• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • Pearl Sutton
  • paul wheaton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Anne Miller
  • Nicole Alderman
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Maieshe Ljin
  • Benjamin Dinkel
  • Jeremy VanGelder

Class project for aquaponics

 
Posts: 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hello Everyone,

I just joined this forum to learn more about aquaponics. I am a teacher looking to build a set up for a long term project with 8th graders next year. I have done some research about this and see that tilapia are often used in the fish portion of the system. I am wondering if other aquatic vertebrates would also work, specifically turtles. I already have two red eared sliders and thier tank easily gets green with algae due to the high levels of nitrates. However, I am concerned about salmonella contaminating the entire system. Is this a valid fear or would the bacteria be filtered out through the process? If possible, I'd like to have the students eat what they grow at the end of the semester. Maybe we can grow non edible plants and then salmonella won't be an issue at all?

The reason I want to use turtles specifically is because they have outgrown the tank they are currently in. I'm trying to hug two birds with one arm, but I don't know if it will work or if it is safe. I'd love to hear from someone who is more experienced that I am with aquaponics.

Thanks,

James
 
Posts: 129
Location: Elgin, IL
3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
From what I remember, aquatic creatures that are cold blooded don't often harbor pathogens and diseases that affect warm blooded mammals. Usually contaminations such as e.coli or salmonella occur when the food has come into contact with infected material post-harvest.
 
If you're gonna buy things, buy this thing and I get a fat kickback:
11 Podcast Review of Botany in a Day by Thomas Elpel
https://permies.com/wiki/24823/Podcast-Review-Botany-Day-Thomas
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic