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Documente Cultură
INTRODUCTION
This chapter describes how to build a simple, inexpensive and compact aquaculture
system. It fits Into a four foot by four foot space, runs off of one double-outlet air
pump, and is easy to maintain. This is an ideal system to learn about aquaculture
without spending a lot of money. The system described in this chapter has been built
by ordinary people living in Toronto, Chicago, Little Rock, and Milwaukee. They
didn't know much about aquaculture or even plumbing, but they shared a willigness to
try something new and were successful.
In the biofilter tank, specialized bacteria break down toxic ammonia into fairly
harmless nitrates, which can be taken up by plants. Other bacteria and microorganisms break down other waste products into forms that plants can use. Particles of
waste are trapped by rocks and shells where they are eaten by invertebrates or broken
down by other microorganisms. This tank acts like an aquatic compost pile,
converting wastes into fertilizer for the plants.
Finally, the fertilized water flows into the plant tank, where it is taken up and
converted into plant tissues. Submerged plants and algae add oxygen to the water
when the sun shines. Clean water, oxygen, and green plant food flow into the fish
tank, completing the cycle.
SITE
This system should be located in a warm sunny spot with a water source and drain
nearby. It should sit on a strong floor that is level, and should be protected from
vandalism and curious hands.
It is very important that the system is level. If not, the air-lift pumping system will not
work well. Most houses and buildings are built with level floors - test the floor with a
level or put a marble down and see if It rolls. If working on bare ground, try to tamp
the earth down with a board where the system will go. This will prevent compression
and uneven settling. A good idea is to put the system on top of a piece of plywood or a
pallet.
Hardware
3 - 55 gallon plastic barrels. These should he food grade (i.e , no chemical residues)
and at least one should be semi-transparent.
1 - 10' long piece of 2" PVC pipe.
6 - 2" male adapters.
3 - 2" L fittings.
1- aquarium air pump with double air outlet. Get a medium-sized one (e.g. the Elite
802 which produces 2500 cc/min. of air at 4.0 PSI)
Tools
saw - to remove tops from the barrels and cut pipe. A Skill Saw (or "Jigsaw")
is probably the best for removing the tops, but a hand saw works well for cutting
pipe.
2 1/4" hole saw (large bore drill bit) to drill holes for through hulls
caulking gun
Biological Materials
buckets of water (with some bottom mud or sand) from local lakes, rivers or ponds
1 quart of fresh compost
1 quart of good garden soil
1 quart of soil from a forest
1 quart of soil from a meadow
20-30 snails from an aquarium store or local pond
floating plants such as water lettuce or water hyacinth
20 - 30 fish fingerlings (nile tiapla are recommended)
CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE
Most of this system can be built in two days if you can get all the materials together.
Washing and leaching the barrels takes several days to do properly, so plan to do this
before the actual construction. It is a good idea to let the system stabilize for a few
days before adding any fish,
so arrange for the fingerlings to be delivered a week or so after you are finished
building. Be sure to read ALL the instructions CAREFULLY before starting to build
so that you know what has to be done next.
if available. This will draw out any rest 'dues that have been absorbed by the plastic
and may be harmful to fish.
Put the barrels back into the original triangle. Eyeball the crosses to make with sure
they line up. Water will not practice circulate well if the crosses are not at quite the,
same level.
Disassemble one of the connector pipes by unscrewing the male and female adapters
and removing the connector pipe from between the two male adapters. You should
have two male adapters, two female adapters and a 3" long piece of 2" pipe. Using a
rag, wipe clean the inner surface of one of the male adapters and the outer surface of
one end of the 3" long piece of pipe. Apply primer to all these surfaces and allow to
dry.
Working quickly, apply PVC cement to the inside of the male adapters and the
corresponding surface of the 3" long piece of pipe. Twist the pipe and the adapter
together, making sure that you have pushed the pipe in as far as it will go. Wait for a
few 11-11inutes until this joint sets, then cement the other male adapter to the other
end of the connector pipe. Repeat this procedure for the other two sets of connector
pipes and male adapters. Allow the cement to dry for 20 minutes before moving on to
the next step.
When the filter tank is three-quarters full, lay the sheet of burlap or filter cloth over
the fill. The rest of the tank should be filled with calcium carbonate materials such as
shells or dolomite chips.
STEP 15. Rinsing and leaching the system.
Fill the system with water from a hose. If the fill is dirty, then it will cloud the water
with sediment. You may need to fill and drain the tanks several times in order to clear
the water. When the water appears fairly clean, fill the system and let it leach for 24
hours. Drain the tanks and fill them again.
STEP 16. Inoculation.
Inoculate the tanks with biological materials. Sprinkle the compost and soils onto the
top of the filter tank. Add the pond/stream/river water to in the other two tanks.
Sprinkle snails into all three tanks. Two or three tablespoons of rotten milk can be
added to the filter tank to encourage a healthy microbial community.
There are several places where aquatic plants can be added to your system. Emergent
plants, such as watercress, can be planted directly into the filter tank. Floating plants,
like water hyacinth, can be put on the top of e fish tank or the plant tank. If your plant
tank is fairly translucent, submerged plants can be planted on the bottom of the plant
tank, but try not to block the up-pipe intake.
STEP 17. Installing the airlift pump.
Attach an air stone to a five-foot long piece of air tubing. Lower the air stone into the
up-pipe of the fish tank, almost to the bottom of the pipe. Plug the other end of the air
tubing into the air pump and Plug it in. Push it down as far as it will go without
causing any bubbles to escape from the bottom of the pipe. You should see water
moving as the air water mixture rises in the pipe and is forced into the next barrel.
The airlift is all that is required to circulate water in this system. The system works
best when the water level half fills the connector pipes, so adjust the water level by
adding or removing some water.
The other air stone and tubing should be suspended 'in the fish tank. This provides
oxygen to the fish. You will have to weigh it down with a brick or rock. Remember to
place the air pump above the system in order to prevent it from being flooded.
It is a good idea to cover the tank after first introducing the fish because sometimes
fish will try to escape from a new tank. After a few days, the fish will become
accustomed to their new tank and a cover will no longer be necessary.
When fish are first moved, they may not be as hungry due to stress. Feed them only a
little bit at first, gradually increasing the amount of food as they become accustomed
to their new environment.
If all your fish die in the first few days, then something is wrong with your system,
with the fish, or something happened during transit. Call the person you got- your fish
from and try to figure out what the problem could be. Usually, you can get
replacement fish at a discount if you can convince the fish supplier that there was
something wrong at their end.
MAINTENANCE
Regular maintenance helps keep a system healthy by spotting small problems before
they become big problems. The regular tasks that you need to perform are listed
according to how frequently they need to be done.
Daily Tasks
1. Feed the fish. You can feed fish until they stop eating, or feed them a set amount.
Calculating the exact amount of feed to provide is quite complicated, so I suggest
feeding them until they stop eating on a daily basis. It is important to watch your fish
eat. If they aren't eating happily then there may be something wrong.
2. Check that the water level half fills the connector pipes and add water if necessary.
3. Check to make sure screens over the inlets and outlets aren't clogged.
4. Check the air stone to make sure that it isn't clogged and that the air pump is
functioning properly. Clean or replace the air stone when appropriate.
5. Look at the fish to see if they seem healthy.
Weekly Tasks
1. Harvest excess plant materials feed to fish or put into compost.
2. Check sediment levels at the bottom of the fish tank. They should not be building
up but rather be removed by the airlift pump. If they have built up, use a siphon to
remove any excess.
3. Check ammonia levels. There are numerous kits to measure ammonia available at
aquarium stores - read the directions carefully. If ammonia levels are too high, cut
back on feed and/or increase aeration (i.e. add another air stone to the fish tank.) .
Monthly Tasks
1. Harvest and restock fish, if required.
2. Remove 10 or 15 gallons of water from the system and replace with water that has
sat overnight to let chlorine escape. Chlorine is present in all tap water and can kill or
harm fish. By letting it sit in a bucket overnight, most of the chlorine will escape into
the atmosphere as gas. It is a good idea to always let water that you Intend to use with
fish sit overnight.
Use any water that you remove from the system in a garden. It is an excellent liquid
fertilizer.
Yearly Tasks
1. Remove oyster shell/dolomite layer and rinse. Remove the filter cloth and rinse out
any clogged sediment.
CONCLUSION
You are now the proud owner of a recirculating aquaculture system with live, happy
fish in it. Congratulations! You should read the Maintenance chapter to find out what
you should be doing to keep your fish and your system alive, growing and happy .