Aquaponics - What Are The Best Nutrient Rate?

[ecocultivos]

Hi, new here!
I am helping a friend... to make an aquaponic indoor grow...
we are working in an aquaponic system
3x7 bed, 6 inch deep
lava rocks "tezontle"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tezontle
10 tilapias, about 2" each so far
10 plants... 2 died, so there are 8, and 4 to seedlings to replace the ones that died.
50 gal pond
flood and drain with auto siphon

all we know is what we have read over the internet, and a 30 hrs course on aquaponics for lettuce.
but there are about 1,000 ways to to creapy aquaponics setups, and there is really little guides about build decent ones, and about nada about suplementation for cannabis plants

I was recommended maxicrop by my aquaponics teacher about the only suplement safe to fish, but as I have read here, liquids nutrients are just expensive water with little salts. so I end finding the kelp4less site
I wrote them because nothing was listed "safe" for aquaponics, so they make us the favor and open an "aquaponic safe" section

we have purchase the following:
Azomite
Fulvic Acid
Humic Acid
Kelp
SOP Powder
K Mag

The aquaponic system is supposed to provide all the N the plant needs
so my question is:
what rates of the supplements we buy apply to small plants, vegetative, and flower?
what other supplements do you recommend from the kelp4less aquaponic section?

I have read by Snowblind and others to maintain a rate of 3-1-4 during the complete plant cycle in hydroponics using salts will provide great results
but since I an not a chermical engineer... what salts on the "fish safe" list can be used to obtain that rate?

for the others growing with aquaponics, what supplements do you use at what rates?

 

[ecocultivos]

kelp4less is the only "safe for fish" nutrient site I have found
please share any other natural products, supplement to be used in aquaponics

 

[ecocultivos]

how to upload video?

 

[ecocultivos]

 

[ecocultivos]

this is like a science project!
after a several years of reading, we found the Dual Root Zone

instead of hydroton, we use lava rocks, to the half and an inch more to keep the soil dry
for soil we are using pro mix GTX, but it is too wet all the time, so that was a bad decision or there is something wrong with the setup

 

[Seamaiden]

I don't purchase from kelp4less, I use other products. For example, for Ca and Fe, I use Sensational Solutions CaFeMg. I use humic acid in powder form, as well as Sea 90 at hydroponic rates. If the fish aren't producing sufficient N, then either pee in the system or add some N by another source (overfeeding will do it, but go easy and work your way up).

how to upload video?

Upload it to YouTube. Then, look at the reply box, see the little film strip? That's to embed media. Click that, then paste the 'share' link you get from YouTube to embed. I believe you got it sorted out though.

Here's my video of our old AP system. :D

 

[ecocultivos]

thanks for your replay!!
questions....
1. what are the complete list of nutrients you use?
just Sensational Solutions CaFeMg, humic and Sea 90?
2. do you add them at the same rate of g/gal each day or week? or do you lets just the plant tell your their deficiencies ?
3. as far as you know, what are the highest rates at ppm or g/gal of each nutrient you use, without stressing the fish live or killing them?

I am reading the tread of "Cheap alternatives to overpriced hydroponic nutrients",
it has 78 pages!! I am reading about 2 or 3 per day. reading page 18 right now.
as they said, i prefer dry form like salts or dry soluble kelp, because the liquid ones you are paying over price and branding .
also, in that thread the recommendation for hydro is 3:1:4 rate for NPK.
do you follow that rate or any other for your aquaponics?

 

[Seamaiden]

thanks for your replay!!
questions....
1. what are the complete list of nutrients you use?
just Sensational Solutions CaFeMg, humic and Sea 90?
2. do you add them at the same rate of g/gal each day or week? or do you lets just the plant tell your their deficiencies ?
3. as far as you know, what are the highest rates at ppm or g/gal of each nutrient you use, without stressing the fish live or killing them?

Generally, those are the only other products I have had to add. I let the plants tell me how they're feeling, and since I am already very well versed in fish that part, for me, is the easiest part. I don't bother trying to measure EC (from which ppm/TDS are derived) because I'm using such a varied array of substances that cannot be accurately measured by EC, it wouldn't be a useful tool. I measure pH and temps.

I suggest learning about the nitrification cycle and a bit about keeping fish in aquaria or ponds along with this. I would have to do some digging to find out if there's a good AP-focused site that would have more information for you, I've just combined my own knowledge of fish and plants.

I am reading the tread of "Cheap alternatives to overpriced hydroponic nutrients",
it has 78 pages!! I am reading about 2 or 3 per day. reading page 18 right now.
as they said, i prefer dry form like salts or dry soluble kelp, because the liquid ones you are paying over price and branding .
also, in that thread the recommendation for hydro is 3:1:4 rate for NPK.
do you follow that rate or any other for your aquaponics?

I would not use any of the products (except kelp) being mentioned in those threads unless my goal was to grow hydroponically. The salts can cause a lot of problems with fish health, especially if their concentration is too high. It's been many years since I've read that particular thread so there may be products that are safe to use, but I'm using a broad brush here, based on my fishkeeping knowledge. You're safer using urine, IMO.

 

[ecocultivos]

I use:
...
-organic Rock Phosphate (online store)
-organic Potassium Sulfate (online store)
-OMRI Calcium Sulfate (online store)
-Magnesium Sulfate (food safe Epsom Salt from Rite-aid Pharmacy)
-Organic Silica (online store)
-Tap Water (Calcium & Chlorine)
-Borax Soap (~13% Boron, bought from Rite-aid Pharmacy again)
-Worm Casting Tea (DIY)
-Worms (I raise worms too)
-FeEDDHA or FeEDTA for iron (online store)
...

do you add amounts of each of those nutrients in a relationship per plant count? like ie 1 gram of POS per plant
or you add the amount of each nutrient in relationship for your water capacity? like ie 1/2 oz of Rock Phosphate per gallon of aquaponics?
at what schedule?
is there a webpage or by your knowledge of what are the safe concentration of each of those nutrients you list, to be disolved in an aquaponic system without cause harm to the fish?
-thanks!

P.D.
I have seen a lot of Steve videos on youtube! I try to follows all his ideas
but decide to start this thread because I has not found a webpage, blog or source of information regarding the safe maximum amount of each salt, like Rock Phosphate, Potassium Sulfate, Calcium Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, etc... that can be added to the fish tank without cause harms to the fish, and maintaining a good N P K Ca Mg S rates for nice plants development

 

[ecocultivos]

Steve is the guru, cant wait to meet him in person!!!

In the mean time, should I add small amount of each salt untill a fish die... ? :drunk:
No, poor fish!
I'll keep using kelp! and regular nutrition in the dual root zone!
tks for the wiki on the Hoagland solution, very good reading and info to start doing tests !

 

[ecocultivos]

More than a formula, I want to know whats the safe ppm or g/l of each salt can be added to a fish pond without harm the fish. then I can play with different salts adding more or less each time without been worried to kill the fishs.
So far I know that I can add kelp at the same concentration recommended for hidroponics without harm the fish, anyways I just use half, and that way I can raise almost any plant.
I will try Hoagland or a variation at 1/10

 

[ecocultivos]

So far, all the plant eats is:
1. azomite, 1/8 tsp/gal
2. fulvic, 1/4 tsp/gal
3. humic, 1/4 tsp/gal
4. kelp 1/2 tsp/gal
5. k mag, 1 oz/gal
all diluted to 1/6 (the 5 pre mixed gal pluss an additional galon of watter) added to an automated dripper thats drips 4 oz a day per plant
3 gal pots with lava rocks and pro-mix
also, same mix applied foliar in the mornings
and 8 oz of that mix once a week directly to the aquaponic system
1 full dose of kelp, humic and molasses the 1rst veg day to the fish pond
pee the 1st day of construction!

still reading/learning about formulas and rates before deciding what else apply to the aquaponic system or automatic drip system

please see picture and advice of any nutrient deficiency or any other things the plants want to tell... ...???

illumination
2 advance platinum p300 led
1 2x4 T5 to see the plant better and not pink because of the leds

 

[ecocultivos]

 

[ecocultivos]

To give you a head start, I've successfully used these lvls with Shubunkins...

what do you use or recommend to make the readings?
has been searching the web but found different or oposite reviews

 

[ecocultivos]

Lamotte test kits?
Seachem test kits...?

 

[Seamaiden]

Both are good quality, LaMotte is higher quality than SeaChem but both are very reliable and I've used them for sensitive systems (miniature reef & sharks). LaMotte also makes soil testing kits, so I'd be leaning towards them.

 

[ecocultivos]

tks!!! will try to find a lamotte not to expensive...
about the sea-90
I have been reading, and very interesting!!
but, since we are raising tilapias, not a salt water fish, what are the max amount of sea-90 that can be added without harm the fish? and what actually, more or less, are the grams per lt or oz/gal of sea-90 to the aquaponic system you use as a safe but not too much so fish, bacteria and plants are happy? and other nutrients can be added if needed.
very intriguing how fish will feel with all the kelp, azomite, potash, humic, ... sea salt... do not want them in a strike

I have a friend who grow spearmnit and basil in aquaponics. he dont add any nutrient or supplement at all, jut Ca for pH when needed.
once the fish are to big, he put them in a separate pool with fresh rain water, add a pinch of sea salt every day for 2 or 3 days. then he said are the best tasting tilapias ever!

 

[ecocultivos]

the grow bed have some algae problem...
adding more Humic as per Dr. Nate advice

 

[ecocultivos]

algae picture
it is dark because of the humic
start to apear since beginning of week 2 of veg
system maturity: 3 weeks seedlings pased, just start week 3 of veg

the brown stuff is dust from the lava rocks (tezontle) did not wash it because it have beneficial minerals, or hope so...
so far the algae love it

 

[DrMcSkunkins]

Doesnt being fed nitrogen all through flower by the fish make airy green tasting buds? @Seamaiden and whomever else has done ap