Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

There are a lot of knowledgeable people here so I figured this would be a good place to ask. I posted awhile back that I had to give up on aquaponics for right now but was going to try to keep up my garden with hydroponics until I was in a better situation. I was just wondering if anyone knows of a good website for not only information but mostly for buying nutrient solution.
Thanks for any information and sorry if I hit a taboo nerve or offended anyone by bringing up this topic.

Thanks,
Mike
US

Buy your nutrients in commercial bulk! DO NOT buy the little hobby crap that cost $12 for a 16 oz bottle. Get two 50 gallon or 30 gallon pickle barrels and use them to mix your supply.

I buy here: <url>http://www.amhydro.com/index.php/Gromagnon/View-all-products.html</url>

The 8 kg box last me a whole year for my 80 square foot flood and flow system. Thats a lot of veggies for $53

ps.. They have other mixes for specific crops and mixes for flowering and fruiting as well and trace element mixes.

Not sure where in the US. But Dan's right about going for the larger sizes. I get my A & B in powdered form. Around the 5kg per bucket and it makes up 25ltrs of concentrate. Been using the same stuff for a couple of years now.

Was looking into using bacteria to generate hydro solution. Just add an ammonia source and run a pump till it converts everything.

Don't see why it should offend anyone Mike
A lot of us have been there and done that. Rupe's running one at the moment.
TC's Peeponics was a hybrid hydro set up.

If you want to stay cheap. go for the pee ponics I find with the pee ponic system, which is still running, I still have to supplement iron and potassium about the same as needed for Aquaponics.

I did also for a time suspend pee ponics in order to place fish into the system. It didn't kill any fish outright doing that. I don't know if there might be dangers to turning a hydroponic system back into Aquaponics after using hydroponic nutrients in it. (like if there might be any build up of anything harmful to fish.)

When I did hydroponics, I used the cheapest powder nutrient mix and had fine results with the lettuces I grew in DWC but keeping my pH down low enough for hydroponics was always a problem with my hard water. It doesn't seem to be such an issue with my pee ponic system though.

"I don't know if there might be dangers to turning a hydroponic system back into Aquaponics after using hydroponic nutrients in it. (like if there might be any build up of anything harmful to fish.)"
IMHO not a chance if nft, small flush with water if gravel, use the flush on the dirt garden. Most hydro, if not straight through or sophisticated monitoring, get a flush with plain water when changing the solution anyway (well I used to).

I was thinking the set up was flood and drain gravel beds. For those, I suspect some extra extensive flushing would be needed before putting fish back in.

NFT would not support fish without added bio-filtration and system adjustment anyway.

To be on the safe side

Thanks everyone, I got the plastic on my 30X90 greenhouse today, going to start some seeds soon. If it stays warm enough in there that is. I plan on some tomatoes and lettuce and who knows what else. My wife has eyes on ferns though.