# Hydroponics



## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Its time to set up the hydros again. Anyone else doing hydroponics?


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Here is a picture of our hydro year before last.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)




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## JustCliff (May 21, 2011)

I have not messed with it in a while. I really should. It's something I enjoyed doing.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

This was taken after the plant started to stop producing sometime in December. It was hard to keep the greenhouse heated but propane kept it just warm enough to keep plants alive till the nights got below 25.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

JustCliff said:


> I have not messed with it in a while. I really should. It's something I enjoyed doing.


 We have to set back up and soon. I just went to order some Canna Fertilizer for hydros since something happened to the Master Blend, not sure what. 

These were also grown hydroponically, the hottest peppers I've ever seen, thought they were mild sweet peppers till we made mistake of biting into one! Couldn't breath ,kept them for bug spray.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Pepper and tomatoe seedlings in buckets. Medium is pebbles pea gravel I think. We got these because you can us them over and over, just sterilize and go.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

We changed buckets to food grade white. It was a mistake because light penetrated the white buckets somehow. So we will either paint the white ones with some pretty colors non toxic of course or go back to the blue ones thartkeep the roots nice and white. I heard the algea doesn't hurt the roots but it sure is messy looking. 

Also keep the resevours tightly covered with the insulation or they will turn the roots and water green too.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Baby squash in resevour. Only 1 air stone keeps things nice. We ordered food grade vynal that last forever and easy to clean, but before that starting off we used clear 4mil poly.

Those stones you see on top are not the medium but there to hold the little transplants in place.

We built these resevours out of old junk lumber we had laying around.Plywood bottom covered with poly and stapled to the sides. Air stones, net pots, pumps oat Allied Aqua or Walmart may be good for pump too. Loews or Home Depot for plastic if you want food grade vynal I have to look that one up.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Not pushign a site but this site gives anyone interested a great idea of the price of accessories like grummets, punps, net pots in all sizes. Great pictures and prices to check out. 

Allied Aqua. They sell lots of Aquaponic supplies too with lots of live fish. The guy is nice on the phone also. I like hydroponics best for now gave all my fish away too hot to care for them.

If you use fish be sure they are at least 20 in. above ground or frogs will drive you nuts croaking all night. I couldn't even hear on the phone on my porch. Plus steppign over hundreds of little frogs coming for the mating orgy is no fun either.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Definitely something I would like to learn.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

terri9630 said:


> Definitely something I would like to learn.


 Anyway we can help you let me know. We really enjoy it and you can start small like we did if need be.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Meerkat said:


> Anyway we can help you let me know. We really enjoy it and you can start small like we did if need be.


Thanks.. We're not going to try at our current place. We are getting our retirement place ready and are going to have a greenhouse by the time were "done" setting the place up. Hubby is thinking aquaponics since he likes fish.


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## JustCliff (May 21, 2011)

I learned a lot starting out on this site.
http://www.hydroponicsonline.com/


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## LastOutlaw (Jun 1, 2013)

Are you considering adding fish to the equation and moving into aquaponics?


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

LastOutlaw said:


> Are you considering adding fish to the equation and moving into aquaponics?


 Me? We're considering everything at the moment. But before we do anything else we have to get the house finished. We have it completely gutted and are repairing some water damage to the floor before we start laying out the new walls and have it rewired. It's going to be exactly the way we want it.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

JustCliff said:


> I learned a lot starting out on this site.
> http://www.hydroponicsonline.com/


 Thanks for site looks like a lot of good info. 



LastOutlaw said:


> Are you considering adding fish to the equation and moving into aquaponics?


 We tried fish but had a problem with the absorption of iron. You need something to chelate the iron so the plants can take it up. It consist of copper and can be toxic in certain forms. Some chelating agents are very dangerous.

Saying that it can be done safely we just decided to go with hydro. Also not sure about how heathy fish are in containment. We don't eat fish from farms. Not really comparing farm fish to aquaponics though if controlled and monitored it can be done.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

I wish I could put up video but only know how to put up links here.

This is the best AQUAPONIC iron info I found in my many searches when I was going for Aquas.


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