BC Growers Association

Aquaponics





Informally, one would describe aquaponics as the combination of hydroponics (growing plants without soil) and aquaculture (fish farming). In an aquaponic system, the fish provide nutrients required in plant growth and the plants, in absorbing these nutrients, help to purify the water.



Here are some Links to aquaponic related websites

Harvest Springs Horticulture Inc - Home of Steve's Sweet Water system

Aquaponics.com - Aquaponics.com is the source for information on aquaponics, hydroponics and aquaculture.

S & S Aqua Farm - Bioponics System

Arizona Aquaculture - information about aquaculture in Arizona, the United States and around the world

Aquaculture Research Institute - University of Idaho

Aquaponics - An integrated fish culture and vegetable hydroponics production system.







Time -2:07, 1 Dec 1998

From Vic High

Hey guys, just back from Vansterdam. Finally got to meet with Breeder Steve.

He's quite a generous guy with his time, and boy can he roll big joints! He rolled

a J of brand X that must have been a whole 8th! Rope will get me stoned, so that

was way out of my league.

What did get my attention was his aquaponic setup that he calls "The

Sweetwater System".It employs a double res setup, one typical, and one

being a fish tank loaded with fish. Water in the two res's are exchanged

regularily (something like every hour). He says he never cleans his fish tank, as

all the plants and bottom feeders use up all wastes. Plants are fed with drip

emmitters via the typical res. pH doesn't fluctuate and the ppms remain between

300 and 400.

Now these drip emmitters fed two setups. One was a traditional "dutch pot"

system. You know, the one where each plant is grown on a 5 gallon pail? He

used a 5 or 6 inch basket that was 3/4 filled with those red balls (I think they are

an expanded clay called "hyrotron"?). Steve then covered the red balls with 1"

layer of a blend of worm castings and "Steve's Special Blend". The Special

Blend (2-6-5) is an organic mix comprised of green sand, rock phosphate, fruit

bat quano, feather meal, steamed bone meal- regular & fine, kelp meal,

sunflower seed hull ash, canola seed meal, cotton seed meal, alfalfa meal,

langbeinite, corn gluten meal, pyro clay, diatomaceous earth, and calcium

peroxide. Initially, the low nitrogen surprised me, but then after I thought about it,

I realized that the plants were probably getting all the nitrogen they needed from

the fish tank. I believe there was an air stone in teh bottom of each pail. Seven

weeks ago Steve planted tomato seeds into the medium and now the plants are

3 feet tall and have softball sized green tomatoes on them. WOW!

The second setup was basically a large table, 4' high, covered with something

like 1/4" dense plastic. Holes were cut in it to hold the 4" or 5" net cups. Again

the cups were filled with the reddish clay balls and topped with the special blend

and worm castings. Again the net baskets were fed with drip emitters. What

interested me is what happened under those net cups.

A large pond liner tarp was suspended under the net cups to catch the water

and funnel it back into the typical res. There was about 3' between the bottom of

the net cups and the bottom of the tarp. And you know what this means?????

LOTSA ROOM FOR ROOTS! Big roots equal big buds in my book. This feature

had me totally stoked!

I'm one that has had little respect for the hydroponic side of our hobby for some

time. I've watched others playing with the large numbers of clones and shaken

my head (legal risk). I've watched them fight pH drifts and shaken my head. I've

watched them fight root rot and shaken my head. I've watched them lose entire

crops due to pump or power failures and shaken my head. I've watched them

pumping in the chems (hurting the environment) and shaken my head. I've

watched them be proud of their 1-2 lbs per light in their high intensity gardens

and shaken my head. Well I've stopped shaking my head for this one. Steve's

way of working with the Dutch Pot system seems to take care of all my

hydroponic concerns. I just wish I wasn't too stoned to have asked him what he

fed his fish and why his emmitters didn't clog.









This is an ongoing thread at Overgrow.com, but wanted to archive it as a place to start. I have other aquaponic discussions archived somewhere, I'll add them as I find them.

Topic: aquaponics-ever try it?

steve

Member

posted October 31, 1999 04:40 AM

The smoothest smoking buds ever are the result. I kid you not. The plants grow beautifully, not a burnt tip

anywhwere. The only way for me indoors. Much more to come on this subject, believe you me. A delicacy!

s.bl3nd

Member

posted October 31, 1999 04:47 AM

hey steve,

yeah i'm pretty interested in that aquaponic setup you have...

do the fish actually give out enough ppms to feed the plants? you would think that the nutes would be

really low for the fish to survive.

it does make sense in one way though, if the fish are happy then the plants would be happy...

hope you can post more about this...

.blend

minty

Member

posted November 01, 1999 01:06 AM

Have pondered this theory once upon a time. Cool to have a proven follow-up.

I'm very happy to see you've found a method that works.

I'm quite interested in hearing about the basic setup.

I hear ya on the plants thriving if the phish are.

Same holds true with earthworms in soil.

Solid work my friend.

breed the trees,

mint

[This message has been edited by minty (edited November 02, 1999).]

junior-botanist

Member

posted November 01, 1999 06:02 PM

i tested my aquarium water once it was 1100ppm, but what was in it don't know(ratios) how much is

uneaten food and how much is waste from the fish. i dunno.

------------------

breed the seed and overgrow the world. good growing to you.

jb



Vic High

Member

posted November 02, 1999 11:16 PM

Ahh now this would be the life, could actually convert me to a hydro head, haha

Just think, sit back amongst yer plants, smoke a fatty and toss a line in the res, fishing in paradise!! haha.

Steve, I shared what little I learned in my visit with ya, but it was defiantely lacking. So quite teasing us

and teach us buddy. I missed points like whether you worry about monitoring NPK ratios as the crop

progresses. Do some fish give better nutes than others?



Persoanlly, I saw a large table sharing a common tarp and a few bucket systems. I prefer the idea of the

bucket system due to it's flexibility and allowing the grower to maximize the density of his/her canopy. Any

thoughts on this?

I also noticed that both setups you had on display allowed for large root systems. A few of us are big

believers in the idea that big roots equal big flowers. Any thoughts here?

I have loads of questions, but I'll stop short here for now, haha.

got my email?

minty

Member

posted November 03, 1999 04:08 AM

wooooooord



heheh,

mint

Wadsworth

Member

posted November 04, 1999 06:47 PM

From what I've read Carp or Tilapia are the best fish to raise this way and you can eat them. Catfish

probally would work. Of course the stuff I read was on raising fish to eat and using the water for

gardening. This technique also requires several hundred if not thousand gallons of water. A large fish tank

should be able to support some plants. The concern would be the hardinest of the fish more than the

plants.

------------------

d;^)-~

steve

Member

posted November 06, 1999 02:46 AM

Typical aquarium owners change 30% of the water every week. This is to protect the fish from the

accumulation of toxic waste in their habitat. I'm talking about their own waste choking them. Aquarium

enthusiasts are all ready familiar with the nitrogen cycle, for the rest of you here it is. Ammonia is the most

poisonous of the nitrogenous compounds to the fish, it is also the first to accumulate in the water as a

result of the fish waste. As the ammonia level rises during the first few days of operation, and given the

proper conditions (ie aerated surface area), beneficial aerobic bacteria called nitrosonomas begin to feed

on the ammonia converting it into the less harmful compound nitrite. This is still toxic to the fish, but not

as toxic as ammonia. As the nitrite level rises, given the appropriate conditions, another species of

nitrobacteria (nitrobacter) colonizes feeding on the nitrite. This reduces the nitrite to nitrate, the least

toxic of these compounds to the fish. The aerated surface area is known as the biofilter, an integral part of

this technique, for this is where the good bacteria colonize. This cycle takes twelve days to control the

degradation of ammonia-nitrite-nitrate. For this reason most people begin with a few small fish and

gradually add more after two weeks, when the biofilter is bacterially balanced. As you know these three

nitrogenous compounds are essential to the health of your plant, which will readily suck them out of the

water. A foliar feed with this water will green up any plants, guaranteed. By bathing the roots continuously

with this water, the plants are sponging the nutrients out of the solution hence cleaning the water further

than the filter. When the water returns to the aquarium it is heavily aerated, which is of the utmost

importance to the health of populations of beneficial aerobic bacteria. These bacteria not only process

nutrients into a plant soluble form, and clean the water for the fish, they also inhibit the proliferation of

destructive bacteria by a process known as competitive exclusion. Once the solution is dominant with good

bacteria monopolizing the available food sources, bad bacteria is unable to gain a foot hold. When one

spore of bad bacteria comes in contact with a sterile hydroponic solution, it multiplies rapidly and disaster

is the inevitable result. In a healthy aquaponic system that spore is a snack for more established helpful

bacteria. The plants are protected and fed by the beneficial bacteria. The only supplemental nutes given

are organic and used sparingly. It is definately a less is more scenario. I use Earth Juice Catalyst for PH

down. PH up is merl mix, ground oyster shells and special lime. I top dress around the plants with a tbsp of

castings. Repeat as necessary. I fill up the foot of nylon stockings with my special blend of guanos, ashes,

mineral rock, kelp, and feed meals. I drop this in the aquarium for added bloom food. Rapidly algae starts to

eat at it, and a horde of algae eaters attach themselves to it reducing it to plant soluble food. Any and all

deficiencies in any garden can be rectified organically.

For best results use only one aquarium for your entire garden, mothers, clones and all stages of growth. If

your garden is staggered you balance the demands on the water, as the plants have varying nutrient

requirements at different stages of growth. I keep the most diverse range of creatures in the aquarium to

fill all the niches. The more lifeforms, the greater the balance. I could go on and on, I'm writing a book on

growing cannabis this way. Your questions are important to me. Some other nice things about this are that

you never have to change your solution, just top it up. The plants sprout and finish with an average of

275ppm. Remember that the probes that measure dissolved salts only give a very rough picture, they

cannot measure life. I'll check back here if anyone wants more information and has specific questions. Yes

Vic, more roots=more plant. Cheers!

------------------

Sinserely Steve

la.bud

Member

posted November 06, 1999 08:27 AM

hey steve,sounds like "Jaws"{g13xgws}would fit right in ..lol ..i'll have vic get with ya in a couple weeks

i'm currently running an organic room and an aero room http://genhydro.com/index2.html using GH's aero flo

2 ...what benefits do you get vs a standard organic setup? and is root waste a problem with your

setup?...nice to see ya around...

steve

Member

posted November 06, 1999 10:20 AM

In response to some excellent e-mail questions I told the person I would reply here. I thought that I may

as well answer here as more will share his questions. Water temperature and fish types? As the primary

reason for our system is the highest quality cannabis possible the water temperature must be optimum for

the cannabis. I find this to be between 22°C-24° Celsius. Most tropicals are all right with this, the feeder

goldfish are fine, until chow time, which is all the time. To the surprise of my fish dealer I keep fish

together that theoretically won't live together due to differing PH preferences, ie hardwater cichlids from

some of the best ganja producing lands in Africa, (calcium rich soils around Lakes Malawi, and Tanginyka,

PH 7.1) These hardy fish do quite well in a tank with southeast asian and amazonian varieties that prefer

something around PH 6. In general the grass likes 6.2. I let it move around a little because in my

superstitious mind that allows the freeing up of things I barely understand. If it has risen to the high sixes I

will bring it down, even with apple juice or coffee, unless I feel it needs a boost of fert, then I give it a

tbsp of EJ Catalyst as I mentioned earlier. I have little freshwater crabs, lobsters, snails, eels, and a huge

variety of "suckers". All of these keep the tank clean. Instead of just feeding the fish flakes and pellets you

will likely derive much more pleasure and taste from your garden if you keep a small auxilliary tank for

raising feeder guppies. I keep the fancy guppies whom are now referred to as gourmet guppies and scoop

out a bunch for the main tank before I plan on watching the cycle of destruction and renewal. Get a book

on aquarium layout to maximize the aesthetic of your tank with well arranged rocks, driftwood, and aquatic

plants. I've been sucked into one aquarium for two years so far. Much better than TV.

Yes, cooler water = more oxygen holding ability. Too cool or especially too warm can also mean root

problems. Measure the temperature of your root zone and adjust the aquarium cooler or warmer to keep

your roots healthy. We're here for the grass.

The supplemental sources of P,K and micros are all natural, and can be applied easily to specific plants in

the garden as a topdressing of blended guanos, ashes, meals, and unrefined minerals ie seabed deposits,

langbeinite, rock phosphate, etc. By topdressing specific plants their roots hold the dressing in the rocks,

largely for the use of this plant. This makes it possible to grow a variety of plants off of the same reservoir.

A bit of an organically derived tea is gradually released into the water as a result. This benefits all the

plants. I keep over three times the recommended amount of fish in my aquarium. One inch of fish per gallon

of water is the traditional aquarium formula. The reason for the standard formula is that the water is dirty

too fast and the fish suffer. However the traditional aquarium is not filtered through an 8000 watt grow

room full of weed at all stages. The aquarium/reservoir is 90 gallons. The one I am setting up in Europe is

twice the reservoir for about 24 000 watts of grow space. You'll see how it goes. Most of the grow gurus

were decidely skeptical when I told them what I'd found, too many of their friends sell chem nutrients.

These grow groupies are now the ones that offer to blow me for .5 gram of aquaponic grapefruit (not for

sale) The reason is there is no finer way to grow palatable cannabis indoors, good soil is good, but not

better. As far as quantity of harvest there is one thing to remember, that chem salesmen say all the time,

"The plants don't care about the source of their nutrients, they'll use whatever is available to feed on."

Which is my point exactly, as long as everything necessary to feed the plant is properly provided for it will

feed just as fast. It may take you a little practise to be certain that your organic fert is plant soluble on

schedule, compared to the soluble salts you are conditioned to using, but it's worth it. Even if profit is your

only motive, when you achieve the same yield with better pot you can still charge more. I don't feed my

plants chemicals for my sake, I'm the one that is going to taste it. Someone was recently telling me the old

"Well the plants can't tell the difference!" and I was about to reply the usual "Well I can", when I told them

"If your dog is getting into some really foul garbage, ie eating someone's vomit, you would pull it away

wouldn't you, because it doesn't know any better, but you do or should." I've met the proprietors of many

hydro chem companies, I scare the shit out of them. The owner of the largest American hydroponic

nutrient company was telling an audience how his new formula more closely mimicks nature. "More like it

mocks nature" I told him afterwards as I presented him with the opportunity to smoke some incredibly

sweet ganja and after visit the bio aquaponic garden it came from, his eyes went wide and his face had

the stunned glow of someone caught with their pants down. If the glistening bud in my hand scared this

old timer, just imagine if he smoked it and saw a healthy garden indoors in organic hydro. It wasn't very

nice of me, but it was amusing to see this very self-assured man go from strut to split. I'm still laughing at

him. What a shyster, he even admitted he eats organically produced food, for the taste. Sells you cancer.

But he is a bit player in the grand scheme of things. See if phosphate poisoning is a problem in a water

source near you. Identify it's source, and then see if you can pour your excess wasted nutrients down the

drain everyweek with a good conscience. Food for thought, eat good food! Ciao for now.

------------------

Sinserely Steve



raydavies

Member

posted November 06, 1999 11:16 PM

Steve,

Wow. When is the book going to be available ? What would you say to someone whos only grown in soil

and want to switch. Great work.

Be KIND,

RAY

steve

Member

posted November 07, 1999 04:36 AM

Practically all systems are convertible including tubes and soil. Soil requires a larger volume of water than a

recirculating system. Try a kiddie pool with gravel and young koi, as they age you can appreciate them,

breed them, or sell them. If you have a lot of plants to feed, start off with plenty of frogs and turtles as

well as fish, etc. The diggetty doo for the ultimate boo!

------------------

Sinserely Steve

steve

Member

posted November 07, 1999 11:59 AM

The book will be at least a year and will have plenty of pictures. HT article in 3 months with pics and

diagrams. Fair enough? I'll be doing a grow seminar talking about it, and answering questions at the cup.

This is good practice.

------------------

Sinserely Steve

Blazer

Member

posted November 07, 1999 06:51 PM

Steve! Incredible 1st. of all. We have a few common friends that have been trying to get Me to Your place

to check this out. I've been dabling w/ aqua, bio, and hydroponic hybrid systems for a little while now and

have visited a couple aquaponics farms in the midwest US. I'm soo glad to see some1 w/ Your capacities

sharing all this "Top Shelf" info. I'm a huge buff of both the grow and aquarium stuff Myself w/ a lil goldfish

farm using a towering type delivery system trickling through growrock. It's merely a huge wet/dry filtration

system on steriods allowing 3 fold plus on the amount of creatures in the h2o w/o any amonia problems.

Now the 1 and only grow shop in the metro wants 1 in there window as does My fish supply buddy. It's

great of You to share the method of achieving propper nute ratio's via juggling species and additives.

That's been the missing links here. I also have great luck combining species that aren't intended for thses

ph ranges. I've spent more time keeping the the fish looking happy than focusing on the plants as it's been

just a new way of filtering really, I didn't know how/what to alter for the plants and the fish are in the

window too and must look presentable. Man o man I cannot wait to apply this new knowledge to the hobby

arena full tilt! I'm very grateful for Your willingness to share Your outcomes etc. w/ Us rather than guard it

w/ Your life as the chem. guru's try to do. I can only imagine that man's face and I was almost laughing to

tears visualizing His potential future there dwindling at Your "mocking nature" comments and backing it up

w/ product to boot! Balls, brains and common sense is something lacking big in this world today as a

combined package(You) and thanks again for sharing it! I look forward to future info bigtime and will keep

everyone posted on what I come up w/ as I begin this journey Myself.

Peace and keep up the great work

Blaze

Blazer

Member

posted November 07, 1999 09:36 PM

Steve I'm wondering if You started w/ the African species named Tilapia? I know it's the trend around here

for aquaponics, but it is also for meat production too. I know they are a very hardy fish that can handle

different temps, ph etc.. I'm wondering if most have chosen this fish for its ease of care or if it has much if

anything to do w/ proper nutes? I never knew enough about true organics to understand why You use

what kinda poop,quano etc. and how that may tie into the choice of Tilapia fish for thier aqua units

excrimate wise. Is it along those lines or merely just a very easy fish to farm for profit along w/ thier top

notch greens/herbs for all the trendy restruants in the Ozark's.

I have found in My hybrid bioponic/nft system that the taste, flavor, pest resistance and overall

appearance is outstanding. We(You) are essentually duplicating the most beneficial micro-organism's ability

to interact and exchange beneficial acids(humic etc.), enzyme's and antibiotics at the plants root levels

resulting in like You said...The most incredible(not for sale) treats known to Our community IMO.

Man I just returned from a vaca in Your neck of the woods and sb or Vic threatened to introduce Us and

see the man in action. I did get to BC for almost 24 hours before having to race home to Kansas for an

emergency damnit. I think You were in Europe at the time anyhow sadly.

I have been dying to talk w/ someone on this level of understanding for the longest time and My limited

resources have shut mine down for the moment. Since We haven't been introduced and You probably hear

soo many different webnicks I'd like to say I'm Blazer. A 31 year old parapledgic that has run out of

western medicine options at the moment for the massive back reconstruction. Well they failed Me 4 times

and I now have 3 breaks instead of 2 that pinches nerves on whats left of My severed spinal cord. I also

have incurable/uncontrollable muscle spasms in every part of My body that I no longer have control

over(chest down completly). The herb hasn't helped w/ the pain alot, but flat kicks ass over any perscribed

muscle relaxer's that just eat Me guts away everyday now. I'm searching for the most effective and easy

means to accomodate My want/need for med. use and use whatever is left to pay the out of pocket

exspense of accupuncture treatments that do more good than any western doctor!

Well that's My lil Bio. I just didn't want You to think I was wanting to try and market YOUR project or the

like, I need it for Me personally. If I can drop the chems totally it will make My paralyzed ass MUCH easier!

Just top it off w/ fresh h2o, check ph and be on My way. Thanks again Man

Blazer

ps. Keep in mind at the moment I'm all kinds of pie eyed and just on a rambling/brainstorming kick after

reading the posts. Although I know I'm just a lil off center so maybe I did get a lil bonus head injury along

w/ the spinal cord! ROFLMAO

steve

Member

posted November 08, 1999 03:18 AM

Dear Blazer, I was just about to suggest Acupuncture, it's pretty amazing, eh? Still in Europe, I live here

now. I'm only too willing to share what I learned, I feel like I am seeing the light while most people are

behaving like heathens in the dark ages. Hence I am going door to door with the conviction of a Jehovah's

witness to save us all from the wretched chem pot (extends to food as well). I am hardly worried about

someone copying this, it is for all to copy. It is nature and is for the benefit of all it's inhabitants. To

reduce pollution is everybody's business. I had some tilapia but the oscars ate them. To be honest, I was

going to start this thread in the beginners area, they might as well start right the first time, and become

perfectionists. The first time I tried it I was thoroughly amazed at how easy it was. The few people that

had problems their first time always had a glaring omission, no mother marsh bio-filters, ph 7.5, drowning

soil, or bad temperature. Keep it between the lines and read the plant. The revolution has begun. Once

people become accustomed to the quality of the produce, it's just a matter of time until everyone demands

it, ie tomatoes that taste like tomatoes, pot that tastes like pot. Most people have forgotten, or never

knew how good things should taste. Once you realize how bland or synthetic most supermarket produce, or

Amsterdam weed tastes you will be appalled.

Blazer, I sympathize with your back problems, mine has not reached that stage yet, thankfully I declined

the operations, however now and then my fifth lumbar pops out and I know that pinching pain. Absolutely

debilitating weeks in bed, I know pot mainly just cheers me up, homegrown opium is the ultimate muscle

relaxer, read up on growing some and processing without making slits in the garden, that's illegal. My back

improves from it's episodes much quicker when the muscles go so slack the bone pops into place. Best of

Luck and I hope that you're feeling better.

------------------

Sinserely Steve





hibe

Member

posted November 09, 1999 02:15 AM

wow!....cool..

Steve! I like how you approached feeding your plants!(a nice,cumulative wide spectrum arrangement) I too

have been looking at the literature regarding aquaponics, but after looking into it, i talked myself out of it

because of the nature of the plants that are(at this time)being used,that seem to be better served by the

Nitrogen-Rich fish soup,from start to finish.From what ive seen,the "visible" trailblazing aquaponics people

seem to be growing leafy-type, quick production crops like lettuce,spinach,basil,herbs..and not generally

flowers,or smokable delicacies like ours. I see that you are using the nitrogenous fish waste water ,even at

the ends of your flowering plants life,and have to ask...how u doin that mann?...extremely soluble

ammonium and nitrate to the last day of harvest?.."If its there;They will eat it" rite?..As you know,organic

budfarmers in other mediums or methods,generally plan the nitrogen release to time out before harvest . Is

the total PPM of soluble ammonium and nitrate(from the fish)low enough,so as not to become an issue for

our flowering plants?..A separate "clearing res" would allow for a break from the N,rite,or do you feel its not

as big of an issue as im making it?....please tell ,thanks..

can u describe the setup sometime pleese? ie. irrigation method,medium,how the res is

arranged/aerated/cooled,containers etc..appreciate it

..Totally respect you(et al.) for blazing trail through the cannabis patch and coming forward with your

findings mann.........hibe



Blazer

Member

posted November 09, 1999 11:46 AM

Hibe...Get out of My head man! It's kinda spooky coming here to ask a Q only to find You beat Me to

it...AGAIN! You and Az are always on the same wavelength w/ My melon too and it's just really odd IMO. I

was glaring at the cieling trying to get to sleep lastnight and was pondering this too. If I understand it

correctly, the low ppm of the fish h2o/nute allows this to not be a problem and added trace elements

should balance it all out I think. Hopefully Steve will have all the answer's We have yet to find

Check out Harvetsprings.com Hibe and look at the aquaculture farm in the ozarks, they are online too w/

details of thier system.. It's just soo simple other than the items You mentioned above IMO. I think Steve

has worked out these kinks from what I'm finding and hearing. I'm kinda banking on it. Meanwhile, I'm still

digging and learning too.

------------------

Blazer

Member

posted November 10, 1999 10:59 AM

Hibe. I've been playing w/ My african cichlid tank and have had awesome luck using the res. for the

wet/dry filter as a cloner for all kinds of plants. The kind digs it as does several species of annuals and

tropicals. Over the weekend I decided to place a few branches from a cosmos flower that had some very

immature buds on it. Well I have had good luck getting them to bloom inna glass of plain h2o in a window,

but when I put them into the tank w/ light they bloomed in 1 day. They still look marvelous, but does this

apply to anything We were thinking of above? It was the only way I could figure to see what a flowering

plant would/could do w/ fish h2o for a nute. It probably isn't conclusive for shit, but just a note. I keep the

ph up to around 7.5 for the species of fish, they really would like it over 8. Just a few lil notes on what I'm

seeing w/ hi ph and low ppm(300+ last time I checked). Granted this isn't by anymeans an aquaculture set

up, just stirring the waters a lil in My lil melon. Boy I love a challenge, but on such a tiny scale, I can't get

any really applicable results IMO. I'll keep digging



steve

Member

posted November 11, 1999 04:50 AM

Excellent question Hibe. The nitrogen level is low enough not to inhibit flowering. The nitrogen most present

is the softest, nitrate. It is essential to the health of the plant throughout. I increase the N in veg by

adding a little worm castings around the base of the plant, this is used up within a few weeks. I too had

heard that aquaponics are only good for green leafy crops like lettuce, or chives. When you look at the

massive tomatoes on Harvest Springs site you will see that this is just a fallacy. The water is rich in all

compounds not just N. Supplemental P and K are easily found in the realm of organic nutrients for an added

boost in bloom.

A simple system consists of buckets (the bigger the better) rubbermaid roughtotes work great. Fill halfway

with your choice of well-rinsed lava rock, hydroton, or gravel, aeration underneath. The buckets should

drain easily to a lower bucket that contains only a pump activated with a float switch. This pump returns

the water to the aquarium as rain (hole in pipes). 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. It will grow as fast as with any

chemhydronutes, and taste a hell of a lot better, while be better for you. Many feel that it comes through

with a better buzz, but that is pretty subjective for science. I don't care; science is science and life is art.

Warmest Wishes People, Lotsa Love,

------------------

Sinserely Steve

Ultimate

Member

posted November 15, 1999 03:05 AM

A few footlong Oscars produce plenty of waste which gets siphoned biweekly into a res. The plants really

do love it.

I wonder about the fish though, with the benefit of roots filtering out the "un"beneficial bacteria - what

effect does the addition of topdressing and various teas in the water have on the fish's health and water

quality necessary for their survival? Pros & Cons on Fish Survial vs Plant Enhancement?

The guys are big and hearty as hell but I just can't picture myself standing over the tank pouring earth

juice catalyst over my 10 year old south american cichlids. I suspect they would tolerate slight impurities

at a low level, but where and when do we draw the line before it becomes toxic?

P.S. Steve, there are claims that a SOL distributor resides in ON, any truth to this?

steve

Member

posted November 15, 1999 04:45 AM

I understand. A capful of catalyst is all we add to the tank occassionally. The top dressings are also used

sparingly, I don't kill the fish, the last tank I set up has run two years with the same fish. Yes, you can buy

Spice of Life Seeds under the counter at better headshops in Ontario. Check with OT in London, and CT in

Ottawa. I have to check up with OT, they may be elsewhere as well. Check with me first to confirm

authenticity if you wish, there is some reselling going on out there, it takes me one phonecall to see if

they're real, I don't want to call someone false if they really are selling my seeds. Email me for sure. I'll

supply them to shops but www.legendsseeds.com has them for the 'net. To keep it simple for you. In the

new year SOLS will be recognizable by special packaging to allay your concerns. Cheers!

------------------

Sinserely Steve

Ombudsman posted November 15, 1999 11:59 AM

Blazer there's an article in a Grower's Edge that reminded me of your situation. It may be one that Muir!

was getting at. It was about a parapledgic (sp?) that opened a commercial aquaculture/hydro farm. He

grew Tilapias. I think it was the winter 97/98 issue but I'm not positive. It had some specs on the setup as

well as feedings and cycles.

Just when I thought I was starting to know a lot about growing, you guys throw this at me

Keep the innovations coming fellas.



GG posted November 16, 1999 12:18 AM

I thought this was an interesting article. It's really has to do with aquatic plants but you never know, it

could hold some value for soil, soil based, or inorganic mediums as well. Tests should be done, we all need

to delve further into the art and science of growing and breeding cannabis! It truly is a wondrous plant.

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/roots.html#0



steve posted November 16, 1999 01:32 PM

Check out back issues of growing edge, there is one on flavinoids in tomatoes. The brix level (the sugar

index)only gets really high in naturally grown tomatoes. They also discuss primary and secondary flavinoids.

The secondary aren't present in chemically grown produce, ie the overall blandness, lacking the

well-rounded flavour. You will never taste fine wine from grapes grown in rockwool, or fed a bath of

chemical synthetics. It's all about quality to me, and I appreciate that many take a different approach,

with quality taking a back seat. That's your business, not mine. Heads will appreciate the heads up on this

very popular thread. It ain't no joke, nature that is.

------------------

Sinserely Steve



imgc posted November 19, 1999 08:26 AM

webfish has got a real simple set up it is a 4" pvc pipe with holes cut in the top for basket pots it then

haas a 1/2" feeder pipe (also pvc) runs down the inside wall of the large pipe. At each cell location there is

a T in the supply line going to a 360 deg sprinkler head. the pipe sits on a downword incline about 1" I

think. with a large hole at the low end for drainage. He has had great luck with this system. He aslo has

the optimim PPM leavels and such. He would be a good resource also.

I am going to build a test system this wek.

BSSF



KQ posted November 22, 1999 08:15 PM

I ran across this article---pretty interesting read!

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/composting.html



Lite-Brite posted November 28, 1999 03:31 AM

While mulling around the cyber world I bumped into a link of interest to this thread:

http://www.aquaponics.com/hobbycf.htm

Amazing stuff Steve, thanks for sharing!

Breeder Steve posted February 03, 2000 02:58 PM

Dear Doctor Turner, sounds like a ninety gallon tank, roughly. Two 4X8 tables or nine big ass bushes, three

rows of three with 4 - thousand watt bulbs hanging in between would be fine.

You can use the water from the aquarium to water soil plants, or foliar feed.

Bonk, I will write an article on it just for you here, I used to get a good Aquaponics journal, I'll find out how

you can find it. Check search engines, and Growing Edge magazine. It's not difficult. It is rewarding. Here's

a link to www.harvestsprings.com you can get a primer there, and I'll write something more detailed about

pot. My back is sore and I'm just not into it now. Thanks for asking, though, it's important to me to share

this information. Have a great day, Steve



Breeder Steve posted February 06, 2000 04:57 AM

Okay, back on topic. For those new to the subject Aquaponics is raising fish and growing plants. There are

many reasons why. This benefits both the fish and the plants. The plants benefit mainly from the

nitrogenous compounds excreted by the fish. The plants take up the fish waste products as nutrient thus

continuously cleaning the water for the fish. That is the short explanation. The long one is not much

worse.

All aquarium owners know about the Nitrogen Cycle. This is the process by which ammonia is reduced, by

the aerobic bacteria nitrosonomas, to the less toxic nitrite which is broken down by nitrobacteria into the

much less toxic nitrate. This cycle takes 12 days for the bacterias to fully colonize in a bio-filter. The

bio-filter need only contain a lot of surface area for well-aerated water to flow through. The surface area

may be rocks, plastic rings, gravel, etc. When we put growing plants into the filter, they feed off of the

waste of the aerobic bacteria. A plentitude of nutrients besides N compounds are also present in low levels.

The low levels work, meters can't show all. The domination of the nutrient solution by beneficial aerobic

bacteria inhibit the growth of the anaerobic bacteria that can be such a hydro nightmare.

The water is only topped up, not drained. The nutrient is recycled, not discharged as an environmental,

and overhead cost waste. It is desirable to run all stages of growth from the same system. Preferably run

concurrently. The plants produce as well as by any hydro standard, because it's still hydro. The plants

don't show any signs of overfertilization, and the buds burn very smooth to a soft, white ash. The true

flavour of the strain comes through and very little else. Chem Hydro can never match the flavour, only

primary flavinoids are produced. Secondary flavinoids only develop in naturally grown produce. The sugar

levels, measurable on the Brix index, are way up.

It's a lot more fun to design/watch an underwater world, and by the health of the aquarium upstairs in the

living room, you have a good idea that all is well in the basement down below.

I have had good success starting the plants in a light organic soil mix with coco fibre, worm castings,++++

and having the roots grow out wicks in the pots into a hydro or aero scenario. The plants were hand

watered from the top about twice a week, and misted, bathed, or flooded and drained over rocks. It all

works.

Supplemental foods are possible, even some use a combination of Aquaponics with small doses of chem

nutrient. I like to fill up a nylon sock with several guanos, sunflowerseed hull ash (0-0-40), cottonseed

meal, canola seed meal, feather meal, corn gluten, bone meal, silicate clay, kelp meal, langbeinite, rock

phophate, greensand, and probably five or six more things that I'm forgetting. The algae eaters swarm the

sock and suck as it grows algae like a MoFo! They release this bloom oriented concoction as long as you

leave it in the tank. I'm talking about using miniature amounts of fertilizer. Occasionally I top dress the

plants with a tbsp of worm castings, one bag lasts a year for a garden with four lights. The fish are fed a

mix of live, frozen, and pellet food. All micros on the labels! It will give you great pleasure to witness the

miracle of life. A lot of fun, and perfect smoke!

------------------

Sinserely Steve





raydavies posted February 06, 2000 09:06 PM

Al the Aquaponics info I could find from around the web. Thanks so much for the info 10K. Respect.

RAY

AQUAPONICS: Aquaponics is the integration of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (cultivating

plants in a water medium). Within the aquaponics system, there are three primary organisms: fish, plants,

and nitrifying bacteria. Each of these life forms is dependent in some way on the other for survival. The fish

produce manure which acts as fertilizer for the plants. Fish manure is mainly in the form of ammonia. In high

concentrations, ammonia can be toxic to fish. The bacteria come into play at this critical point. Nitrifying

bacteria convert ammonia into nitrate which is non- toxic to fish at low levels and is also the form of

nitrogen plants take up most readily. The fish produce fertilizer for plants and with the help of the bacteria,

the plants in turn clean, the water for the fish. This cycle is closely monitored through daily water testing.

Water quality is a key component in maintaining a healthy system. The main factors involved include pH,

ammonia( NH3- N), nitrite (NO2), alkalinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Once a week a more

complete water test is conducted to measure iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrite, carbon dioxide,

conductivity, and settable solids. The combination of all of these factors helps us to asses the health of

our system on a chemical level. We then incorporate this information into our visual assessment of the

plants and fish to regulate our management schemes and analyze any problems

Tilapia has been called the fish of the future. A member of the cichlid family, Tilapia is high in protein, low in

fat, and grows out in nine months. Native to Africa, tilapia has been cultured for centuries. Also called St.

Peter's fish, tilapia is said to be the fish Jesus fed the masses in the Bible. Tilapia is a warm water species

requiring water temperatures of 82 degrees Fahrenheit. It can withstand extreme shifts in water quality

and is an excellent converter of feed to fish flesh. One and one half pounds of good quality fish food will

produce one and one quarter pounds of fish in 9 months. At optimal water quality, growth rates exceed

that of any other recirculating system farm raised fish. Walleye, yellow perch, and large mouth bass are

other species of interest, but have yet to be widely proven in recirculating systems. Refer to Table 1 for

water quality requirements for tilapia, yellow perch, and walleye.

Leaf lettuce is our primary vegetable crop. We also grow small quantities of basil and watercress.

Vegetative crops do best based on the nutrient makeup of the system. Vegetative crops primarily require

nitrogen for growth as opposed to fruiting crops which need high levels of phosphorus and potassium. An

aquaponics system is rich in nitrogen but generally lacks the other macro nutrients in substantive enough

quantities to grow fruiting crops. Plants grow out in five to seven weeks depending on the season. the

quality of the crop is heavily dependent on fish stocking densities, bacteria populations, and overall water

quality

Good management practices involve checking the fish regularly for disease. A brief examination during dip

netting is usually sufficient. When examining the fish look for scale loss, bruising, lesions, and discoloration

of gills. Lesions and scale loss can indicate fungal disease or external parasites. The gills of the fish should

be dark red in color. Brown colored gills indicate stress caused by high levels of ammonia. Pink colored gills

can indicate low levels of oxygen and / or parasites. If at any time these symptoms are noticed, fish should

be sent to a lab for diagnostic testing such as the Aqua vet department at Cornell University. It is also

good management to send fish to a lab periodically for routine disease and parasite testing.

PLANT HEALTH Plant health is monitored in several different ways. The color of the leaves is a key

indication of nutrient availability in the water. Mottled and pale leaves indicate low nitrogen and other

nutrients. A healthy crop is the product of good water quality and a healthy population of nitrifying

bacteria. Pest insects populations are monitored via yellow insect sticky cards placed throughout the

greenhouse. Preventative measures such as releasing ladybugs every two weeks helps to keep pest insect

populations at a minimum. Disease outbreaks are also controlled through preventative measures such as

washing the hydroponic channels weekly with baking soda and water solution. Seasonal variations such as

temperature and day length largely contribute to potential disease problems. It is important to be aware of

the environmental factors that will promote certain diseases and pest populations and to then work at

monitoring those conditions and controlling them if at all possible.

If at any time a disease or pest insect infestation is suspected, send out plant samples to the nearest

extension office for identification and control recommendations. When dealing with these problems, it is

very important to remember that anything you treat the plants with will affect the rest of the aquaponics

system. The greenhouse environment needs to be managed as organically as possible so as not to harm

other beneficial organisms living throughout the system such as nitrifying bacteria and fish

Aquaponic systems are designed around the specific goals of the group involved. Generally, systems are

either for education or commercial production. If you ate new in the field of aquaponics, we suggest you

investigate the many different aquaponics systems out there. Components to research are biofiltration,

solids removal, treatment of waste effluent, and crop selection. In addition to the physical aspects of the

system, you should investigate markets in your region for selling your product. This is very important. Even

if you have the best aquaponic system in the world, with no market for your product, commercial viability is

impossible. This process will help educate you about what works and what doesn't work so you don't try to

'recreate the wheel".

There are several other factors to consider in building an aquaponic greenhouse:

Licensing - We suggest you contact your state, county, and local offices for licensing requirements to

assure you meet all applicable regulations for greenhouse construction.

Greenhouse Structure and Cost- The construction cost will be determined by the layout of your site. This

refers to any existing buildings, land preparation, ect. We can make recommendations about style of

greenhouse to use. There are many greenhouse companies out there to choose from.

Aquaponic System Cost- This is totally dependent on the type of system you create. We can help you

estimate your construction cost.

Other Cost- This includes electricity, heat, water supply, shipping cost of materials, ect. These will vary

depending on location.

Project Revenue - This will depend on your products and marketing. We can suggest vegetable crops and

fish, but marketing research will depend on you.

We can assist you in making some of these decisions before you start construction of your aquaponic

system. Aquaponics is an exciting field with lots of potential as an educational tool in schools and for

commercial production

Ours is a simple, reliable, low-cost growing system used to produce a supply of safe, superior quality foods.

We integrate hydroponics and aquaculture in a closed system to produce premium tilapia and fresh herbs

and vegetables. Although creative, this method of food production is no mere novelty. It is a low-cost, no

nonsense system.

Complex synergistic relationships take place in an uncomplicated setting. It seems the more natural we can

make it, the better it works. The effluent from the fish tanks is not filtered or purified before reaching the

growing beds. Some similar systems are based on a hydroponics mindset and purify the water to go through

expensive feeder lines and emitters. In our system the growing beds are in effect fluidized bed bioreactors

(a most efficient biofilter for water filtration) using commonly available materials, without the need for

separators and clarifiers for solids removal.

Each growing bed contains pea gravel as a growing media. Effluent trickles through and down the length of

the growing bed before being pumped back into the tanks. The plants get all the nutrients they need, while

bacteria in the gravel remove harmful ammonia produced by the fish, perpetuating the water purification

process. Fish must never be left without plants in the growing beds or water purification stops; the growing

beds should never be permitted to dry out or bacteria in the gravel, essential for the purification process,

would die.

Simple to Operate

You supply the water and electricity.

You feed the fish.

The fish feed the plants.

The plants take care of the fish in return.

©

Plants get what they need without the fuss of mixing chemicals. The unfiltered effluent (nutrient solution)

is pumped straight to the growing beds through 1-inch PVC pipe.

After the initial effluent is pumped from each tank, the return through the beds takes from 10 to 30

minutes. A bucket containing a pump in each node holds 10 to 15 gallons. When this fills up, the water is

pumped back into the tank and forced through a PVC cap drilled with numerous 1/4 inch holes, creating a

showerhead effect. This oxygenates the water to optimum levels for the tilapia. Additional aeration is

unnecessary.

IMAGINE GARDENING YEAR-ROUND WITH NO WEEDS TO PULL, NO BENDING FOR PLANTING OR HARVESTING,

NO WORRIES ABOUT WATERING OR THE WEATHER.

PICTURE YOURSELF IN MID-WINTER WORKING IN A GREEN, VITAL, HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT - DOING

SOMETHING YOU LOVE TO DO.

The system is simple and revolutionary for the very reason that it does not make use of technology

normally assumed to be necessary for aquaculture, hydroponics, or both.

The system is flexible. A "node" is a tank of fish connected to one or more growing beds. A node can be

constructed small enough to fit into a kitchen, one or more nodes could fit into a backyard greenhouse, or

any number of large nodes could function in commercial greenhouse operations.

In addition to flexibility of size and simplicity of operation, the system is environmentally friendly. There is

no effluent runoff. Plants and bacteria in the gravel beds use nutrients in effluent and purify the water for

the benefit of the fish.

There is no mixing of fertilizers for hydroponic production, and the synergistic relationship between plants

and fish actually necessitates the use of NO chemical pesticides or medications. Clean, pure and

wholesome food is the result.

SYSTEM COMPONENTS

From a system point of view there are three main components of the operation - fish, plants and bacteria.

The rest of the hardware items are there to optimize the life cycle of each of the three main components.

ABOUT THE FISH

Tilapia, a fish that produces delicious white flesh with few bones, are a hardy, disease resistant,

warm-water fish. They're native to Africa and the Middle East and have been raised for food since the days

of the ancient Egyptians. Some believe Christ fed tilapia to the multitudes. Tilapia is the most popular fish

for culture in the world.

Tilapia are fast growing, reaching 1 to 1-1/2 pounds by 9 to 18 months, are extremely disease resistant,

and will provide firm, white boneless fillets (approximately 40% by weight). They are readily marketable at

3/4 pound and up. We prefer to sell our fish at over one pound live weight - most generally at a pound and

a half.

The feed conversion rate for this fish is excellent, with one pound of feed yielding one pound of fish. Tilapia

devour algae in addition to their regular feed, and excess plant cuttings add to this nutrient source. In

addition, they will tolerate low oxygen and poor water conditions that would kill most other fish. We have

found them to be extremely hardy.

ABOUT THE PLANTS

Currently we are producing lettuces and salad greens for local restaurants and subscribers for our own

specialty mix. Our retail sales are primarily on a subscriber, or pre-order basis, with excess being sold at the

local Farmers Market. Additionally, we are now producing some value-added products.

We have experimented with many different types of plants - ornamentals, herbs and vegetables. Most

attempts have been successful. We've grown from seed, from seedlings, from cuttings. We've produced

food crops, rooted cuttings, fresh cut herbs, and become our own supplier of starts for flowering basket

sales. We're excited about what this system can do!

Plants grow in half to one-third the time required for plants grown by conventional methods.

Cuttings from almost any plant (including trees) will root and grow if placed into a growing bed and exposed

to the nutrient-rich water, with NO rooting hormones or chemicals.

ABOUT THE BACTERIA

A healthy bacterial culture is a necessity in this system and the limit on how many fish you can maintain

will be gaited by the health and growth rate of your bacteria. What do bacteria need? They need warmth,

moisture, dark and oxygen. All these are present in our system except for the surface area of the growing

beds.

Plants alone do not purify the water for the fish. They only take up the nutrients that the bacteria put out

after they work on and convert the fish wastes. The bacteria are a critical element in the system and

should be treated with proper respect. Take steps to insure a good oxygen supply. Aeration of the fish

water by the methods we prescribe, and cultivation of the growing beds when empty will provide more

dissolved oxygen for the fish, as well as provide an improved oxygen level for the bacteria and plants.

ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND

There is no effluent discharge from our system, making it environmentally friendly. Due to the recirculation

and efficient reuse of water, only 7 to 7.5 percent of the water must be replaced per month as a result of

evaporation and plant uptake.

We believe in growing as naturally as possible, but our system also demands it. Any pesticides sprayed on

the plants would find their way back into the fish. Any antibiotics poured into the fish tanks to treat

diseases would find their way to the plants and kill the bacteria. Predatory wasps, ladybugs, lacewings, Bt

and other specific organically approved methods are used to control whiteflies, aphids and other pests and

diseases that affect the plants.

A minimum of electricity is used because the solar greenhouse design doesn't require it. We do all we can

to maximize the use of solar energy. The fish tanks are black to absorb and retain heat. Warm water, a

high level of nutrients, CO2 from the fish, and frequent flow are what allow us to grow all through the

winter.

LOW COST MATERIALS

Basic items for operation consist of:

A building - the system can be adapted to suit most any greenhouse style and size.

Tanks - we use hatchery tanks from PolyTank.*

Growing beds - may be as simple as wood, lined with plastic or as durable as prefab poly.*

Pumps - common submersible sump pumps are recommended

PVC piping and fittings

Water supply

Gravel - it's an efficient grow media. It's also low-cost, low-maintenance, and readily available in most

locations.

ADD fish, plants and bacteria - the three main system components.

*PolyTank, our tank supplier, now manufactures 4'X8' growing beds of the same material as our tanks (no

maintenance, and virtually indestructible).

OPERATING COSTS

Basic operating costs will include:

Labor

Electricity

Fish food

Seeds and plants

SIMPLY DIFFERENT

Our system is unique.

The system's design offers flexibility.

It can be operated on a small scale or in a large commercial set-up.

Parts and equipment are readily obtainable, most from local suppliers.

Elements in nature enable the system to function successfully, not some exclusively patented device.

What is AQUAPONICS? 1. Aquaponics is a semi-closed loop ecosystem. 2. Aquaponics is a combination of

aquaculture (raising fish in a controlled environment) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil,

providing the nutrients to the plants mixed into the water fed to the plants). 3. Aquaponics is a manmade

version of Mother Nature's pond, stream, and field ecosystem. In an aquaponic system, you feed the fish,

the fish wastes feed bacteria, the bacteria wastes feed the plants, and the plants clean the water for the

fish. Fish live in their own bathroom. They can't help it, they have nowhere else to go. And fish waste is

mainly ammonia nitrogen, that evil smelling stuff you clean windows with. If you feed the fish too much,

and their ammonia laden wastes build up, the fish do the same thing that you would do if immersed in an

ammonia bath,... they die. Even if they don't eat the food that you toss in the tank, the natural breakdown

of the food will kick the ammonia level through the roof (fishtank?), and poof, dead fish. Luckily, nature

provides a way to eliminate this deadly hazard. Good thing for us that it does, or else the world's seas

would be big pools of water filled with dead fish long before man crept out of the primordial ooze. Certain

bacteria eat ammonia, they LOVE it. They thrive on it, can't live without it. The most voracious ammonia

eating bacteria are called Nitro Sommonas bacteria. They gobble the ammonia down, use it to fuel their

tiny bodies, and give off wastes full of nitrite nitrogen. Most fish can handle up to 10 times as much nitrites

as ammonia. BUT...if the nitrites become to strong, there goes the fish, belly up again. Now, fish have been

doing fine for eons. So obviously, something is taking care of the nitrites. Nature always provides a way of

taking care of wastes. This time it's another bacteria, Nitro Bacter. These wonderful little beasties feast on

nitrites, eat it like we would feast on ice cream on a hot afternoon. And when their bodies are done, they

excrete nitrates. NitrAtes are 10-100 times less dangerous to the fish. Still, if the levels of nitrates ever

manages to get too high, it can still kill the fish. Luckily, nitrates are the form of nitrogen that plants love

to eat. Not just one or two types of plants, nearly all plants love nitrates. From the lowest form of

blue/green algae to the tallest Redwood tree, they all use nitrates as their nitrogen source. And, next to

Carbon Dioxide, nitrogen is the highest chemical on the plant's food list. Without nitrogen (nitrates), the

plant won't grow. Give a plant plenty of nitrogen (along with plenty of light, water, CO2, and about 13

other tinier amount of other elements), and it grows big and strong. It also locks that nitrogen up in it's

leaves and stems, removing them from the food chain. When the plant dies, other forms of bacteria (along

with bugs, fish, animals, and humans) feast on the plant. Their wastes start the cycle all over again.

nitrites>nitrates>plants>animals>ammonia..." An AQUAPONIC system contains all three of the necessary

parts of the ammonia/nitrate cycle, fish to produce the ammonia, bacteria to break the ammonia down to

nitrates, and plants to feed on the nitrates to create fishfood to start the cycle all over again. In the

simplest classroom sized aquaponic system, the fish live in a standard fish tank. A pump that sits in the

tank with the fish pumps the water (and fish wastes) up to a series of troughs sitting nested into the top

of the tank. As the water sprays out of the pipes leading from the pump, it picks up oxygen, and flows

down the troughs. Plastic pots sitting in the troughs contain blocks of rockwool, a sterile growing media

similar (in appearance) to fiberglass. The water (and dissolved fish wastes) feeds up into the rockwool by

capillary action, where bacteria are cultivated. The bacteria do their thing on the ammonia, and feed plants

that are also growing on the rockwool cube. The cleansed water then flows down the trough, and pours

into the fish area in the tank, completing the cycle. More complicated (and more efficient) aquaponic

systems use the same basic concept, but they are more efficient at gathering the fish wastes, have

several types of hydroponic systems to handle separating the fish wastes into suspended verses dissolved

solids, more elaborate hydroponic systems for nitrate removal, and perhaps other systems to maximize the

growth of bacteria and removal of non-organic materials from the water. They also may contain automatic

monitoring systems, backup pump systems, auto feeding systems for the fish, and other systems to

maximize the growth of the plants. Aquaponics can be integrated into an indoor pond system to create a

beautifully landscaped show system. Picture a mountain lake glimmering in the sun, with fish leaping and

breaking its shining surface. Picture a babbling stream with fruit laden trees lining it's banks. Picture a

pristine waterfall feeding that stream, with vines trellising down the sparkling rocks that bracket the falling

water. Now picture this idyllic scene, in miniature, babbling away in your atrium or a corner of your living

room. It's possible, quite possible. A aquaponic system needn't be a geometric conglomeration of plastic

troughs and tanks. With a little ingenuity and foresight, you can form an aquaponic system into a work of

art. All of the basic ecological processes are still integrated into this miniature mountain glen. The lake can

be formed from a preformed ornamental pond. The stream can be formed from properly prepared concrete,

with the "fruit laden trees" being bush-type cherry tomatoes and sweet basil. The waterfalls can be formed

from a mound of native stone, or easily positioned mock stone blocks, covered with trellising spider plants.

And all of the plants can be rooted in rockwool cubes to provide the home for the bacteria that handle the

"dirty work". You CAN bring Mother Nature into your home, it just takes a little planning and the right

resources. For more information on setting up YOUR own aquaponic system, whether it be a hands-on

learning system for students in your school, or a awe-inspiring miniature alpine glen in your private atrium,

contact Hydro/Aquatic Technologies. We can help you set up the perfect system of your dreams!

.









Breeder Steve posted February 07, 2000 04:13 AM

Excellent post, Ray. I'm sure that explains it pretty well for most. There are a few things I would like to add

to that. When the water leaves the growing beds (flowering in my case) the water travels through more

"cells"(rubbermaid buckets filled with aerated rocks) and mothers are planted in 3gallon mesh pots with

wicks that sit in a hole cut in the buckets lids. This way when you harvest all or part of the grow bed, the

mothers continue to clean the water for the fish. After the water has gone through the beds and the

buckets it is returned to the fish via the float pump in the small return reservoir.

The other thing is conventional wisdom told people that it would only be good for green leafy crops. Not

True! I've grown over two pounds of rock hard killer bud using this technique with two 430 son agros! I

have also grown incredible Broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, poppies, strawberries, as well as the conventional

lettuce, basil, and green onions. All produce was beyond prime. Whatever whoever tasted said it was like

trying them again for the first time. "Like Wow, these tomatoes, it's like trying tomatoes again for the first

time." The buds are exquisite. See my above post for an idea of a bloom booster, naturally. Top dressing or

nylon sock. Your plants will really love you, and you will really love your plants!





shiva posted February 08, 2000 11:16 AM

I'm looking at that picture and thinking about how I would convert my current system to work with that. It

looks like it wouldn't be that hard. I'm interested in this bacteria/rocks filter thing ... how would that come

into play with an existing system like an aeroflow. I have a 60 site aeroflo, 1200 watt garden I would need

another reservoir, a big fish aquarium, some fish & some pumps & plumbing. I'm almost at a point where I

could break the "if ain't broke, don't fix it rule" ... I understand the difference between organic & chem salt

bud flavor. You can clear your garden & the buds are good but they don't have the same complex flavors

of organics.

It doesn't look like this would work as well if you just refilled your reservoir with fish tank water ... my

aeroflo reservoir goes through about 4-5 gallons a day on high demand & holds about 25-30 gallons

(counting whats in the tubes). I wonder how that would work, kinda seems like fish tank is probably very

important for keeping the pH in check. Fish would add a fun dimension to this hobby ... I've never had a big

tank before, just 20 gallon small ones.

cool thread,

Shiva





Breeder Steve posted February 08, 2000 11:43 AM

Shiva, fill the tubes halfway with gravel or lava rocks, after rinsing well. Wick the pots and fill them with a

light organic soil mix lined with a thin layer of clay corn. The water that drains out of the tubes can run

through "mother marshes". If you want to go crazy run a half inch fizz hose down each tube under the

rocks. This helps keep the water aerated and misting inside the tube. Play with it, and have fun.







shiva posted February 08, 2000 12:48 PM

I gottcha ... that would be a good way creating the rock/bacteria environment right in the tubes. So use

poly-wool liners with coconut & worm castings in 3inch pots ... hmm I will have to get in touch with

harvest springs and spec out some equip to make this happen ... I keep my moms in a partitioned off

section of the flowering room so routing a line to the mum reservoir would be easy. I'm very happy you

found your way onto the web Steve, your experience is an amazing resource and I thank you for sharing.

-Shiva ;-)





Breeder Steve posted February 11, 2000 11:41 AM

Monitor water quality with Ph meter, aim for around 6.2, I let it fluctuate a little. Also, use a test kit for

aquariums, you can test for oxygen level, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and several others. The kits are

droppers and tubes. The optimum levels are shown on the packaging. You will see the ammonia rise at first,

then it drops as it is converted into nitrite, which drops as it is converted into nitrate, which will maintain a

healthy level as the plants absorb it.

If the aerobic bacteria responsible for the nitrogen cycle are healthy it will not smell. However if the water

is not moving enough, our the Bio filter area is not aerated enough the bacteria will not be able to do their

job and the water will smell foul, of ammonia, or rotten eggs. Better aeration of the solution/biofilter solves

this. The water returns to my tank through a series of holes drilled in 1/2" pipe that goes around the

perimeter of the tank. My oxygen level always reads the max of what the water will hold at it's current

temperature, best between 22-24°C. Talk to you soon.







Breeder Steve posted February 12, 2000 04:26 AM

Dear HI420, the algae eaters swarm the sock in the aquarium, providing more food for the bacteria in the

biofilter which becomes more food for the plant.

Avoid the saltwater.

First get a few little fish, neons, guppies, goldfish, after the first two weeks, start adding more variety,

cichlids, oscars, crawfish, freshwater lobsters and crabs, eels, sharks, fresh water shrimps, cories, loaches,

knife fish. Your aquarium can hold a denser amount of aquatic life than your average aquarium with your

mega biofiltration system, the plants.

Grow lots of aquarium plants both anchored and floating and don't forget to add lots of hiding places for

your fish. Enjoy.







Why do roots exist?

by Elizabeth Worobel <eworobe-at-cc.UManitoba.CA>

Date: Tue, 18 Jun 1996

Several different types of experiments have been carried out in attempts

to answer this question. The first type, first tried almost 100 years

ago, asked the question "Do rooted aquatic plants grow better with a

nutrient rich substrate or with a sand substrate and a nutrient rich

water column." The data clearly indicated that rooted aquatic plants,

though they will grow on sand with nutrients supplied in the water

column, grew far better with nutrients supplied through a rich substrate.

These experiments have been repeated many, many times since with many

different types of rooted aquatic plants and the data consistently show

that plants grown on substrates outgrow those grown on sand with

nutrients supplied through the water column.

The second question was "Which nutrients can be supplied exclusively from

the sediment and which must be supplied via the water column." The data

clearly indicate that P and N can be supplied from the sediment and that

S and micronutrients may also be supplied exclusively from the sediment

(the data for N and P is much more extensive). The only nutrients which

are needed in the water column are Mg, K, Ca and of course CO2. These

consistent for several different types of rooted macrophytes on many

different types of sediments.

The third question was "Which nutrients actually are supplied via the

roots from the sediment." This typ of experiment is much more difficult

to carry out but the evidence indicates that N and P are obtained by

rooted aquatic plants from the sediment, even when readily available in

the water column (this includes genera such as Elodea and Myriophyllum

which have small root:shoot ratios).

The fourth question is "Which nutrients can be supplied exclusively from

the water column." As far as I know this remains unanswered as it is

extremely difficult to manipulate the nutrient content of saturated soils.

dave huebert

anaerobic substrates

by eworobe/cc.UManitoba.CA

Date: Sun, 21 Sep 1997

Who said anaerobic substrates are a bad thing? There are several GOOD

THINGS that happen when the substrate is anaerobic;

1. Ferric iron and manganese are reduced to ferrous and manganous forms.

Both are more soluble than the oxidixed species.

2. As an added bonus, when iron is reduced, phosphates are liberated from

the ferric oxyhydroxide colloids that are formed under aerobic conditions.

3. It is true that denitrification occurs but under anaerobic conditions

nitrifying bacteria can quickly fix N2 into organic compounds. The result

is an increase in ammonia. This is beneficial since studies have clearly

and consistently shown that aquatic plants prefer ammonia over nitrate.

4. Aquatic plants in a natural setting ALWAYS have their roots growing in

anaerobic substrates. They have adapted to these conditions and indeed

some species can not produce root hairs UNLESS the substrate is anaerobic.

Additionally, repeated studies with a wide variety of aquatic plants have

shown that plants grown on fertile substrates ALWAYS grow significantly

better than those grown on sand ...even when a full complement of mineral

nutrients is supplied in the water column. Its amusing to me when I see

all this time spent on CO2 injection (especially by beginners) in an

attempt to optimize growth when the fundamentals such as light and substrate

have not been addressed properly.

BAD THINGS that can happen;

Gases such as sulfide, methane, nitrogen or combinations of these can be

formed. The solution is to take the soil you want to use, put it in a

large pail or tub, and submerge it for several weeks. Observe carefully

and if you smell sulfur compounds then try another substrate. Eventually,

like Paul Krombholz, you will find a process that works for you (even

with the unlikeliest of substrate materials :-).

A large nutrient release can occur as the substrate becomes anaerobic.

This may cause algal blooms. Again, to deal with this problem, submerge

your substrate in a large pail and let it sit for some time. Another

solution, of course, is to place 1" to 1 1/2" of coarse sand on top of

the fertile substrate to act as a seal.

dave.

Re:Growth problem & anaerobic substrates

by Stephen Pushak <teban/powersonic.bc.ca>

Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997

Dave Huebert <eworobe-at-cc.UManitoba.CA> wrote:

>Subject: Re: anaerobic substrates

>BAD THINGS that can happen;

>

>Gases such as sulfide, methane, nitrogen or combinations of

>these can be formed.

I'd like to add one or two (dozen) points to Dave's excellent remarks.

All substrates are anaerobic (or more correctly anoxic, without

free oxygen) below about a half inch of the surface. As you go

deeper down the oxidizing chemicals get used up by certain bacteria

types (aerobic, facultative and anaerobic). This change in chemical

(biochemical) balance is called the redox potential. It is positive

in oxygenated water (600 mV) and decreases below the surface of

the substrate according to depth. It reaches a minimum value (~150 mV)

at about 5-6 centimeters of depth in nature. With unnaturally high

amounts

of labile materials (such as from potting soils etc) I think you might

get the -150 mV redox potential at a shallower depth. Note that methane

formation does not occur until below -150 so contrary to what I'd said

in a previous article, sulferous substrate bubbles may be primarily

nitrogen. Certainly if they're not smelly.

The following table helps describe the relative reduction processes

which occur at these redox potentials:

the Sikora & Keeny paper "Further aspects of soil chemistry under

anaerobic

conditions" 1983 in Mires: swamp, bog, fen and moor. Elsevier,

Amsterdam,

The Netherlands. table 6.1:

Possible systems operating in flooded environments as related to

redox potential (Takai & Kamura 1966 etc...)

System Redox (mV)**2 Micro-organisms involved

O2 disappearance +500 - +350 aerobes

Nitrate disappearance +350 - +100 }

Mn2+ formation below +400 } facultative anaerobes

Fe2+ formation below +400 }

Sulfide formation 0 - -150

Hydrogen, methane form. below -150 obligate anaerobes

Paul K supplied some notes from an older article: MORTIMER, C.H.,

1941-42.

The exchange of dissolved substances between mud and water in lakes. J.

Ecol. 29: 280-329.30: 147-201.

Mortimer made a graph of redox potential versus substrate depth in mud

from

an eutrophic lake and also in mud from an oligotrophic lake. In the

first

2 cm. of the eutrophic mud the redox potential went from 600 mv to about

0

mv. It reached a negative 100 or so mv. at about 5 cm. and then

gradually

increased a little with increasing depth to about 0 again. The redox

potential in the oligotrophic mud dropped to about 150 mv. at 5 cm. and

then stayed the same thereafter. He gives ranges for verious reductions

of

plant nutrients that differe a little from those you cite above:

NO3-----> NO2 0.45 to 0.40 volt

NO2-----> NH4 0.40 to 0.35 volt

Fe+++ ------> Fe++ 0.3 to 0.2 volt

SO4 ------> S 0.1 to 0.06 volt.

Note that the sulfur reduction is to S, not S--.

The presence of labile (decomposible) organic materials below

about 2 inches of depth will probably lead to a redox potential

sufficiently low to produce sulfides. The long and the short of it

is that there isn't much point in putting organic components deeper

than 2 inches except for very small amounts of humus such as you

would get by removing all the organic fibers from a soil as Paul K does

to get his mineral soil. You could mix a small portion of this with

silt. Dupla laterite has about 0.1% humus I think. You need very

little to get the redox low enough to reduce iron and manganese

to their soluble states. A layer of soil 1/2 inch deep is quite

sufficient. The point of having anything deeper, I think, is to

increase the volume so that your can get enough root area for

certain plants to get enough iron. That may be a moot point if

you're going to add chelated iron such as by PMDD, Flourish, Tropica

Master Grow, Dupla-24 etc. Not withstanding, I believe that most

rooted plants grow much better with iron compounds in the substrate

such as laterite, iron rich clay, soils, micronized iron...

These iron compounds are important to the phosphate processes

which Dave aluded to since iron binds with phosphate in such a

way that plant roots can get at it.

When we talk about the bad things in an "anaerobic" substrate,

we should probably use more accurate terminolgy such as low redox

potential coupled with excess labile material. Anaerobic means

without air whereas anoxic means without oxygen. There are other

chemicals which exist in differing concentrations within the

substrate near the surface which also act as oxidizing agents

such as nitrate and at lower redox even sulfate.

>A large nutrient release can occur as the substrate becomes

>anaerobic. This may cause algal blooms. Again, to deal with

>this problem, submerge your substrate in a large pail and

> let it sit for some time. Another solution, of course, is

> to place 1" to 1 1/2" of coarse sand on top of

>the fertile substrate to act as a seal.

I've not been successful in getting coarse sand to act as a

barrier to ammonia and nitrates. I'd recommend people avoid

overly fertile materials or leach them in pails as Dave suggests.

By the way, you can expect a pail of mud-water to go low-redox

and produce mercaptan (sulfer) gases since it has no oxygen

sources such as plants and the soil is probably too deep to

permit oxygenated water to penetrate. I don't know if that's

bad. It should liberate a lot of the nitrogen and phosphorus

compounds so that they can be leached out. I'd like to hear more

about it if somebody tries it.

Paul K has mentioned he doesn't worry about the nutrient release

with most of his soil substrates because he usually grows them

without fish and using daphnia which happily eat the green water

algae.

I found ammonia production occured within the first few months

of submergence so this ought to be monitored weekly. Usually

makes stuff grow like mad and not all types of plants were able

to grow well using the earthworm casting substrate. If they had

strong, established root systems, I think most plants would have

grown ok. Crypts had no problems under these conditions and showed

no tendency to Crypt melt. I think they are at a disadvantage

under "typical" conditions and this is why they are thought to be

slow growing. YMMV.

Steve Pushak in Vancouver BC



aquatic compost revisited

by "Roger S. Miller" <rgrmill/rt66.com>

Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1998

A few weeks ago (four, actually) I floated the idea of recycling plant

trimmings into fertilizer in some way analogous to composting for regular

gardens. I got some interesting feedback, particularly from Steve Pushak

and Neil Frank, and decided to experiment with it a bit.

In short, the method may have worked, but its hard to say for sure. At

any rate, nothing died, nothing looks worse than it did (some things look

better) and I saved myself some fertilizer.



Rehashing...

The basic technique I had in mind was to take the weekly cuttings and puree

them into a sort of green soup that I'd hold, continuously aerated, until

it was substantially broken down to a relatively inert sludge and a

(hopefully) nutrient-rich solution. The process was supposed to be

complete within a week, and restarted each week after the trimming and

cleaning. The solution would be used for liquid fertilizer and the

remaining solids incorporated into the substrate.

What I did...

First, I stopped my normal fertilizign routine.

Then I started out just as described above, placing the pureed plant

material into an unused DIY yeast generator and bubbling air through the

mix for a couple days, then shutting off the air and letting the mix

"age". The mix foamed a lot when it was being aerated and emitted an odor

that was reminiscent of some green leafy thing that rotted in the bottom

of the refrigerator. When the bottle was reopened after aging the smell

was considerably more offensive. But reaerating that eliminated the

smell. After allowing it to settle I was able to decant a cloudy brown

fluid that I expected to use as liquid fertilizer, and I had some black

sludge left in the bottom of the bottle.

I tested the liquid for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and found none, so I

added it to the tank that most of the cuttings came from. It was so dense

that it sank immediately to the bottom and the fish avoided the area until

it dispersed.

All in all, results from the first week were pretty gross.

In each of the following three weeks I pureed the plant cuttings and added

them to the sludge from the previous week (building up sludge in the

bottle), aerated for three days, decanted the fluid with just a little

sludge into a second jar and let that "cook" anaerobically for three more

days. The remaining sludge was kept continuously aerated. The

anaerobically processed liquid was again settled and decanted, tested for

nitrogen species (I never found a measurable amount of any - though there

was a show from ammonium in one batch), and the final liquid was kept

in the refrigerator for use the next day.

Over this period, the initial foaming in the aerated bottle stopped. The

"something rotting" smell gave way to a heady bouquet that reminded me of

old sneakers. The fluid after the anaerobic aging had a strong

barnyard odor that disappeared when it was aerated. The final fluid

remained brown but not cloudy. The fish didn't avoid the brown fluid

when it was added, instead they darted into it, as if looking for food.

I tried testing the final liquid for phosphorus, but I didn't get results

I could really use. I assume there was substantial phosphorus in the

final liquid, so (per Neil's suggestion) I added a few grains of ferrous

sulfate to the liquid to sequester the phosphate. Initially I did this

in the final liquid, after the anaerobic phase. Later I added it before

the anaerobic phase.

After four weeks I had enough sludge left in the reactor that I needed to

find a way to use it. I dug a shallow depression in my yard where the soil

is an inorganic, fine sandy loam, and emptied most of the sludge into the

depression. I kept some sludge to continue the culture. After the liquid

was mostly drained out of the sludge, I scooped it and some of the dirt up

into a bowl and mixed it well. Then I added the sludge-soil mix to the

substrate below some unhealthy echinodorus osiris and around a few more

plants that I thought might respond well.



The principle...

The method uses bacteria to (hopefully) convert the plant trimmings back

into plant available nutrients. It works in two phases, an initial

aerobic digestion phase and an optional anaerobic denitrifying phase.

In the aerated step, bacteria digest the chopped up plants aerobically.

That reduces the amount of oxygen that would be consumed if the plant

"soup" were returned back to the aquarium directly or held in a filter.

The aerobic step should also convert the nitrogen in the plant trimmings

from organic forms to ammonia, then nitrify it to nitrite and nitrate.

The changing smell and the change in the way the mix foamed while it was

aerated show that the bacterial culture that I needed to process the plant

trimmings developed over time. It was pretty well in place after the

second week. Continued success with the method requires that the

equipment is maintained to breed a bacteria culture that's adapted to the

job.

The unaerated step is intended to allow facultative anaerobic bacteria to

denitrify the mix. The (temporarily smelly) output from the anaerobic

step should contain little or no plant-available nitrogen and from my test

that would seem to work. If you wanted to add nitrogen back into the

tank, then you could skip the anaerobic step.

I can't confirm that my attempt to sequester phosphorus by adding ferrous

sulfate to the mix actually worked. But it should. Even if it doesn't

its' almost a win-win procedure, because if the iron doesn't get locked

up with the phosphorus then it will be available to plants.



The results...

Over the last month I used no fertilizer in the tank except the output

from the "aquatic compost". I can't make great claims for the method

based on the plant's response. That's partly because I changed the lights

on the tank a couple weeks before starting this experiment and the plants

were still responding to that change and partly because I didn't have a

control that would tell me what the plants would do without any

fertilizer.

I can make a few observations:

1) The fish avoided the first batch of liquid fertilizer when it was

added, but subsequently they showed no avoidance behavior. They also

showed no ill effects of any kind. So the fish seem to think it was

all right.

2) I had no increase in algae problems. I had some phytoplankton evident

in my polishing filter after the third week, but no noticable growth in

the aquarium, and no phytoplankton at all observed in the fouth week.

There are SAE's in that tank, so an increase in attached algae growth

might not be evident.

3) None of the plants look worse than they did prior to the test period;

in fact most of them show some improvement. Unfortunately its hard to say

what improvement was due to the lighting and what was due to the fertilizer.

4) Two of the plants are growing like I've never seen before. Rotala

indica is growing very fast (well, duh), has developed larger leaves and

maintains a node spacing of about 3/8 inch. It has a nice reddish color

on most of the length of the plant. Barclaya longifolia is beautiful.

It's putting on two or three new, large and robust, deep red and olive

green leaves each week.

5) I saved some money on fertilizer, entertained myself a little and

even grossed-out my 12-year old a couple times!



The jury is still out on using the sludge as a substrate amendment. I

suppose that if there is an improvement from this addition that it's more

likely to be from adding fine sandy loam to the substrate than it is from

adding sludge to the substrate.

I think the method is promising, but there's still a little work needed.

In particular its difficult to keep the mixture well-aerated in the

aerobic phase of the process and to keep the culture continuously aerated

after most of the liquid is decanted and the sludge is held over for the

next batch. Odors are obviously a problem, mostly with the relatively

mild odor from the aerobic phase. Odor from the anaerobic phase is

offensive, but that only lasts for a few minutes after the batch is

opened and while its being reaerated.





Roger Miller

PS. I did all that stuff in the garage - not in the house.

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