Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Careful guys - don't want the vistors to thing that all the members here are nerds.

try and incorporate some duckweed in the system as it loves any excess ammonia that a "new" system might have

Europium.....roflmao....i get it now

Hi All

I've had the nutes tested...

NH3 - 0.15ppm

NO3 - 5ppm

I take it that Im low in NO3 given some of the reports of systems with NO3 readings > 100ppm.

Time for a few new fish I think...

I reckon that most of us (with seasoned systems) will agree now that 20 - 40 ppm is good.

I had my "frankenstein" indoor tank at a few hundred ppm, and the fish went on strike, stopped eating. i wouldn't want it to ever be >100ppm, and i dont think it would nesecarily give better growth

Steve

My cherry tomato produced a few ripe tommies a couple of weeks ago, and has lots of green fruit, and my 'mighty red' is loaded with good-sized green tomatoes, but nothing has even a tinge of pink yet ----

For the past couple of weeks I have been losing so much pond water through evaporation and transpiration that I'm doing the equivalent of a 12.5 % water change every day - maybe my nutes are being diluted by all that fresh water.

That doesn't really sound right, because it's only the water that is being lost, not the nutrients so those levels should remain the same.

Is it possible that, even though I aerate my replacement water for about 8 hours before it goes into the pond, the slightly raised Amm. levels are inhibiting nutrient developement ??

Do you have raised ammo?

Even if you do, that should only be slowing the nitrate production, i don't think thats going to hold the fruit production back as much as P and K levels.

You're well and trully cycled BM, look into that ammo thing.................

u on chloramine over there or just straight chlorine??

Steve found out recently that our water has chloramine...

What's the best way to deal with it if I have to use it i.e fast top ups

Not sure whether you guys have a real problem with the cherry toms...

I'm picking 2-3kg of normal toms from my soil garden every day, but the cherries... well I might get 5-10 a week at most.... lots and lots of green fruits though.

My theory....

(1) A lot of Cherry varieties are later summer ripeners anyway compared to normal toms

(2) Prolific flowerers/fruiters.... both activities that require heavy nutrient uptake... and yes Potassium is important, but sos Nitrogen and Phosphorous

Normally on my soil garden I sow blood and bone when I plant and AGAIN when everything has flowered... particularly if I'm getting any flower or (small bud) fruit drop... a sure sign of potassium deficency... any NKP fertiliser will do

The other one I've used for this purpose is the old seaweed and/or fish extract and have even layed seaweed directly around the roots.... works like magic IMHO.

Can we apply to AP??? Don't know.... but when my systems operational I will be laying seaweed directly on the growbeds just the same.... I figure it breaks down slowly over time and acts like a slow release fertiliser.... benefits enough but I think it also provides a great source of other trace elements and has a salt content.... small constant amount of salt would seem to maybe be a good thing in a AP system

Do you just use seaweed taht has washed up on the shore Rupert?

Yep VB I do, and when I do I actually grind it up if it's dry and just sow it like any fertiliser... but I actually prefer to pick it fresh from the ocean.

Have also put batches into big old containers (along with other stuff) with water and let it turn into a liquid fertiliser

Some people have told me to wash it to get rid of the salt... but I have never bothered and haven't seen any detremental affect... in AP ... and with possible Potassium lock out if salt concentration is high... humm maybe I'd wash it

But if it's just placed on the growbeds and maybe washed over with a rinse of tank water evry now and then I suspect it would be fine.

mmm - I don't have a source, but may look at using some seasol in the system to help with potassium. Must look at the ingredients again and make an assessment regarding it's safety.

VB... there used to be a product called "Liquid Seaweed"... don't know if it's still around

Basically just pure liquidised seaweed, didn't smell that hot but I'd swear blind that I've seen plants doing cartwheels and back flips after a good dose

They say seasol is liquid seaweed - so maybe it is pretty much the same thing. Maxicrop has this oneLiquid Seaweed. Says it has no added fertilisers so is 100% organic. Seasol is probably the same thoug - will check out packaging and then just go on price.