Aquaponics insanity...

Hey I appreciate the help... btw this is my first grow... ever lol.... I know the science is on my side... just need more money to make it work honestly.... i will pick this back up lager but for now im going to go with a method that's sure to work... Need something to smoke ya know!!!

Originally Posted by Atomizer

Not enough biofiltration to process the ammonia into nitrite and finally nitrate is more accurate. Plants can uptake the ammonia directly but if it climbs to toxic levels you`ll lose the fish. The hydroton in the bed is effectively your biofilter and it takes time for the nutrifying bacteria to colonise it. If you put too much ammonia loading on too fast it`ll crash. I`d recommend the OP do a little research on basic fishkeeping before anything else.

Atomizer is right. You need to take about a month to build up a good bacteria culture in your bio filter (hydroton/Grow medium.). I grew about 6 letuce plants, but my tank had about 25 goldfish. Its possible to grow MJ in an aquaponics system, but you can't start it with mj. You need to use some other plants you don't mind sacrificing at first until you build up that culture. Then you can transplant a plant into the system. check my vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o2cO...&feature=g-upl . This is a great system, because you aren't required to balance anything. Its a enclosed nitro system. All you have to do is maintain fish feed, water levels and water temp. Ph is naturally regulated and the fish and plants will adapt. Don't listen to anyone who doesn't have experience in aquaponics, because it sounds impossible until you actually put together a system that works. My ammonia levels were near zero because my system was working so well. My ph levels were stable and my water was crystal clear. The system I put together was under $200, and produced more veggies than we could eat. Plants can't use ammonia. It needs bacteria to change it to Nitrite. Keep trying buddy, and you might just develop one of the most easily maintained, low cost mj producing systems imaginable. I am going to fire my system back up once my outside temps drop back down. Good luck!