Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Not sure but I think that is probably granite. I expect it is much like what the ausies call blue metal.

If you can soak some in a bucket and check the pH when your test kit comes it will tell you lots. Also, set a bucket with some of your well water and an air bubbler and you can get an idea of your natural water pH. My well water comes out at 8 but in a system with no buffering the system water can still drop too low. But you already know where to get shell grit for the chickens for buffering when you need it.

thats exactly what ill do TCL , so what ph am i trying to get my level to be? 7 is neutral if i remember correctly yes?

i have 72 packets of seeds laying on the table and im trying to figure out what to plant first
i got them for .20 cents each and bought all they had

lady down the road has indeterminate tomatoe seedlings for 10 cents each. i might just be better to get a few of them again for the AP trial. i get them from her every year but usually they go into buckets with the filler im always jabbering about.

oh i forgot 3/4 yard of that rock was 32 dollars and a nice feller helped me fill the buckets and load in lesias truck

2 more loads will do me well , if it works for PH ok. i really dont think its limestone as its way hard. i can break it but need big hammer to do it. one bucket i washed did make really milky white/gray color but i think it was soil as the other guy kept digging down low in the pile while i got mine from nearer to top of pile. hopefully was soil/sand in his shovel.

i wish i knew a geoligist to id this stone. im nervous now that ph will be workable

i must quickly learn what ph levels plants like best. hopefully the api will be here this week and i can show you guys pretty colors

lesia says she will take readings for me and that we need some used aquariums asap

could it be that she is becomming infected with AP? hahaha i sure hope so...

That'll do pig (about the rocks). Those should work great.



My theory is a lot of people have small businesses as a tax dodge. There is no way all the little next-to-the road businesses around here are getting enough customers to make a living at it. If you're a business then you can claim all kinds of expenses as business expenses.

My advise is to not worry about pH until the plants show deficiencies that can't be remedied with chelated iron and seaweed extract. I screwed up my first system (stressed fish) by fiddling with the pH too much.

that's gotta be it about these local small biz ppl.
majority act like they are doing you a favor to sell you something. that day may soon come but not quite yet.

glad i got some good rock. ill go back monday for load 2

and ill not fiddle with ph at all until the api test kit shows up so i know what i have going on

good solid wisdom as always that you vets so kindly share . its much appreciated

well the second load of blue metal type stone is hauled , washed and added to GB's

i could still use about half of load more, but thats all they had. so ill finish the GB's off with the small "filler" as a top dressing. i think it will aid in starting seed

speaking of seed and plants, its almost that time to plant.

i now have 84 packets of seed , this swine likes all veggies except rudythebegger

how should i group my plantings? i mean should they be grouped by ph needs?

is it too late for leafys now?

and now the major prob: im not getting the water voleum im needing due to small SLO
1" inlet and 3/4 downtube

im hoping to change it to a 2" and 1" downtube if i can tap 2" pipe with 1" uniseal

if not ill hard pipe it again. my FT height is still friggin bad problem as im not getting enough drop
i may have to bite the bullet and add small
flow pump into the SLO if it does not give me the voluem im needing after i increase the SLO size

the way the glass and GH is arranged i cant arrange a no holes rig . note to dumb self:

-build AP well before any GH next go around-

1 step forward 3 or 4 backwards ...

JohnnyH


I saw this and thought it may be helpful
http://niceville.com/Garden/FYF/Guides/WarmVeg.htm
A planting guide for North Fl.

yes thats a fine link. a keeper for sure. thank you C1

i have missed the leafy greens planting time. its already way too hot here

What is the max temp?

about 85 outside of GH , shade cloth will be here this week and hopefully i can then keep the inside temps at that level also.

i got a serious air mover from pawn shop today and hopefully i can get it installed tomarrow.

moving rock all day and also planting some of soil garden has me too tired to try today.

now i bet when i take poly off of the GH this week it will then freeze one more time. wanna bet?

It always freezes one more time. At just the wrong time too..

Hmm...

Does that mean we will get another few hot days then??

i know im destined for the frying pan pretty soon. the only good thing about temps over 90+ is that many many of the half year tourists flee this easy bake oven.

most years i so wish i could hide inside the towed luxury benz suv and go with them to upstate new york or canada.

i can see their faces now when they exclaim. OMG! "Martha its one of them long haired Gambian rats"

"NO Hubert its some sort of feral swine! call the gardener quick!"

oh and imagine the utter joy when they hear. "my parents moved when i was young piglet. but i found you guys again" hahahaha weeee!

ROFPMSLMAO

Ah yes, the only real difference between Florida Spring and Florida Summer sometimes seems to be the humidity. Florida Spring, Hot temps, little/no rain and humidity gets below 50% during the middle of the day. Florida Summer, Hot temps, rain possible in bursts (could flood one yard and leave the rest of the neighborhood high and dry though) and so muggy humid that one wonders why we haven't sprouted gills.

You may have missed your chance on normal greens but now is a good time to plant sweet potatoes!!!!!!! Not only are the potatoes tasty and really good for you, the young leaves and vine tips make a nice addition to summer stir frys and salads. (sweet potatoes also do fairly well in sandy soil if you can give them enough water and I've managed to grow a few in AP even.)