Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

If you will use the true ocean salts that contain the 90 + trace minerals in their proper proportions, you will not have the same issues as with the other salts. For instance, after the big Tsunamia a few years ago, the Indonesian farmers expected to have dead fields due to the flooding and standing salt water on there crop land. Instead, to their pleasure, they have instead been having record setting bumper crops. This is due to a complete and properly balanced (as in the sea) remineralization.

Lots of info. here, especially on the studies done by Murry:
http://www.seaagri.com/research.html

Most, if not all salt used in AP is sea salt.

Taro in hawaii is known as kalo and made into poi. It's the gray goop most tourists throw away at a luau. But for us hawaiians its like potatoes to the irish and corn to the native americans; ono (that's hawaiian for good eats).

Also, I was wondering why people add salt to their systems. I read the post about remineralization in Indonesia after the tsunami but in ancient times people would salt the earth of their enemies so nothing would grow.
I'm assuming that people aren't doing massive water changes in AP and the concentration of dissolved minerals is going to accumulate to unsuitable levels. If you guys know something different I'd really like to know.
In fact, how many of you guys test for total dissolved solids? What kind of water changes do you guys perform? I drain about 55gallons a week from a 1400 gallon pond just to water my plants in the soil and clean out my settling filter. I've been an aquarist for a long time so I just thought water changes were natural. But, if I don't have to then great.

I think it is fair to say most of us here do not require water changes in our systems as aquaponics when in balance are nature based and work in unison to provide a healthy clean environment for both plants and fish. In Perth in the hot summer months we would be topping up our systems with water once per week, due partly to evaporation as well as what the plants take to grow abundant capsicums, tomatoes, cucumbers and all manner of fruit and vegetables.
I for one do not test my water, I find there is little need.
Faye

I am with you on that one Faye in approx the last 12 months i have not changed water or had fish deaths
Just topups , just cant get the ph over 6

Aint nature a wonder- and I bet you still get plants fruiting and everything grows fine and dandy- breaks all the rules doesn't it?

The plants take up salt over time. I dropped over 125kg in my system and had the salt at 3ppt. And in a month the salt has dropped to 1ppt.

I think its the amount of salt they put into the soil of there enemies. Or a colorful way of telling a story(history) eg I ate there hearts, ground there bones to make bread. After a while they would of gotten sick of eating hearts and bony bread. Or after they left there enemies found there lands were more productive.

okay, I need to amend my statement on salt and Taro.

It seems that the bigger plants don't like salt, but the smaller plants (grown from the few tubers that were left after rescuing the big plants) don't have a problem with it.

Maybe they become acclimated to it?

Think the elephants ear is in the same family as Taro. Was given one the other day for some starter compost worm. Guy has 11 different types. Some are poisonous and others you can eat. We have a purple looking one now.

That is classic, LOL. Who knows maybe you're right.

I also never thought about the plants using up the salts and that must be true since they use up all the other nutrients in the solution.

Taros are related to/ are Caladiums I believe. Here in Hawaii caladiums are strictly ornamental and poisonous. Taro would be poisonous too because they have a crystalline structure in the tubers that causes irritation even when just cutting the roots up. You have to cook them over a certain temperature and then the crystals breakdown and its ready to grind (eat).

This is the purple one I got the other day. And the bigger one that is having a pup at the moment.

He is quite correct

can you start a taro plant from corms you buy at the market? has any one tried?

I think you would be surprised. of course who knows what they have been through before they get to your store.

I am curious though. If anyone knows.... what part of the plant do you eat? I have read how to prepare them, and mine have just gone crazy in AP. They were minitures, up until I tried to put them in the AP system. Then... well...., they really grew. They never got over 15 inches before, now they are nearing 5 feet and the ears are every bit of 30 inches. I now have LOTS of them. they have sent out runners everywhere and the one I had is now about 50. I would like to eat them if they are etable if any one can direct me to what part of the plant to cook up.

Thanks,
Mathew

the pic posted is what they sell at the store. when you dig them up you cut off the part that looks like above. that's what you eat, like a potato.