System Update (Greenhouse & Aquabundance system) - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-29T13:39:48Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/system-update-greenhouse?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A108066&feed=yes&xn_auth=noActually hard well water is u…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-08-04:4778851:Comment:1692782011-08-04T03:03:54.319ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Actually hard well water is usually more calcium carbonate and magnesium and an overabundance of calcium can actually lock up the potassium a bit. Seaweed extract is a good source of potassium that won't elevate your pH and it can be used as a foliar feed. Potassium bicarbonate might work if you can't get seaweed extract but it will elevate pH but it also happens to be useful as a foliar spray to combat some fungus problems.</p>
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<p>I've been collecting rain water for my systems…</p>
<p>Actually hard well water is usually more calcium carbonate and magnesium and an overabundance of calcium can actually lock up the potassium a bit. Seaweed extract is a good source of potassium that won't elevate your pH and it can be used as a foliar feed. Potassium bicarbonate might work if you can't get seaweed extract but it will elevate pH but it also happens to be useful as a foliar spray to combat some fungus problems.</p>
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<p>I've been collecting rain water for my systems too so that I can reduce my use of well water and the related problems I have with it.</p> Hi Jim,
Yes, the water will h…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-08-04:4778851:Comment:1692692011-08-04T01:36:18.053ZHarold Sukhbirhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/HaroldSukhbir
<p>Hi Jim,</p>
<p>Yes, the water will have potassium as well as what's left over in the fish waste but at high PH it would be difficult for plants to absorb it, if any at all. Fruiting plants require higher amounts of potassium and if they are unable to get it from the water column, we can transport through direct spraying. However your system is a new and fruiting plants usually do better at around 6 month maturity. I did the same and after cycling i put some tomatoes in, they flowered and…</p>
<p>Hi Jim,</p>
<p>Yes, the water will have potassium as well as what's left over in the fish waste but at high PH it would be difficult for plants to absorb it, if any at all. Fruiting plants require higher amounts of potassium and if they are unable to get it from the water column, we can transport through direct spraying. However your system is a new and fruiting plants usually do better at around 6 month maturity. I did the same and after cycling i put some tomatoes in, they flowered and stood there until about the 6 month mark when i started seeing more rapid growth and fruiting, by the 9th month they really took off. Nitrates grow plants but when plants start fruiting this a sigh of a mature balanced AP system and this takes time!</p> I do have a bubbler which wor…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-08-04:4778851:Comment:1694472011-08-04T01:12:21.972ZJim Logioshttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JimLogios
<p>I do have a bubbler which works great! Thanks for the potassium suggestion. I wonder though, that since the majority of the water in the ft is well water, and I do have somewhat hard water, that the ions that cause that are calcium and potassium. So, wouldn't the water have adequate potassium?</p>
<p>The rain barrel suggestion was courtesy of this forum, and TC.</p>
<p>I do have a bubbler which works great! Thanks for the potassium suggestion. I wonder though, that since the majority of the water in the ft is well water, and I do have somewhat hard water, that the ions that cause that are calcium and potassium. So, wouldn't the water have adequate potassium?</p>
<p>The rain barrel suggestion was courtesy of this forum, and TC.</p> Hi Jim,
Since you're seeing l…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-08-04:4778851:Comment:1699022011-08-04T00:55:44.411ZHarold Sukhbirhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/HaroldSukhbir
<p>Hi Jim,</p>
<p>Since you're seeing lots of flowers you can add a small amount of potassium to the system this will help to encourage fruiting and fruit growth. Since the pH is on the high side and may not be effective in delivery you can apply it by foliar spraying the specific plant/plants directly.</p>
<p>Adding a bubbler to the FT is also a good idea if you can afford to.There is never a case of having too much oxygen. The higher the DO levels the better a system performs. BTW nice idea…</p>
<p>Hi Jim,</p>
<p>Since you're seeing lots of flowers you can add a small amount of potassium to the system this will help to encourage fruiting and fruit growth. Since the pH is on the high side and may not be effective in delivery you can apply it by foliar spraying the specific plant/plants directly.</p>
<p>Adding a bubbler to the FT is also a good idea if you can afford to.There is never a case of having too much oxygen. The higher the DO levels the better a system performs. BTW nice idea with the rain water!</p> Harold, nothing has changed.…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-08-04:4778851:Comment:1698072011-08-04T00:36:55.096ZJim Logioshttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JimLogios
<p>Harold, nothing has changed. I got a rain barrel set up now (one good rain filled that sucker!) and am using it to top off. I expect it will take a few weeks for the ph to come down, and thus, the nitrates to also come down. I still have only trace amounts of ammonia and nitrites, so that's a good thing. The plant growth is quite impressive, but no fruiting (lots of flowers). The cantaloupe vine is about 15 feet long! I cheated and bought a tomato plant that had already started fruiting, and…</p>
<p>Harold, nothing has changed. I got a rain barrel set up now (one good rain filled that sucker!) and am using it to top off. I expect it will take a few weeks for the ph to come down, and thus, the nitrates to also come down. I still have only trace amounts of ammonia and nitrites, so that's a good thing. The plant growth is quite impressive, but no fruiting (lots of flowers). The cantaloupe vine is about 15 feet long! I cheated and bought a tomato plant that had already started fruiting, and that's doing well.</p>
<p>Thanks for asking!</p> Hi Jim,
How are your readings…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-08-03:4778851:Comment:1698032011-08-03T23:24:12.414ZHarold Sukhbirhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/HaroldSukhbir
<p>Hi Jim,</p>
<p>How are your readings now, especially the nitrates?</p>
<p>Hi Jim,</p>
<p>How are your readings now, especially the nitrates?</p> Drats! Just found my first s…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-08-03:4778851:Comment:1694402011-08-03T22:58:40.442ZJim Logioshttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JimLogios
<p>Drats! Just found my first suicide. The little bugger jumped out, and I found him dead on the floor covered in ants.</p>
<p>I've only lost 2 so far... guess I'm doing something right ;-) </p>
<p>Well, nothing goes to waste here... the raccoons love dead fish!</p>
<p>Drats! Just found my first suicide. The little bugger jumped out, and I found him dead on the floor covered in ants.</p>
<p>I've only lost 2 so far... guess I'm doing something right ;-) </p>
<p>Well, nothing goes to waste here... the raccoons love dead fish!</p> Silica in general has a very…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-06-20:4778851:Comment:1352262011-06-20T22:54:39.851Zmatthttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/matt851
Silica in general has a very poor bio availability due to its ultra low solubility. Most soil has a large percent of silica in the sand portion, however it is insoluble and useless to plants and animals. Only a small amount each year can be made bio available by bacteria. I would only use a silica based gardening product for the desired effects. Also I think diatomaceous earth comes in many different grades depending on what percent of crystalline silica it contains some contain only 1%.<br/>
Silica in general has a very poor bio availability due to its ultra low solubility. Most soil has a large percent of silica in the sand portion, however it is insoluble and useless to plants and animals. Only a small amount each year can be made bio available by bacteria. I would only use a silica based gardening product for the desired effects. Also I think diatomaceous earth comes in many different grades depending on what percent of crystalline silica it contains some contain only 1%.<br/> Thanks for the tip Matt. I w…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-06-20:4778851:Comment:1352252011-06-20T22:39:28.010ZJim Logioshttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JimLogios
Thanks for the tip Matt. I wonder if diatomaceous earth (which I've heard is high in silica) would work, or would it be detrimental to the system?
Thanks for the tip Matt. I wonder if diatomaceous earth (which I've heard is high in silica) would work, or would it be detrimental to the system? If your still having overheat…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2011-06-20:4778851:Comment:1345672011-06-20T16:27:44.912Zmatthttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/matt851
<p>If your still having overheating issues I heard silica drastically helps plants cope with hot weather among other things. I live in Canada, and I know it defiantly helps with the cold.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.simplyhydro.com/benifits_of_silicone.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.simplyhydro.com/benifits_of_silicone.htm</a></p>
<p>im pretty sure you can get organic versions too…</p>
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<p>If your still having overheating issues I heard silica drastically helps plants cope with hot weather among other things. I live in Canada, and I know it defiantly helps with the cold.</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.simplyhydro.com/benifits_of_silicone.htm" target="_blank">http://www.simplyhydro.com/benifits_of_silicone.htm</a></p>
<p>im pretty sure you can get organic versions too</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.krishidoots.com/organic-silica.htm" target="_blank">http://www.krishidoots.com/organic-silica.htm</a></p>
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<p>Keep in mind the PH of potassium silicate, the common version in grow stores, has a extremely high PH and should be added and used with caution.</p>
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