Censorship and mod trying to control what people say and think. Yea I left those sites behind esp RIU absolutely compromised.
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Just sent this to Steve, he said thank you to the compiler of the articles
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Tell him to respond to my messages lol. I have sent him a few and never heard back.
Whats up with him saying he was opening a seed shop in holland?
I want more spice of life.
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Ya try to DM him on the twitter? I’ll give him your name, best of luck
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yea a few times like I said. o well, maybe twerent meant to be.
found an old high times article i just remembered to post.
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From Vic High, 1 Dec 1998
Hey guys, just back from Vansterdam. Finally got to meet with Breeder Steve. He’s quite a generous guy with his time, and boy can he roll big joints! He rolled a J of brand X that must have been a whole 8th! Rope will get me stoned, so that was way out of my league.
What did get my attention was his aquaponic setup that he calls “The Sweetwater System”.It employs a double res setup, one typical, and one being a fish tank loaded with fish. Water in the two res’s are exchanged regularily (something like every hour). He says he never cleans his fish tank, as all the plants and bottom feeders use up all wastes. Plants are fed with drip emmitters via the typical res. pH doesn’t fluctuate and the ppms remain between 300 and 400.
Now these drip emmitters fed two setups. One was a traditional “dutch pot” system. You know, the one where each plant is grown on a 5 gallon pail? He used a 5 or 6 inch basket that was 3/4 filled with those red balls (I think they are an expanded clay called “hyrotron”?). Steve then covered the red balls with 1" layer of a blend of worm castings and “Steve’s Special Blend”. The Special Blend (2-6-5) is an organic mix comprised of green sand, rock phosphate, fruit bat quano, feather meal, steamed bone meal- regular & fine, kelp meal, sunflower seed hull ash, canola seed meal, cotton seed meal, alfalfa meal, langbeinite, corn gluten meal, pyro clay, diatomaceous earth, and calcium peroxide. Initially, the low nitrogen surprised me, but then after I thought about it, I realized that the plants were probably getting all the nitrogen they needed from the fish tank. I believe there was an air stone in teh bottom of each pail. Seven weeks ago Steve planted tomato seeds into the medium and now the plants are 3 feet tall and have softball sized green tomatoes on them. WOW!
The second setup was basically a large table, 4’ high, covered with something like 1/4" dense plastic. Holes were cut in it to hold the 4" or 5" net cups. Again the cups were filled with the reddish clay balls and topped with the special blend and worm castings. Again the net baskets were fed with drip emitters. What interested me is what happened under those net cups.
A large pond liner tarp was suspended under the net cups to catch the water and funnel it back into the typical res. There was about 3’ between the bottom of the net cups and the bottom of the tarp. And you know what this means??? LOTSA ROOM FOR ROOTS! Big roots equal big buds in my book. This feature had me totally stoked!
I’m one that has had little respect for the hydroponic side of our hobby for some time. I’ve watched others playing with the large numbers of clones and shaken my head (legal risk). I’ve watched them fight pH drifts and shaken my head. I’ve watched them fight root rot and shaken my head. I’ve watched them lose entire crops due to pump or power failures and shaken my head. I’ve watched them pumping in the chems (hurting the environment) and shaken my head. I’ve watched them be proud of their 1-2 lbs per light in their high intensity gardens and shaken my head. Well I’ve stopped shaking my head for this one. Steve’s way of working with the Dutch Pot system seems to take care of all my hydroponic concerns. I just wish I wasn’t too stoned to have asked him what he fed his fish and why his emmitters didn’t clog.
Topic: aquaponics-ever try it?
Posted by steve on October 31, 1999 04:40 AM:
The smoothest smoking buds ever are the result. I kid you not. The plants grow beautifully, not a burnt tip anywhwere. The only way for me indoors. Much more to come on this subject, believe you me. A delicacy!
Posted by s.bl3nd on October 31, 1999 04:47 AM:
hey steve,
yeah i’m pretty interested in that aquaponic setup you have…
do the fish actually give out enough ppms to feed the plants? you would think that the nutes would be really low for the fish to survive.
it does make sense in one way though, if the fish are happy then the plants would be happy…
hope you can post more about this…
.blend
Posted by minty on November 01, 1999 01:06 AM:
Have pondered this theory once upon a time. Cool to have a proven follow-up.
I’m very happy to see you’ve found a method that works.
I’m quite interested in hearing about the basic setup.
I hear ya on the plants thriving if the phish are.
Same holds true with earthworms in soil.
Solid work my friend.
breed the trees,
mint
Posted by junior-botanist on November 01, 1999 06:02 PM:
i tested my aquarium water once it was 1100ppm, but what was in it don’t know(ratios) how much is uneaten food and how much is waste from the fish. i dunno.
breed the seed and overgrow the world. good growing to you.
jb
Posted by Vic High on November 02, 1999 11:16 PM:
Ahh now this would be the life, could actually convert me to a hydro head, haha
Just think, sit back amongst yer plants, smoke a fatty and toss a line in the res, fishing in paradise!! haha.
Steve, I shared what little I learned in my visit with ya, but it was defiantely lacking. So quite teasing us and teach us buddy. I missed points like whether you worry about monitoring NPK ratios as the crop progresses. Do some fish give better nutes than others?
Persoanlly, I saw a large table sharing a common tarp and a few bucket systems. I prefer the idea of the bucket system due to it’s flexibility and allowing the grower to maximize the density of his/her canopy. Any thoughts on this?
I also noticed that both setups you had on display allowed for large root systems. A few of us are big believers in the idea that big roots equal big flowers. Any thoughts here?
I have loads of questions, but I’ll stop short here for now, haha.
got my email?
Posted by minty on November 03, 1999 04:08 AM:
wooooooord
heheh,
mint
Posted by Wadsworth on November 04, 1999 06:47 PM:
From what I’ve read Carp or Tilapia are the best fish to raise this way and you can eat them. Catfish probally would work. Of course the stuff I read was on raising fish to eat and using the water for gardening. This technique also requires several hundred if not thousand gallons of water. A large fish tank should be able to support some plants. The concern would be the hardinest of the fish more than the plants.
d;^)-~
Posted by steve on November 06, 1999 02:46 AM:
Typical aquarium owners change 30% of the water every week. This is to protect the fish from the accumulation of toxic waste in their habitat. I’m talking about their own waste choking them. Aquarium enthusiasts are all ready familiar with the nitrogen cycle, for the rest of you here it is. Ammonia is the most poisonous of the nitrogenous compounds to the fish, it is also the first to accumulate in the water as a result of the fish waste. As the ammonia level rises during the first few days of operation, and given the proper conditions (ie aerated surface area), beneficial aerobic bacteria called nitrosonomas begin to feed on the ammonia converting it into the less harmful compound nitrite. This is still toxic to the fish, but not as toxic as ammonia. As the nitrite level rises, given the appropriate conditions, another species of nitrobacteria (nitrobacter) colonizes feeding on the nitrite. This reduces the nitrite to nitrate, the least toxic of these compounds to the fish. The aerated surface area is known as the biofilter, an integral part of this technique, for this is where the good bacteria colonize. This cycle takes twelve days to control the degradation of ammonia-nitrite-nitrate. For this reason most people begin with a few small fish and gradually add more after two weeks, when the biofilter is bacterially balanced. As you know these three nitrogenous compounds are essential to the health of your plant, which will readily suck them out of the water. A foliar feed with this water will green up any plants, guaranteed. By bathing the roots continuously with this water, the plants are sponging the nutrients out of the solution hence cleaning the water further than the filter. When the water returns to the aquarium it is heavily aerated, which is of the utmost importance to the health of populations of beneficial aerobic bacteria. These bacteria not only process nutrients into a plant soluble form, and clean the water for the fish, they also inhibit the proliferation of destructive bacteria by a process known as competitive exclusion. Once the solution is dominant with good bacteria monopolizing the available food sources, bad bacteria is unable to gain a foot hold. When one spore of bad bacteria comes in contact with a sterile hydroponic solution, it multiplies rapidly and disaster is the inevitable result. In a healthy aquaponic system that spore is a snack for more established helpful bacteria. The plants are protected and fed by the beneficial bacteria. The only supplemental nutes given are organic and used sparingly. It is definately a less is more scenario. I use Earth Juice Catalyst for PH down. PH up is merl mix, ground oyster shells and special lime. I top dress around the plants with a tbsp of castings. Repeat as necessary. I fill up the foot of nylon stockings with my special blend of guanos, ashes, mineral rock, kelp, and feed meals. I drop this in the aquarium for added bloom food. Rapidly algae starts to eat at it, and a horde of algae eaters attach themselves to it reducing it to plant soluble food. Any and all deficiencies in any garden can be rectified organically.
For best results use only one aquarium for your entire garden, mothers, clones and all stages of growth. If your garden is staggered you balance the demands on the water, as the plants have varying nutrient requirements at different stages of growth. I keep the most diverse range of creatures in the aquarium to fill all the niches. The more lifeforms, the greater the balance. I could go on and on, I’m writing a book on growing cannabis this way. Your questions are important to me. Some other nice things about this are that you never have to change your solution, just top it up. The plants sprout and finish with an average of 275ppm. Remember that the probes that measure dissolved salts only give a very rough picture, they cannot measure life. I’ll check back here if anyone wants more information and has specific questions. Yes Vic, more roots=more plant. Cheers!
Sinserely Steve
Posted by la.bud on November 06, 1999 08:27 AM:
hey steve,sounds like “Jaws”{g13xgws}would fit right in …lol …i’ll have vic get with ya in a couple weeks i’m currently running an organic room and an aero room http://genhydro.com/index2.html using GH’s aero flo
2 …what benefits do you get vs a standard organic setup? and is root waste a problem with your setup?..nice to see ya around…
Posted by steve on November 06, 1999 10:20 AM:
In response to some excellent e-mail questions I told the person I would reply here. I thought that I may as well answer here as more will share his questions. Water temperature and fish types? As the primary reason for our system is the highest quality cannabis possible the water temperature must be optimum for the cannabis. I find this to be between 22°C-24° Celsius. Most tropicals are all right with this, the feeder goldfish are fine, until chow time, which is all the time. To the surprise of my fish dealer I keep fish together that theoretically won’t live together due to differing PH preferences, ie hardwater cichlids from some of the best ganja producing lands in Africa, (calcium rich soils around Lakes Malawi, and Tanginyka, PH 7.1) These hardy fish do quite well in a tank with southeast asian and amazonian varieties that prefer something around PH 6. In general the grass likes 6.2. I let it move around a little because in my superstitious mind that allows the freeing up of things I barely understand. If it has risen to the high sixes I will bring it down, even with apple juice or coffee, unless I feel it needs a boost of fert, then I give it a tbsp of EJ Catalyst as I mentioned earlier. I have little freshwater crabs, lobsters, snails, eels, and a huge variety of “suckers”. All of these keep the tank clean. Instead of just feeding the fish flakes and pellets you will likely derive much more pleasure and taste from your garden if you keep a small auxilliary tank for raising feeder guppies. I keep the fancy guppies whom are now referred to as gourmet guppies and scoop out a bunch for the main tank before I plan on watching the cycle of destruction and renewal. Get a book on aquarium layout to maximize the aesthetic of your tank with well arranged rocks, driftwood, and aquatic plants. I’ve been sucked into one aquarium for two years so far. Much better than TV.
Yes, cooler water = more oxygen holding ability. Too cool or especially too warm can also mean root problems. Measure the temperature of your root zone and adjust the aquarium cooler or warmer to keep your roots healthy. We’re here for the grass.
The supplemental sources of P,K and micros are all natural, and can be applied easily to specific plants in the garden as a topdressing of blended guanos, ashes, meals, and unrefined minerals ie seabed deposits, langbeinite, rock phosphate, etc. By topdressing specific plants their roots hold the dressing in the rocks, largely for the use of this plant. This makes it possible to grow a variety of plants off of the same reservoir. A bit of an organically derived tea is gradually released into the water as a result. This benefits all the plants. I keep over three times the recommended amount of fish in my aquarium. One inch of fish per gallon of water is the traditional aquarium formula. The reason for the standard formula is that the water is dirty too fast and the fish suffer. However the traditional aquarium is not filtered through an 8000 watt grow room full of weed at all stages. The aquarium/reservoir is 90 gallons. The one I am setting up in Europe is twice the reservoir for about 24 000 watts of grow space. You’ll see how it goes. Most of the grow gurus were decidely skeptical when I told them what I’d found, too many of their friends sell chem nutrients. These grow groupies are now the ones that offer to blow me for .5 gram of aquaponic grapefruit (not for sale) The reason is there is no finer way to grow palatable cannabis indoors, good soil is good, but not better. As far as quantity of harvest there is one thing to remember, that chem salesmen say all the time, “The plants don’t care about the source of their nutrients, they’ll use whatever is available to feed on.” Which is my point exactly, as long as everything necessary to feed the plant is properly provided for it will feed just as fast. It may take you a little practise to be certain that your organic fert is plant soluble on schedule, compared to the soluble salts you are conditioned to using, but it’s worth it. Even if profit is your only motive, when you achieve the same yield with better pot you can still charge more. I don’t feed my plants chemicals for my sake, I’m the one that is going to taste it. Someone was recently telling me the old “Well the plants can’t tell the difference!” and I was about to reply the usual “Well I can”, when I told them “If your dog is getting into some really foul garbage, ie eating someone’s vomit, you would pull it away wouldn’t you, because it doesn’t know any better, but you do or should.” I’ve met the proprietors of many hydro chem companies, I scare the shit out of them. The owner of the largest American hydroponic nutrient company was telling an audience how his new formula more closely mimicks nature. “More like it mocks nature” I told him afterwards as I presented him with the opportunity to smoke some incredibly sweet ganja and after visit the bio aquaponic garden it came from, his eyes went wide and his face had the stunned glow of someone caught with their pants down. If the glistening bud in my hand scared this old timer, just imagine if he smoked it and saw a healthy garden indoors in organic hydro. It wasn’t very nice of me, but it was amusing to see this very self-assured man go from strut to split. I’m still laughing at him. What a shyster, he even admitted he eats organically produced food, for the taste. Sells you cancer. But he is a bit player in the grand scheme of things. See if phosphate poisoning is a problem in a water source near you. Identify it’s source, and then see if you can pour your excess wasted nutrients down the drain everyweek with a good conscience. Food for thought, eat good food! Ciao for now.
Sinserely Steve
Posted by raydavies on November 06, 1999 11:16 PM:
Steve,
Wow. When is the book going to be available ? What would you say to someone whos only grown in soil and want to switch. Great work.
Be KIND,
RAY
Posted by steve on November 07, 1999 04:36 AM:
Practically all systems are convertible including tubes and soil. Soil requires a larger volume of water than a recirculating system. Try a kiddie pool with gravel and young koi, as they age you can appreciate them, breed them, or sell them. If you have a lot of plants to feed, start off with plenty of frogs and turtles as well as fish, etc. The diggetty doo for the ultimate boo!
Sinserely Steve
Posted by steve on November 07, 1999 11:59 AM:
The book will be at least a year and will have plenty of pictures. HT article in 3 months with pics and diagrams. Fair enough? I’ll be doing a grow seminar talking about it, and answering questions at the cup. This is good practice.
Sinserely Steve
Posted by Blazer on November 07, 1999 06:51 PM:
Steve! Incredible 1st. of all. We have a few common friends that have been trying to get Me to Your place to check this out. I’ve been dabling w/ aqua, bio, and hydroponic hybrid systems for a little while now and have visited a couple aquaponics farms in the midwest US. I’m soo glad to see some1 w/ Your capacities sharing all this “Top Shelf” info. I’m a huge buff of both the grow and aquarium stuff Myself w/ a lil goldfish farm using a towering type delivery system trickling through growrock. It’s merely a huge wet/dry filtration system on steriods allowing 3 fold plus on the amount of creatures in the h2o w/o any amonia problems. Now the 1 and only grow shop in the metro wants 1 in there window as does My fish supply buddy. It’s great of You to share the method of achieving propper nute ratio’s via juggling species and additives. That’s been the missing links here. I also have great luck combining species that aren’t intended for thses ph ranges. I’ve spent more time keeping the the fish looking happy than focusing on the plants as it’s been just a new way of filtering really, I didn’t know how/what to alter for the plants and the fish are in the window too and must look presentable. Man o man I cannot wait to apply this new knowledge to the hobby arena full tilt! I’m very grateful for Your willingness to share Your outcomes etc. w/ Us rather than guard it w/ Your life as the chem. guru’s try to do. I can only imagine that man’s face and I was almost laughing to tears visualizing His potential future there dwindling at Your “mocking nature” comments and backing it up w/ product to boot! Balls, brains and common sense is something lacking big in this world today as a combined package(You) and thanks again for sharing it! I look forward to future info bigtime and will keep everyone posted on what I come up w/ as I begin this journey Myself.
Peace and keep up the great work
Blaze
Posted by Blazer on November 07, 1999 09:36 PM:
Steve I’m wondering if You started w/ the African species named Tilapia? I know it’s the trend around here for aquaponics, but it is also for meat production too. I know they are a very hardy fish that can handle different temps, ph etc… I’m wondering if most have chosen this fish for its ease of care or if it has much if anything to do w/ proper nutes? I never knew enough about true organics to understand why You use what kinda poop,quano etc. and how that may tie into the choice of Tilapia fish for thier aqua units excrimate wise. Is it along those lines or merely just a very easy fish to farm for profit along w/ thier top notch greens/herbs for all the trendy restruants in the Ozark’s.
I have found in My hybrid bioponic/nft system that the taste, flavor, pest resistance and overall appearance is outstanding. We(You) are essentually duplicating the most beneficial micro-organism’s ability to interact and exchange beneficial acids(humic etc.), enzyme’s and antibiotics at the plants root levels resulting in like You said…The most incredible(not for sale) treats known to Our community IMO.
Man I just returned from a vaca in Your neck of the woods and sb or Vic threatened to introduce Us and see the man in action. I did get to BC for almost 24 hours before having to race home to Kansas for an emergency damnit. I think You were in Europe at the time anyhow sadly.
I have been dying to talk w/ someone on this level of understanding for the longest time and My limited resources have shut mine down for the moment. Since We haven’t been introduced and You probably hear soo many different webnicks I’d like to say I’m Blazer. A 31 year old parapledgic that has run out of western medicine options at the moment for the massive back reconstruction. Well they failed Me 4 times and I now have 3 breaks instead of 2 that pinches nerves on whats left of My severed spinal cord. I also have incurable/uncontrollable muscle spasms in every part of My body that I no longer have control over(chest down completly). The herb hasn’t helped w/ the pain alot, but flat kicks ass over any perscribed muscle relaxer’s that just eat Me guts away everyday now. I’m searching for the most effective and easy means to accomodate My want/need for med. use and use whatever is left to pay the out of pocket exspense of accupuncture treatments that do more good than any western doctor!
Well that’s My lil Bio. I just didn’t want You to think I was wanting to try and market YOUR project or the like, I need it for Me personally. If I can drop the chems totally it will make My paralyzed ass MUCH easier! Just top it off w/ fresh h2o, check ph and be on My way.
Thanks again Man
Blazer
ps. Keep in mind at the moment I’m all kinds of pie eyed and just on a rambling/brainstorming kick after reading the posts. Although I know I’m just a lil off center so maybe I did get a lil bonus head injury along w/ the spinal cord! ROFLMAO
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Posted by steve on November 08, 1999 03:18 AM:
Dear Blazer, I was just about to suggest Acupuncture, it’s pretty amazing, eh? Still in Europe, I live here now. I’m only too willing to share what I learned, I feel like I am seeing the light while most people are behaving like heathens in the dark ages. Hence I am going door to door with the conviction of a Jehovah’s witness to save us all from the wretched chem pot (extends to food as well). I am hardly worried about someone copying this, it is for all to copy. It is nature and is for the benefit of all it’s inhabitants. To reduce pollution is everybody’s business. I had some tilapia but the oscars ate them. To be honest, I was going to start this thread in the beginners area, they might as well start right the first time, and become perfectionists. The first time I tried it I was thoroughly amazed at how easy it was. The few people that had problems their first time always had a glaring omission, no mother marsh bio-filters, ph 7.5, drowning soil, or bad temperature. Keep it between the lines and read the plant. The revolution has begun. Once people become accustomed to the quality of the produce, it’s just a matter of time until everyone demands it, ie tomatoes that taste like tomatoes, pot that tastes like pot. Most people have forgotten, or never knew how good things should taste. Once you realize how bland or synthetic most supermarket produce, or Amsterdam weed tastes you will be appalled.
Blazer, I sympathize with your back problems, mine has not reached that stage yet, thankfully I declined the operations, however now and then my fifth lumbar pops out and I know that pinching pain. Absolutely debilitating weeks in bed, I know pot mainly just cheers me up, homegrown opium is the ultimate muscle relaxer, read up on growing some and processing without making slits in the garden, that’s illegal. My back improves from it’s episodes much quicker when the muscles go so slack the bone pops into place. Best of Luck and I hope that you’re feeling better.
Sinserely Steve
Posted by hibe on November 09, 1999 02:15 AM:
wow!..cool…
Steve! I like how you approached feeding your plants!(a nice,cumulative wide spectrum arrangement) I too have been looking at the literature regarding aquaponics, but after looking into it, i talked myself out of it because of the nature of the plants that are(at this time)being used,that seem to be better served by the Nitrogen-Rich fish soup,from start to finish.From what ive seen,the “visible” trailblazing aquaponics people seem to be growing leafy-type, quick production crops like lettuce,spinach,basil,herbs…and not generally flowers,or smokable delicacies like ours. I see that you are using the nitrogenous fish waste water ,even at the ends of your flowering plants life,and have to ask…how u doin that mann?..extremely soluble ammonium and nitrate to the last day of harvest?..“If its there;They will eat it” rite?..As you know,organic budfarmers in other mediums or methods,generally plan the nitrogen release to time out before harvest . Is the total PPM of soluble ammonium and nitrate(from the fish)low enough,so as not to become an issue for our flowering plants?..A separate “clearing res” would allow for a break from the N,rite,or do you feel its not as big of an issue as im making it?..please tell ,thanks…
can u describe the setup sometime pleese? ie. irrigation method,medium,how the res is arranged/aerated/cooled,containers etc…appreciate it
…Totally respect you(et al.) for blazing trail through the cannabis patch and coming forward with your findings mann…hibe
Posted by Blazer on November 09, 1999 11:46 AM:
Hibe…Get out of My head man! It’s kinda spooky coming here to ask a Q only to find You beat Me to it…AGAIN! You and Az are always on the same wavelength w/ My melon too and it’s just really odd IMO. I was glaring at the cieling trying to get to sleep lastnight and was pondering this too. If I understand it correctly, the low ppm of the fish h2o/nute allows this to not be a problem and added trace elements should balance it all out I think. Hopefully Steve will have all the answer’s We have yet to find.
Check out Harvetsprings.com Hibe and look at the aquaculture farm in the ozarks, they are online too w/ details of thier system… It’s just soo simple other than the items You mentioned above IMO. I think Steve has worked out these kinks from what I’m finding and hearing. I’m kinda banking on it. Meanwhile, I’m still digging and learning too.
Posted by Blazer on November 10, 1999 10:59 AM:
Hibe. I’ve been playing w/ My african cichlid tank and have had awesome luck using the res. for the wet/dry filter as a cloner for all kinds of plants. The kind digs it as does several species of annuals and tropicals. Over the weekend I decided to place a few branches from a cosmos flower that had some very immature buds on it. Well I have had good luck getting them to bloom inna glass of plain h2o in a window, but when I put them into the tank w/ light they bloomed in 1 day. They still look marvelous, but does this apply to anything We were thinking of above? It was the only way I could figure to see what a flowering plant would/could do w/ fish h2o for a nute. It probably isn’t conclusive for shit, but just a note. I keep the ph up to around 7.5 for the species of fish, they really would like it over 8. Just a few lil notes on what I’m seeing w/ hi ph and low ppm(300+ last time I checked). Granted this isn’t by anymeans an aquaculture set up, just stirring the waters a lil in My lil melon. Boy I love a challenge, but on such a tiny scale, I can’t get any really applicable results IMO. I’ll keep digging
Posted by steve on November 11, 1999 04:50 AM:
Excellent question Hibe. The nitrogen level is low enough not to inhibit flowering. The nitrogen most present is the softest, nitrate. It is essential to the health of the plant throughout. I increase the N in veg by adding a little worm castings around the base of the plant, this is used up within a few weeks. I too had heard that aquaponics are only good for green leafy crops like lettuce, or chives. When you look at the massive tomatoes on Harvest Springs site you will see that this is just a fallacy. The water is rich in all compounds not just N. Supplemental P and K are easily found in the realm of organic nutrients for an added boost in bloom.
A simple system consists of buckets (the bigger the better) rubbermaid roughtotes work great. Fill halfway with your choice of well-rinsed lava rock, hydroton, or gravel, aeration underneath. The buckets should drain easily to a lower bucket that contains only a pump activated with a float switch. This pump returns the water to the aquarium as rain (hole in pipes). The aquarium can pump water constantly to piss lines (not drip) situated on the top of the buckets. The lids of the buckets are cut to facilitate a 3 gallon mesh bottom pot. The pot is filled with clay corn and should have wicks. I’ve even fed it on syphon action alone, no feed pump. Either way about a quarter to a third of the water in the tank floods the buckets until the return float switch is activated, thereby draining the buckets airing out the biofilter surface area that will be teeming with beneficial bacteria and massive white roots. It will grow as fast as with any chemhydronutes, and taste a hell of a lot better, while be better for you. Many feel that it comes through with a better buzz, but that is pretty subjective for science. I don’t care; science is science and life is art. Warmest Wishes People, Lotsa Love,
Sinserely Steve
Posted by Ultimate on November 15, 1999 03:05 AM:
A few footlong Oscars produce plenty of waste which gets siphoned biweekly into a res. The plants really do love it.
I wonder about the fish though, with the benefit of roots filtering out the "un"beneficial bacteria - what effect does the addition of topdressing and various teas in the water have on the fish’s health and water quality necessary for their survival? Pros & Cons on Fish Survial vs Plant Enhancement?
The guys are big and hearty as hell but I just can’t picture myself standing over the tank pouring earth juice catalyst over my 10 year old south american cichlids. I suspect they would tolerate slight impurities at a low level, but where and when do we draw the line before it becomes toxic?
P.S. Steve, there are claims that a SOL distributor resides in ON, any truth to this?
Posted by steve on November 15, 1999 04:45 AM:
I understand. A capful of catalyst is all we add to the tank occassionally. The top dressings are also used sparingly, I don’t kill the fish, the last tank I set up has run two years with the same fish. Yes, you can buy Spice of Life Seeds under the counter at better headshops in Ontario. Check with OT in London, and CT in Ottawa. I have to check up with OT, they may be elsewhere as well. Check with me first to confirm authenticity if you wish, there is some reselling going on out there, it takes me one phonecall to see if they’re real, I don’t want to call someone false if they really are selling my seeds. Email me for sure. I’ll supply them to shops but www.legendsseeds.com has them for the 'net. To keep it simple for you. In the new year SOLS will be recognizable by special packaging to allay your concerns. Cheers!
Sinserely Steve
Ombudsman posted November 15, 1999 11:59 AM
Blazer there’s an article in a Grower’s Edge that reminded me of your situation. It may be one that Muir! was getting at. It was about a parapledgic (sp?) that opened a commercial aquaculture/hydro farm. He grew Tilapias. I think it was the winter 97/98 issue but I’m not positive. It had some specs on the setup as well as feedings and cycles.
Just when I thought I was starting to know a lot about growing, you guys throw this at me
Keep the innovations coming fellas.
GG posted November 16, 1999 12:18 AM
I thought this was an interesting article. It’s really has to do with aquatic plants but you never know, it could hold some value for soil, soil based, or inorganic mediums as well. Tests should be done, we all need to delve further into the art and science of growing and breeding cannabis! It truly is a wondrous plant. http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/roots.html#0
steve posted November 16, 1999 01:32 PM
Check out back issues of growing edge, there is one on flavinoids in tomatoes. The brix level (the sugar index)only gets really high in naturally grown tomatoes. They also discuss primary and secondary flavinoids. The secondary aren’t present in chemically grown produce, ie the overall blandness, lacking the well-rounded flavour. You will never taste fine wine from grapes grown in rockwool, or fed a bath of chemical synthetics. It’s all about quality to me, and I appreciate that many take a different approach, with quality taking a back seat. That’s your business, not mine. Heads will appreciate the heads up on this very popular thread. It ain’t no joke, nature that is.
Sinserely Steve
imgc posted November 19, 1999 08:26 AM
webfish has got a real simple set up it is a 4" pvc pipe with holes cut in the top for basket pots it then haas a 1/2" feeder pipe (also pvc) runs down the inside wall of the large pipe. At each cell location there is a T in the supply line going to a 360 deg sprinkler head. the pipe sits on a downword incline about 1" I think. with a large hole at the low end for drainage. He has had great luck with this system. He aslo has the optimim PPM leavels and such. He would be a good resource also.
I am going to build a test system this wek.
BSSF
KQ posted November 22, 1999 08:15 PM
I ran across this article—pretty interesting read!
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/composting.html
Lite-Brite posted November 28, 1999 03:31 AM
While mulling around the cyber world I bumped into a link of interest to this thread:
http://www.aquaponics.com/hobbycf.htm
Amazing stuff Steve, thanks for sharing!
And here’s notes from a thread at cannabis world
Breeder Steve posted February 03, 2000 02:58 PM
Dear Doctor Turner, sounds like a ninety gallon tank, roughly. Two 4X8 tables or nine big ass bushes, three rows of three with 4 - thousand watt bulbs hanging in between would be fine.
You can use the water from the aquarium to water soil plants, or foliar feed.
Bonk, I will write an article on it just for you here, I used to get a good Aquaponics journal, I’ll find out how you can find it. Check search engines, and Growing Edge magazine. It’s not difficult. It is rewarding. Here’s a link to www.harvestsprings.com you can get a primer there, and I’ll write something more detailed about pot. My back is sore and I’m just not into it now.
Thanks for asking, though, it’s important to me to share this information.
Have a great day, Steve
Breeder Steve posted February 06, 2000 04:57 AM
Okay, back on topic. For those new to the subject Aquaponics is raising fish and growing plants. There are many reasons why. This benefits both the fish and the plants. The plants benefit mainly from the nitrogenous compounds excreted by the fish. The plants take up the fish waste products as nutrient thus continuously cleaning the water for the fish. That is the short explanation. The long one is not much worse.
All aquarium owners know about the Nitrogen Cycle. This is the process by which ammonia is reduced, by the aerobic bacteria nitrosonomas, to the less toxic nitrite which is broken down by nitrobacteria into the much less toxic nitrate. This cycle takes 12 days for the bacterias to fully colonize in a bio-filter. The bio-filter need only contain a lot of surface area for well-aerated water to flow through. The surface area may be rocks, plastic rings, gravel, etc. When we put growing plants into the filter, they feed off of the waste of the aerobic bacteria. A plentitude of nutrients besides N compounds are also present in low levels. The low levels work, meters can’t show all. The domination of the nutrient solution by beneficial aerobic bacteria inhibit the growth of the anaerobic bacteria that can be such a hydro nightmare.
The water is only topped up, not drained. The nutrient is recycled, not discharged as an environmental, and overhead cost waste. It is desirable to run all stages of growth from the same system. Preferably run concurrently. The plants produce as well as by any hydro standard, because it’s still hydro. The plants don’t show any signs of overfertilization, and the buds burn very smooth to a soft, white ash. The true flavour of the strain comes through and very little else. Chem Hydro can never match the flavour, only primary flavinoids are produced. Secondary flavinoids only develop in naturally grown produce. The sugar levels, measurable on the Brix index, are way up.
It’s a lot more fun to design/watch an underwater world, and by the health of the aquarium upstairs in the living room, you have a good idea that all is well in the basement down below.
I have had good success starting the plants in a light organic soil mix with coco fibre, worm castings,++++ and having the roots grow out wicks in the pots into a hydro or aero scenario. The plants were hand watered from the top about twice a week, and misted, bathed, or flooded and drained over rocks. It all works.
Supplemental foods are possible, even some use a combination of Aquaponics with small doses of chem nutrient. I like to fill up a nylon sock with several guanos, sunflowerseed hull ash (0-0-40), cottonseed meal, canola seed meal, feather meal, corn gluten, bone meal, silicate clay, kelp meal, langbeinite, rock phophate, greensand, and probably five or six more things that I’m forgetting. The algae eaters swarm the sock and suck as it grows algae like a MoFo! They release this bloom oriented concoction as long as you leave it in the tank. I’m talking about using miniature amounts of fertilizer. Occasionally I top dress the plants with a tbsp of worm castings, one bag lasts a year for a garden with four lights. The fish are fed a mix of live, frozen, and pellet food. All micros on the labels! It will give you great pleasure to witness the miracle of life. A lot of fun, and perfect smoke!
Sinserely Steve
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raydavies posted February 06, 2000 09:06 PM
Al the Aquaponics info I could find from around the web. Thanks so much for the info 10K. Respect.
RAY
AQUAPONICS:
Aquaponics is the integration of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (cultivating plants in a water medium). Within the aquaponics system, there are three primary organisms: fish, plants, and nitrifying bacteria. Each of these life forms is dependent in some way on the other for survival. The fish produce manure which acts as fertilizer for the plants. Fish manure is mainly in the form of ammonia. In high concentrations, ammonia can be toxic to fish. The bacteria come into play at this critical point. Nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia into nitrate which is non- toxic to fish at low levels and is also the form of nitrogen plants take up most readily. The fish produce fertilizer for plants and with the help of the bacteria, the plants in turn clean, the water for the fish. This cycle is closely monitored through daily water testing. Water quality is a key component in maintaining a healthy system. The main factors involved include pH, ammonia( NH3- N), nitrite (NO2), alkalinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Once a week a more complete water test is conducted to measure iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrite, carbon dioxide, conductivity, and settable solids. The combination of all of these factors helps us to asses the health of our system on a chemical level. We then incorporate this information into our visual assessment of the plants and fish to regulate our management schemes and analyze any problems Tilapia has been called the fish of the future. A member of the cichlid family, Tilapia is high in protein, low in fat, and grows out in nine months. Native to Africa, tilapia has been cultured for centuries. Also called St. Peter’s fish, tilapia is said to be the fish Jesus fed the masses in the Bible. Tilapia is a warm water species requiring water temperatures of 82 degrees Fahrenheit. It can withstand extreme shifts in water quality and is an excellent converter of feed to fish flesh. One and one half pounds of good quality fish food will produce one and one quarter pounds of fish in 9 months. At optimal water quality, growth rates exceed that of any other recirculating system farm raised fish. Walleye, yellow perch, and large mouth bass are other species of interest, but have yet to be widely proven in recirculating systems. Refer to Table 1 for water quality requirements for tilapia, yellow perch, and walleye.
Leaf lettuce is our primary vegetable crop. We also grow small quantities of basil and watercress. Vegetative crops do best based on the nutrient makeup of the system. Vegetative crops primarily require nitrogen for growth as opposed to fruiting crops which need high levels of phosphorus and potassium. An aquaponics system is rich in nitrogen but generally lacks the other macro nutrients in substantive enough quantities to grow fruiting crops. Plants grow out in five to seven weeks depending on the season. the quality of the crop is heavily dependent on fish stocking densities, bacteria populations, and overall water quality.
Good management practices involve checking the fish regularly for disease. A brief examination during dip netting is usually sufficient. When examining the fish look for scale loss, bruising, lesions, and discoloration of gills. Lesions and scale loss can indicate fungal disease or external parasites. The gills of the fish should be dark red in color. Brown colored gills indicate stress caused by high levels of ammonia. Pink colored gills can indicate low levels of oxygen and / or parasites. If at any time these symptoms are noticed, fish should be sent to a lab for diagnostic testing such as the Aqua vet department at Cornell University. It is also good management to send fish to a lab periodically for routine disease and parasite testing.
PLANT HEALTH
Plant health is monitored in several different ways. The color of the leaves is a key indication of nutrient availability in the water. Mottled and pale leaves indicate low nitrogen and other nutrients. A healthy crop is the product of good water quality and a healthy population of nitrifying bacteria. Pest insects populations are monitored via yellow insect sticky cards placed throughout the greenhouse. Preventative measures such as releasing ladybugs every two weeks helps to keep pest insect populations at a minimum. Disease outbreaks are also controlled through preventative measures such as washing the hydroponic channels weekly with baking soda and water solution. Seasonal variations such as temperature and day length largely contribute to potential disease problems. It is important to be aware of the environmental factors that will promote certain diseases and pest populations and to then work at monitoring those conditions and controlling them if at all possible.
If at any time a disease or pest insect infestation is suspected, send out plant samples to the nearest extension office for identification and control recommendations. When dealing with these problems, it is very important to remember that anything you treat the plants with will affect the rest of the aquaponics system. The greenhouse environment needs to be managed as organically as possible so as not to harm other beneficial organisms living throughout the system such as nitrifying bacteria and fish.
Aquaponic systems are designed around the specific goals of the group involved. Generally, systems are either for education or commercial production. If you ate new in the field of aquaponics, we suggest you investigate the many different aquaponics systems out there. Components to research are biofiltration, solids removal, treatment of waste effluent, and crop selection. In addition to the physical aspects of the system, you should investigate markets in your region for selling your product. This is very important. Even if you have the best aquaponic system in the world, with no market for your product, commercial viability is impossible. This process will help educate you about what works and what doesn’t work so you don’t try to 'recreate the wheel".
There are several other factors to consider in building an aquaponic greenhouse:
Licensing - We suggest you contact your state, county, and local offices for licensing requirements to assure you meet all applicable regulations for greenhouse construction.
Greenhouse Structure and Cost- The construction cost will be determined by the layout of your site. This refers to any existing buildings, land preparation, ect. We can make recommendations about style of greenhouse to use. There are many greenhouse companies out there to choose from.
Aquaponic System Cost- This is totally dependent on the type of system you create. We can help you estimate your construction cost.
Other Cost- This includes electricity, heat, water supply, shipping cost of materials, ect. These will vary depending on location.
Project Revenue - This will depend on your products and marketing. We can suggest vegetable crops and fish, but marketing research will depend on you.
We can assist you in making some of these decisions before you start construction of your aquaponic system. Aquaponics is an exciting field with lots of potential as an educational tool in schools and for commercial production.
Ours is a simple, reliable, low-cost growing system used to produce a supply of safe, superior quality foods. We integrate hydroponics and aquaculture in a closed system to produce premium tilapia and fresh herbs and vegetables. Although creative, this method of food production is no mere novelty. It is a low-cost, no nonsense system.
Complex synergistic relationships take place in an uncomplicated setting. It seems the more natural we can make it, the better it works. The effluent from the fish tanks is not filtered or purified before reaching the growing beds. Some similar systems are based on a hydroponics mindset and purify the water to go through expensive feeder lines and emitters. In our system the growing beds are in effect fluidized bed bioreactors (a most efficient biofilter for water filtration) using commonly available materials, without the need for separators and clarifiers for solids removal.
Each growing bed contains pea gravel as a growing media. Effluent trickles through and down the length of the growing bed before being pumped back into the tanks. The plants get all the nutrients they need, while bacteria in the gravel remove harmful ammonia produced by the fish, perpetuating the water purification process. Fish must never be left without plants in the growing beds or water purification stops; the growing beds should never be permitted to dry out or bacteria in the gravel, essential for the purification process, would die.
Simple to Operate
You supply the water and electricity.
You feed the fish.
The fish feed the plants.
The plants take care of the fish in return.
©
Plants get what they need without the fuss of mixing chemicals. The unfiltered effluent (nutrient solution) is pumped straight to the growing beds through 1-inch PVC pipe.
After the initial effluent is pumped from each tank, the return through the beds takes from 10 to 30 minutes. A bucket containing a pump in each node holds 10 to 15 gallons. When this fills up, the water is pumped back into the tank and forced through a PVC cap drilled with numerous 1/4 inch holes, creating a showerhead effect. This oxygenates the water to optimum levels for the tilapia. Additional aeration is unnecessary.
IMAGINE GARDENING YEAR-ROUND WITH NO WEEDS TO PULL, NO BENDING FOR PLANTING OR HARVESTING, NO WORRIES ABOUT WATERING OR THE WEATHER.
PICTURE YOURSELF IN MID-WINTER WORKING IN A GREEN, VITAL, HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT - DOING SOMETHING YOU LOVE TO DO.
The system is simple and revolutionary for the very reason that it does not make use of technology normally assumed to be necessary for aquaculture, hydroponics, or both.
The system is flexible. A “node” is a tank of fish connected to one or more growing beds. A node can be constructed small enough to fit into a kitchen, one or more nodes could fit into a backyard greenhouse, or any number of large nodes could function in commercial greenhouse operations.
In addition to flexibility of size and simplicity of operation, the system is environmentally friendly. There is no effluent runoff. Plants and bacteria in the gravel beds use nutrients in effluent and purify the water for the benefit of the fish.
There is no mixing of fertilizers for hydroponic production, and the synergistic relationship between plants and fish actually necessitates the use of NO chemical pesticides or medications. Clean, pure and wholesome food is the result.
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
From a system point of view there are three main components of the operation - fish, plants and bacteria. The rest of the hardware items are there to optimize the life cycle of each of the three main components.
ABOUT THE FISH
Tilapia, a fish that produces delicious white flesh with few bones, are a hardy, disease resistant, warm-water fish. They’re native to Africa and the Middle East and have been raised for food since the days of the ancient Egyptians. Some believe Christ fed tilapia to the multitudes. Tilapia is the most popular fish for culture in the world.
Tilapia are fast growing, reaching 1 to 1-1/2 pounds by 9 to 18 months, are extremely disease resistant, and will provide firm, white boneless fillets (approximately 40% by weight). They are readily marketable at 3/4 pound and up. We prefer to sell our fish at over one pound live weight - most generally at a pound and a half.
The feed conversion rate for this fish is excellent, with one pound of feed yielding one pound of fish. Tilapia devour algae in addition to their regular feed, and excess plant cuttings add to this nutrient source. In addition, they will tolerate low oxygen and poor water conditions that would kill most other fish. We have found them to be extremely hardy.
ABOUT THE PLANTS
Currently we are producing lettuces and salad greens for local restaurants and subscribers for our own specialty mix. Our retail sales are primarily on a subscriber, or pre-order basis, with excess being sold at the local Farmers Market. Additionally, we are now producing some value-added products.
We have experimented with many different types of plants - ornamentals, herbs and vegetables. Most attempts have been successful. We’ve grown from seed, from seedlings, from cuttings. We’ve produced food crops, rooted cuttings, fresh cut herbs, and become our own supplier of starts for flowering basket sales. We’re excited about what this system can do!
Plants grow in half to one-third the time required for plants grown by conventional methods.
Cuttings from almost any plant (including trees) will root and grow if placed into a growing bed and exposed to the nutrient-rich water, with NO rooting hormones or chemicals.
ABOUT THE BACTERIA
A healthy bacterial culture is a necessity in this system and the limit on how many fish you can maintain will be gaited by the health and growth rate of your bacteria. What do bacteria need? They need warmth, moisture, dark and oxygen. All these are present in our system except for the surface area of the growing beds.
Plants alone do not purify the water for the fish. They only take up the nutrients that the bacteria put out after they work on and convert the fish wastes. The bacteria are a critical element in the system and should be treated with proper respect. Take steps to insure a good oxygen supply. Aeration of the fish water by the methods we prescribe, and cultivation of the growing beds when empty will provide more dissolved oxygen for the fish, as well as provide an improved oxygen level for the bacteria and plants.
ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND
There is no effluent discharge from our system, making it environmentally friendly. Due to the recirculation and efficient reuse of water, only 7 to 7.5 percent of the water must be replaced per month as a result of evaporation and plant uptake.
We believe in growing as naturally as possible, but our system also demands it. Any pesticides sprayed on the plants would find their way back into the fish. Any antibiotics poured into the fish tanks to treat diseases would find their way to the plants and kill the bacteria. Predatory wasps, ladybugs, lacewings, Bt and other specific organically approved methods are used to control whiteflies, aphids and other pests and diseases that affect the plants.
A minimum of electricity is used because the solar greenhouse design doesn’t require it. We do all we can to maximize the use of solar energy. The fish tanks are black to absorb and retain heat. Warm water, a high level of nutrients, CO2 from the fish, and frequent flow are what allow us to grow all through the winter.
LOW COST MATERIALS
Basic items for operation consist of:
- A building - the system can be adapted to suit most any greenhouse style and size.
- Tanks - we use hatchery tanks from PolyTank.*
- Growing beds - may be as simple as wood, lined with plastic or as durable as prefab poly.*
- Pumps - common submersible sump pumps are recommended
- PVC piping and fittings
- Water supply
- Gravel - it’s an efficient grow media. It’s also low-cost, low-maintenance, and readily available in most locations.
- ADD fish, plants and bacteria - the three main system components.
- PolyTank, our tank supplier, now manufactures 4’X8’ growing beds of the same material as our tanks (no maintenance, and virtually indestructible).
OPERATING COSTS
Basic operating costs will include:
- Labor
- Electricity
- Fish food
- Seeds and plants
SIMPLY DIFFERENT
Our system is unique.
The system’s design offers flexibility.
It can be operated on a small scale or in a large commercial set-up.
Parts and equipment are readily obtainable, most from local suppliers.
Elements in nature enable the system to function successfully, not some exclusively patented device.
What is AQUAPONICS?
- Aquaponics is a semi-closed loop ecosystem.
- Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture (raising fish in a controlled environment) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil, providing the nutrients to the plants mixed into the water fed to the plants).
- Aquaponics is a manmade version of Mother Nature’s pond, stream, and field ecosystem.
In an aquaponic system, you feed the fish, the fish wastes feed bacteria, the bacteria wastes feed the plants, and the plants clean the water for the fish. Fish live in their own bathroom. They can’t help it, they have nowhere else to go. And fish waste is mainly ammonia nitrogen, that evil smelling stuff you clean windows with. If you feed the fish too much, and their ammonia laden wastes build up, the fish do the same thing that you would do if immersed in an ammonia bath,… they die. Even if they don’t eat the food that you toss in the tank, the natural breakdown of the food will kick the ammonia level through the roof (fishtank?), and poof, dead fish. Luckily, nature provides a way to eliminate this deadly hazard. Good thing for us that it does, or else the world’s seas would be big pools of water filled with dead fish long before man crept out of the primordial ooze. Certain bacteria eat ammonia, they LOVE it. They thrive on it, can’t live without it. The most voracious ammonia eating bacteria are called Nitro Sommonas bacteria. They gobble the ammonia down, use it to fuel their tiny bodies, and give off wastes full of nitrite nitrogen. Most fish can handle up to 10 times as much nitrites as ammonia. BUT…if the nitrites become to strong, there goes the fish, belly up again. Now, fish have been doing fine for eons. So obviously, something is taking care of the nitrites. Nature always provides a way of taking care of wastes. This time it’s another bacteria, Nitro Bacter. These wonderful little beasties feast on nitrites, eat it like we would feast on ice cream on a hot afternoon. And when their bodies are done, they excrete nitrates. NitrAtes are 10-100 times less dangerous to the fish. Still, if the levels of nitrates ever manages to get too high, it can still kill the fish. Luckily, nitrates are the form of nitrogen that plants love to eat. Not just one or two types of plants, nearly all plants love nitrates. From the lowest form of blue/green algae to the tallest Redwood tree, they all use nitrates as their nitrogen source. And, next to Carbon Dioxide, nitrogen is the highest chemical on the plant’s food list. Without nitrogen (nitrates), the plant won’t grow. Give a plant plenty of nitrogen (along with plenty of light, water, CO2, and about 13 other tinier amount of other elements), and it grows big and strong. It also locks that nitrogen up in it’s leaves and stems, removing them from the food chain. When the plant dies, other forms of bacteria (along with bugs, fish, animals, and humans) feast on the plant. Their wastes start the cycle all over again. nitrites>nitrates>plants>animals>ammonia…" An AQUAPONIC system contains all three of the necessary parts of the ammonia/nitrate cycle, fish to produce the ammonia, bacteria to break the ammonia down to nitrates, and plants to feed on the nitrates to create fishfood to start the cycle all over again. In the simplest classroom sized aquaponic system, the fish live in a standard fish tank. A pump that sits in the tank with the fish pumps the water (and fish wastes) up to a series of troughs sitting nested into the top of the tank. As the water sprays out of the pipes leading from the pump, it picks up oxygen, and flows down the troughs. Plastic pots sitting in the troughs contain blocks of rockwool, a sterile growing media similar (in appearance) to fiberglass. The water (and dissolved fish wastes) feeds up into the rockwool by capillary action, where bacteria are cultivated. The bacteria do their thing on the ammonia, and feed plants that are also growing on the rockwool cube. The cleansed water then flows down the trough, and pours into the fish area in the tank, completing the cycle. More complicated (and more efficient) aquaponic systems use the same basic concept, but they are more efficient at gathering the fish wastes, have several types of hydroponic systems to handle separating the fish wastes into suspended verses dissolved solids, more elaborate hydroponic systems for nitrate removal, and perhaps other systems to maximize the growth of bacteria and removal of non-organic materials from the water. They also may contain automatic monitoring systems, backup pump systems, auto feeding systems for the fish, and other systems to maximize the growth of the plants. Aquaponics can be integrated into an indoor pond system to create a beautifully landscaped show system. Picture a mountain lake glimmering in the sun, with fish leaping and breaking its shining surface. Picture a babbling stream with fruit laden trees lining it’s banks. Picture a pristine waterfall feeding that stream, with vines trellising down the sparkling rocks that bracket the falling water. Now picture this idyllic scene, in miniature, babbling away in your atrium or a corner of your living room. It’s possible, quite possible. A aquaponic system needn’t be a geometric conglomeration of plastic troughs and tanks. With a little ingenuity and foresight, you can form an aquaponic system into a work of art. All of the basic ecological processes are still integrated into this miniature mountain glen. The lake can be formed from a preformed ornamental pond. The stream can be formed from properly prepared concrete, with the “fruit laden trees” being bush-type cherry tomatoes and sweet basil. The waterfalls can be formed from a mound of native stone, or easily positioned mock stone blocks, covered with trellising spider plants. And all of the plants can be rooted in rockwool cubes to provide the home for the bacteria that handle the “dirty work”. You CAN bring Mother Nature into your home, it just takes a little planning and the right resources. For more information on setting up YOUR own aquaponic system, whether it be a hands-on learning system for students in your school, or a awe-inspiring miniature alpine glen in your private atrium, contact Hydro/Aquatic Technologies. We can help you set up the perfect system of your dreams!
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Breeder Steve posted February 07, 2000 04:13 AM
Excellent post, Ray. I’m sure that explains it pretty well for most. There are a few things I would like to add to that. When the water leaves the growing beds (flowering in my case) the water travels through more “cells”(rubbermaid buckets filled with aerated rocks) and mothers are planted in 3gallon mesh pots with wicks that sit in a hole cut in the buckets lids. This way when you harvest all or part of the grow bed, the mothers continue to clean the water for the fish. After the water has gone through the beds and the buckets it is returned to the fish via the float pump in the small return reservoir.
The other thing is conventional wisdom told people that it would only be good for green leafy crops. Not True! I’ve grown over two pounds of rock hard killer bud using this technique with two 430 son agros! I have also grown incredible Broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, poppies, strawberries, as well as the conventional lettuce, basil, and green onions. All produce was beyond prime. Whatever whoever tasted said it was like trying them again for the first time. “Like Wow, these tomatoes, it’s like trying tomatoes again for the first time.” The buds are exquisite. See my above post for an idea of a bloom booster, naturally. Top dressing or nylon sock. Your plants will really love you, and you will really love your plants!
shiva posted February 08, 2000 11:16 AM
I’m looking at that picture and thinking about how I would convert my current system to work with that. It looks like it wouldn’t be that hard. I’m interested in this bacteria/rocks filter thing … how would that come into play with an existing system like an aeroflow. I have a 60 site aeroflo, 1200 watt garden I would need another reservoir, a big fish aquarium, some fish & some pumps & plumbing. I’m almost at a point where I could break the “if ain’t broke, don’t fix it rule” … I understand the difference between organic & chem salt bud flavor. You can clear your garden & the buds are good but they don’t have the same complex flavors of organics.
It doesn’t look like this would work as well if you just refilled your reservoir with fish tank water … my aeroflo reservoir goes through about 4-5 gallons a day on high demand & holds about 25-30 gallons (counting whats in the tubes). I wonder how that would work, kinda seems like fish tank is probably very important for keeping the pH in check. Fish would add a fun dimension to this hobby … I’ve never had a big tank before, just 20 gallon small ones.
cool thread,
Shiva
Breeder Steve posted February 08, 2000 11:43 AM
Shiva, fill the tubes halfway with gravel or lava rocks, after rinsing well. Wick the pots and fill them with a light organic soil mix lined with a thin layer of clay corn. The water that drains out of the tubes can run through “mother marshes”. If you want to go crazy run a half inch fizz hose down each tube under the rocks. This helps keep the water aerated and misting inside the tube. Play with it, and have fun.
shiva posted February 08, 2000 12:48 PM
I gottcha … that would be a good way creating the rock/bacteria environment right in the tubes. So use poly-wool liners with coconut & worm castings in 3inch pots … hmm I will have to get in touch with harvest springs and spec out some equip to make this happen … I keep my moms in a partitioned off section of the flowering room so routing a line to the mum reservoir would be easy. I’m very happy you found your way onto the web Steve, your experience is an amazing resource and I thank you for sharing.
-Shiva 
Breeder Steve posted February 11, 2000 11:41 AM
Monitor water quality with Ph meter, aim for around 6.2, I let it fluctuate a little. Also, use a test kit for aquariums, you can test for oxygen level, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and several others. The kits are droppers and tubes. The optimum levels are shown on the packaging. You will see the ammonia rise at first, then it drops as it is converted into nitrite, which drops as it is converted into nitrate, which will maintain a healthy level as the plants absorb it.
If the aerobic bacteria responsible for the nitrogen cycle are healthy it will not smell. However if the water is not moving enough, our the Bio filter area is not aerated enough the bacteria will not be able to do their job and the water will smell foul, of ammonia, or rotten eggs. Better aeration of the solution/biofilter solves this. The water returns to my tank through a series of holes drilled in 1/2" pipe that goes around the perimeter of the tank. My oxygen level always reads the max of what the water will hold at it’s current temperature, best between 22-24°C. Talk to you soon.
Breeder Steve posted February 12, 2000 04:26 AM
Dear HI420, the algae eaters swarm the sock in the aquarium, providing more food for the bacteria in the biofilter which becomes more food for the plant.
Avoid the saltwater.
First get a few little fish, neons, guppies, goldfish, after the first two weeks, start adding more variety, cichlids, oscars, crawfish, freshwater lobsters and crabs, eels, sharks, fresh water shrimps, cories, loaches, knife fish. Your aquarium can hold a denser amount of aquatic life than your average aquarium with your mega biofiltration system, the plants.
Grow lots of aquarium plants both anchored and floating and don’t forget to add lots of hiding places for your fish. Enjoy
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Steve just sent this to me after I sent him the link to jessethestoner page…
Some cool cats, and some complete idiots. I’m not going to head into it, but what I will say is regarding the heat/ripening issue: it’s not just about cooking them all day, but the warmer night temps. My Swiss gh were shaving a week off of indoor, my equatorial plains shaved 2 weeks off of everything. It’s the median temperatures to watch! My Cannabis Heat Units are a step up from Corn Heat Units, but the phenomenon applies equally to Corn and Cannabis. CHU’s, look them up!
Feel free to post that from me.strong text
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I am looking forward to seeing what Steve comes up with in Colombia. It sounds unreal.
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Just caught this one today and landed here! What he has cooking in Colombia sounds like cannabis plant nerd heaven! “A living library of cannabis genetics” Would love to visit that place!
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Dat Smoke Show 5 This one is Littt with Breeder Steve
Dat Smoke Show 5 This one is Littt with Breeder Steve - YouTube
Growing With Fishes Podcast Episode 90 w Breeder Steve & Drew Lamb
Growing With Fishes Podcast Episode 90 w Breeder Steve & Drew Lamb - YouTube
Lots of new breeders asking me to help them sell seed lately.
— Breeder Steve (@breeder_steve) September 5, 2022
I decided to put up my first retail site, where seed is legal, with a consignment section for new breeders. They get a Help Desk on the attached forums, and inventory/account tracking on the back end.
Launch soon!
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Man, that is right on time. Thanks for sharing that.
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Wish we could find some of those originals
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Yea that catalogue is from a different time for sure.
Tbh, i dont think the new spice of life will be too rooted in the past, especially with the access we have now and the shifting nature of what seed growers want. I am ok having a super low yielding strain in a way that just wasnt a thing 20 years ago.
But hopefully theres modern versions of some of these old classics
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Breeder Steve • Bite Me The Show About Edibles (bitemepodcast.com)
Steve has been growing his own cannabis since before the internet so you knows he’s knowledgeable. He’s had time to perfect his craft and now splits his time between his home in British Columbia, Canada and numerous grow operations around the world. A long time edibles lover, he shares an unusual infusion you likely haven’t heard of but will want to try, especially if you’re growing your own or know someone who is. We also talk about how he likes to use his infusion, his perspective on legalization in Canada and around the world and how BC is decriminalizing hard drugs. This is an interesting conversation with a someone who has been steeped in cannabis culture since the 80’s.
(cant remember if i posted this one.)
Bonus Episode, Full interview with Breeder Steve (podbean.com)
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Breeder steve will be on talking shit with eagle this sunday the 16th. Though iut maight be cool to get a list of questions to ask the guy. I will come up with some of my own but if youve got a question, ask it!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CjhG7SBO9w3/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
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