6 months

All is healthy since last update.     Pesto galore.    Picture below is after picking a 4 cups packed leaves.    Direct sow seedlings are coming up fine.      The new lettuce sprouts were thin and leggy so yanked them and am testing some tomatoes.   Moved things around a bit and am planning out 1-2 larger grow beds for tomatoes on same fish tank.   Prob would need more light.

Water cycling goes along stable at 0 ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH 8.0 for a while then seems to ammonia or nitrite spike.   I notice the fish floating a bit sideways or laying on the bottom or still at the top.  Readings rise quickly it seems.   Feeding less does not seem to work fast enough.   

Yesterday, due to another ammonia spike, I moved the 2 goldfish to a filtered safe haven while I re-arranged the tables, clean, then re-cycle main tank.   Goldfish perked up overnight in the hospital tank.

 Cherry tomatoes, direct sow.   Going to need bigger tubs and more light.   

4/22/12

Basil is happy

    

3 months

Here you can see the original basil back right and new basil seeds middle bottom right.  Those little square planters are extra seeds I started for transplanting outdoors.   Just finished all orginal lettuce and it was great.   Started gen 2 perhaps a bit late but it is coming along.


 Eat more kale . Had probably 3-4 colanders worth.   I liked it sauteed with lemon juice and garlic.  

Water: Status:   There hasn't been a trace of ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate in a long while.   PH 7.3

March

The lettuce and greens were amazing.   

Fish problems.   Things with 2 goldfish worked out great but all readings 0 on the test kits.  Added 2 more fish.   Everything was great but they got ick and 3 died in a matter of days.   Heating water to 85 and it cleared up on the remaining fish. 

Fare Thee well Capt. Pike.  

Date:
                     PH  Ammonia  Nitrite  Nitrate  Temp(f)
04/3/2012     7.4    0               0          0        85.3



Generation 2 on left, 3 on right.   Basil is a little yellow, not as much as it appears in picture but some. 

jungle

Lettuce, kale, and basil seems very happy.  Have had a few small salads as I thinned out the plants.    You can tell they are enjoying the nitrates which are starting to come down a bit. 

Water cycling sure takes a lot of patience.  Nitrites still too high for fish.    Just letting it sit. Not adding anything. 

Date

PH

Ammonia

Nitrite

Nitrate

Temp (f)

3/6/2012

7.0

0.25

5.00

30.0

76.4

chugging along

The electric bill was noticeably higher.  Gaahh.   The aquarium heater goes non-stop.  Hoping to drop that after cycling depending on what type of fish we get.   Back to considering Tilapia but this tank is too small to really do that.    Perhaps this can be the fingerling tank.   

growing like weeds

This is one month from planting seeds.   Pretty happy with it.   Not perfectly organized plantings but I think we'll be eating a salad next week.   Already using basil as I thin out the seedlings. 

The funky lines are some weird reaction to the grow light and the digital camera ccd.