How to properly compost crab shells, shrimp, ... ???

Hey all ...

I'm an organic grower who would like to step things up a notch by buying less manufactured nutrients and creating more of my own composts, meals, & teas.

One of the things I would like to start composting is crab shells, shrimp peels, maybe some fish bones if I ever fillet a whole fish and have excess, ...

For those experienced organic growers out there, what is the best way for me to compost and break all these sources down? I was thinking of purchasing a composting bucket that I can spin/turn/tumble daily for better breakdown, and I heard the fact that they are lightproof can help greatly. I was curious what everyone recommended, as well as if I am at risk of bacteria/disease/rot in my plants/roots in the future if I do not do this properly? I'm assuming the answer to that question is yes, but any additional info/detail on how to go about this would be great!

Thanks!

Mazar

look into bokashi bins, where you can add aerobic bacteria

upthearsenal said:

look into bokashi bins, where you can add aerobic bacteria

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Will do, thx ...

Can you expand on your organic knowledge and all you have experience in mixing and composting? I'd be very interested to hear, thx!

i meant anaerobic, whoops. it's basically fermentation, and uses anaerobic bacteria that you use to inoculate the compost

it's mainly for meat and dairy, i don't know about shellfish, and fish bone stuff but i'm sure it won't make a difference. i don't compost those kind of things (animal parts and dairy) mainly because it's a bit of a hassle.

you could also google Effective Microorganisms

http://www.teraganix.com/Effective_Microorganisms_and_Gardening_s/8.htm

ide be more worried about creatures sniffing out my soil and messing up the crop

dam612 said:

ide be more worried about creatures sniffing out my soil and messing up the crop

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yeah, that's a typical concern, scavengers. that's why you want an enclosed (typically plastic) container to keep the smell in, plus a lot of people keep their bokashi bins indoors

If you want to break down bone you're going to have to use manure, range fed chicken shit would be your best bet. Cow and horse manure is to green and isn't strong enough.

upthearsenal said:

you could also google Effective Microorganisms

http://www.teraganix.com/Effective_Microorganisms_and_Gardening_s/8.htm

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Thank you very much for pointing me in that direction! I will look into that.

Thank you for all the responses, thus far! Much appreciated, and I am taking all this into consideration for my future efforts.

I'd have to say the most exciting step that I am taking towards organic growing is the fact that i am going to be putting my unused vegetable/berry grow boxes to use in creating my own ORGANIC EARTHWORM CASTINGS. I looks like all I really need to do is do some weeding so they are all cleared out, add my earthworms/red wrigglers, feed them with organic cornmeal (as well as feed them this on a regular schedule), and then add mesh wire over the grow boxes to cover them and protect from birds.

Earthworm castings are my absolute favorite source of Nitrogen, and does wonders during vegetative growth, but it was pretty pricey at my local source as well as places I looked online + s&h, so having my own abundant supply will be nice.

I also plan to walk to beaches nearby and gather bags of seaweed/kelp for future use. Can I compost those normally in a tumble bin or should I add something additional to make sure they break down properly?

Also looking to save egg shells, avacado peels, banana peels, ...

right on man, in my experience my worms (european nightcrawlers are my preference) produce great castings with an all vegan diet. i've been using this for two years now and i get dank poop. i just use most veggie and fruit peels, with a bit of organic cornmeal (good call) and they eat it up quick. my ideal mix is avacado, mango, pear, and banana peels, with the CM and some dirt.

my bin is basically odor free and it chills underneath my bed 24/7, i love those guys

Could I put shrimp, crab, and fish at the bottom of my compost pile to rot??

upthearsenal said:

right on man, in my experience my worms (european nightcrawlers are my preference) produce great castings with an all vegan diet. i've been using this for two years now and i get dank poop. i just use most veggie and fruit peels, with a bit of organic cornmeal (good call) and they eat it up quick. my ideal mix is avacado, mango, pear, and banana peels, with the CM and some dirt.

my bin is basically odor free and it chills underneath my bed 24/7, i love those guys

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Hell ya! I really look forward to doing that. I did not know they enjoy the peels as well. I plan to compost banana peels and avacado anyway, so I guess I can set aside and feed it to the worms before it goes bad. Do you just toss it into the box? Tear/cut it into chunks and spread evenly? And do you put it on top, or mix it into the soil/castings within the box? Trying to figure out the best techniques for feeding & handling the worms to keep them happy in their enviornment. And is feeding some peels and organic corn meal 1x a week going to be good? What is your feed schedule?

Thanks!

mushroom head said:

Could I put shrimp, crab, and fish at the bottom of my compost pile to rot??

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Interesting question ... If you're talking whole shrimp, crab, & fish then I'd think the decomposition of the flesh could create a risk of root maggot infestation, which you do not want in your compost/soil, obviously, as these can cause serious problems and take months to fully kill off all stages of adult, larvae, & eggs.

If you are asking the same thing that my original thread question was about, which is how to properly compost the shells & bones of shellfish/fish, well, then I am still open to more detailed answers from others who are experienced in this subject. I am doing my own independent research elsewhere, but I still like to hear it from people who have been thru it and can tell me their methods, do's & dont's, previous problems they've come across and ways to avoid it, ... Always seems to help!

Keep it coming people!

I often go crabing for muddys .they don't have thin shells by any means. I don't load my compost with crab or shrimp shells only place small amounts (one crabs worth of scraps) so it's not a rotting stink fest. All I do is dig a hole in the middle of my compost bin and throw in my scrap crab shells and cover it back up and put a bit of extra soil on top to make sure I'm not smelling it 2 days later. When I turn my compost a few weeks later they are visibly still in tact but no smell. After about 3 months the shells seem to disappear completely. I am not sure if this is because my compost is loaded with black soldier fly larvae .as for the nutrients and if they help get dank buds I can't answer as this is the first year I've decided to put it In the compost.

Mazar i Shariff said:

Hey all ...

I'm an organic grower who would like to step things up a notch by buying less manufactured nutrients and creating more of my own composts, meals, & teas.

One of the things I would like to start composting is crab shells, shrimp peels, maybe some fish bones if I ever fillet a whole fish and have excess, ...

For those experienced organic growers out there, what is the best way for me to compost and break all these sources down? I was thinking of purchasing a composting bucket that I can spin/turn/tumble daily for better breakdown, and I heard the fact that they are lightproof can help greatly. I was curious what everyone recommended, as well as if I am at risk of bacteria/disease/rot in my plants/roots in the future if I do not do this properly? I'm assuming the answer to that question is yes, but any additional info/detail on how to go about this would be great!

Thanks!

Mazar

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Just be careful about using shrimp and crabs the smell on my god you have to weigh the benefit versus the torture