ebookland Chapter 1206
Chapter 1206
Lin Wei was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke up: "Could it be that there's a problem with the oxygen content in the water tank? Or is there an excessive amount of dissolved nitrogen in the water?"
These words reminded everyone, and the farmer immediately checked the oxygen detector. The readings were normal, and the nitrogen content was also within the safe range.
The clues went cold again, and the room fell silent once more.
Lin Wei stared at the fish in the tank, her gaze darkening. Suddenly remembering something, she turned to the fishkeeper and asked, "Have you changed the filter in the tank recently? Or adjusted the water flow rate?"
The fish farmer paused for a moment, then thought carefully: "I changed the filter three days ago and slowed down the water flow a bit. I thought the water flow was too fast before, and the fish didn't seem to be used to it."
Lin Wei's eyes lit up suddenly, and she immediately walked to the filtration equipment, turned it on, and checked it.
The filter cartridge is installed correctly, but when you open the device, you can see a thin layer of flocculent material stuck inside.
She scraped off some of the fibrous material with a cotton swab, placed it under the testing instrument to observe, and her expression changed instantly.
“It’s a problem with the filtration equipment,” Lin Wei said, her voice strained.
"After the filter cartridge was replaced, a small gap appeared in the internal seal of the equipment, which caused poor water circulation. A small amount of excrement and uneaten food accumulated at the bottom of the water tank. Although the water quality test was normal, long-term accumulation will produce trace amounts of ammonia nitrogen."
"Hot spring fish are extremely sensitive to ammonia nitrogen. Even a trace amount can cause poisoning if accumulated over a few days, resulting in lethargy in mild cases and death in severe cases."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, then suddenly realized what was going on.
Previously, I only focused on water temperature, water quality, and equipment operation, and I didn't pay attention to the sealing of the filtration equipment at all, let alone that trace amounts of ammonia nitrogen would have such a big impact.
Team Leader Hou clenched his fist and cursed, "We were careless!"
Captain Chen's expression softened slightly, but then turned serious again: "Quickly inspect all filtration equipment, replace the seals, thoroughly clean the bottom of the water tank, and then test the ammonia nitrogen content in the water to ensure it is reduced to a safe level."
"In addition, arrange for someone to keep an eye on the remaining fish 24 hours a day, and report any movement immediately."
The staff didn't dare to delay and immediately took their tools to inspect the equipment and clean the water tank, finally getting things organized.
The crisis involving hot spring fish had barely passed when Lin Wei brought up the idea of open-air farming.
Captain Chen didn't hesitate and told her to give it a try on the spot.
The temperature at the beach was close to 70 degrees Celsius, and the air was filled with scorching moisture. When you stepped on the sand, you could feel the soles of your shoes burning.
Lin Wei and several people from the research institute settled on the beach, all wearing white lab coats and heavy air-conditioned suits.
There is only one problem with open-air aquaculture: the water temperature difference is too great.
The seawater was 67 or 68 degrees Celsius, which is more than 200 degrees Celsius lower than the 300-plus degrees Celsius required by hydrothermal vent fish.
The fleet had previously laid out heating pipes, one after another, covering the entire sea surface. However, all the heat was carried away by the seawater, and the water temperature couldn't even reach 80 degrees Celsius, making all the effort futile.
Lin Wei took a different approach, having more than a dozen sealed wire mesh cages welded together, wrapped with three layers of insulation cotton on the outside and filled with high-power heating elements inside.
During the first test, everyone stared at the thermometer, watching the readings climb higher and higher, their hearts pounding with anxiety.
But when it reached 120 degrees, the value got stuck, and no matter how I adjusted the heating power, it didn't work. After half a day, it only rose by five degrees.
"No, the heat is still dissipating too quickly. The insulation can't withstand the cooling rate of the seawater," the researcher sighed, wiping his sweat.
Lin Wei didn't speak, squatting by the net cage staring at the water, her brows furrowed tightly.
She reached out and touched the outer wall of the cage, knowing full well that this method was simply not going to work.
Over the next few days, the experiments failed one after another.
Replacing the insulation layer with a thicker one, adding more heating elements, or even making the cage smaller, all lead to the same result.
The water temperature only reached 150 degrees Celsius, far from the target. The few hydrothermal vent fish we tried were listless and not active at all.
The researchers were losing confidence. They worked for more than ten hours a day in the sweltering heat, only to be met with failure.
Some people complained privately that it was simply impossible, as hydrothermal vent fish are meant to live near underwater hydrothermal vents and cannot be raised in their open-air ocean.
Lin Wei heard this but didn't pay attention; she just came earlier and left later every day.
Early in the morning, she could be seen on the beach, squatting on the sand with drawings in her hands, occasionally getting up to adjust the equipment.
The base was quiet at night, but she and her team were still busy squatting by the sea.
The bloodshot in her eyes grew more and more pronounced, and her complexion worsened, but she never stopped working.
Once, the air conditioning suddenly malfunctioned, the cooling system broke down, and hot air instantly enveloped the garment.
Lin Wei's arm was burned, leaving a red mark. She winced in pain, but simply applied some burn ointment, wrapped it with gauze, and continued adjusting the equipment.
Xiaoxue noticed this and secretly brought her a bottle of ice water. She took it and put it aside, but didn't drink a drop until the ice melted.
Although Zhou Shuwan was bothered by her past with Qi Mingyu and her desire to conduct human research on her and Xiao Sheng.
But these past few days, she has seen clearly that Lin Wei is truly working herself to the bone.
His white coat was always wrinkled, his hair was messy, and his eyes were full of fatigue, but he never thought of giving up.
Even when the experiments failed time and time again, she would just silently adjust the plan and start over, without the slightest complaint.
She has always had a cold and aloof personality, rarely talks to people, and is not warm towards them.
But when it comes to work, he truly forgets to eat and sleep, devoting himself entirely to it.
If this were before the apocalypse, she would be considered a representative of a strong woman.
This impressed Zhou Shuwan greatly!
Her opinion of Lin Wei has improved considerably.
That afternoon, Zhou Shuwan passed by the beach and happened to see Lin Wei squatting by the net cage, staring blankly at the thermometer.
She hesitated for a moment, but still went over.
“I have a batch of high-density nano-insulation panels stored in my space. They have good heat insulation and heat retention effects, and they might come in handy,” Zhou Shuwan said calmly.
Lin Wei paused for a moment, then turned to look at her with a hint of confusion in her eyes.
“I stockpiled this by chance before the apocalypse. It’s industrial grade, heat-resistant and waterproof. It should be able to lock in heat when used as an insulation layer,” Zhou Shuwan continued. “It’s more than ten times more effective than ordinary insulation cotton.”
Lin Wei's eyes lit up, and she immediately asked, "Can I try it?"
“Okay!” Zhou Shuwan nodded: “I need to go back and check. There aren’t many, but it’s enough for your experiments.”
Lin Wei smiled with delight.
Perhaps it was a mutual appreciation between women, but the two glanced at each other through the transparent veils of their air-conditioned suits, then turned away shyly and smiled.
That afternoon, Zhou Shuwan delivered the high-density nano-insulation panels.
The board is not heavy, has a smooth surface, and feels slightly cool to the touch. Even when placed at a high temperature of 70 degrees Celsius, it does not generate much heat.
Lin Wei had someone test the samples on the spot, and everyone was shocked when the results came out.