Can Hydroponics Be Organic?

[cemchris]

Yes for both aquariums and your purpose. Because there is a A LOT more oxygen. You can literally build it out of the little plastic drawer stands. Drill holes in the bottom of each drawer and fill each with a different media. Using plastic screens to cover the holes if using finer filter material like peat moss. Bulk head in the bottom that gravity feeds your system and pump water Ito the top. Like a res that has tiers on top of it.
But they work best with low flow

100% legit! I was about to say @damien50 you need to get into someones ear that has been rocking fish tanks for a while. Those guys have the whole bio filter scene locked down. Looks like you have one right here.

 

[cemchris]

Aquaponics is an amazing system. It’s super complex but kinda idiot proof at the same time. You can have a successful system with basic rudimentary understanding of it. Ive grown root vegetables, greens, succulents and even desert plants in it. Once the system stabilized it works really well. With weed having such high nutrient demands you’d just have to really bump up the fish density.
View attachment 873097

Juice my dude. Killer!

 

[damien50]

And just so you are aware the peat will leech tannins into the water so your roots may look a bit darker. One of the reasons I used sand and filter floss when I used it. Purigen also works but is not cheap however it is renewable. That part won't be an issue since it's not like you are looking at you water for viewing pleasure

Gotcha. Thanks man. I think I'll grab some dollar planters, 12x4x6, and drill holes into them with a frame made of pvc. Probably do 3 trays for now off a 40 gallon trash can.

I have a pretty good idea for nutrients I'll use, this filter completes my reservoir, and I believe my medium will be adequate for organics.

 

[Aqua Man]

Gotcha. Thanks man. I think I'll grab some dollar planters, 12x4x6, and drill holes into them with a frame made of pvc. Probably do 3 trays for now off a 40 gallon trash can.

I have a pretty good idea for nutrients I'll use, this filter completes my reservoir, and I believe my medium will be adequate for organics.

Just remember it's called a trickle filter for a reason so the more Gph you have the bigger it will need to be water should not build up or come out in streams. Peat moss in pantyhose allows it to go through but also around if needs reducing the risk of flooding your pot. Probably fill it with several ball like amounts not one giant leg per se lol. Keep us posted. I have a pretty good feeling about this. If you need help testing to see how your denitrifying bacteria are doing let me know.

 

[damien50]

Just remember it's called a trickle filter for a reason so the more Gph you have the bigger it will need to be water should not build up or come out in streams. Peat moss in pantyhose allows it to go through but also around if needs reducing the risk of flooding your pot. Probably fill it with several ball like amounts not one giant leg per se lol. Keep us posted. I have a pretty good feeling about this. If you need help testing to see how your denitrifying bacteria are doing let me know.

I just thought that if I'm creating a space outside of the pots for bacteria to colonize, how much do I really need to add enzymes and beneficials? I've seen various recommendations for conventional uses but I'm assuming that I would need far less of both, maybe even less than usual.

The medium has bio material throughout it and the trickle filter would house beneficials in the pre filter and lava rock. The beneficials I have are supposed to be nitrogen and phosphorus fixing with the direction to add some with every 10 gallons. Though in a recirculating ebb and flow where I might not even need to clean my reservoir, having the trickle filter, I'm not too sure I would need to use the beneficials on a routine basis and mostly adjusting the nutrients/ph.

 

[Aqua Man]

I just thought that if I'm creating a space outside of the pots for bacteria to colonize, how much do I really need to add enzymes and beneficials? I've seen various recommendations for conventional uses but I'm assuming that I would need far less of both, maybe even less than usual.

The medium has bio material throughout it and the trickle filter would house beneficials in the pre filter and lava rock. The beneficials I have are supposed to be nitrogen and phosphorus fixing with the direction to add some with every 10 gallons. Though in a recirculating ebb and flow where I might not even need to clean my reservoir, having the trickle filter, I'm not too sure I would need to use the beneficials on a routine basis and mostly adjusting the nutrients/ph.

Yes you can ignore the directions and add it once at the recommended dose. The media you provide will be adequate to keep it thriving. Add it to the media and remember alot of these are light sensitive so it important to keep it dark

 

[damien50]

Yes you can ignore the directions and add it once at the recommended dose. The media you provide will be adequate to keep it thriving. Add it to the media and remember alot of these are light sensitive so it important to keep it dark

I've seen buying the stackable storage drawers so I'm going to find a 4 drawer one. I'll use a 400gph pump with a flow controller on pvc with holes drilled to trickle into the drawers. The last drawer will have pvc coming out the side and trickling into the reservoir.

 

[Aqua Man]

I've seen buying the stackable storage drawers so I'm going to find a 4 drawer one. I'll use a 400gph pump with a flow controller on pvc with holes drilled to trickle into the drawers. The last drawer will have pvc coming out the side and trickling into the reservoir.

Sounds like you got it figured out... Keep us posted. Remember try to get black of spray paint the outside of the drawers. Light is the enemy in this case.

 

[damien50]

Sounds like you got it figured out... Keep us posted. Remember try to get black of spray paint the outside of the drawers. Light is the enemy in this case.

Yeah, I found some smoke grey ones but I'll probably spray paint them black. I'm trying to find a cheap 55 gallon reservoir right now either collapsible or a barrel. Not having any luck

 

[Aqua Man]

Yeah, I found some smoke grey ones but I'll probably spray paint them black. I'm trying to find a cheap 55 gallon reservoir right now either collapsible or a barrel. Not having any luck

If you have food manufacturing plants around you. You can probably get a 55 gal plastic barrel for nothing. A lot of them get things like oil, vinegar, pickles etc. Shipped in them or try a septic tank company.

 

[Aqua Man]

I'm from British Columbia Canada.
About a decade ago i used to move trip and quad.

Got friends who have won cannabis cups.
Got friends who grow hydro and soil.

I stopped moving hydro at the time because everyone I knew hated the taste of hydro compared to soil.
Theres no comparison.
U can flush but it still tastes like garbage.

It all comes down to taste.
And personal preference.

This is just an opinion of course.
I'd be interested to smoke your organic hydro tho if you ever get it going.

All can be garbage. It all depends how it's been grown. I would say you see over fed plants in hydro a lot more often and that will impact the taste

 

[C.RunningFst]

I'm using H2SO4 due to high bicarbonate levels in my tap. If I used HNO3 I get extra CaNO3, and Mg(NO3)2, and if I use phosphoric I get extra phosphates. Sulphuric let's me control pH without messing with N and P and the plant likes S too.

^^^But do the bacteria eat the S? Do they like it too?

 

[Aqua Man]

I'm using H2SO4 due to high bicarbonate levels in my tap. If I used HNO3 I get extra CaNO3, and Mg(NO3)2, and if I use phosphoric I get extra phosphates. Sulphuric let's me control pH without messing with N and P and the plant likes S too.

^^^But do the bacteria eat the S? Do they like it too?

Not familiar with sulfer consuming bacteria but yes there are such thing. It's a very diverse topic and I am most familiar with denitrifying bacteria and a few other strains I have used. Once you get into the diversity of soil I'm lost. A lot can be determined by the type and I am most familiar with bacillus. I am by no means an expert so I wish I could help you more.

 

[eirI]

Not familiar with sulfer consuming bacteria but yes there are such thing. It's a very diverse topic and I am most familiar with denitrifying bacteria and a few other strains I have used. Once you get into the diversity of soil I'm lost. A lot can be determined by the type and I am most familiar with bacillus. I am by no means an expert so I wish I could help you more.

Get those microbes going. It starts by adding good soil. You can’t add microbes to dead soil. They will die. You need to keep feeding them slowly

 

[eirI]

Get those microbes going. It starts by adding good soil. You can’t add microbes to dead soil. They will die. You need to keep feeding them slowly

 

[eirI]

I’m trying my best I have nothing compared to what these AMAZING growers have here. Last week feeding her sunflower hull ash tea She has been nothing but organic

 

[C.RunningFst]

Lol has anyone put goldfish or little fish actually in their DWC buckets or reservoirs? Stuck to the pump? Lol

 

[Aqua Man]

Lol has anyone put goldfish or little fish actually in their DWC buckets or reservoirs? Stuck to the pump? Lol

They would die because of the nutrient level

 

[damien50]

7 Facts That Will Make You Rethink the "Sterility" of Hydroponics | ZipGrow Inc.

*Warning! This post gets a bit technical. We chose not to simplify the language too much because we didn’t want to compromise any of the rich

blog.zipgrow.com

Found this article that suggest that hydroponics contains as active micro biology as compost before even adding beneficials.

 

[Aqua Man]

7 Facts That Will Make You Rethink the "Sterility" of Hydroponics | ZipGrow Inc.

*Warning! This post gets a bit technical. We chose not to simplify the language too much because we didn’t want to compromise any of the rich

blog.zipgrow.com

Found this article that suggest that hydroponics contains as active micro biology as compost before even adding beneficials.

Although there is a lot of anecdotal evidence in that article it's got a lot of truth. I will never use a sterile system.

The bacteria and fungi while performing similar duties are of different strains and the reproduction of these are key. Just because a system is populated by bacteria does not make them beneficial. This is the challenge. Using or acquiring the right bacteria as some such as denitrifying bacteria occur naturally.

The ability of bacteria to handle the bioload is also key. So slower growing plants like vegatables will be naturally easier to grow.

The biggest key is it's not one size fits all. The demands of the plant coupled with the diversity of the right strains of bacteria and the ability of those bacteria to handle the bioload while balancing the available nutrients makes it difficult... Although not impossible it's usually more than the average bear is willing to tackle.