- 1). Create a compost bin. Cut and bend chicken wire into a circle. Crimp the ends of the circle together. The wire bin must be 3 feet wide and 3 feet tall for effective composting.
- 2). Collect bulking agents such as rice hulls, wood chips and straw for the compost bin. These items will help to facilitate good compost while cutting down on the odor of the fish remains.
- 3). Place the compost items so that a layer of fish remains rests between the layers of bulking agents. A 12-inch layer of the bulking agents should be at the bottom of the bin, followed by a 6-inch layer of remains. Surround the carp remains with an 8-inch-thick wall of bulking agent between the carp and the wall of the bin. In between each 6-inch layer of carp remains also should be a 3-inch layer of bulking agent.
- 4). Dampen each layer of compost, using a garden hose. The compost should be damp as a wrung-out sponge throughout the bin.
- 5). Cover the bin with a 10-inch layer of bulking agent once the bin in filled. This will help to prevent odors.
- 6). Check the compost daily with a thermometer that contains a probe. The compost must heat to at least 131 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the minimum temperature required to kill pathogens in soil. The compost will decompose as long as the temperatures remain between 120 and 160 degrees. If temperatures climb higher, the compost microbes will be killed and the composting process will cease.
- 7). Turn the compost. Open the chicken wire bin and remove the compost. Reassemble the bin. Shovel the contents of the compost pile into the new bin. Bury the carp at the center of the pile, making sure there is a 6-inch layer of compost and bulking agents between the carp and the wall of the bin. Dampen the compost with a garden hose if it has dried. Do this every 14 days to aerate the compost pile and keep it at the correct temperature. The carp remains, straw and wood chips will gradually decompose. Rice hulls are high in silica and will not easily decompose. Instead, use them again in another batch of compost.
- 8). Separate the loamy compost from the rice hulls, using a sieve. Allow the compost to sit for six weeks before using.
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