Nutrient Deficiency

[keith_r]

let your water from the tap "offgas" for a couple hours with a bubbler, then test the ph...
you don't want to change the ph more than .2 or so in a single dose/24 hours..
my system sat in the high 7's for over 8 months before the ph dropped, it now has to be bufferred, and all my plants did fine, with light dosing of maxicrop with iron (a quart lasted me over a year)
but i do understand the need to experiment.. i just picked up a couple bags of daphnia during my lunch break, three 5 gallon glass fish tanks for the daphnia, with five 5 gallon green water buckets to feed them.. trying to order some scuds today too.. lol

[alex281]

let your water from the tap "offgas" for a couple hours with a bubbler, then test the ph...
you don't want to change the ph more than .2 or so in a single dose/24 hours..
my system sat in the high 7's for over 8 months before the ph dropped, it now has to be bufferred, and all my plants did fine, with light dosing of maxicrop with iron (a quart lasted me over a year)
but i do understand the need to experiment.. i just picked up a couple bags of daphnia during my lunch break, three 5 gallon glass fish tanks for the daphnia, with five 5 gallon green water buckets to feed them.. trying to order some scuds today too.. lol

Thank you for the advice! much appreciated

[Roger R.]

Has anyone used the powdered form of Maxicrop? Seems like it would last longer and you're not paying for the water.

[keith_r]

in a 100 gallon system i used maybe a capful every month or so..
for my 80 gallon system i've used 1/4 cup 2x in the past 6 months

[Apollo]

I just needed to keep track on this subject...to track this issue, not such how to do so without just joining in. Thanks for the ride.

[David - WI]

I just needed to keep track on this subject...to track this issue, not such how to do so without just joining in. Thanks for the ride.

Up at the top, under the title and "New Thread" button you can click "Subscribe" to be included on conversations that you were not part of.

[Aloha Don]

Does Maxicrop supply all the missing nutrients that plants need? How does it affect PH?
I was under the impression that the aquaponic system would basically take care of itself except for iron which is added.
What other nutrients should WE add that the system does not provide for?
Thank you

[Aloha Don]

has anyone placed banana peels in their system?
If so, do you put them with the egg shells under the flow of return water to the FT?

[urbanfarmer]

Does Maxicrop supply all the missing nutrients that plants need? How does it affect PH?
I was under the impression that the aquaponic system would basically take care of itself except for iron which is added.
What other nutrients should WE add that the system does not provide for?
Thank you

No.

The law of conservation of mass, or principle of mass conservation, states that for any system closed to all transfers of matter and energy (both of which have mass), the mass of the system must remain constant over time, as system mass cannot change quantity if it is not added or removed. Hence, the quantity of mass is "conserved" over time. The law implies that mass can neither be created nor destroyed, although it may be rearranged in space, or the entities associated with it may be changed in form, as for example when light or physical work is transformed into particles that contribute the same mass to the system as the light or work had contributed. The law implies (requires) that during any chemical reaction, nuclear reaction, or radioactive decay in an isolated system, the total mass of the reactants or starting materials must be equal to the mass of the products.

The concept of mass conservation is widely used in many fields such as chemistry, mechanics, and fluid dynamics. Historically, mass conservation was discovered in chemical reactions by Antoine Lavoisier in the late 18th century, and was of crucial importance in the progress from alchemy to the modern natural science of chemistry.

READ MORE ANCIENT WISDOM @: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_mass

As a favor for me and my price for this knowledge that took my time to get to you, I strongly request you teach this to as many people as you can. I am only one man, but together we are two. Thank you

[urbanfarmer]

has anyone placed banana peels in their system?

Yes.

If so, do you put them with the egg shells under the flow of return water to the FT?

I'm not sure what difference you are hoping this makes, but this is not a reasonable way to get nutrients into your system. Try planting them next to the ROOTS of a BIGGER FRUITING PLANT in your garden. Also, try putting these biodegrading materials further from other plants. Pay attention to how the roots move towards the decaying matter over time. Notice how little critters get in there and eat away. Notice the swelling or puffing of gasses building up and notice the smells. Notice the cluster of bacteria oozing decomposed nutrients into your water column. Notice the bacteria, fungus, and other microflora and microfauna you cannot see with the naked despite your ability to detect them other ways.

HAVE FUN AND ENJOY