Cycling is definitly over No Ammonia no nitrites And Compost Tea

Cycling is definitely over ammonia and nitrites are undetectable.  Nitrates have been decreasing progressively. Nitrites peaked and totally disappeared very quickly. Also, the intresting thinkg is how the pH decreased until the nitrite peak was over, and then started to increase again. I think it is because there are pieces of eggshells trapped in polyester is the tower.

Last weekend, I did the first of the monthly maintenance check up. I took the system apart to rinse the pump, I removed the profiler that was in it, there was a worm cocoon and a fat worm in it, they both were returned to the tower. The water has an interesting reddish tint, but didnt have any distinctive smell to it. Not sure where that color is from, but  could be natural coloration occurring because of the vermiwash and compost tea. It also could be that the wood I leaching out something. When I built the tower, I remember that the wood was giving away some lightly coloured water. maybe the plastic wrap I have put on the walls has gaps and some of what is in the wood is leaching out. I may need to rethink the cover of the wood, maybe using a double layer of plastic wrap would be better. 

 

The tee, with old socks to filter particles

After cleaning up the pump, I also decided to mess with the water pipe. It is a flexible poly tubing, and was pinched at the level of the tower. Also, the green onion getting soft may be due to over-watering, so I needed to reduce the flow from the pump. I had a couple of tees and a small valve. I used one of the tee and the valve to divert some of the flow from the pump and return it to the reservoir, the other one to play the role of an elbow and avoid the pipe to kink. I covered the ends with nylon sock to play a filters role, and added a short length of tubing on the "top end" to avoid splashing things around. In the process I kind of messed up the 3 pepper seedlings. It seem that maybe one will survive, the other will definitely not.

Compost tea version 2.0

After that, I added 2 cups of compost tea, brewed for 24h. Oxygenated using the aquarium pump. The tea was "brewed" using worm casting (1.5 teaspoon), seaweed (1/8 teaspoon) and same of brown sugar. After 24h there was no foam on the top (Internet tends to say there should be a lot). I filtered the "tea" measure the nitrate and ammonia (traces) and sprayed some on the leaves (according to compost tea aficionados it is great to fight diseases and so-on), and dumped the rest in the reservoir. I also added 2mL of this house plant fertilizer that we have laying around. I keep checking ammonia and nitrate on a daily basis and the compost tea does not seem to change much of these. There seem to have a slight increase of ammonia, but the plant fertilizer contains both ammonia and nitrate (ammonium nitrate and other nitrate source). I kept adding 2 ml of fertilizer everyday since. I decided that I will add much more  of all the ingredients and get molasses ( instead of brown sugar) the next batch, which I prepared yesterday: 1 hipping table spoon of worm compost, one teaspoon of seaweed, and one teaspoon of molasses.  This version has some foam on the top, indicating that there is life in it. Last night I added another teaspoon of molasses, as tonight the foaming has greatly reduced. It "brewed" for 48h, the colour is yellow-brown, its smells good (like the molasses, with some earthy smell mixed to it) has a little bit of foam on the top, but does not have a significant amount of ammonia or nitrates. I also sprayed some on the leaves and dumped the remaining in the tank. To avoid risk of overflow, I removed about 2 cups from the reservoir. The water is still brown-redish, and still does not have any particular smell to it.

The "growlight"

 I also made a "growlight" out of a power strip, a couple on plug-light-bulb-sockets and 2 23W CFL (5000k "bright daylight"), since the days are seriously shortening. On Tuesday night however, some of the parley looked strange : a few leaves were wilted, and theses leaves, where the closest to the lights. I decided to use only one light, and to put it on the timer with the pump. The wilted leaves did not recover, but no more of these appeared.

some wilted leaves on the lower parley plant.

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Human Sacrifice of over 2000 people in Meca

I said on Monday that I was expecting a big "sacrifice" this week.   I was looking for a plane crash, or another huge bomb.....  I didnt expect it to be quite this big, or to come from where it did!!

I Posted updates on Facebook yesterday morning:

"Well theres one sacrifice done. Im still expecting at least one more......"

and the numbers went from 200, to 717 by late afternoon..... then today:  over 2000 people Dead, killed on the day of Sacrifice of Eid, IN Meca, during the "Stoning of the Devil"


This isnt over yet.  As I said: Im expecting one more - most likely on Saturday.  Well have to wait and see.

d



Sep 25 2015

Hajj "stampede" caused by Saudi Prince security forces

UPDATE: It appears to me, with the way this is working out, that the Saudi government might have intentionally caused this. Consider the following two new items:

As I predicted, the death toll has now hit 2,000 and is still climbing

UPDATE: Despicable: Saudi army blocked all access to hospitals. UPDATE: With 2,000 confirmed dead, some countries are reporting that only 20 percent of missing people are accounted for, which means the death toll could go much higher than 2,000. This is an impossible scenario absent a massive panic - possibly caused on purpose.

If this was not done on purpose, then WHY would the Saudi military block access to hospitals?

UPDATE: Saudi prince that caused the stampede with his security forces controls the Yemen war!

Here is what happened - Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud arrived at the site completely un announced and confronted the crowd with an entourage of over 300 people, 150 of which were heavily armed security which beyond all doubt caused a huge panic that made everyone run.
At the same time this happened, Saudi crowd control totally mismanaged the situation, and ended up blocking off the exit route that over a hundred thousand people tried to exit through. So over 100,000 panicked people suddenly hit an impassable barrier while all running. Obviously then, the ones in the front got crushed. And from how things look now, even though the Sauds refuse to admit to a death toll higher than 717, (after initially trying to whitewash it down to less than 200) it now looks like the death toll is over 2,000, all because an idiot saudi prince dropped into the middle of things un announced, caused mayhem, and then freaked people out with a massive security force.
The zio press has made sure everyone elsewhere in the world thinks that this event was caused by people being on a brainless dash to "stone the devil" but now that the details are getting out, this was an oil money problem, some rich selfish child obviously got enough of it to pay for his own little army that scared the crap out of everyone.
On top of this, all the sauds appear to be doing is a whitewash rather than try to help the injured. It took them two hours to arrive at the scene and do anything at all, and when they did do something, rather than help the injured, they started carting off dead bodies and let the injured people lay on the pavement in the sun. So we probably will never get a final death count - if they put that much priority into carting off the dead, it probably means they wanted a cover up more than anything else at first, and then encountered a huge problem - too much to hide.
After combing through the comment sections and reading the posts of witnesses, it appears that it took 2 hours for help to arrive ONLY because everyone who initially came to help was diverted to protect the Prince that created the scare and caused it all! Even today, the latest pictures, shows piles of bodies still mixed in with suitcases and whatever else people were carrying, (even crushed wheel chairs) which means the Sauds are clueless about the real death toll, and these bodies are going to rot before they get them moved, the response is THAT PATHETIC AND SLOW.

There is a huge amount of additional information on this topic (the above is a summary of many reports) HERE

JIM STONEs site: HERE
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/09/25/430691/Hajj-Mecca-Stampede-Irans-Hajj-and-Pilgrimage-Organization-Saeed-Ohadi-Saudi-Arabia

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Starting over for winter

New Garden Layout...

We redid the labelling of the garden  beds to help make it easier to know what bed the other is talking about...
The Raspberry barrel hasnt moved yet as we are waiting for a trolley so it can be moved without to much trauma to the plant...

 Refreshing the Beds...
  
28 bags ½ filled with Mushroom compost were delivered by Greg From Wormtec on Saturday morning along with a Brix meter & small bag of worm cast based fertiliser pellets that he is working on...  Today the fun began with the revitalising of the beds once we did a tidy up...


 Pumpkins...

A decision was made this morning to do away with the Pumpkins as we have had no luck what so ever with them even though we have been hand fertilising the Female flowers as they open each morning... Makes it a lot easier to get around the beds now...


Bed #1...

Bed #1 has been stripped ½ way along... We didnt get around to transplanting all the baby Leeks today so they will be done next week... It has had some Blood n Bone, Cracker dust & Mushroom compost dug through but will have to wait till next weekend to have the Horse compost added then be planted out...
Bed #2...

Bed #2 was completely striped then had Blood n Bone, Cracker dust, Mushroom & Horse composts added... Snow peas seeds were sown under the trellis then 4 rows of Early Wonder Beetroot were sown up the other end... The tray on the bed has seedlings in it & shall be planted out next weekend...

Bed #3...

Bed #3 had the beans stripped from it & the Eggplants had a very radical trim... Blood n Bone, Cracker dust, Mushroom compost & the old bean plants were dug through but will have to wait until next weekend to have Horse compost dug through... Cauliflower will be planted in here next week end if all goes well..


Bed #7...

Bed #7 had Blood n Bone, Cracker dust, Mushroom & Horse composts added... 6 Broccoli seedlings were planted this afternoon... There are also 8 Snow pea seedlings that should be going in next weekend...



Bed #9...

Bed #9 has been a poor performer since the start... From the picture you can see that the soil is made up with mainly sand, some pebbles & the Sugar cane mulch we dug through when the bed was made...
Today I added Blood n Bone, Cracker dust,  Mushroom & Horse composts... The bed will be planted out next weekend with Lemongrass from the a blue Wicking barrel & some Silverbeet that will be used as Chook food...


Beds 10 & 11...
The 2 small beds at the end of Bed #2 had Blood n Bone, Cracker dust, Mushroom & horse composts added... Koos strawberries were removed from Bed #11 as, sadly, they didnt survive the transplanting from last week... They will be replaced with some more when we find some at the market in the next few weeks...
Bed #10 had the Parsley from Bed #1 planted into it as well as a few Beetroot seeds to fill some gaps...

Bed #4 & Barrel #6 were top dressed with Blood n Bone, Cracker dust Mushroom & Horse composts to help them along... The Eggplant in the bed also had a trim... We are leaving a few fruit mature so we can collect the seed for the next generation then that plant will be pulled... It has lasted for 3 years & 3 transplants now so we feel its time to retire the old dear...

Barrel #1 & 2 had the Cape Gooseberries removed, the soil dug out then mixed with the Blood n Bone, Cracker dust Mushroom & Horse composts... They were replanted in the barrels with the reconditioned soil then watered in well...

This was the pile at the start of the day (left) & then at the end (right)...
3 of the remaining bags are to be used on Bed #1.. The last will be mixed with some Horse compost then used as a top dress in the Spice Barrels...
2 of the bags were put straight under the house to see if we can revive the Mushroom plant... They have been placed into a waxed Lettuce box (we got full of leaves for the Chookies) & shall be covered with some seeding mix tomorrow... Hopefully they will start to produce & we will have heaps of home grown Mushies again...


Seedlings...

To get a bit of a head start on some veg we bought a few seedlings from the "store that shall remain nameless" yesterday...We bought Coriander, Common Mint, a punnet each of Cauliflower, Zucchini & Broccoli...
On Wednesday the girls & I planted out some seeds into trays,
4 x Brussels Sprouts
4 x Red Russian Kale
8 x Sugarsnap peas
8 x Melting Mammoth Snow Peas
10 x Sugarloaf Cabbage
10 x White Kohl Rabi


Rescued Produce...
This is what we managed to save from the plants were pulled or trimmed... Will miss the beans but the new plants should start producing in the next few weeks...



Thats more than enough for now me thinks so shall call it quits & stop Waffling on...
Have a great one all...
: )»

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Cycling is almost over !!!!

Left: NO3 1:50 Right NO2 1/10

NO2 1:50 and undiluted

Youhouuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

The cycling is over! Today, when I measured the different forms of nitrogen, I happily saw that the nitrites have dived down to 1ppm or less. That is great news!



Once the nitrite is below 0 ppm, I could add fish, but I think i am going to wait a bit more, and add some "vermiwash" to see what it does to the nutrients concentrations and pH.


Also, I have not decided what fish to put in, I have about 3.5 gallons of  water and recommendations from aquarium websites say 1 gallon per inch of fish, but I have found in other forum people putting 7 dozen minnows in a 22 gallon tote, which is 3 fish per gallons... Of course the number of fishes must be considered with the number size that the fish could reach at maturity, and fishes like minnows are quite small. I could buy feeder fish, that are either gold fish or minnows and sold for a 1$ per 5 fish, or a 2$ betta sold in the store around the corner. Bettas have the advantage of not needing as much water as other fishes. The problem is, I am not sure if these fishes would be healthy or not. Online reviews are mixed on these. But buying "safer" fish would increase the budget, and there is always the risk that it wont survive in the system.
Anyway I still have sometimes to figure it out, and i can always keep feeding the system using vermiwash (compost tea - nonbrewed).

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Transpicuous News Just in case you want to know whats going on over there

Well well well......more interesting stuff going on..... you know..... over there.

d




 Qatari ex-emir’s broken leg sees 9 ‘emergency’ landings in Zurich despite night flight ban
Published time: 29 Dec, 2015 08:45

Nine Qatari royal aircraft made consecutive landings over the weekend at Zurich Airport, after the former emir of Qatar reportedly broke his leg at a Moroccan ski resort. The planes were cleared to land despite a local ban on night flights.

*Ds Note: REALLY?   Cause I just checked and Ifrane has NO SNOW right now, and super mild temperatures of +13C......  and just what was the "Former" emir doing skiing- considering he abdicated his throne in 2013 due to "poor health conditions"?  And since there is no Skiing right now in Ifrane..... how did he break his leg?   And why did 9 private planes need to accompany him to Swizerland- including the new emir of Qatar? .... to Switzerland.... in the middle of the night. *

https://www.rt.com/news/327319-qatari-emir-leg-zurich/

Official state media, the Qatar News Agency, also reported that the current emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, had received a phone call on December 27 from Moroccos King Mohammed VI and discussed "issues of common concern".
 According to Zurichs Tages Anzeiger newspaper, the first Qatari plane, an Airbus, landed from Marrakesh shortly after midnight on December 26.
A second flight landed at Zurich-Kloten at 5:00 am (0400 GMT) the same day, with a third plane coming 15 minutes later, both having originated in Doha, the paper reported.
According to Tages Anzeiger, the medical emergency in question was so significant that six more planes linked to the Qatari royal family and government landed in Zurich through the weekend.
A Swiss foreign ministry spokesman told AFP on Monday that members of the Qatari royal family were staying in the country, but gave no further details.
Sheikh Hamad, who celebrates his 64th birthday on January 1,

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/2/177687/World/Qatars-former-emir-breaks-leg-in-holiday-accident.aspx

http://menafn.com/1094503950/Qatars-Emir-receives-phone-call-from-Moroccan-King&deb=1

Airplane hobbyists and online airplane tracking website FlightRadar24 reported several Qatari flights landing in Zurich around that time, first from Morocco and later from Qatar, raising speculation Sheikh Hamad might have suffered his injury in Morocco.
The state-run Qatar News Agency has yet to report on his injury and surgery. However, it said Moroccos King Mohammed VI called Qatars ruling emir on Sunday.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=235&sid=37933960&title=qatars-former-ruler-flown-to-switzerland-after-breaking-leg&s_cid=queue-8


Qatar hunters abducted in Iraq desert by gunmen
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35112774




Saudi Arabia Carries Out Largest Mass Execution In 25 Years After Beheadings Soar In 2015
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-01-02/saudi-arabia-carries-out-largest-mass-execution-25-years-after-beheadings-soar-2015


Saudi Arabia Executes Prominent Shiite Cleric Nimr Baqr al-Nimr
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941012000654

https://www.rt.com/news/327698-saudi-executions-terror-charges/


Protesters storm Saudi embassy in Tehran, set it ablaze
https://www.rt.com/news/327755-saudi-embassy-iran-protest/

Protesters Set The Streets On Fire In Bahrain After Saudis Kill Top Shiite Cleric
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-01-02/protesters-set-streets-fire-bahrain-after-saudis-kill-top-shiite-cleric

MidEast leaders lash out at Saudi Arabia over Shiite clerics execution, protests erupt
https://www.rt.com/news/327705-nimr-execution-saudi-crime/

Saudi Arabias Oil Depots in Asir Province Destroyed in Yemens Ballistic Missile Attack
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941012000529

https://www.rt.com/news/327707-saudi-coalition-ceasefire-yemen/

DM: Iran to Increase Destruction Power of Missiles
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941012001300


Turkey Drags NATO Into Quagmire as Iraq Threatens Military Retaliation
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941011000836


On The Trail Of Dubais Stolen Gold: A Robbed Client Breaks The Silence, And A Fascinating Detail Emerges
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-01-01/trail-dubais-stolen-gold-client-breaks-silence-and-fascinating-detail-emerges


Dubai 63 story Tower Fire New Years eve

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3380507/Fire-rips-Dubai-hotel-close-city-hold-New-Year-celebrations.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

https://www.yahoo.com/news/dubai-probes-cause-massive-years-eve-hotel-fire-104202361.html


7 killed in gun battle after terrorists storm Indian airbase near Pakistani border
https://www.rt.com/news/327690-india-airbase-gunbattle-terrorists/



....and finally, something VERY interesting.  Keeping a VERY close watch on this story:

Germany Reintroduce Deutschmark
http://m.sputniknews.com/business/20160101/1032565585/deutschmark-reintroduced.html

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