Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well, the yabbies went in yesaterday and I'm starting to get antsy about putting the tomatoes in! How long do I need to wait... generally? Whats the optimal pH etc for a new system?

Arr... I need an edit button

You can plant veg [tomato] now just dose with a bit of seasol that will keep them going till the system catches up [how much water do you have]

I'm thinking about 800L at the moment. Maybe a bit more if it rains and after the yabbies have settled down.

Will yabbies and seasol be okay?

every body uses it in there system with fish so i dont see a problem with 800L4 cap fulls to start and then one every week [a warning dont use thrive it kills fish]

Yep, stick your plants in straight away, and also be careful with your Seasol, they have come out with some new products and some of them have additives, just make sure it's the straight seaweed extract.

We make seaweed tea here, dried bull kelp, shredded in the mulcher and left in a foam box of fresh water for a while. Can't say how strong it is for sure though... would it do?

Just thinking of alternate options

would say it would be fine? depends, is seasol composted or fermented?

Not sure steve, but the kelp should be fine.

I've been thinking overnight. What about a bit of kelp draped into the yabbie tank? They could eat it and it would provide some nutrients. Too much?

By all means a bit of kelp but would still go for the seasol as i said a lot of us use seasol all the time[hmm maybee a poll on what extras people use]

Good idea F & F, please start that. Should be worthy of a sticky if people answer and give details about what they use and the dosages they have found safe so far.

I think I used way too much seasol when i started my system, with the direction of a LIGHT foliar spray , I gave the plants a brenching in a stronger solution. They burned, the silver beet looks good now,it finally recovered.

danger with foliar sprays is that they need to be dilute and never spray when it is going to be really hot and bright on your plants right after spraying. (Makes spraying anything on my plants here in Florida really tricky for about 8 months of the year since I am forced to do it at dusk as I'm eaten alive by mosquitos.)

I dont do it anymore, the state of devistation was huge, I just add the nutes to the tank every 2 weeks