Kelp fertilizer - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-29T01:44:04Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/kelp-fertilizer?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A611471&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI have a separate tank (20gal…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-10-13:4778851:Comment:6165102015-10-13T01:33:53.072ZBKhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/BK
<p>I have a separate tank (20gal) that I use to grow duckweed as supplemental (and free) fish food. This also doubles as something along the lines of a sump. I add epsom salt to that tank to make sure it gets diluted quite a bit before it gets to the grow beds or fish. Any other substance (other than crushed oyster shell as a pH buffer) gets added to this tank as well. The crushed oyster shell gets added to the fry tank since there's more agitation in there.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Kellrae…</cite></p>
<p>I have a separate tank (20gal) that I use to grow duckweed as supplemental (and free) fish food. This also doubles as something along the lines of a sump. I add epsom salt to that tank to make sure it gets diluted quite a bit before it gets to the grow beds or fish. Any other substance (other than crushed oyster shell as a pH buffer) gets added to this tank as well. The crushed oyster shell gets added to the fry tank since there's more agitation in there.<br/> <br/> <cite>Kellrae said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/kelp-fertilizer?xg_source=activity&id=4778851%3ATopic%3A611100&page=2#4778851Comment616118"><div><div class="xg_user_generated">Do you add the Epsom salt directly to the grow bed?</div>
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</blockquote> I do, along with everything e…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-10-06:4778851:Comment:6159992015-10-06T20:11:11.118ZGeorgehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Geoge
<p>I do, along with everything else I supplement with. <br/> <br/> <cite>Kellrae said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/kelp-fertilizer?id=4778851%3ATopic%3A611100&page=2#4778851Comment616118"><div><div class="xg_user_generated">Do you add the Epsom salt directly to the grow bed?</div>
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<p>I do, along with everything else I supplement with. <br/> <br/> <cite>Kellrae said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/kelp-fertilizer?id=4778851%3ATopic%3A611100&page=2#4778851Comment616118"><div><div class="xg_user_generated">Do you add the Epsom salt directly to the grow bed?</div>
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</blockquote> Do you add the Epsom salt dir…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-10-06:4778851:Comment:6161182015-10-06T13:24:03.657ZKellraehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Kellrae
Do you add the Epsom salt directly to the grow bed?
Do you add the Epsom salt directly to the grow bed? I've had 2 Plecos disappear i…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-07-30:4778851:Comment:6118392015-07-30T21:17:16.119ZJeff Shttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JeffSullivan
<p>I've had 2 Plecos disappear in my 45 gallon aquarium with 25 3" tilapia in it. The only thing I can come up with is the Tilapia ate them. It doesn't take long for a few hundred fry to dirty up a tank.If you plan to keep any amount of them you better go ahead and start another GB now to handle the load when it hits.</p>
<p>I've had 2 Plecos disappear in my 45 gallon aquarium with 25 3" tilapia in it. The only thing I can come up with is the Tilapia ate them. It doesn't take long for a few hundred fry to dirty up a tank.If you plan to keep any amount of them you better go ahead and start another GB now to handle the load when it hits.</p> Thanks, I have already plante…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-07-30:4778851:Comment:6119392015-07-30T19:39:13.271ZBKhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/BK
<p>Thanks, I have already planted a few more cucumber seeds; along with some squash and eggplant. With the 3rd unintended birthing of tilapia in my system I'll have plenty of nitrogen to spare. Once they grow to fingerling size I'll have a decision to make...</p>
<p>I also have 2 plecostomus (algae eaters) in the large tank. Tilapia will also eat algae since they are omnivores, but generally only if other food sources are not available. Every now and then I'll catch one snacking on some…</p>
<p>Thanks, I have already planted a few more cucumber seeds; along with some squash and eggplant. With the 3rd unintended birthing of tilapia in my system I'll have plenty of nitrogen to spare. Once they grow to fingerling size I'll have a decision to make...</p>
<p>I also have 2 plecostomus (algae eaters) in the large tank. Tilapia will also eat algae since they are omnivores, but generally only if other food sources are not available. Every now and then I'll catch one snacking on some algae that is growing on one of the terra cotta pot shards I've laid in the bottom of the tank, but without the plecos I'm afraid the algae would get out of hand. I was worried that there'd be some form of abuse between the fish types but I haven't seen any of that. The one dominant tilapia is aggressive towards the other tilapia, but leaves both plecos alone. The larger pleco started off a little smaller than my thumb but after 6-1/2 months in the tank it's about 8 inches long and almost 2 inches in diameter! Algae must be somewhat nutritious... Yesterday I added a very small pleco to the fry tank, since algae is really coming on strong in there... a clear tank in full sun for several hours daily. The fry are visibly gaining size daily. My wife is showing more interest in the setup than ever before</p> Also, nutrient deficient cucu…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-07-30:4778851:Comment:6118362015-07-30T16:06:50.193ZAlex Veidelhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/AlexVeidel
<p>Also, nutrient deficient cucumbers can get pretty weak and end up extra susceptible to pests and powdery mildew; it can be hard to repair them if you don't catch it early enough. It probably wouldn't hurt to plant a couple extra ones for later if you have some extra seeds lying around.</p>
<p>Also, nutrient deficient cucumbers can get pretty weak and end up extra susceptible to pests and powdery mildew; it can be hard to repair them if you don't catch it early enough. It probably wouldn't hurt to plant a couple extra ones for later if you have some extra seeds lying around.</p> I've heard that it can also b…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-07-30:4778851:Comment:6116892015-07-30T16:04:53.457ZAlex Veidelhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/AlexVeidel
<p>I've heard that it can also block potassium, although I've always been unsure about how exactly to apply those two tidbits of information. I switch over to rain water once the winter ends because I was tired of my water being so high in pH. Feels less complicated to just add the minerals in yourself, rather than trying to fix well water.</p>
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<p>I'm pretty sure cucumbers like 15-30ppm of magnesium, which I believe comes out to around 1.5-3oz of epsom salt for a 70 gallon system. I've…</p>
<p>I've heard that it can also block potassium, although I've always been unsure about how exactly to apply those two tidbits of information. I switch over to rain water once the winter ends because I was tired of my water being so high in pH. Feels less complicated to just add the minerals in yourself, rather than trying to fix well water.</p>
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<p>I'm pretty sure cucumbers like 15-30ppm of magnesium, which I believe comes out to around 1.5-3oz of epsom salt for a 70 gallon system. I've gotten better results adding it all at once or in two additions, rather than a teaspoon or tablespoon at a time. Maybe then see how long that carries you through until you see a deficiency again.</p>
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<p></p> Alex, I am growing Japanese c…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-07-29:4778851:Comment:6117302015-07-29T17:09:56.879ZBKhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/BK
<p>Alex, I am growing Japanese cucumbers. They are self-pollinating, except that pollination is not happening without my intervention and even then I am still seeing the ovaries whither away. Perhaps the mineral deficiency hasn't been addressed at the cellular level yet (it's only been a couple days). The leaves are already starting to green up so hopefully we can get a few cucumbers from this plant before it's done. All the other plants are responding as well. Whether it's the addition of…</p>
<p>Alex, I am growing Japanese cucumbers. They are self-pollinating, except that pollination is not happening without my intervention and even then I am still seeing the ovaries whither away. Perhaps the mineral deficiency hasn't been addressed at the cellular level yet (it's only been a couple days). The leaves are already starting to green up so hopefully we can get a few cucumbers from this plant before it's done. All the other plants are responding as well. Whether it's the addition of magnesium or the foliar kelp spray (or both) I can't say. Next week I'll reduce the foliar spray and observe what happens.</p>
<p>I have a magnesium test kit on order (in the mail) so I can take a more definitive look at that nutrient. I'm truly curious to see what the actual levels are since the General Hardness test goes off the chart. I've seen some material that states that calcium, at very high levels, can block to absorption of magnesium. Any truth to that?</p> BK, You used my opening line…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-07-29:4778851:Comment:6116672015-07-29T13:41:08.247ZJeff Shttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JeffSullivan
<p>BK, You used my opening line to most of my posts, "I am not an expert". All most of us do is share what we have read, seen, and experienced in hopes that it will help someone else. Thanks for the effort you put in to sharing all that info. BTW my cucumbers are on their own for pollination.</p>
<p>BK, You used my opening line to most of my posts, "I am not an expert". All most of us do is share what we have read, seen, and experienced in hopes that it will help someone else. Thanks for the effort you put in to sharing all that info. BTW my cucumbers are on their own for pollination.</p> Yep, that's correct. I'm grow…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2015-07-29:4778851:Comment:6117202015-07-29T13:39:40.739ZAlex Veidelhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/AlexVeidel
<p>Yep, that's correct. I'm growing a parthanocarpic variety myself. Makes it pretty easy. What variety are you growing?</p>
<p>Yep, that's correct. I'm growing a parthanocarpic variety myself. Makes it pretty easy. What variety are you growing?</p>