THIS IS AQUAPONICS

[Aquaponix]

System 2 is my favourite hobby Aquaponic system by far. An Aquarium in full view with a stealth cabinet plumbed underneath.

 

This requires building skills, glass and plumbing work, electricals, etc etc.

 

The Aquarium would need a spillway in one corner with a larger passive return and smaller pump outlet plumbed into it.

 

 

The cabinet - well, good planning and attention to detail would be a must.

 

Lighting, plumbing, ventilation/cooling, light-proofing, accessability, flood proofing (especially the electrics!)

 

I'm up to it I just have no need for one at this time. Should the desire increase we'll see.

[Aquaponix]

On pH, nutes, nitrification...

 

I premix Earth Juice range at the recommended mix rates for bloom, this is 5 part nutes. Veg, Bloom, Meta-K, Microblast & Catalyst. I bubble the mix in a jar of Aqua water for 24 hours then add it slowly to the system through a 2 litre drip bottle. I calculate system water volume and add the nutes at 1/40th recommended strength. I do this by feel and look but it's worked out roughly twice a week. Earth Juice has recieved very mixed reviews from pot growers.

 

It smells it froths etc etc. EJ has a definate shelf life and so with very weak application in Aqua must be bought in small amounts. Keep it in a dark cool place, I built one in my cabinet in my room oh yeah I was thinkin when I made that hehe. Anyways, know your nutes like you do your plants. I know the look and smell of the EJ range and so should it turn on me I assume I will be able to tell.

 

From my experience the stuff is great in Aqua and the dirt range is loved by many for results and taste. Not a plug these are reviews of reviews. Use in conventional hydro at your own risk the reviews are more bad than good (hard to tweak).

 

I could probably increase my nute levels but until I know toxicity levels and all sorts of other stuff about fish or have a back-up system imo it's not worth risking the fish. (And big down time cycling it all back up)

 

I have never tested my system for pH but for those who want to know how it's done and what the levels are the following reading will help.

 

Here's a doctor on the pH/nitrification subject abbreviated by me.

 

Fish excrete waste nitrogen through their gills in the form of ammonia gas (NH3), most of which is immediately converted to ammonium (NH4). Nitrifying bacteria in the system oxidize the ammonium to nitrite (NO2) and then to nitrate (NO3). The hydrogen ions (acidity) produced by this process destroy alkalinity and pH declines...

 

Decreasing pH is a good sign. It indicates that the biofiltration (nitrification) process is working. You should never allow pH to decrease below 7.0 because the efficiency of nitrification is reduced at lower pH values resulting in an increase in ammonia. Try to maintain pH in the range of 7.0-7.5. This may be counter to what plants prefer but it is necessary in an aquaponic system.

 

You should not add sodium bicarbonate because high sodium levels in the presence of chloride are toxic to plants. There are several basic compounds that can be used to neutralize acid in an aquaponic system.

calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2]

potassium hydroxide [KOH]

potassium bicarbonate [KHCO3]

 

A molecule of calcium hydroxide has twice the neutralizing capacity as a molecule of potassium hydroxide or potassium bicarbonate [KHCO3]. Using current prices and the atomic weight of these compounds, calcium hydroxide is the most cost effective base.

 

Potassium hydroxide is a little less expensive than potassium bicarbonate when neutralizing capacity is considered. Although the potassium compounds are more expensive than calcium hydroxide, they are used to supplement potassium, often leading to better plant production.

Edited February 8, 2006 by Aquaponix

[Guest Eikel]

I'm very impressed by your ingenuity mate, but I can't see many personal growers going to the efforts involved to set one of these systems up. It's something I'd LOVE to do indoors with "normal" plants though, more for the asthetics of it all.

 

Regarding your comments on ph - the plants look slightly OVER-nitrified, I had alot of problems (general aquarium-plant cultivation) getting any sufficient quantity of phosphorus in the water without having adverse affects on my fish/yabbies - did you work out a way to get around this? I used Potassium Bicarbonate to "manage" my ph-levels.

 

In any case, please keep it coming, it's very interesting even if I shudder at the plumbing required!

[Aquaponix]

"I can't see many personal growers going to the efforts involved to set one of these systems up"

 

Too right. But for those with experience who want to do something a little special Aquaponics is awesome. Premium buds, aesthetics, nature in symbiosis plants caring for fish that care for plants... And having the best buds hands down has a certain panache

 

It's just lucky I made so much progress (read: fuck-ups) so others can join my journey 2 years on :thumbsup

 

I think the pH thing is answered above, if not please rephrase your question.

 

I have learned to read my plants and very very slowly added the nutes starting at .5% and now happy with output at 2.5% recommended dosage. But this takes time and intimacy with the system.

 

I had a mate promised me a meter to help answer meter readers questions. One day soon...

[Guest Eikel]

"I can't see many personal growers going to the efforts involved to set one of these systems up"

 

Too right. But for those with experience who want to do something a little special Aquaponics is awesome. Premium buds, aesthetics, nature in symbiosis plants caring for fish that care for plants... And having the best buds hands down has a certain panache 

 

It's just lucky I made so much progress (read: fuck-ups) so others can join my journey 2 years on  :thumbsup

 

Sorry mate - I meant no offense to your system, and I do appreciate that your sharing your efforts with us. I'm just looking for knowledge for my own aquatic plants.

 

I think the pH thing is answered above, if not please rephrase your question.

 

I have learned to read my plants and very very slowly added the nutes starting at .5% and now happy with output at 2.5% recommended dosage. But this takes time and intimacy with the system.

 

I had a mate promised me a meter to help answer meter readers questions. One day soon...

 

PH levels are answered, but my question put more simply is:

 

Phosphorus = Dead fish, how do you get more "P" not "K" (Potassium) into your solution?

[Aquaponix]

No offense taken.

 

Supplementation of 'meatier' foods in the diet and Earth Juice Bloom both give additional P. A sock with crushed oystershell and seaweed was a MISTAKE and caused an algal bloom.

 

Phosphate is abundant in many fish foods apparently the difficulty arises in it's bio-availability at a higher pH. Aquaponics requiring a higher pH it can be a problem.

 

I chased phosphate round in bloody circles!!!

 

The veg plant was an addition to what used to be a flowering only system. This solved a lot of problems including helped the phosphate levels.

 

Too high nitrogen was locking phosphates out from what I gather. Adding the nitrogen feeder (veg plant) brought the nitrogen levels down somewhat making uptake of phosphates possible. Ideally this system would run 13 planters on a 13 week cycle and I reckon I'd get everything being utilised.

 

Nice tip on too much N in the plants too btw, I should've seen it was still high earlier and tweaked the grow part of the nutes down a bit. Plants so damn heavy with growth hard to know what to expect. So yeah thanks.

 

Another Aqua grower needed to keep ppm up on Nitrate a bit perhaps their fish aren't big fat Mofo's like mine are now.

 

3 days till piccy time, can't wait!...

[Aquaponix]

Here's the easiest way to do it. Fish in a tank and plants on top. Undergravel filter for catching/breaking down solids, continuous feed. Venturi nozzle on pump plus trickle back adding air. Clay ball or other porous medium becomes a large bio-filter or bacteria colony and you're growing Aqua.

 

Would work fine for a herb garden in the kitchen as well basil mint sage thyme etc all love aqua too.

 

 

Easier set-up than lots of hydro systems I see.

 

Another thing I love about Aqua is my nute bill. let me ask you hydro guys first, what's your nute bill for a year under a 400HPS?

 

I gotta count up the fish food and 1/40th EJ....

[Pure]

Thanx for all the great info so far can't wait to see a grow from start to end

I think this is definalty something I'm gonna have to have a play with, not with cannabis at first ( as I can't risk much time without a good crop ) but once I get it all down with a few of my other hobbie plants I'll definalty give canna a go aswell

[Aquaponix]

Once you taste Aqua you'll not want to go back.

 

Experienced growers who've gone to aqua say

 

"Best weed I've ever grown"

 

"So this is what pot is meant to taste like"

 

and me I say "It might be new and it's not perfected yet, but Aquaponics is the holy grail for connoseurs of cannabis. I have 25 years experience of smoking cup winners and urban legends galore in 4 different countries to draw from. Starting with good genetics, Aquaponics is legendary weed."

 

I know I know, try your vegetables or kitchen herbs first, just the taste of them you'll see.

 

With plants that don't have a set photoperiod but mature with time instead... you can just plant at intervals and the system will run fine.

 

When harvesting a partial water change will help as nutrient demand is lowered.

 

Rinse the roots out of the grow rocks in fish water and return back to system.

 

Harvesting your whole garden at once is a recipe for disaster.

 

Guy with camera's gone out tom catting - bastard!

[Aquaponix]

ok piccy time.

 

I got pH and phosphate deficiency showing forgot to blend nutes and plants getting on now.

 

 

 

Not so dramatic a change with the stretch finally over but it gets fatter and fatter there's bud everywhere on it.

 

And the next pic should give some perspective as to the size with a pH affected leaf I pulled off.