The system is balanced. I completed the cycle and now planting the vegetables I had incubated. I will add fish next week. Various lettuces: butter, red leaf, and romaine More lettuce and Kale. These strawberries will be attached to the last raft bed. It's important to put any "flowing" plant at the end because the various foliar feed you may need to add. Doesn't shock the system. I am training new shoots from the mother plant. In about 4 weeks; I should have all the raft filled. I'm also trying to clone a few tomato plants; using the raft bed. Probably won't work; but it's worth a shot. Bush bean, cauliflower, and broccoli
Oops this is the bush beans, broccoli and cauliflower This is another variety of bush beans and soy beans. I'm hoping to add carrots, green onions and a tomato plant here
Mags, Re: your mussels question, here's a place I found in Vancouver. They deal with aquaculture on the West Coast and can get you live stuff, but I don't know anything about importing stuff across the border. I'm sure they do. Their Penn Cove variety come from Seattle, so that may help. http://www.smokeybay.com/clams-list Taylor Shellfish is Washington-based, and seems to be pretty legit, though I've only read stuff about them being seawater-based. I'm sure they could let you know. http://www.taylorshellfishfarms.com/seed-growing-faqs.aspx
Couple of questions: 1) How big is the main tank? 275 gallons or so? It looks like you have 6 beds set up...what's your tank-to-media ratio and how do you cycle the flow? 15/45 timer? Autosiphon? Index valve? 2) Did you say that you were using your sump tank for fingerlings, and keeping the main tank for juveniles and bigger? 3) Adding your foliar feeds, even to the last tank--doesn't that still cycle through the rest of the system? If things are added that don't get used (I'm thinking sodium and other salinity producers), doesn't that eventually become toxic for the fish?
Answers: 1.). The main tank is 275 gallons. I actually have 8 beds set up. 2 media beds with a bell siphon; draining to the first set of 3 raft beds. The row of three raft beds have a 1" pipe that connects each together at the bottom. The last raft bed has the index valve to return back into the sump. Total gallons of the system are: 1- 275 gallon fish tank, 2-75 gallon sumps, 2-80 gallon media beds (80% hydroton added), 6-80 gallon raft beds (usually 85% filled). 2.) I haven't gotten that far; since the fish will be arriving this Thursday. I'm just planning on the fish will eventually mate and the babies that survive will most likely make their way to the sumps. Just a theory... 3.). Sodium is toxic to fish; but my foliar we produce is an organic product that has already been tested safe for fish. We manufacture an organic "fish based" organic fertilizer. All minerals are bound in amino acids. Also, the application ratio is at 800ppm; and applied very thin on the foliar. Our product works very efficiently. So even if we apply the equivalent of 4 oz of diluted foliar feed; it's small in comparison to the 1,000 gallon system.
After one week; the plants look like they love the system! Bush beans, cauliflower, broccoli Sweet peppers, soy bean, bush bean, zucchini, and Brussels sprouts Spinach Strawberries Kale, mixed salad, romaine lettuce Red leaf lettuce and butter lettuce
I had one mother and made a few extra mothers from last season. I'm going to fill this bed and stop the reproduction. So in the picture; there are currently 4 mothers.
