Aquaponics

[RichnSteph]

wow! that is truely amazing! how does one get started with such an adventure?

youtube

 

[3goodeggs]

Ran into a bit of trouble with our system this weekend. It's been raining like crazy down here almost every day for the last few weeks, bad enough that our neighbors next door have lost 80% of their traditional garden to root rot and fungus. I noticed our plans have some yellowing at the leaves and some blackening at the edges. They were yellowed before and I added iron to the system and it went away, now it's back with a vengeance. We don't have any fish yet (this week I hope) and just on a hunch I tested the water for nitrites, nitrates etc. Here is what I got.

Ph. 7.2
Nitrate <.01%
Nitrite <.01%
Ammonia < 10%


I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that with no fish and only the one duck providing nutrients to the system and all the rain we've means that my poor little plants are getting nothing to eat out of the water we're pumping past them. I know it'll take a while for the system to get back up to good nutrient levels once we put the fish in there. Any ideas on what I can add to get the levels up and help fight the yellow/black leaves on the plants until all the fish are established?

I think some Nutri-cote just around the plants -just a touch-will hold you over. As it releases the plants should get it.
Right now what little your duck is producing is probably feeding the bacteria.

This is all a guess, we do plants and we do aquariums, but we have not really put the two together yet..
We have fertilized out aquarium plants with Nutri-cote, you have to bury it, but it goes a long way.
Plants also need micro-nutrients and iron, You might need some magnesium as well -Epsom salts will fix that. You can mix it up in a sprinkling can and pour it right on the plant and it will absorb that way as well.

My husband says that if you figure that the protein in your duck feed, 16% of that is nitrogen so you are not working with much nitrogen to begin with. He says you can add ammonia to the system or triple six to get it started (He is the horticulture major) He says ammonia will get the nitrogen cycle going. You do not have enough to work with yet. He also says, to get the nutri-cote NOT osmacote. Nutri-cote was developed in Japan for rice patties.
I say... more ducks. Problem solved.

 

[RichnSteph]

I think some Nutri-cote just around the plants -just a touch-will hold you over. As it releases the plants should get it.
Right now what little your duck is producing is probably feeding the bacteria.

This is all a guess, we do plants and we do aquariums, but we have not really put the two together yet..
We have fertilized out aquarium plants with Nutri-cote, you have to bury it, but it goes a long way.
Plants also need micro-nutrients and iron, You might need some magnesium as well -Epsom salts will fix that. You can mix it up in a sprinkling can and pour it right on the plant and it will absorb that way as well.

My husband says that if you figure that the protein in your duck feed, 16% of that is nitrogen so you are not working with much nitrogen to begin with. He says you can add ammonia to the system or triple six to get it started (He is the horticulture major) He says ammonia will get the nitrogen cycle going. You do not have enough to work with yet. He also says, to get the nutri-cote NOT osmacote. Nutri-cote was developed in Japan for rice patties.
I say... more ducks. Problem solved.

Thank you for the response! I'd like to just get more ducks but they keep dying off.

http://www.amazon.com/Nutricote-Release-Fertilizer-Pounds-Orchids/dp/B00DFIU3HE

I like the looks of the fertilizer in the link. I could drop a few of the little pellets near the base of each plant and they should get the fertilizer they need. I'll also mix up some Epsom salts in warm rain water and spray the solution on them.

 

[3goodeggs]

1. @RichnSteph Don't order any yet!
2. You are in Texas, look for BWI. It is their home state.
3. Google it. They are nursery suppliers.
4. It should be about $60 for a 50 lb bag, and you can use it on anything.

 

[politicalcenter]

Ran into a bit of trouble with our system this weekend. It's been raining like crazy down here almost every day for the last few weeks, bad enough that our neighbors next door have lost 80% of their traditional garden to root rot and fungus. I noticed our plans have some yellowing at the leaves and some blackening at the edges. They were yellowed before and I added iron to the system and it went away, now it's back with a vengeance. We don't have any fish yet (this week I hope) and just on a hunch I tested the water for nitrites, nitrates etc. Here is what I got.

Ph. 7.2
Nitrate <.01%
Nitrite <.01%
Ammonia < 10%


I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that with no fish and only the one duck providing nutrients to the system and all the rain we've had means that my poor little plants are getting nothing to eat out of the water we're pumping past them. I know it'll take a while for the system to get back up to good nutrient levels once we put the fish in there. Any ideas on what I can add to get the levels up and help fight the yellow/black leaves on the plants until all the fish are established?

Did you try spaying the leaves of the plants with miracle grow?

Plants also feed through the leaves. It might be worth a shot.

 

[RichnSteph]

1. @RichnSteph Don't order any yet!
2. You are in Texas, look for BWI. It is their home state.
3. Google it. They are nursery suppliers.
4. It should be about $60 for a 50 lb bag, and you can use it on anything.

Will do and thanks!

Did you try spaying the leaves of the plants with miracle grow?

Plants also feed through the leaves. It might be worth a shot.

We haven't tried anything yet. I'll try that tomorrow morning and keep an eye on them throughout the rest of the week. I was just afraid to put something in there that might be bad for the fish once we get them.

Thank you!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Ran into a bit of trouble with our system this weekend. It's been raining like crazy down here almost every day for the last few weeks, bad enough that our neighbors next door have lost 80% of their traditional garden to root rot and fungus. I noticed our plans have some yellowing at the leaves and some blackening at the edges. They were yellowed before and I added iron to the system and it went away, now it's back with a vengeance. We don't have any fish yet (this week I hope) and just on a hunch I tested the water for nitrites, nitrates etc. Here is what I got.

Ph. 7.2
Nitrate <.01%
Nitrite <.01%
Ammonia < 10%


I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that with no fish and only the one duck providing nutrients to the system and all the rain we've had means that my poor little plants are getting nothing to eat out of the water we're pumping past them. I know it'll take a while for the system to get back up to good nutrient levels once we put the fish in there. Any ideas on what I can add to get the levels up and help fight the yellow/black leaves on the plants until all the fish are established?

I don't think your problem is lack of nitrogenous nutrients. In my well aged system I typically have nitrites at <0.25 ppm, nitrates <5 ppm and ammonia ~0 ppm. I get lush growth with values as low or lower than these. What you are describing with the yellowed leaves is commonly seen with iron and/or potassium deficiency. The blackened edges of the leaves indicates more of a potassium deficiency. Your pH is right for uptake of these nutrients so I think they're not being provided in sufficient levels through the duck waste. I use Maxicrop (about a glug a week or so) and potassium hydroxide (KOH, a couple tablespoons a month or so) to maintain iron and potassium levels. You have to be careful with adding the KOH, do it in small quantities dissolved in water over time as it will affect the pH. I'm not sure what to make of your ammonia levels since your value is expressed as <10%. Do you have any idea what the ppm is?

 

[RichnSteph]

I don't think your problem is lack of nitrogenous nutrients. In my well aged system I typically have nitrites at <0.25 ppm, nitrates <5 ppm and ammonia ~0 ppm. I get lush growth with values as low or lower than these. What you are describing with the yellowed leaves is commonly seen with iron and/or potassium deficiency. The blackened edges of the leaves indicates more of a potassium deficiency. Your pH is right for uptake of these nutrients so I think they're not being provided in sufficient levels through the duck waste. I use Maxicrop (about a glug a week or so) and potassium hydroxide (KOH, a couple tablespoons a month or so) to maintain iron and potassium levels. You have to be careful with adding the KOH, do it in small quantities dissolved in water over time as it will affect the pH. I'm not sure what to make of your ammonia levels since your value is expressed as <10%. Do you have any idea what the ppm is?

Thanks Gallo. I went and picked up an API Freshwater Master Test kit and just ran a test of the tank.

pH is 7.6
High Range pH is 7.4
Ammonia is 4.0 ppm
Nitrite is 0 ppm
Nitrate is 0 ppm

 

[RichnSteph]

Plants are looking much better after an iron treatment and some miracle grow sprayed on the leaves. Odd thing is that I have pepper plants that are 8" tall that are making peppers. Those plants are way too small to start producing. Our tomatoes are gaining height and have close to 30 flowers at only 2 feet tall. Our cucumbers are about 7" tall and branching with 60 flowers (I counted them) per plant. I'm afraid that they are making too many flowers and produce for their size but they look healthy.

Is this normal?

 

[3goodeggs]

No. The fertilizer will help elongate the nodes. They will pull out of it.