Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well the light is hard work to fix but it can be done. I will have one GB in the sun by early next week.

I would consider lava rock to be an outstanding media. I'm not too worried about that one.

That's great that you can get a bed into the sun, albeit with a little masonry work. Sunshine fixes a lot of things.

I'm using a powdered greensand (rock) to provide iron and trace elements. I also make a kelp tea and add that to get trace nutrients out of it. The plants really green up on it, but you have to use it sparingly or the fish suffer. So if you can't get chelated iron, there may be other local options.

That is good to know. I do remember you used kelp tea for micro nutrients.

OK .. am am thinking a small handfull of cow poop ..

SMALL...

then see what happens ...


Cows eat grass , which is full of iron .. I think that cow poop has a fairly good nitrogen and iron content too!

So only one handfull in your size system is a good start.

Goat poop, pig poop. sheep poop ....

Any bird poop .. no prob ... just do in much more tiny amouts cos the nitrogen content is amazing and will kill plants if not diluted.

Be impatient and you run the risk of dehydrating plants.

Maybe come to Port Hedland, in Western Australia and grab a handful of red dirt... so rich in Iron!


Good luck my friend.

I am sure that soon you will be a prolific veggie producer soon and all those lovely people that you are trying to help will benefit from your experience.

It takes a little time to become an expert...

U are doing well my friend!

Thanks...Plenty of poop around here!

Dilute the poop and spread it on the growbed? One handful for 600 gallons/2400 liters?

Powerful stuff.

Little at a time my friend .. very little

Go too quick and the plants will shrivel due to osmotic pressure...

I grew some amazing tomatoes .. in a very dilute cow manure solution .... using NFT

Best I ever had, but I could have easily killed them if I added too much poop!

BYW .. you tilapia will eat a little cow manure and get fat on it no problem!

Just do not add too much ...

Maybe dry a cow pat .. and sprinkle a little , see what the fish eat?

Too much and the whole thing will die ...

What do the roots look like? Maybe the beds were contaminated somehow? I have been reading about beneficial fungi/bacteria and their effects on root/plant growth. Maybe something like that would be worth trying?

"Symptoms vary with the disease and environment but root rots should be suspected whenever plants are stunted, wilted, yellow or are losing leaves."

http://www.ohp.com/Products/soilgard_12g.php
http://www.4hydroponics.com/nutrients/mighty-myco.asp
http://www.organicsalive.org/organic_co ... ducts.html
http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/static/artic ... cteria.asp

Thoughts?

Interesting reading but unavailable here. When rainy season starts here I will throw in some earth worms and see if I can encourage beneficial bacterial growth. I will be i the US in July. I will try to get a bag or two. See if TSA doesn't take it away from me getting on the plane.

I was under the impression that manure needs to be composted first so the heat kills all the seeds. if you spread it straight, won't you have weeds popping up all over the place?
I'd like to know more about this because I have more horse s*%t than you can shake a stick at.

-Stevo


ETA: as per your problem, your beds are right next to the house. Is it possible that you are getting some type of contamination from your roof via rainwater or other material falling into the beds.

The only thing falling on them now is debris from the cocnut tree and shade. It hasn't rained since November.

At this point I would even welcome weeds growing in my system.

The GB is moved and I planted some seeds. The Gb in the sun is incredible how it is finally taking off! I had Pak Choi come up in 3 days and Green beans in two.

Green Peppers are transplanted and seem to be taking well and Radishes are really growing. I hope they don't do like before and grow to a point and then turn brown and die.

Actually when I moved the one GB the other one even though in shade most of the day, seems to be doing better as well.

I was in the hardware store yesterday and found a package of chelated iron. I mixed 4 grams in 18 liters and sprinkled it at the roots of all the plants. Then sprinkled with water from the system. The water really turned rusty colored. Did I put in too much? 4 grams in 2400 liters with 1200 liters of GB. One fish dead but I think it is unrelated as the others are swimming and eating just fine. I haven't lost any fish in several months.

I am really excited that there are several in the community are coming around to see what I am doing and wanting to see how it all turns out.

phew

DT, one of the big commercial farms mixes 2g/1,000l every 3 weeks... so no, not too much (chelated iron). I just mix in a container and feed it straight into the GB - no messing about sprinkling over GB as it is water soluble

Thanks, I appreciate the input. I am just hoping the discoloration will eventually go away. It looks like tea in there right now. I did all this yesterday and this morning things are still looking good. All the fish swimming and the plants basking in the sun. I am hoping I have finally turned the corner in AP after 6 mos of trial and error.