Holy Smackers....I wasn’t considering 4 - 4ft/8 bulb per 4 x 8 bed. I was really hoping that the two would be sufficient enough. I calculated the energy cost for just running 2 per each of my 2 beds, and at 1728 watts x 18 hours x 31 days x .06kwH is roughly $67.00 a month. My wife isn’t going to be happy about that already. I am hoping for a successive harvest/planting every week, hence the long hours of light. I may have to refigure my ROI if I truly should consider doubling my light budget (set-up and maintenance). I will be wrapping each the shelves containing the grow trays with reflective Mylar, do you think that will help with the provisions of the necessary lighting without doubling the output and my costs..?

As for the worms...well everything that I read last year while I was building our 1000ft organic vegetable garden was that worm casting are the best organic soil amendment, and since I was throwing out so much organic waste at my little cafe, I figured I would try and do my part for the environment (great marketing value) and capitalize on the available product and create my own. By my estimates I've produced about 300lb so far just sitting in bins waiting for this seasoning plantings. I also read that the worm tea that collects in the bottom reservoir was great organic fertilizer as well, so I just assumed that it would be great source of nutrients in a hydroponics system. Then I stumbled across the whole aquaponics movement during my research on lettuce production and wham...here I am. Big plans…with big ideas, hoping for bountiful results…with as little capital investment as possible.

Now to be honest I’m not sure if I can justify a 50% increase in necessary budgeting and another 100% increase in utilites, just for lettuce…no matter the marketing value or not…?? What kind of yield should I realistically be expecting from a raft style system..?? I think I may really need to take a couple of steps back and rethink the investment…money…time…risk…?? Hhhmm…((disappointments already setting in))