I have been messing around a little with Arduino and sensing the temperature and conductivity of the fish tank to get a better sense of the health of the overall system. Below is the code. I will be posting picture schematics using Fritzing soon.

/*
 This sketch:
 * reads temperature (LM335AZ Analog Sensor)
 * reads conductivity (see: http://blog.wassupy.com/2010/11/arduino-day-14-simple-conductivity.html)
 * posts information to LCD (NOKIA 3310 display)
 * posts information to a personal web page (for personal database storage via mySQL, etc)
 Circuit:
 * Analog Temperature Sensor (LM335AZ) attached to analog in 1
 * Conductivity Sensor (see above link) attached to analog pins A2, A5 (measuring signal between the two probes at 1 cm)
 * Nokia 3310 connected to digital pins 3,4,5,6,7
 * Ethernet shield attached to pins 10, 11, 12, 13
 * 
 * see http://www.vennie-vollrath.com for specific schematics
 To do:
 * Dissolved oxygen sensor
 * pH sensor
 * automatic fish feeder (using stepper motor
 * heater control (closer monitoring of heaters increases energy efficiency)
 * aquaponic grow bed temperature
 * aquaponic grow bed humidity
 * total energy consumption of entire aquaponics system
 */

#include <SPI.h>
#include <Ethernet.h>
#define PIN_SCE   7                        // LCD CS  .... Pin 3 on LCD
#define PIN_RESET 6                        // LCD RST .... Pin 1 on LCD
#define PIN_DC    5                        // LCD Dat/Com. Pin 5 on LCD
#define PIN_SDIN  4                        // LCD SPIDat . Pin 6 on LCD
#define PIN_SCLK  3                        // LCD SPIClk . Pin 4 on LCD
                                           // LCD Gnd .... Pin 2 on LCD
                                           // LCD Vcc .... Pin 8 on LCD
                                           // LCD Vlcd ... Pin 7 on LCD
#define LCD_C     LOW
#define LCD_D     HIGH
#define LCD_X     84                       //width of screen (columns)
#define LCD_Y     48                       //height of screen (rows)
#define LCD_CMD   0 
char buff[25];                             //buffer for converting doubles to strings
char buffers[25];                          //buffer for converting doubles to strings
char buffer[256];                          //longer buffer for passing web site string
float temp_in_kelvin=0, temp_in_fahrenheit=0; //initiate temperature variables to 0
int index = 0;                             // the index of the current reading
int total = 0;                             // the running total
int average = 0;                           // the average
int inputPin = 1;                          // input pin for LM335AZ temperature sensor
const float ArduinoVoltage = 5.00;         // Voltage of the Arduino Uno
const float ArduinoResolution = ArduinoVoltage / 1024; //analog resolution for Arduino
const float resistorValue = 2200.0;        // Resister size used in conductivity reading
int threshold = 3;                         // Conductivity threshold
int inPin = A2;                            // input pin for conductivity
int outputPin = A5;                        // output pin for conductivity

//initialize ethernet variables and client
byte mac[] = {0xDE, 0xAD, 0xBE, 0xEF, 0xFE, 0xED}; // assign a MAC address for the ethernet controller.
byte ip[] = { 192, 168, 1, 102 };          // ip in lan assigned to arduino
EthernetClient client;                     // initialize the library instance:
long lastConnectionTime = 0;               // last time you connected to theserver, in milliseconds
boolean lastConnected = false;             // state of the connection last time through the main loop
const int postingInterval = 15000;         // delay between updates to Pachube.com & personal server 
                                           // (pachube.com seems to error when trying to go under 10 seconds)
                                           
static const byte ASCII[][5] =
{
 {0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00} // 20
,{0x00, 0x00, 0x5f, 0x00, 0x00} // 21 !
,{0x00, 0x07, 0x00, 0x07, 0x00} // 22 "
,{0x14, 0x7f, 0x14, 0x7f, 0x14} // 23 #
,{0x24, 0x2a, 0x7f, 0x2a, 0x12} // 24 $
,{0x23, 0x13, 0x08, 0x64, 0x62} // 25 %
,{0x36, 0x49, 0x55, 0x22, 0x50} // 26 &
,{0x00, 0x05, 0x03, 0x00, 0x00} // 27 '
,{0x00, 0x1c, 0x22, 0x41, 0x00} // 28 (
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x22, 0x1c, 0x00} // 29 )
,{0x14, 0x08, 0x3e, 0x08, 0x14} // 2a *
,{0x08, 0x08, 0x3e, 0x08, 0x08} // 2b +
,{0x00, 0x50, 0x30, 0x00, 0x00} // 2c ,
,{0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08} // 2d -
,{0x00, 0x60, 0x60, 0x00, 0x00} // 2e .
,{0x20, 0x10, 0x08, 0x04, 0x02} // 2f /
,{0x3e, 0x51, 0x49, 0x45, 0x3e} // 30 0
,{0x00, 0x42, 0x7f, 0x40, 0x00} // 31 1
,{0x42, 0x61, 0x51, 0x49, 0x46} // 32 2
,{0x21, 0x41, 0x45, 0x4b, 0x31} // 33 3
,{0x18, 0x14, 0x12, 0x7f, 0x10} // 34 4
,{0x27, 0x45, 0x45, 0x45, 0x39} // 35 5
,{0x3c, 0x4a, 0x49, 0x49, 0x30} // 36 6
,{0x01, 0x71, 0x09, 0x05, 0x03} // 37 7
,{0x36, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x36} // 38 8
,{0x06, 0x49, 0x49, 0x29, 0x1e} // 39 9
,{0x00, 0x36, 0x36, 0x00, 0x00} // 3a :
,{0x00, 0x56, 0x36, 0x00, 0x00} // 3b ;
,{0x08, 0x14, 0x22, 0x41, 0x00} // 3c <
,{0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 0x14} // 3d =
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x22, 0x14, 0x08} // 3e >
,{0x02, 0x01, 0x51, 0x09, 0x06} // 3f ?
,{0x32, 0x49, 0x79, 0x41, 0x3e} // 40 @
,{0x7e, 0x11, 0x11, 0x11, 0x7e} // 41 A
,{0x7f, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x36} // 42 B
,{0x3e, 0x41, 0x41, 0x41, 0x22} // 43 C
,{0x7f, 0x41, 0x41, 0x22, 0x1c} // 44 D
,{0x7f, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x41} // 45 E
,{0x7f, 0x09, 0x09, 0x09, 0x01} // 46 F
,{0x3e, 0x41, 0x49, 0x49, 0x7a} // 47 G
,{0x7f, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x7f} // 48 H
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x7f, 0x41, 0x00} // 49 I
,{0x20, 0x40, 0x41, 0x3f, 0x01} // 4a J
,{0x7f, 0x08, 0x14, 0x22, 0x41} // 4b K
,{0x7f, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40} // 4c L
,{0x7f, 0x02, 0x0c, 0x02, 0x7f} // 4d M
,{0x7f, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x7f} // 4e N
,{0x3e, 0x41, 0x41, 0x41, 0x3e} // 4f O
,{0x7f, 0x09, 0x09, 0x09, 0x06} // 50 P
,{0x3e, 0x41, 0x51, 0x21, 0x5e} // 51 Q
,{0x7f, 0x09, 0x19, 0x29, 0x46} // 52 R
,{0x46, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x31} // 53 S
,{0x01, 0x01, 0x7f, 0x01, 0x01} // 54 T
,{0x3f, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x3f} // 55 U
,{0x1f, 0x20, 0x40, 0x20, 0x1f} // 56 V
,{0x3f, 0x40, 0x38, 0x40, 0x3f} // 57 W
,{0x63, 0x14, 0x08, 0x14, 0x63} // 58 X
,{0x07, 0x08, 0x70, 0x08, 0x07} // 59 Y
,{0x61, 0x51, 0x49, 0x45, 0x43} // 5a Z
,{0x00, 0x7f, 0x41, 0x41, 0x00} // 5b [
,{0x02, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x20} // 5c ¥
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x41, 0x7f, 0x00} // 5d ]
,{0x04, 0x02, 0x01, 0x02, 0x04} // 5e ^
,{0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40} // 5f _
,{0x00, 0x01, 0x02, 0x04, 0x00} // 60 `
,{0x20, 0x54, 0x54, 0x54, 0x78} // 61 a
,{0x7f, 0x48, 0x44, 0x44, 0x38} // 62 b
,{0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x44, 0x20} // 63 c
,{0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x48, 0x7f} // 64 d
,{0x38, 0x54, 0x54, 0x54, 0x18} // 65 e
,{0x08, 0x7e, 0x09, 0x01, 0x02} // 66 f
,{0x0c, 0x52, 0x52, 0x52, 0x3e} // 67 g
,{0x7f, 0x08, 0x04, 0x04, 0x78} // 68 h
,{0x00, 0x44, 0x7d, 0x40, 0x00} // 69 i
,{0x20, 0x40, 0x44, 0x3d, 0x00} // 6a j
,{0x7f, 0x10, 0x28, 0x44, 0x00} // 6b k
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x7f, 0x40, 0x00} // 6c l
,{0x7c, 0x04, 0x18, 0x04, 0x78} // 6d m
,{0x7c, 0x08, 0x04, 0x04, 0x78} // 6e n
,{0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x44, 0x38} // 6f o
,{0x7c, 0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 0x08} // 70 p
,{0x08, 0x14, 0x14, 0x18, 0x7c} // 71 q
,{0x7c, 0x08, 0x04, 0x04, 0x08} // 72 r
,{0x48, 0x54, 0x54, 0x54, 0x20} // 73 s
,{0x04, 0x3f, 0x44, 0x40, 0x20} // 74 t
,{0x3c, 0x40, 0x40, 0x20, 0x7c} // 75 u
,{0x1c, 0x20, 0x40, 0x20, 0x1c} // 76 v
,{0x3c, 0x40, 0x30, 0x40, 0x3c} // 77 w
,{0x44, 0x28, 0x10, 0x28, 0x44} // 78 x
,{0x0c, 0x50, 0x50, 0x50, 0x3c} // 79 y
,{0x44, 0x64, 0x54, 0x4c, 0x44} // 7a z
,{0x00, 0x08, 0x36, 0x41, 0x00} // 7b {
,{0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0x00, 0x00} // 7c |
,{0x00, 0x41, 0x36, 0x08, 0x00} // 7d }
,{0x10, 0x08, 0x08, 0x10, 0x08} // 7e ?
,{0x00, 0x06, 0x09, 0x09, 0x06} // 7f ?
};

void LcdCharacter(char character)
{
 LcdWrite(LCD_D, 0x00);
 for (int index = 0; index < 5; index++)
 {
   LcdWrite(LCD_D, ASCII[character - 0x20][index]);
 }
 LcdWrite(LCD_D, 0x00);
}

void LcdClear(void)
{
 for (int index = 0; index < LCD_X * LCD_Y / 8; index++)
 {
   LcdWrite(LCD_D, 0x00);
 }
}

void LcdInitialise(void)
{
 pinMode(PIN_SCE,   OUTPUT);
 pinMode(PIN_RESET, OUTPUT);
 pinMode(PIN_DC,    OUTPUT);
 pinMode(PIN_SDIN,  OUTPUT);
 pinMode(PIN_SCLK,  OUTPUT);

 digitalWrite(PIN_RESET, LOW);
 digitalWrite(PIN_RESET, HIGH);

 LcdWrite( LCD_CMD, 0x21 );  // LCD Extended Commands.
 LcdWrite( LCD_CMD, 0xBf );  // Set LCD Vop (Contrast). //B1
 LcdWrite( LCD_CMD, 0x04 );  // Set Temp coefficent. //0x04
 LcdWrite( LCD_CMD, 0x14 );  // LCD bias mode 1:48. //0x13
 LcdWrite( LCD_CMD, 0x0C );  // LCD in normal mode. 0x0d for inverse
 LcdWrite(LCD_C, 0x20);
 LcdWrite(LCD_C, 0x0C);
}

void LcdString(char *characters)
{
 while (*characters)
 {
   LcdCharacter(*characters++);
 }
}

void LcdWrite(byte dc, byte data)
{
 digitalWrite(PIN_DC, dc);
 digitalWrite(PIN_SCE, LOW);
 shiftOut(PIN_SDIN, PIN_SCLK, MSBFIRST, data);
 digitalWrite(PIN_SCE, HIGH);
}

// gotoXY routine to position cursor
// x - range: 0 to 84
// y - range: 0 to 5
void gotoXY(int x, int y)
{
 LcdWrite( 0, 0x80 | x);  // Column.
 LcdWrite( 0, 0x40 | y);  // Row.
}

void drawLine(void)
{
       unsigned char  j;
 
       for(j=0; j<84; j++) // top
       {
         gotoXY (j,0);
         LcdWrite (1,0x01);
       }
       
       for(j=0; j<84; j++) //Bottom
       {
         gotoXY (j,5);
         LcdWrite (1,0x80);
       }

       for(j=0; j<6; j++) // Right
       {
         gotoXY (83,j);
         LcdWrite (1,0xff);
       }
       
       for(j=0; j<6; j++) // Left
       {
         gotoXY (0,j);
         LcdWrite (1,0xff);
       }

}


void setup() {
   //initialize the lcd
   LcdInitialise();
   LcdClear();
   // start serial port:
   Serial.begin(9600);
   // give the ethernet module time to boot up:
   delay(1000);
   // start the Ethernet connection:
   Ethernet.begin(mac, ip);
   // initialize the pins for the conductivity sensor
   pinMode(outputPin, OUTPUT);
   pinMode(inPin, INPUT);
}

void loop() {
// check to see if the client is available
 if (client.available()) {
   char c = client.read();
   Serial.print(c);
 }

 // if there's no net connection, but there was one last time
 // through the loop, then stop the client:
 if (!client.connected() && lastConnected) {
   Serial.println();
   Serial.println("disconnecting.");
 }

 // if you're not connected, and ten seconds have passed since
 // your last connection, then connect again and send data:
 if(!client.connected() && (millis() - lastConnectionTime > postingInterval)) {
   temp_in_kelvin = analogRead(1) * 0.004882812 * 100;
   temp_in_fahrenheit = ((temp_in_kelvin - 2.5) * 9 / 5) - 489.67; 
   String temp_f = dtostrf(temp_in_fahrenheit,5,2,buff);  //convert to string
   gotoXY(1,1);
   // Put text in Box (using the double to string function built into arduino 1.0 IDE)
   LcdString(dtostrf(temp_in_fahrenheit,5,1,buff)); //
   gotoXY(40,1);
   LcdString("F");
   
   Serial.println(temp_f);                   //print the raw data from temperature pin for troubleshooting                                 
   String dataString = String(temp_f);      // convert the data to a String to send it to pachube.com:
   
   //initialize or reset the variables for the conductivity sensor calculations to 0
    int analogValue=0;
    int oldAnalogValue=0;
    float returnVoltage=0.0;
    float resistance=0.0;
    double Siemens;
    float TDS=0.0;
    // get the conductivity values by passing electrivity between the probes 1cm apart 
    // (do not get any values if it is pure water - probes are likely out of water)
    // this is a crude & imprecise way of getting conductivity but it is a cheap way to monitor variations
while(((oldAnalogValue-analogValue)>threshold) || (oldAnalogValue<50))
     {
      oldAnalogValue = analogValue;
      digitalWrite( outputPin, HIGH );
      delay(10); // allow ringing to stop
      analogValue = analogRead(inPin);
      digitalWrite( outputPin, LOW );
     }
    //calculate voltage
     Serial.print("Return voltage = ");
     returnVoltage = analogValue * ArduinoResolution;
     Serial.print(returnVoltage);
     Serial.println(" volts");
    //calculate ohms
     resistance = ((5.00 * resistorValue) / returnVoltage) - resistorValue;
     Serial.print(resistance);
     Serial.println(" Ohms.");
    // calculate siemens
     Siemens = 1.0/(resistance/1000000) + 1700; // calibrate the 1700 value here using conductivity meter
     Serial.print(Siemens);
     Serial.println(" microSiemens.");
    //calculate total dissolved solids (TDS)
     TDS = 500 * (Siemens/1000);
     Serial.print(TDS);
     Serial.println(" PPM.");
     if(returnVoltage>4.9) Serial.println("metal");
      delay(100);
     //print values to Nokia 3310 LCD Screen
     gotoXY(1,3);
     LcdString(dtostrf(Siemens,5,0,buff));
     gotoXY(50,3);
     LcdString("uS");
     delay(1000);
   
   // get raw temperature reading and buffer values for posting to personal database
   int temp = analogRead(1);
   sprintf(buffer, "GET /update.php?temp=%d&volts=%d HTTP/1.1", temp, analogValue);
   delay(50);
   
   //post to personal database if there is a connection
   if (client.connect("www.vyour_web_site_here.com", 80)) {
    Serial.println("personal web site...");
    client.println(buffer);
    client.println("Host: your_web_site_here.com");
    client.println("Connection: close\n");
    client.println();
    client.stop();
    }
   // prepare datastring for posting to pachube.com
   String siemen = dtostrf(Siemens,5,2,buff);
   dataString += ",";
   dataString += String(siemen);
   Serial.println(dataString);
   sendData(dataString);
 }
 // store the state of the connection for next time through
 // the loop:
 lastConnected = client.connected();
 client.stop();
}

// this method makes a HTTP connection to the server:
void sendData(String thisData) {
 // if there's a successful connection:
 if (client.connect("www.pachube.com", 80)) {
   Serial.println("pachube.com...");
   // send the HTTP PUT request.
   // fill in your feed address here:
   client.print("PUT /api/yourfeednumber.csv HTTP/1.1\n");
   client.print("Host: www.pachube.com\n");
   // fill in your Pachube API key here:
   client.print("X-PachubeApiKey: your_pachube_api_key\n");
   client.print("Content-Length: ");
   client.println(thisData.length(), DEC);
   // last pieces of the HTTP PUT request:
   client.print("Content-Type: text/csv\n");
   client.println("Connection: close\n");
   // here's the actual content of the PUT request:
   client.println(thisData);
   Serial.println(thisData);
   // note the time that the connection was made:
   lastConnectionTime = millis();
 }
 else {
   // if you couldn't make a connection:
   Serial.println("connection failed");
   // this happens periodically-don't be alarmed
 }
}

Erin and I have been “citizen volunteer monitoring” the conductivity of streams in and around Madison for the past year. It has been an extremely interesting look into how the salinity levels in streams in the area vary from month-to-month. The study which is being conducted by the WDNR and UW-Extension encourages citizen monitors to measure conductivity levels in streams – especially during the months of December through March when snow events often result in over-salting of roads and sidewalks. If there is “an event”, typically a heavy snowfall or runoff day, we will get a message from the coordinator asking us to pop out to our sites and take a quick sample. Here are a few pictures of us in action:

Salinity in some streams being measured by volunteers throughout the state have reached levels where it could potentially have a harmful effect on the organisms in the streams. Organisms are affected differently by the amount of salt in the water.

We use a $70 conductivity meter, a long plastic pvc pipe, and sampling bottle to take our measurements. The point of the long PVC pipe is to keep us out of the stream and our feet dry – but this doesn’t always work. We enjoy monitoring the streams and it is a great way to get outside, assist with scientific research, and to learn about how urban living affects our watersheds.

It has been 8 months since we set up our home aquaponics system. What we’ve learned:

1. Peppers grow amazingly well in aquaponics
   • We have had great success with jalopenos, green bell peppers, banana peppers, and hungarian wax. Peppers are easily matted down, spread out, and manipulated and will still produce an amazing number of peppers. We have 8 bell peppers on one plant right now and many more buds coming.
2. Lettuce grows very well but will bolt quickly
   • We have grown a variety of lettuces over the past few months. We have eaten it and not gotten sick contrary to thoughts about having a turtle in an aquaponics environment. We actually feed the lettuce leaves to the turtle and fish as well and he loves it.
3. Tomatoes get out of hand and need a lot of space
   • Tomatoes will grow like weeds in an aquaponics system. They will quickly take over and shade any smaller plants. It wasn’t until we removed our tomato plants that the peppers were able to flourish.
4. Worms love aquaponics
   • After viewing a youtube video by Australian aquaponics guru Murray Hallam we added a few red wiggler worms from our worm compost bin. The worms have taken off and are thriving in the aquaponics system further helping to break down the fish waste and provide nutrients for the system.
5. Spiders are a great way to get rid of aphids.
   • Our aphid problem has virtually disappeared – or at least there is now a balance. We contemplated introducing asian beetles to counteract the aphid issue but eventually a few spiders found their way into the pepper plants and took care of them naturally & natively.
6. Spraying the plants seems to keep the plants healthier & they look better!
   • Almost daily we will spray the leaves of all the plants with water from the fish tank. This seems to keep the leaves healthier, prettier, and improves growth.
7. Instead of cycling 15 minutes every hour we now have the pump set to go for 15 minutes every two hours.
   • Not only does this save energy but the plants seem to be growing better. I may consider bumping it up to 15 minutes every three hours soon to see how the plants react.

Below are a few pictures of our current batch of plants.

In just two months, our home aquaponics system is churning out lettuce and basil and the tomato plants are growing unbelievably well.

A few notes:

• Cilantro and pepper plants are currently stunted – but haven’t died – which could be related to water ph.
• There is still a healthy population of aphids on some of the plants (they tend to enjoy the peppers the most and definitely stay away from the basil plants).
• We installed an automatic fish feeder which allowed us to leave for two weeks. When we returned the plants had taken over and had grown into the grow light causing a bit of burning on some of the leaves. It was nice not having to worry about a drought or animals destroying the grow bed.
• We are eating the lettuce and feeding it to the turtle and fish.
• Having different types of  fresh basil on hand is certainly nice for cooking. The best part is that we don’t have to worry about it going bad in the refrigerator.
• We have added red wiggler worms to the growing media to consume the solid waste.

Here are a few updated photos of the system.

[simage=968,400,y,center,][simage=971,400,y,center,][simage=970,400,y,center,][simage=969,400,y,center,]

Our home aquaponics system has now been running for almost two weeks so I felt it was time for an update. As with any project I do I am constantly making changes, adapting new techniques and updating the original plans based on things I am learning along the way. Since the last post we have purchased a “hi-tech” yet economical grow light that uses much less energy. Initially with the T12 ballast, the plants were emerging a little spindly and research suggested that that the lighting was inadequate and that the old T12 bulbs would need to be replaced as they lose their strength over time. So rather than purchasing new T12 bulbs for $20/piece ($40 total) we decided to upgrade to a T5 fluorescent system that produces better light and is more energy efficient (the system came with bulbs and the 4 bulbs that will need to be replaced on a yearly basis are the same price as two high output T12s). I would have enjoyed going with the newest LED systems which use significantly less energy but the prices of these systems are somewhat restrictive. Since the switch our seedlings have thickened, straightened, become more colorful and quickly gained their third leaves or true leaves. (For more information on choosing the appropriate lighting for your aquaponics system check out this blog post at The Aquaponics Source.)

One challenge we are encountering are aphids – which were likely brought into the mix from my introduction of a marigold from my summer garden into the apartment. Currently I am manually squishing the little guys off the plants but it seems a never-ending battle. I am in the process of tracking down a few asian beatles to help eliminate the aphids – but of course when you need them they are never around.

I have also changed the timing of the pump to run every two hours reduce electricity use and lowered the water level of the growing area after some online suggestions from other aquaponics enthusiasts. These settings will likely continue to be tweaked as I attempt to perfect the system.

Below are a few photos of our simple home aquaponics system. Any comments, constructive criticism, or suggestions are much appreciated!

[simage=937,512,n,center,]

Hydroton in some reused seedling containers from this summer’s seedlings ready to go into the aquaponics system a few weeks ago.

[simage=938,512,n,center,]

The plants (basil, cilantro, lettuces, peppers, dill) as they look now. They germinated and are growing much faster than I expected. The plant in front is an ivy house plant (non-aquaponic).

[simage=935,512,n,center,]

Some lettuce gaining some noticeable color after the new lighting system was introduced.

[simage=936,512,n,center,]

Some hot pepper seedlings I haven’t quite had the heart to thin. From the experience of other users hot peppers do extremely well in aquaponic systems.

[simage=930,512,n,center,]

The piping going from the pump up to the grow bed. The pump is much more powerful than we needed so we had to use the included adapter to reduce the flow. Note: the aquatic turtle named Pesto in the lower right. She is loving the cleaner water in the tank.

[simage=931,512,n,center,]

The inlet from the pump.

[simage=932,512,n,center,]

The system.

As I mentioned in the last post the inspiration for how easy it was to put together a aquaponics system came from a small exhibit at this year’s Growing Power Conference. Below are two photos of the simple system they had on display.

[simage=939,512,n,center,][simage=940,512,n,center,]

After visiting Growing Power a few times, seeing the amazing work being done at Sweet Water Organics, and seeing a small scale aquaponics demonstration at the Growing Power Urban and Small Farm Conference I have decided (with Erin’s approval) to try doing some “desktop” or home aquaponics. Aquaponics is natural technique of nutrient recycling which was noticed and applied by the ancient Aztec and Egyptians. These civilizations saw the immense benefits of simultaneously cultivating plants and aquatic animals in a symbiotic environment. Aquaponics is considered by some to be better than certified organic and much more sustainable than most organic practices because:

• no chemicals or fertilizers are used (any chemicals or fertilizers would be detrimental to aquatic animal health)
• 1/10th the water is used
• no weeds
• no diseases

We are doing it “on the cheap” with our rather large fish tank. Many of the supplies being used to start the project are things that we have either recovered from dumpsters/trash or already owned except:

• a new pump (~$30 – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BJM9G8/ref=oss_product)
• random pieces of piping (~$10 at local hardware store)
• some seed starter cubes($1 at local hydropoonics store)
• a bag of hydroton ($10 at local hydropoonics store).

Here is a picture of the simple setup.

The plants are on top with the water pumped in from the tank, circulated past the roots, and back into the tank on an ebb and flow (flood and drain) cycle for 15 minutes every hour (set with a timer). Currently we have an aquatic turtle and convict cichlids in the tank providing our fertilizer. We also have basil, lettuce, and cilantro starts growing quite well in the system. (Will update on plant growth and system components periodically.)

If anyone is looking to try out a simple aquaponics setup check out an article on the Aquaponic Gardening Blog titled
“Aquaponic Gardening Rules of Thumb“.

For more information check out this interesting piece was done by NBC on the Aquaponics System at Sweet Water Organics:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

(This is an article that Jake wrote and was published in the local newspaper last month.)

Many of us see the United States as a country with plenty of food, yet not all households in America are food secure – meaning that the household has access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. According to the USDA’s November 2008 statistics, 15% of American households experience food insecurity at some time in a given year because of food deprivation and lack of access to food due to economic resource constraints. This is a dramatic increase from 11% in 2007 and 10% in 1999. One in eight people in Dunn County live below the poverty line but food insecure households are not always living under the poverty line. In today’s economy many families are often just an unexpected health care bill, a car repair, or a lost job away from food insecurity.

Food insecurity is not always where we would expect to find it. According to Feeding America 18% of children under the age of 18 in Wisconsin are food insecure. A recent NPR report indicates rising tuition costs and a tough economy are making it difficult for families of college students. This has lead to an increase in the number of hungry and even homeless college students. According to the USDA, more than three quarters of a million Americans over 65 and living alone have difficulty providing themselves with a steady supply of food and experience some degree of hunger.

In Dunn County, Stepping Stones Food Pantry serves 559 households each month in need of emergency food assistance. Annually the Food pantry serves 18,000 people, 43% (5,600) of them are children.

Local Individuals and Organizations Making a Difference

Despite these sobering statistics, many local citizens and non-profits have used it as an opportunity to come together as a community and are approaching food insecurity in a sustainable and creative manner. Tuesday’s Table at St. Joseph’s and Thursday’s Table at the First Congregational-UCC serve hot meals made by local volunteers. The Shirley Doane Senior Center offers hot meals and provides a weekday Meals on Wheels service. The Menomonie Community Garden offers inexpensive plots as well as gardening classes so that members of the community may grow their own food.

Recognizing the local need, UW-Stout student & summer VISTA Joseph Pangborn and Nina Borchowiec, a VISTA working at the Dunn County Extension office, are encouraging the establishment of a local Campus Kitchen Project hosted by UW-Stout. The project is a food recycling program that uses cooked but never served food from the campus dining halls to make healthy, balanced, and nutritious meals and provide them to participating organizations and households.

“The Campus Kitchen Project is potentially a very powerful tool to help improve food security in the Menomonie area. If we are able to tap into the excess resources of the campus dining facilities, we can reduce waste and provide invaluable support to the community,” says Pangborn.

Joseph, who also assists with the Menomonie Farmer’s Market, assists with the coordination of a Family Table Cooking Class, where attendees learn to cook healthy and inexpensive meals as well as visit and participate in a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to increase awareness and opportunity for food security.

For over over 20 years Julie McNaughton of Menomonie Area Bread for the World has been a beacon for food security projects in Dunn County. She is very interested in eliminating food insecurity and hunger locally and around the world. Julie coordinates the Empty Bowls project and Crop Walk and encourages area residents to write their legislators in support of beneficial legislation.

What can you do to help with Food Security in Dunn County?

* bring the issue of food security up in social settings
* volunteer with a local non-profit such as Stepping Stones or Tuesday’s & Thursday’s Table
* get involved in local food security projects with the Menomonie Food and Agriculture Connection
* support your local growers and CSAs to ensure a diverse local food system
* donate to the Stepping Stones Food Pantry

15 years ago they met while working in the Vilas County Fair funnel cake stand. Today, happily married and proud owners of a travelling funnel cake cart. America’s entrepreneurs at their finest! (via facebook)

Summary of the 2010 Open Science Summit

University of California – Berkeley

About Open Science Summit

From July 29-31, scientists, students, patients, and activists convened to discuss the future of our science/technology paradigm. Topics included: Synthetic Biology, Personal Genomics, Gene Patents, Open Access/Data, the Future of Scientific Publishing and Reputation, Microfinance for Science, DIY Biology, Bio-security, and more.

I recently attended the 2010 Open Science Summit “Updating the Social Contract for Science” in Berkeley, California (UC-Berekely). It was a very informative, inspiring, and motivating experience. Presentations were given from a very knowledgeable and diverse group of speakers. There was a good mix of policy makers, developers, popular authors, traditional scientists, grassroots scientists, biotech speakers, and software and hardware developers. The FBI was even gave a presentation encouraging citizen science to collaborate with the bureau to make the US a safer place where institutional and corporate science is failing and/or falling behind.

Many of the presentations and discussions began by identifying things that are hindering science and research (eg – lack of open data, lack of access to published research, patents, funding, exorbitant costs of hardware & software, distaste & disinterest for science in younger generations, academic culture & norms, time consumption & inefficiencies of the current research and publishing system, lack of efficient/effective collaborative research groups, etc.). Lively conversations ensued openly and behind the scenes (twitter & the back channel). The diversity of speakers, software, hardware, and ideas successfully spurred discussions, inspired new ideas & collaborations, and identified possible and probable ways to improve science & research in the future.

One very important bit of information I took away from the conference is how to use technology to create a more effective conference. A few technologies that were very helpful and received positive, realtime feedback:

• backchan.nl (http://oss2010.backchan.nl/conferences/view/30) – Allows users to post questions (realtime) to be answered following presentations or during panel discussions. Allows for comments and instant feedback as well.
• fora.tv (http://fora.tv/live/open_science/open_science_summit_2010) – live streaming of the conference allowed for folks who were unable to make the trip to the conference to view the sessions as well as provide feedback and contribute questions through the backchan or twitter
• twitter.com (http://twitter.com/#search?q=Oss2010) – at the beginning of the conference the hastag (#oss2010) was given to the folks at the conference. Very lively conversations and exchanges took place realtime throughout the conference.

A few more things about conference planning (obvious to me but not always adhered to) that I gathered from the conference were to provide a proper amount of breaks, avoid having two or more speakers present on the same topic, and to provide enough time for questions and answers.

A few new scientific funding sources were introduced at the conference and would be a great opportunity for professors, community members, and teachers to take advantage of:

• Fund Science – fundscience.org
• Sciflies – scieflies.org – crowdsource funding internet site – Begins August 15th – can submit proposals now
• kickstarter.com – broader focus but successfully funded (OpenPCR, and others)
• EurekaFund (http://eurekafund.org/) – Interesting model for crowdsourcing – undergrad research project funding possibility?

For me it was an extremely interesting experience ‘looking in from the outside’. I am certainly not a scientist (at least in the traditional sense) yet I learned a lot about the challenges (institutional, societal, financial, etc) facing scientists, researchers, and professors who simply want to advance science and subsequently improve life for their community, nations, and the world. I believe many of the same challenges are present throughout the various disciplines in higher education. Many of the approaches the presenters and attendees are coming up with to advance science from both the traditional and grassroots levels are very inspiring and I hope to encourage the use of some of these technologies and strategies.

For more information see:

• http://opensciencesummit.com/
• http://twitter.com/#search?q=Oss2010
• http://fora.tv/live/open_science/open_science_summit_2010

“The idea is in thyself. The impediment too, is in thyself.” – Carlyle