Planning PP system, what size source tank?

[Gene Parbst]

Up north (Michigan) the winter is a good time to make plans with 6-8 weeks before the earliest growing starts.  I'm planning my first PP system and need help sizing the source tank to supply nitrate water to an 80 - 5 gallon bucket soil vegetable garden in a greenhouse.  I'll be using heated well water to replace the nitrate water that goes to the garden.  I'll keep the source tank heated to 85F for max nitrogen production.  I'm estimating the garden when it gets growing good will need an average of 1 quart/5 gallon bucket every 3 days.  This is 6.66 gallons average per day.  I'm thinking 10 gallons a day to allow for thirsty plants like cantaloupes, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash. 

What size source tank would I use to produce 10 gallons supply of nitrate water daily?  What daily ppm nitrate production would I get in a warm 85F oxygenated tank?  I'll be experimenting with a small 25 gallon indoor tote.  Once it starts cycling nitrates, I'll try exchanging varies amount of daily well water to see what the nitrate production can keep up with. 

Beside heating and oxygenating are there other ways to increase nitrate production in a tank, not circulated through grow beds?  I'll be using 1" crushed stone in the tank to provide a place for the microbes to grow. 

I'm also planning an unheated, recirculated 500 gallon system through grow beds, but that is another discussion.  All questions, comments and criticisms are welcome!