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aquaponics

opt1c

opt1c

Well-known member
Veteran
i thought aquaponics was cool but then i found barrelponics... aquaponics in 55gal drums... ie aquaponics on the cheap... i'm currently in the process of building a barrelponics system... there is a nice yahoo group on it with good info... probably going to keep it full of veggies as i have other systems for my other plants... i look at it as training for the eventual gorilla aquaponics pond in the hills :)
 
BonsaiBud

BonsaiBud

Member
On that last note, lets brainstorm on how to make camo rafts for our plants. If it looks too much like garbage, it might get cleaned up some time (lol, hahahahah; yeah right: clean all the garbage out of the local swamp)

Must be flood resistant. (anchor system?)

Must not sink or tip over with plant growth.

Anyway, we could start by studying the US Virgin Islands "raft method". The plants were in net pots which floated in something that was in a lined fish pond...or so I gather.

OK, so I need to make a stump/log out of balsa wood and put some holes for net pots, ballast, anchor, anchor cable, and high quality decoy paint job that will last. But balsa wood is very expensive. How about an old tire that will float some how?

Old wheel with tire that holds air...one from a compact car. Find one or make a deal at a junk yard.
 
M

MrFista

Active member
Veteran
Now you're talking - a stealth aquponic 'island' lol. Thing is, most waterways don't have the nitrate requirements in strong enough concentration. Test for nitrate if it's present you're in business povided you got water flow.

Barrelponics is aquaponics in barrels - AP in tanks is not tankponics... But yeah, barrels are cheap.
 
S

space cowgirl

Member
Basic plumbing for an aquaponic system

Basic plumbing for an aquaponic system

I've read the info available regarding aquaponics, but I guess I need some clear photos or diagrams to start on the tubing/connectors/drip emitters. Some info I've read say that drip emitters will clog with an aqua system. In that case, what would you use?

Thanks!
 
Cascadia

Cascadia

Member
Maybe you aren't supposed to use that style of hydro? Perhaps Aquaponics is best used with something more like a ebb and flow, or DWC??
 
4

4c4oToSyntheSiS

Member
Buddy of mine did something like this outdoor, he was getting his water from a koi pond. Overe 300 koi, ec was through the roof!we ended up having to vaccum the pond water into a sep res so we could dilute it with runoff from the hills. Them pump it into the garden, that was a good summer!
 
C

captain.koons

Member
or you could have just had more plants ;) In such a case I think I'd just add poppies or something if I didn't want more plant counts.

-----

I have a question regarding setup breeder steve style. If anyone could chime in it would be greatly appreciated. I will post the original post of breeder steve and then my question in bold below.


Biofilter: The aquarium can pump water constantly to piss lines (not drip) situated on the top of the buckets. The lids of the buckets are cut to facilitate a 3 gallon mesh bottom pot. The pot is filled with clay corn and should have wicks. I've even fed it on syphon action alone, no feed pump. Either way about a quarter to a third of the water in the tank floods the buckets until the return float switch is activated, thereby draining the buckets airing out the biofilter surface area that will be teeming with beneficial bacteria and massive white roots.

Is the wicks from the bottom bucket just to provide additional feeding to the plants in the top bucket? It seems so to me and seems to be unnecessary as the top bucket is constantly fed.
 
FrankRizzo

FrankRizzo

Listen to me jerky
I've been walking around for a few weeks dreamin' up a closed loop system. Hadn't heard of this prior to a few days ago. Should have known this was out there. Just one more thing to spend time learning about. This is awesome.
 
G

Grow+Positive

Member
supplements

supplements

lets get this thread started again guys!! i know pics would be a good way to do that, so maybe in the next few days ill post some! (but dont get excited, my view is better than my vege garden atm)

i have to give a big thanks to everyone out there whos contributed, even though it looks like some of them are gone. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, aquaponics....... I really want to get this going again to bounce ideas off people. I study, plan, design, conspire, and study more each and every night.

My current plan is to incorporate biobuckets with aquaponics. Im a DWC guy (gotta go with your vibes) already so thats nice. But to the point: what and how to supplement!

Lava rocks wick up water incredibly good, so I'm planning on having my overflow drain keep the water level in each bucket about 1" over the base of the 10" net pot. (Im going with the snap-on netpots). For nutrient supplement Im thinking air line going into the lava rock. Not sure about the delivery part (gravity or cycle timer) but I cant think of a better way than air line to inject nutrients directly to the root zone. This way the plants have a chance to absorb some high potency nutes before it drains off into the system.

Yes, we've all seen that GREAT youtube video, its not my idea.

The part Im having the most trouble on is deciding upon nutrients. I want organic obviously, but Im thinking OMRI rated is not important. Especially since I read someone had goldfish in their full strength Lucas Formula res.... ridic... The question really is NPK values. I assume 0 for N would be best, because whats the point of aquaponics if you need to add nitrogen!? The next dilemma is I dont have the experience to know how much P i'll need. Could anyone help me with this?

Right now I'm thinking Humboldt Nutrients. A little organic bloom mixed with deuce deuce. Metanaturals sound good, but they have a N rating of 1.


time to :smoke out:
 
1

10k

burnt out og'er
Veteran
grow+positive

True aquaponics does not need fertilizers, just a little adjustment and mostly in the way of feeding the fish and ramping up the population.

please see this link as I spent a lot of time posting there on aquaponics
http://icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=127845
 
Last edited:
G

Grow+Positive

Member
thanks 10k! I think i've uncovered all the threads on here dealing with aquaponics already though, i'd read that one a few times but i guess i'll read it again lol.

So if you were to feed your fish a well balanced diet there would be no need for additives? But this would take time, your system would have to be very well developed right?

Keeping the stocking rates high would add to N and cause even more leggyness in flowering, wouldnt it be better to supplement rather than increase N just to get a little more P and K?

thanks again your help is greatly appreciated
 
1

10k

burnt out og'er
Veteran
Grow+Positive said:
thanks 10k! I think i've uncovered all the threads on here dealing with aquaponics already though, i'd read that one a few times but i guess i'll read it again lol.

So if you were to feed your fish a well balanced diet there would be no need for additives? But this would take time, your system would have to be very well developed right?

Keeping the stocking rates high would add to N and cause even more leggyness in flowering, wouldnt it be better to supplement rather than increase N just to get a little more P and K?

thanks again your help is greatly appreciated
Click to expand...

No, I think you must have missed the thread I linked for you above.
In it I went into great detail about adjusting fish population and pre-treating the top up water to accommodate the need for less N and more P&K later on in flowering.

I see where you misunderstood what I said above...
"True aquaponics does not need fertilizers, just a little adjustment and mostly in the way of feeding the fish and ramping up the population."

I really should have written...
True aquaponics does not need fertilizers, just a little adjustment and mostly in the way of feeding the fish and ramping the fish population up AND down.

Anyway,
Go to the other thread and you'll see it explained in much more detail.

see you there...
http://icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=127845

I'd be happy to help you get your system tweaked and up n running.

hth,
10k
 
R

RustyFord

Man, I always wondered if this would work or not, just made since that there would be a symbiotic relationship between plants and fish
 
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