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  1. #31
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    Good to know about the PH bump from the Red Lava, running out of funds to buy Hydroton and kinda looking for an alternate gb medium.

    I like the idea of haveing worms in the gb, in Sacramento it gets real hot in the summer and I have lost two sets of worms to the heat. I would like to try the red wigglers in a gb when I get it going.

    John

  2. #32
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    I can work on the pH organically for the huge pile of money saved over hydroton. But that's up to the individual. A safe gravel was 5 times the cost. My idea is too find an economical aggregate. I would have preferred black lava but no one carries it anymore around here.
    Yes penryn can get hot!

  3. #33
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    Does Black Lava have the same problems with bumping the PH? I am not buy the Hydroton new so that is helping a lot, but it is adding up. Will check with a couple local landscape yards in the area to see if they have the Black lava.

  4. #34
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    red lava seems to be softer and a lot more dusting. black lava i found to be more stable. however the central systems that i have used red lava for nitrification in, handled banks of aquariums, it was not a closed system. water changes to the tune of 50% every other day. there was not time for an accumulation of alkalis, nitrates.

  5. #35
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    Quote Originally Posted by rfeiller
    red lava seems to be softer and a lot more dusting. black lava i found to be more stable. however the central systems that i have used red lava for nitrification in, handled banks of aquariums, it was not a closed system. water changes to the tune of 50% every other day. there was not time for an accumulation of alkalis, nitrates.
    I think the black lava is typically real pumice versus the red lava is manufactured usually. I could be wrong, but that has been my experience with it.

  6. #36
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    the red lava here is mined in Utah from what i understand. the red is just another form of lava heat, composition, and age. we have access to numerous forms and types of lava here in ca, unfortunately the landscapers prefer the red. supply and demand. everything is for max sales and need. i understand that, they just didn't ask me what i wanted, imagine that!

    in some areas they may manfacture red lava I don't know about that. the whole western USA is covered in volcanos.

  7. #37
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    Hm, I was just "told" by an aquaponics "expert" at a seminar type thing a while ago that some red lava rock is made from very toxic materials that would be dangerous in an AP system. It was probably folklore or hearsay, but it doesn't hurt to check what exactly IS your lava rock.

  8. #38
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    Lava even naturally occurring I guess can be a wild card, natural or manmade I'll certainly go along with that. It's whatever was there when created.

  9. #39
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    Re: Aquaponics with Vermiponics

    interesting note about tomatoes and end rot: the tomato plants in the greenhouse have no problem with end rot and they are just on fish nutrients not additives. the tomatoes forming from plants in the worm buckets and the squash have developed end rot. i added maxical to the buckets yesterday, we'll see how they do. i would have thought it would have been just the opposite.

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