Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I am gathering nutrient tables for vegetables, fish and fish feed formulas (contents and needs) and will try to put them in an excel file for further study

Most of what I found so far is in .pdf files and in dutch
however, translating vegetable/fish/nutrient names would not be an enormous challenge
but I would like some help with this and with gathering the info

an easy to use .pdf unlocking freeware, so you can paste and copy from the .pdf to Excel can be found here:
http://lifehacker.com/396534/freeware-p ... -passwords

just install the program, then drag and drop the file you want to unlock to the icon on your desktop, wait a while, and an unlocked version is created in the same directory
this will allow you to copy and paste from .pdf to Excel

please post here all info on this subject that comes your way
preferably in Excel format

I will try to assemble them and add columns for translation in different languages
please advise me on what other columns should be added for conversions

here is a start Excel file:

WARNING ! don't download this spreadsheet unless you have checked further in this thread if there isn't a newer version
and regularly come back to look for updates.

there are already a lot of data in the file
but more are missing

sure would appreciate some help

frank

May need to be a little careful "copying" feed tables and especially "nutritional" data for aquaculture feeds...

Most are copyrighted/trademarked... and would at least require a citation of the source.

Might be better to split the database into plants and fish...

Not only do differing species of fish and crustacea have different nutritional requirements, but usually different requirements for various stages of growth

Frank... have a look at http://code.google.com/hosting/ here you could upload your xls and auxiliary files, as part of a 'project'
This way, you could add a link (or have the mods mod your first post to include a link) to the project, that is continually updated.

It also allows for multiple ppl to do multiple concurrent changes (I think) provided that they have password access.
I sort of thought it was ideal for your purposes.

I absolutely agree, the authors deserve recognition
and I normally do
so it is good of you to point this out

will remedy to it

frank

the database is already split into plants and fish and even much more: needs versus contents
see the different tabs

stages of growth can be dealt with in one or several new pages in the same worksheet, where calculations can be done according to circumstances using the data collected

splitting it all up in different spreadsheets would make that much more complex
but maybe there will be no other choice

my knowledge of Excel is good, but limited

frank

thanks for the tip, Kuda

but I am a bit reticent of letting things out of my hands

maybe the first signs of a growing conservatism which I so combat?
after all, I am 57
and there probably is no escape
fate is coming my way

I would love it if you would introduce and assist me to this new technology

frank

Not to knock what your doing. But why? The amount of work needed to gather the information and at the end of the day will it be useful. Most of us would not go through a big list when we can just add a little seasol and trace to the system. I do see it being useful for a commercial system but they will work it out themselves.

It is the sort of thing a very large scale system would find helpfull. You can send off tissue samples as well.

I love this idea but it's a little too specific, I mean too "fine." I realise that I may not be quite in the target audience, I just wanted to say that I only need to know if the plant needs a high or low nitrate yield, more sun or more water.. etc not the specific elementary needs... there's a lot of books and websites already out there doing that sort of thing.. but conventional gardeners don't come up with information on how much nitrate the tommies will take in a AP system.
And then there's the problem of season... not sure how you'd make it differential.

Do you mind if I make an adaptation of your idea and make a website version of it? I like the concept a lot, but what you made isn't a database - it's a spreadsheet!

There have been very few qualified scientific trials and experiments done with regard to aquaponics.

No doubt Dr Rococy at UVI has some data, also Wilson Lennard may have some empirical data regarding nitrate uptake.... both regarding basil and perhaps watercress...

But while data may exist in general terms as to a range of nutrient requirements for specific plants, particularly in hydroponics.... it's usually presented in terms of actual "element" uptake.... i.e nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, trace elements etc...

Don't know if it correlates directly to "nitrates" as such, as in aquaponics....

And indeed, while it has been postulated that part of the success of aquaponics is the various trace element availability from unused feed and waste... AFAIK, it has never been qualified...

Some veges, and particularly fruits are known to be heavier "nitrogen" users.. such as tomatos... cucumbers, peppers etc ... in fact fruits in general...

But the success of such fruits also depends markedly on potassium and trace elements...

I think the hydroponic literature would be the best place to look for such information...

Here's a very basic guide... I've got a much more detailed one bookmarked somewhere...

http://www.backyardgardener.com/veg/nurt1.html

wicked!!! that link is exactly what I was thinking of!

but I still believe that those plants have a different uptake in different climates. and again.. this is a spreadsheet, not a database !!

and it'd be good if we could have a lot more than those listed on that site...!

"meten is weten" we say in Dutch
which translates to:
"to measure is to know"

my pump efficiency calculator has shown some surprisingly hard realities
which is interesting information even for small scale applications

I simply prefer knowledge to guesswork
or at least knowledge as a guide to guesswork

feel free to help (us all) to knowledge
I seem to be not the only one interested

frank

thanks for a positive approach, Jensilaedi
and for your enthousiasm

not that it is important, but can't a spreadsheet filled with data be considered a database?
old Shakespeare comes at my defense:
what's in a name?
a strawberry would by any other name taste as sweet

the advantage of putting the data in a spreadsheet is that calculations can be performed on them
like seasons, growth rates, etc...

the aim is to guide the guesswork

by all means, don't let me stop you !!!
I own some dormant aquaponics websites:
Europe (English) http://www.aquaponics.eu
Europe (French) http://www.aquaponique.eu
Belgium (Dutch) http://www.aquaponics.be
Belgium (French) http://www.aquaponique.be
Germany http://www.aquaponics.de
I have paid the rights to them for three years now to safeguard the reputation of AP

and would surely appreciate help and advice on what to post on them
also on compiling guidelines to what is acceptable to publish there
i.e. commercial postings should be possible if they comply with certain guiderules

as for target audience, I would like to keep that as wide as possible

frank