Aquaponics Revisited

[fulfilldadreem]

This is amazing stuff...I just read through this whole thread twice, wide-eyed, and shit-eating grin on my face. I must build one of these systems...

Could you provide some of your fav links to other resources on mj and aquaculture? I cant get enough of this stuff.

Thanks!

 

[vrooota]

Hey this thread is awesome. I've been keeping fish forever so the combination of two of my hobbies is great. I've heard of aquaponics before but never thought of using it for herb. Do goldfish eat on weed roots at all I wonder? that is if u had the fish and the plants in the same chamber

 

[Guest]

security tra lala

vrooota - yes goldfish will eat mj roots

 

[Guest]

Have I told you guys the FACT I am a small indian boy who is an aeronautical engineer from Venezuela. glad we got that cleared up.

 

[muddy waters]

BongSong cheers my man... I am very glad to have you back at it, thanks for your kind words also...

I think the zero-waste solution you are pursuing might be settling out and bio-digesting solids. Dunno if that works on our smaller scale but that is a technology being implemented in some commercial aqua outfits both with and without plants.

My aquaponics isn't automatically integrated but one method I employ is emptying accumulated fish mulm from the bottom of the tank via siphoning, and then evaporating off the water of this sludge, allowing it to dry out, and then tossing it to the worms. They seem to love it (they seem to love almost everything).

 

[Guest]

Muddy - Bio-digestion - of course! With hobby sized no, but as I go bigger I've always wanted a digestor. Isn't it wierd to see how stupid politicians are fighting over 'bio-fuel crops' efficiency meanwhile continuing to throw masses of waste away in almost every industry...

 

[Guest]

And more issues...

And more issues...

securitea

 

[Guest]

The Plot Thickens

The Plot Thickens

Ideal conditions for growing MJ in Aquaponics.

pH 6.4-6.6

Water Temperature 70-80 (21-26)

Dissolved Oxygen 80% plus

Buffering additions of seashell, driftwood, and peat.


There are two main bacteria groups associated with Aquaponics, nitrosomonas, and nitrobacters.

Nitrosomonas convert ammonia (toxic to fish) to nitrite (also toxic to fish).
Nitrobacters convert nitrite to nitrate (not toxic to fish up to a level).
Plants use the nitrates, keeping conditions tolerable for the fish.

Low temperatures slow production of nitrifying bacteria, specifically nitrobacter, and cold water systems must be wary of nitrite accumulation.

Low pH (6.5 and under) nitrosomonas growth is inhibited. This will lead to a rise in ammonia. At 6.5 pH almost all of the ammonia present in the water will be in the mildly toxic, ionized NH3+ state.

All nitrification is inhibited if the pH drops to 6.0 or less.

Both nitrosomonas and nitrobacters need phosphorus for ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate) production. ATP conversion provides energy for cellular function. Nitrobacter, especially, is unable to oxidize nitrite to nitrate in the absence of phosphates.

Maximum nitrification rates will exist if dissolved oxygen (DO) levels exceed 80% saturation.

The addition of driftwood and/or peat will create carbolic acid, and the resultant CO2 degassing helps lower pH. Rich in humic acid and tannin, the effect on water is similar to tea. It softens water and leaves the water slightly acidic (and coloured). It is used for lowering and buffering water. Peat also helps chelate some metals and make them usable by plants.

The phosphate buffers will help keep the nitrifying bacteria going strong while the 'plant' buffers continue to react and work the pH lower which results in the phosphates 'dissolving' more, resulting in more ATP...

Put very simply, and possibly full of holes


CAUTION. Make sure your peat is only peat, fungicides and other additives will kill your fish.

 

[Guest]

Hehe heh. This is edited cos it's where I posted in the wrong thread...

 

[Guest]

security

 

[scegy]

hey man!

i've been working on aquaponics for 2 years now and i've tried peat and it doesn't help much with my pH, i've used 250g per 100L of water, couldn't get my water under 7.0

so i've used ur advice and i lowered the ph with phosphoric acid and my ph has been lowering by itself since then(nitrification cycle), so now i use 0,05 mol KOH to raise it to 6.4-6.8, since this is the element that was used by some other aquagrowers

i still haven't started growing worms and i think i'm having some problems with the salts added in commercial fish food, well seen on my basil (necrotic spots and leave tips)

p.s. affirmative on the salt thing, i tasted their food and it's saltier then i could imagine, i located a few PVC boxes and a local fisherman-supply store, building worm houses as we speak thanks for the encouragement man!

planning to visit my garden centers but i doubt they have some worms....
and since winter is here i doubti can get them outdoors, will search some more

good luck with ur ph man! very nice informative thread i'll join u in posting soon i hope

 

[Guest]

Hey Scegy!

This thread could do with more 'practitioners'.

 

[Guest]

security

 

[Guest]

The Good & The Bad

The Good & The Bad

secure a tea

 

[Guest]

se.....

 

[8bitNES]

Great thread! I wish more people had the opportunity to raise fish and keep their weed organic.

One thing I noticed that hasn't been touched upon yet is the food you feed fish. Most fish do not digest their food 100% which will leave undigested food in the waste matter. While this might not seem to be of any significance one must realize that common flakes and pellets have added nutrients and additives specifically for raising fish for non-food purposes (home aquarist). These additives are, many times, unhealthy or toxic for human consumption while further research will reveal that some are not all that healthy to even the fish themselves (company dependent). This is even more of a concern if raising goldfish.

Goldfish do not have a true stomach and a huge percentage of their waste is undigested food. Kind of like cows and horses. Most grazing fish fall into this largely undigested food category since they are made to feed small amounts throughout the day as opposed to the 1-4 medium sized feedings we give them. There should never be any leftover food after about 5mins of feeding. Goldfish should also not be crowded in anything less than 10gal/medium sized fish or larger. Most cases of overcrowding any species will lead to stressed fish which will increase their bad waste production (opposite good, digested waste) and make them prone to disease.

The key is to know the fish that you buy. As stated earlier, fish forums are probably the best source to understanding fish keeping. Many times you'll notice that the people on various forums have widely different mindsets on fish keeping than your average pet store employee.

So what does one feed their fish? If doing aquaponics I strongly suggest natural foods for fish like krill, bloodworms and spirulina algae. Not only does this keep everything in the water natural it will keep healthier livestock, which goes a long way if raising food fish.

8bit

 

[8bitNES]

Great thread! I wish more people had the opportunity to raise fish and keep their weed organic.

One thing I noticed that hasn't been touched upon yet is the food you feed fish. Most fish do not digest their food 100% which will leave undigested food in the waste matter. While this might not seem to be of any significance one must realize that common flakes and pellets have added nutrients and additives specifically for raising fish for non-food purposes (home aquarist). These additives are, many times, unhealthy or toxic for human consumption while further research will reveal that some are not all that healthy to even the fish themselves (company dependent). This is even more of a concern if raising goldfish.

Goldfish do not have a true stomach and a huge percentage of their waste is undigested food. Kind of like cows and horses. Most grazing fish fall into this largely undigested food category since they are made to feed small amounts throughout the day as opposed to the 1-4 medium sized feedings we give them. There should never be any leftover food after about 5mins of feeding. Goldfish should also not be crowded in anything less than 10gal/medium sized fish or larger. Most cases of overcrowding any species will lead to stressed fish which will increase their bad waste production (opposite good, digested waste) and make them prone to disease.

The key is to know the fish that you buy. As stated earlier, fish forums are probably the best source to understanding fish keeping. Many times you'll notice that the people on various forums have widely different mindsets on fish keeping than your average pet store employee.

So what does one feed their fish? If doing aquaponics I strongly suggest natural foods for fish like krill, bloodworms and spirulina algae. Not only does this keep everything in the water natural it will keep healthier livestock, which goes a long way if raising food fish.

8bit

 

[8bitNES]

... Damn double post... ignore that first one... or the second one... whichever you prefer.

8bit

 

[pinecone]

Quick question: I want to water my plants with the water I siphon out of my fish tank. The problem is that our water is softened and I'm afraid that the salts that get in the water as a result of the softening process will still be present in the water I take out of the fish tank. Because of this salts issue my plants typically get bottled water - or water from the hose hookup outside which is not treated. Please advise.

Pinecone

 

[8bitNES]

Pine, I would advise against it. You're right in thinking the salts would be bad for your plants. Salt never evaporates from a fish tank, the only way to get it out is to drain the tank. If you were to refill your fish tank with 1-2 day old hose water you could water your plants all you like. Just watch out for any water conditioners you put in the water to negate the hard water. I usually use tank water for young plants and for the occasional watering when I used soil.

Another thing I forgot to mention is about using carbon. While it does what its supposed to do, in fish keeping it only lasts a few days at best. That's why you can find them in large quantities. Aquarists that use carbon change it out a couple times a week. Generally you would use it for a quick fix if something went wrong in your tank. After a large water change one would then apply the carbon to absorb whatever is left in the remaining water.

8bit