Aquaponics+2015-2016+(F+Block)

**Cleaning and Organization**
The aquaponics shelves were originally in a corner of the main workshop. However, the shelves were moved into where the old Pedal Power room due to a total reorganization of the entire Greengineering workshop. All items were removed from the two shelves and moved to the new location. After the shelves were set, we brought all of the items over. We cleaned any dirty parts and organized them by category. All categories are labeled with post-it notes. We started to set up a running system. We used a fish tank at the bottom, which water would be pumped out into the bacteria grow bed on the top shelf. The water would fill up until it can flow out of the pipe into the container on the middle shelf. Then, the water would fill up that container until it can flow back down into the fish tank. The pipe pieces in the containers were leaking so we tried resealing them.
 * Running System**

The pipes were leaking so we sealed them with Dynafex 230, which is a white paste that is a waterproof sealant. We applied a thick layer around the edges of the pipe that made contact with the container and one of the openings where the pipe goes. We let the sealant set for an entire day, and ran the system again the next day. The sealant worked for a couple of days, but soon failed because it couldn't withstand constant underwater submersion. The Dynaflex 230 didn't end up working, so we had to resort to something else. We got all purpose Amazing Goop, which is a clear gel sealant that works underwater. We spread the Goop around the piping that touches the container with a zip tie. This sealant took 3 days to set, then we tested the system again. The sealant has been holing up well. We want to make a grow bed to set little pots in for the plants to grow in. We got a styrofoam sheet that we cut to fit into the plant grow bed container. [no picture] We tested our first, grow bed and found that it was too thick. The water was pushing up onto it, so we had to make it thinner. This ended up being quit the challenge because we didn't want to break it. We decided on sawing it in half. However, we had to destroy one half of the board. There were extra lakes coming of the side that was cut so we used an iron to melt it down. We were able to setup the large wood table with wheels as well as get the wood grow bed and wood tank. They were dusty and dirty from sitting around for so long. We could not obtain a water hose so we filled the five gallon jugs with water and poured water out of it when cleaning. We then used sponges to scrub away the dirt. It took several days to clean everything because we had to do multiple rounds of pouring and scrubbing. This bigger system is what we would transfer out system into so we can do things on a bigger scale. We ran into some issues with our small system was having issues with consistency in water flow. So, our containers had more or less water than they were supposed to. This was because water was flowing too fast from one tank but not enough from the other. To solve this problem we adjusted how the water flowed by adjusting the piping.
 * Sealing**
 * Resealing**
 * Making the Grow Bed**
 * Fixing the Grow Bed**
 * Cleaning the Large System**
 * Issues**



We found that three tanks were not necessary, so we made our system into two tanks. One for the fish and another for the plants. We also got the lights to work. Our original fish tank was barely big enough for one fish, so we cleaned out a bigger container and used that as our new fish tank.
 * Two Tanks**
 * Bigger Fish Tank**

We got the heater that we ordered. This is used to heat the water to the appropriate temperature for both the fish and plants.
 * Heater**

Our original thoughts for the grow bed was fine, however we wanted to create something where we could have even more plants. Jack thought of punching holes into the side of a water bottle to allow water to get to the plants. This grow bed would allow for a lot more plants. However, the next day these cups had fallen over and caused some problems in our system. The hydroton clogged up some of the pipes causing our system to over flow.
 * Changing the Grow Bed**



The previous grow bed did not work out because the cups sank, so we made some improvements to our grow bed ton prevent that. We got planting cups with pre-cut holes and cut styrofoam floaties to prevent them from sinking. With this new improved grow bed, we could fit 15 plants instead of just 12.
 * Grow Bed Improvement**



We checked our water testing kit, which seemed to work just fine. This kit will be used to check chemical levels in the water to make sure it is proper for the plants and fish. Now that we have our new grow bed system up and running we can grow plants. Our goal is to grow plants for a salad, so we are growing lettuce, herbs (basil and thyme), and a mystery plant. Herbs and lettuce are the recommended plants to grow in an aquaponics system because they grow quickly, and they grow up. We labeled the faomk floaties so we know which plants are which. We got goldfish for our system to create ammonia, which would be turned into nitrates which act as nutrients for the plants. We chose goldfish because they are inexpensive and they poop a lot. We put in a bubbler with an air stone to get oxygen in the water for the fish.
 * Water Testing**
 * Plants**
 * Fish**
 * Oxygen**



Our fish ended up dying because they got sucked into the pump and some other unknown issues.
 * Dead Fish**

We made a wall with netting to prevent the fish from getting close/sucked into the pump while still allowing the pump to suck up the fish poop. The wall was styrofoam with netting inside and containers on either side to help the wall sink. This wall ended up being unsuccessful because they still float a little and the sides were not blocked of too well, so the fish still had access to the pump.
 * Preventing the Killing of Fish**



We thought of new ideas that would more easily prevent the fish from dying. One idea was to create a one tank system where the plants and fish shared one tank. However there were issues that arose about circulation and the fish eating at the plant roots. Then we thought of other ways to block off the pump back in a two tank system. we though of doing a drip system so the pump would not be in the same tank as the fish, but many issues came up with water flow balance. Finally, we thought of going just blocking off the pump with netting, so the fish still had enough room and still would not get killed.
 * New Ideas**

We found better netting that was stiffer and would be more difficult for out new fish to pass and get sucked up by the pump.
 * Fish and New Net**
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