smitten by the bug

[charles alan crabtree]

hello fellow aquapons,since this is my first blog post i think an introduction is in order! my name is alan crabtree and i live in beautiful east tennessee good ole USA.i am a 53 year old combat wounded veteran who is in a wheelchair.i first stumbled upon aquaponics while searching for a viable way to help feed my family and grow more towards self sustainability.i had previously grown some suspect crops hydroponically LOL and as such i do possess a rather large number of grow lights,pumps ,air pumps and various pieces of other equipment so the transition is not as great.with one great exception,now im going to be dealing with live fish and they will be providing my nutes,no more expensive trips to atlantis hydroponics for this old boy haha.im sure careful planning is what i need to do now despite my enthusiasm.what im after is a year round crop of healthful veggies for my immiediate and extended family.im sure i can acheive this given that i can manipulate certain enviromental factors and growing conditions.i am fortunate to be able to grow indoors in a well insulated facility.wish me luck in this new endevour as i might just need it! lol have a good day

[George]

Potassium deficiency, I meant to write.

[George]

Tom, upon reflection, what my system is evolving into is a hydroponics system with fish.  I add iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium.  It keeps me entertained and provides good food.  I'm still learning what is best to grow in ap VS ground.  Tomatoes may best be grown in my ground but we'll see this year.  I planted a bed full of Kale yesterday.  Two of the ap tomatoes now show signs of what looks like potassium, which is interesting since I'm adding potassium.  

[Bob Terrell]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yPnG-5wFuQ&feature=em-share_vid...

fyi about raising ph for tomatos

[George]

Definitely, I add things, both in the ground and in AP.  I have only 5 tomatoes planted in AP and can do a good comparison on 4 of them compared to soil, so I'll do that.  This is my first season with a mature AP system, so we'll see how it goes.  It's early yet.  

[Bob Terrell]

Tom, I don't know that my ideas are any better than anyone else's but thanks for the comment.  I do add iron to my system. that is all that I have added in the fish system. One note  I call it AQUA- ponics  not fish ponics.  To me it is just growing things in water verses soil.  I am getting to old to run the tiller and weed.  There is no differenc in HYDR-ponics vs AQUA--ponics other than the fact that in aquaponics you get some of the things you need to grow stuff from the fish rather than having to add all the stuff you need to grow vegies like you do in HYDRO-ponics and as a plus you can eat or sell the fish, crayfish, etc  Right now I am experminting with a HYDRO-AQUAponics hybrid.  I am filtering the solids out of the water and putting it into a different system with dutch buckets that I then add Miraclel Grow to super hype the water.  What brought me to this is that to grow tomatos AND peppers in the same system AND get top production something has to change BECAUSE both plants are such heavy feeders and will suck your system dry of nutrients.  To add some of these in quantity needed would be bad for the fish.  I know that unless you are growing pot you have to add stuff. So bottom line is I don't really care what you call it as long as you don't call me late for supper.

[Tom Dumas]

Bob if you feel the need to add iron to your system I would do so.  Iron is required for proper plant growth as are many other minor and major ingredients.  If you chose to say they are still grown in an AP system who am I to question otherwise.  If you add so many extra nutrients that fish don't supply I would question the AP label.  By the way you have some great idea's on growing vegetables and some innovative approaches to growing plants.  Keep up the good work.  Tom 

[Pat James]

I see alot of augmentation to get ALL plants to grow well in an AP system. Some do well easily, while others take a fair amount of supplement. But show me the DIRT garden that grows meat. I am NOT into eating worms and bugs I catch off the plants there. and calling it meat..

[Bob Terrell]

Tom, so if we add iron to our fish water then it is no longer AP?

[Tom Dumas]

George you seem to disagree with my opinion of AP tomatoes.  It seems anyone growing anything that happens to use fish water thinks it AP grown.  Can you honestly tell me that your tomatoes are grown without adding anything to your system?  Prove me wrong. Fish CANNOT and I repeat CANNOT produce the needed nutrient requirements to properly grow a tomato. I use fish water in a separate system and add the necessary nutrients they require.  They grow fantastically, with fruit.  I grow tomatoes in my soil garden I water it with fish water and add the necessary missing nutrients, again great producing plants with fruit. I grow tomatoes in my AP gravel bed media and get great large green plants, with little fruit. Which one of my systems is AP? I haven't seen a photo or video on this site of a tomato plant that even comes close to anything I would considered to be a successful plant.  Your photo's are close ups so you don't get the full picture of their potential. They do look great though.  I see some people grow tomato plants in plastic buckets and they look healthy and green but do they produce fruit?  Do they use just fish water?  Any additives?  Who knows.   Tom

[George]

Wow Tom, my AP tomatoes don't agree with you.  My wife says the AP strawberries are the best she's ever eaten.  Okra did extremely well last year, way outperformed those grown in the ground.  I'll have to check out the fishless group.  That's not actually aquaponics so it's a strange group for an aquaponics site.  

This might make a good forum topic, ground gardening VS aquaponics VS hydroponics, yields, taste comparisons.

Charles, Aquaponics might be fun to try.  It has been for me.  I've been a ground gardener for many years but have absolutely no interest in hydroponics.  Good luck to you.