Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Flowers have both male and female parts - so yes.

that would be better than what we had here on campus a we needed the 'male' and 'female' trees...

My Mohican eggplant is taking over! It's supposed to be dwarf, but the plant is 50% taller than it is supposed to be. I have fruit setting, and can't wait to eat it. I LOVE eggplant!

Totem tomato is also doing well. Another dwarf for patio pots, but nobody told mine that.

need to find a chart for companion planting in an ap system.i live in zone 9 ,deep south louisiana .or is ap gardening different than soil.

I would think that companion planting would work the same in dirt or AP.

May I ask what variety of strawberry you have?

Another question...are all of you growing only in media and straight fish water without adding anything to it? I read somewhere AP water lacks phosphorus, is that true and if so what are you adding if anything for missing nutrients to get these results?

Hey Charlie:
Janet is using potassium bicarb because potassium is lacking (and to keep the pH around 7). Iron can also be lacking, and is usually added through chelated iron liquid supplement. Iron can also be chelated in the system by anaerobic bacteria with carbon (in a "Really Smart Guy" RSG filter). Needed calcium can be in the system as a side effect of using calcium carbonate in crushed shells, which is used by some to keep the pH up. The Aussies also sometimes use "seasol" which is a product made from kelp or seaweed (I think?) for trace elements. Some crazy people have stuffed bananas in their growbeds as well!

I have the impression that most people only need to add potassium and iron. Do be careful what forms you use as you want them to be fish safe for food fish as well as safe for you to eat the plants.

I'm finding it a bit difficult to deal with iron deficiency as the pH in my system is still quite high and plants have a hard time taking up the iron at a higher pH.

Why doesn't somebody just come up with an aquaponic fish food recipe that would contain all the necessary elements and trace elements for plants?

I' ve seen this addressed by adding rabbit food which is high in iron to the fish food. The tilapia ate it just as readily in the test. I believe they were mixing 10% rabbit pellets to 90% fish pellets.

Probably because Aquaponics has not become poular enough yet to make it economically profitable to do this yet.

Thanks for volunteering to do it Charlie! Take one for the team!

Surely with the activity and knowledge of this community, there is someone who could come up with a quick feed formula and share it with the members for the good of all without consideration for profit? Sure as the world, if it did become a standard product termed as an "Aquaponic Specialty" it would surely carry a hefty pricetag and be out of the economic bounds of most backyard aquaponic enthusiasts!

I like the idea someone said in another thread, don't remember who or where but it was like "if I feed my worms bananas and then feed the worms to my fish, will the nutrients end up for the plants?" I think they would. I can't see why a feed couldn't be made in the kitchen of anyone if they just knew what to put in it. I honestly have no idea of what would all need to be in there but I bet if I did I could whip it up in my blender, squeeze it through a perforated metal sheet that's welded onto the end of a pipe whilst slicing it into pellets and let it dry under plastic!

Charlie not sure anyone knows for sure what all those ingredients would be plus they would change from system to system. Too many variables to deal with due to different types of fish plants etc.

Something to think about. I've enlisted the help of someone who just might be able to. We'll see what comes of it...

Seems like a feed of soybean meal, kelp meal and some potato flakes ought to just about do it. Proportions remain to be figured.