I'm about to embark on another deployment upon the Ocean.  My system is going back into the hands of my less than enthusiastic wife for at least 4-8 weeks.  I'm leaving her with a happy system.  Did a small water change today, mainly to remove some solids from the bottom of the tank.  Completed my monthly plumbing overhaul and serviced the pump and pipes.  Scrubbed the algae off the inside of the tank so things are crystal clear now.  Then just for fun threw some seeds into the media perhaps…

I thought I kept the store bought fish in isolation for long enough.  Well I was wrong.  Now I have ICH in my tank.  This really sucks.  Since moving the entire colony into a hospital tank for two weeks is not really an option, I've begun treating (with heat and salt) directly in my AP system.  I'm very worried that I'm going to kill off my bacteria, worms, and plants.  I wonder if the fish are worth it?  I could just go get more and start all over.  hummm?

I think my bell siphon is alive and mocking me.  I can sit in the playroom where my aquaponics experiment is located all day long and it runs without a hitch.  No sooner than I leave the room and the cycle gets stuck at the end of the ebb.  The siphon won't stop.  I unplug the pump, let the siphon burp, expel a few obscenities, then get it running again.  Now I'm watching, intently.  Of course as long as I'm there it will run without fail.  I've even tried sitting just outside the room.…