Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst ... 234
Results 31 to 34 of 34
  1. #31
    Members
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Paradise
    Posts
    25

    Re: Nutrient Deficiency

    I think I should have paid more attention in science class now? Ok here is what I have read. A high PH can block most other things like magnesium and iron. And potassium. A high carbonate level will prevent your PH from going up and down to quick? So if you have a high PH now. Then you may not need to add anything? As the high PH could be blocking the potassium and iron from your plants?
    Building a system is easy. Getting the plants to cooperate is the hard part.

  2. #32
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Zone 9b
    Posts
    2,294

    Re: Nutrient Deficiency

    Quote Originally Posted by Blizzard
    I think I should have paid more attention in science class now? Ok here is what I have read. A high PH can block most other things like magnesium and iron. And potassium. A high carbonate level will prevent your PH from going up and down to quick? So if you have a high PH now. Then you may not need to add anything? As the high PH could be blocking the potassium and iron from your plants?
    Building a system is easy. Getting the plants to cooperate is the hard part.
    Hi Blizzard,

    I frequent the forums a lot less than I'd like to or used to; so, please excuse the delay.

    First off, getting the plants to cooperate is part of building a system.

    Quote Originally Posted by Blizzard
    I think I should have paid more attention in science class now?
    I see & say this daily. The amount of useful knowledge we were taught over 2 decades and the general attitude that it's all useless was "the jock's greatest propaganda", or something.


    Quote Originally Posted by Blizzard
    [Will] A high carbonate level [...] prevent your PH from going up and down too quick?
    I have to go out on a limb and assume you mean CALCIUM carbonate. It can act as a buffer to some extent, but this is no way to manage an aquaponic system in the long-term. It's a great method to control certain issues in the short-term.

    Quote Originally Posted by Blizzard
    So if you have a high PH now. Then you may not need to add anything? As the high PH could be blocking the potassium and iron from your plants?
    Maybe, but only for a while. Eventually, the system will consume your calcium carbonate from the water. Think about The Law of Conservation of Mass. If a plant root takes out matter (molecules of calcium carbonate) out of the water then it will need to be replaced if the molecules get too low in concentration for proper uptake by the plant roots... this is what happens with every nutrient. A high pH doesn't "block" the nutrient. It makes it rain out of the solution like hail on a cold day.

  3. #33
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Zone 9b
    Posts
    2,294

    Re: Nutrient Deficiency

    This is where your calcium carbonate could come from:

    http://youtu.be/L-XujwMJATw?t=1m6s


  4. #34
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Zone 9b
    Posts
    2,294

    Re: Nutrient Deficiency

    If you watch the video through you will see these strange white rock crystals at the end. They made these. If your pH gets too high in your system these rocks magically appear in your water column and start to snow down onto the bottom. That's where your NUTRIENTS go when the pH of the solution is out of their range for the solubility of those chemical species.

    I think... I posted an article or something on how to make these out of eggshells. I made some giant ones years ago and used the rock pieces to feed nutrients to my plants. You have to extract the calcium from the eggshells (although some people have thrown eggs into their system as this works, but very differently and it is less predictable given the rate of chemical reaction). It's fun, easy, and maybe a really cool science project to do with the kids (if there are kids that is).

    I hope something here helped!!


Similar Threads

  1. Bugs or deficiency?
    By jvision in forum Aquaponics Knowhow
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 05-01-2015, 03:44 PM
  2. Deficiency In Essential Minerals
    By badflash in forum Veggies in General
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 07-02-2014, 10:06 PM
  3. Nutrient deficiency in Broccoli and Pepper
    By crosshairs in forum Veggies in General
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 08-21-2013, 06:20 AM
  4. Nutrient burn?
    By wh33t in forum Want To Know HOW TO..?
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 03-20-2011, 12:16 PM
  5. nutrient
    By brent in forum Aquaponics Knowhow
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 01-30-2011, 02:00 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •