Comment

Comment by Bob Campbell on December 9, 2012 at 11:57pm

@Scott - That's very cool.  There you are creating black gold and heating your AP system at the same time.  I'd like to see some pictures and hear about the details.

This is the type of thing we should all be doing if space permits

Comment by Scott Bloom on December 9, 2012 at 6:11pm

My first compost heater was a failure, I compressed it way to much and also added to much water.  I built the replacement one this morning, no compression and just a spray of water while building it.   Checked the temperature of the pile this afternoon, about 6 hours later, and the temperature averaged around 100.  Hooked up a small pump in my sump tank and the water temp, 60 gallons, was raised 3 degrees in 2 hours.  Will check tonight around 10pm, total of 6 hours with pumping water, and hope the water temp has gone up some more.

Comment by Bob Campbell on December 6, 2012 at 12:06am

Joey was kind enough to answer my questions.  Here's his answer

Not all gel coats are epoxy. A lot of them are polyester resins. Not all gel coats are safe for potable use. Most epoxies are also brittle and come in limited colors for the most part. This isnt the case with pond armor. It is a bit more flexible, guaranteed safe, and comes in many colors. I am also in a position where i need to make sure to give specific brands with important aspects to a build like this one, to avoid user problems or confusion. In my opinion, this is the best for the job.

Comment by Bob Campbell on December 5, 2012 at 7:40pm

I was thinking about the cost of  Pond Armor (Pond Shield).  They say 60 square feet is the amount of coverage a quart and a half kit  ($80.00) gives you at a minimal thickness of 10 mils.

80/60=$1.33/sq.ft

Gel Coat is about $50.00 for about 60 sq.ft.coverage.

50/60=$0.83/sq.ft.

That about1.6 times as much for Pond Shield, so I'm not sure how they can say it's just a little more expensive. 

I'm still looking at the product because Joey likes it, but I'm wondering why it is better than Gel Coat?  Both can be colored. Both are epoxy.

Comment by Robert Rowe on December 5, 2012 at 6:01pm

Sheri It's a game I play, Sometimes it's Tere (Spanish), Mostly it's Teri, actually her name is Ana Teresa. She answers to Teri or Ana.

I left a baggie of Duckweed in the aquarium and the fry were collecting around it, so I emptied it (Just a little) and it was like catnip, they all hung out at the surface for awhile.

We enjoyed our visit. Thanks for taking the time to coach us. 

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on December 5, 2012 at 4:58pm

I think those numbers are to be expected, Bob. The fish are little, but they do produce ammonia still, your 15 gallon doesn't have a stable bacteria population yet (but obviously they're in the tank), and you don't have any plants. We consistently have higher numbers in our aquariums than in the AP system. Keep an eye on them and if they get too high, change out about 1/4 of the water, or more if needed to keep them in check.

We go by a general guideline that if amm or nitrites get above the mid point on the color chart, we change water. We also change if the fish don't eat, or the water isn't clear, etc. In aquariums, water changes are a common operation even with a good bio filter system. Nitrates aren't as much a concern. We don't worry about them until they are at the top of the color chart.

BTW, we really enjoyed spending some time with you and Terri (Terry?)!

Comment by Robert Rowe on December 5, 2012 at 3:48pm

My FT chemistry has been pretty steady at

PH=7.4, NH3-4=0.25, NO2=0.0, NO3=5.0 Population 23 3-5" Gold Comets

I filled my new 15 Gallon Aquarium from my FT and added 30 Tilapia Fry on 2012-12-01.

PH=7.4, NH3-4=0.50, NO2=2.0, NO3=10.0 Today 2012-12-05

Should I be surprised by these results in the Aquarium?

Comment by Stephanie Bader on December 4, 2012 at 11:00pm

I'm thinking about taking my shade cloth down but it was such a pain in the ass to get up that we've been putting it off.

Comment by Matt Miskinnis on December 4, 2012 at 8:58pm

@Bob that epoxy stuff he is using looks awesome.  If I ever decide to build a tank I'm going to use it!

Comment by Sheri Schmeckpeper on December 4, 2012 at 8:28pm

We took ours down a couple weeks ago.

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