Found Object Friday

I never did buy those pants

Do I dare make another day-of-the-week recurring topic?  Possibly. This shouldn't be too hard provided I manage to find something cool that week (which is very likely) and also manage to remember to write about that cool thing (which is less likely).  At any rate, it will help to keep this blog anchored and consistent, and  after all, finding cool stuff is the intended purpose of this blog isn't it?

I did not find this cool object this week.  I found it almost 2 weeks ago, but it has launched me into a new field of research that I've been contemplating, but neglecting getting into......Aquaponics!

while on a thrift store foray for a new pair of pants, i stumbled upon a complete aquarium set for only $20.  10 gallon Tank, hood, gravel, working lights, filter and aerator and even a cabinet!

unfortunately, fish husbandry is not my strong suit.  I have never had pet fish before, with the exception of Saskatoona

poor saskatoona :(

Saskatoona was a cute little goldfish that was given to me as a high-school graduation present.  I had never taken care of a fish before and as hard as i tried with my minimal knowledge, the poor little guy only lasted about 2 weeks and out of guilt I have never tried keeping a pet fish since.

Anyway, Ive been doing my research about fishkeeping and I'm a lot more confident.
Im not running down to the pet store yet, for now I'm just playing around with the pumps and filters and learning the equipment, while reviewing different aquaponic set ups, what plant species/fish species to stock the system with and all that good stuff. I'm also contemplating growing spirulina.

 

I really like this miniponics set up, so i think im going to build something like this (possibly several so i can separate fish if i need to) and then i can practice my aquaponics skills on this small scale before building a larger set-up, possible next year.   I'm currently weighing my options between Bettas, Paradisefish or African Dwarf Frogs, all of which are adorable easy keepers that tolerate small tanks.  the downside is none of those critters produce much manure, ie not enough fertilizer for the plant.  but at this point i'm more concerned about not killing fish/frogs than i am killing plants.   Once i feel confident in my aquaponics skills, im thinking about raising crayfish in the fish tanks and growing a year round supply of greens indoors.  I can't wait! 

 

As always, thanks for reading :)