

Hey! Long time, no type. After putting in my dual LED light panels with a daisy-chain of zip ties, my jalapeño plant has experienced a lot more growth than the other plants. Before I knew it, I had three peppers and the plant had reached the top of the grow lights. After posting my pictures to Instagram, Aquasprouts noticed and recently used my tank as a promotion for its light extenders on Instagram and Facebook. They were kind enough to ask my permission to share the photos. For doing so, they provided me with some free extenders to put on my tank. Thanks, Aquasprouts!

Tank Happenings

To get this growth, my digital timer is set to turn the grow lights on between 8 AM and 10 PM for a total of 14 hours of virtual sun. The pump is running for 15 minutes each hour and the oxygenator runs for the rest of the time; only shutting off when the submersible pump is running. I feed the two goldfish, who happily feed the plants for me, once per day, but I sometimes feed them more if they beg.

For maintenance, I scrub the tank walls using a magnetic scraper, remove any solids through net or siphon, and replace any water lost through evaporation. Typically, five gallons will have to be replaced per week.

Since my municipal water system does not use chlorides to treat the water, I can leave a bucket of water out for a day to dissipate the chlorine naturally. I check the water vitals once per month to make sure nothing is wrong.

The algae problem has decreased, but not eliminated, since moving the system from the Ikea Room to my bedroom, but I miss the quiet. I'm wondering where else I can put it where it's in view and in-mind.

Harvest

I have eaten the peppers, which had a good heat level, but hadn't harvested any of the other plants yet. I thought of making a pesto for the basil and thought of making an essential oil for the lemon balm, but I haven't had time to do this yet. There are lots of ideas on Pinterest on how to do this, but I have to commit. I've been getting a house ready for renting, so I haven't had a lot of time to do anything else.

Postings

I hope to post more often, but time gets away from me. Rest assured that I'm keeping up with the tank's maintenance. It's the harvesting that needs to be done, but not too much. The aquarium's water still needs to be cleaned.

Douglas's peppers are taking over his AquaSprouts Garden. Good thing we carry light bar extenders at AquaSprouts.com! A photo posted by AquaSprouts (@aquasprouts) on Oct 18, 2016 at 1:15pm PDT

Thanks for the light extenders, @aquasprouts! #aquaponics #aquasprouts A photo posted by Douglas Kelley (@dmartk) on Oct 25, 2016 at 9:58am PDT

And growing some more

Howdy

It's starting to look like a garden!

Hey folks! The tank is still going strong and I'm finally starting to see some significant growth from seeds instead of fostered plants. I was surprised at how large the Sweet Basil's leaves have become. I have to start using this in food.

As you can see, I zip-tied the aerator to the light bar's post, which allowed me to remove the makeshift shelf on the right-side of the growbed. This is why there is no growth in this area of it. Some seeds were put down, but I haven't seen progress yet.

The fish are as hungry as ever. My number checks are within spec with zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and a seemingly healthy level of nitrates that the plants are using. In order to further fill-in the growbed, and based on my previous experiments and Pinterest advice, I've been propagating some plants and reinserting them into the growbed. It'll also be a good way to manage the bed so that I don't take too much out for recipes and what not.

My growlight looks a bit wonky. It's not as symmetrical as those nice fluorescent long bulbs, but it was only $30 from Amazon, and it does the job very well; as has been demonstrated through this blog. I should buy another one and link them together. (I just did!) It would still be cheaper than the $100+ for a proper looking one that may not perform as well.

Looking back

Things have gotten much stabler as this project has progressed. If I did it all over again, I would definitely change some things, such as:

1. Don't use a chemical, pet-store styled dechlorinator. I avoided using it early on, but since I had fish, I used it as an emergency measure in association with a water change. The fishes' lives were in danger due to a massive ammonia spike. At least at my water district, they don't use chlorides. This means that I can simply leave a bucket of tap water exposed to the sunlight for 24 hours and the water will naturally dechlorinate.
2. Buy a growlight as soon as your tank cycles and turn it on as soon as you seed. This is imperative in order to have significant growth in an indoor tank.
3. Locate the aquarium in a room with less outdoor light. I thought that I could get away with not having a growlight because two of the walls were mostly windows. I was wrong. Additionally, having the aquarium in such a well-lit room accelerated algae problems in the tank.
4. Purchase an aerator after you cycle your tank and as soon as you stock your fish. The oxygen is important for the fish, particularly when the algae are competing for it.

The Numbers

I'm going to discontinue this segment as the tank has been stable for at least one month. When there are problems, I will bring it back.

Going Forward

I have a few new projects going on, such as being a potential landlord, and completing a bathroom renovation on my own home. However, I'm not concluding the blog. I'll write whenever I use its plants for recipes and for new developments. It won't be a near daily update as it once was, but it hasn't been for a time.

As always, thanks for reading.

Still going and improving

Howdy, folks!  It's been awhile but the blog is still going; as are the fish and plants. I'll have pictures later, but I wanted to provide an update before I forgot.

Analysis and Actions

1. The fish are doing well. They still have their appetites. The water continues to be reasonably clear. I haven't checked the numbers in about a week, but they looked pretty good. I did not record those figures in the blog though.
2. The plants are now doing amazingly well. The grow light has done wonders for the plants' development. I'd show pictures, but the tank is upstairs.
3. The cutting from the Lemon Balm plant, stuck into the growbed, successfully propagated. It also has grown from about 1-½ inches to 5 inches! The other cuttings from the spearmint has also done well. The basil and cilantro are are also growing well. Since I don't have a shelf or other mechanism to suspend the aerator above the tank, I'm using a makeshift platform to place it. Unfortunately, it is obscuring half of the growbed. I have some ideas to make it happen without a shelf. Of course, I'll report on the progress.
4. Additionally, the cutting that was put into the glass of water has also developed roots. I placed it into the the soil which exists on top of the water barrel outside. So far, so good.
5. The aerator, which I configured to run when the siphon pump is off, is working fine. I imagine that it's also contributing to the health of the fish and inhibiting the development of algae. I also partially shield the front of the tank from daylight (and the grow light), which helps too.
6. I added some naturally dechlorinated water to the tank to replenish what had been evaporated.

That's it from the aquaponics tank of the Ikea Room. When I can, I'll post pictures with more updates. Thanks for reading.

🐠 I can see clearly now... 🐟

Observation & Action

1. Water is much clearer after the 10% water change and other changes yesterday. The ammonia is back to zero, and the pH is between 6.5 and 7.0.
2. The one sprout is getting taller since the growlight went in. Half of the bed is covered with the shelf required for the aerator, but it'll open up as soon as come up with a solution. It has to be at least 12" above the water line.
3. I seeded some sweet basil and cilantro/coriander. We'll see how it turns out with the additional equipment and tank changes.

The Numbers

Date	GH General Hardness	KH Carbonate Hardness	pH	NO2 Nitrites	NO3 Nitrates	NH3/NH4 Ammonia	Temp °C
16-Jun	120	40	7.0	0	80	0.00	24°

Tank rehab

Observation & Action

1. I was still not satisfied with algae level in the tank. Additionally, there was an ammonia spike to 0.5 ppm (the threshold for what the fish can handle), so I performed a number of changes to the tank.
1. Wipe down submersible pump, its hose, and tank heater.
2. Scrub the inner walls of the tank to remove any algae film upon them.
3. Manually removed any string-type algae (I still have to look up the proper term).
4. Performed a 10% water change using the naturally dechlorinated water I keep in bucket.
5. Added 40 drops of pH UP to the tank. A water change will typically bring down the pH, which I don't want.
2. The growlight and the aerator came two days ago. I now see a new plant sprouting. I have to find my extra timer, but I've been leaving it on from 8 AM to midnight. I'll have to research the optimal time and set it accordingly.
3. The aerator seems to be doing well, but I'm unsure of its effect. It's sorely needed while the algae problem exists. I don't want the algae to rob oxygen from the fish. I wonder if there is a timer that functions as an A/B; where power alternates between device A (aerator) and device B (siphon pump)? Perhaps separate timers setup accordingly would suffice and give me more control.
4. The fish, as usual, have a voracious appetite. I've been giving in to feeding them too much as the algae is a big problem again.

Analysis

The ammonia spike was significant. It may be due to a lack of plants to filter the water. This is why I performed a water change. I'll also be buying some more seeds to see if I can enact some positive progress. Something has to give. As it is, I'll be performing more ammonia checks until I can confirm the problem has been handled.

The Numbers

Date	GH General Hardness	KH Carbonate Hardness	pH	NO2 Nitrites	NO3 Nitrates	NH3/NH4 Ammonia	Temp °C
15-Jun	180	40	6.5	0	160	0.50	24°