[SustainableTompkins] Re: (Sideshoots) Subject for debate (+ fishtank wastes)

[Corvia Ballefuocco]

Some thoughts come to mind . . .

1) My recollection from another's looking into creating charcoal for use in blacksmithing was that a great deal of wood would have to be burned outside the carbonization chamber in order to turn the wood inside the chamber into charcoal.  I would expect that the local blacksmithing enthusiasts would be able to supply better information regarding this.

2) Mostly Off Topic:  Unable to stand seeing another's leftover bait fish flushed down the toilet, I became the owner of a few shiners when I was living in B'dale. everal years earlier I had been gifted with a 10 gallon fishtank setup that included a 'biofilter'. As it turned out, the shiners were a native fish and, thus, were very happy with my well water (once it had reached room temperature).  No need to treat the water with any chemicals (or heat the tank 8^).

My concerns for both my costs and the environment led me to purchase the refillable mesh sacks in which to put the charcoal and steolite necessary to the filter. Apparently steolite grabs nitrates/nitrogen when such is present in abundance and (best of my recollection) realeases the same slowly when it is not present in abundance.

Once each month I would replace either the charcoal OR the steolite. What to to do with the waste charcoal / steolite?  'Blessed' with an incredible dense clay in which to attempt to raise veggies, the charcoal and steolite went into one of my raised beds.  Unfortunately, having moved, the experiement has been discontinued so I won't know what the long term effects on the garden will be.

3) (really OT)  Having that low flow well that would go dry in droughts, water consumption was ever a concern. In cleaning the tank, my practice was to siphon/vac the tank, replacing 3/4 of the water on a regular basis. My numerous houseplants were ever SO happy to get the wastewater from the fishtank. Important (and again) ~> the water was Not treated with any of the chemicals usually associated with keeping aquariums.  Wouldn't have used it to water the plants if it had been for fear of killing the plants.
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