Is Fish Water worth the effort

H

High Tide

Well-Known Member
A friend 3 months ago gave me 20 4" tilapia.......I raise it in a 300 gallon IBC container just for the fish poop water and all of the other goodness that comes with the water....I am not doing the full blown aquaponic system to the garden bed and back to the tank.....I pull out 5-8 gallons of water a day to water plants around the yard as well as medical plants.
My local hydro store owner told me ....all things considered......I would save a lot of time , money and effort by ditching the fish and using straight water/nutes.............
I've done 1 harvest with some plants using the fish water and cannot say if it is better or worse..........Wanted to hear what you guys think.................
 
Indacouch

Indacouch

Well-Known Member
Your hydro guy is always guna try to sell product ....never trust the opinion of someone who stands to gain financially from you .....there's lots of people who swear by fish water .......plus you said yourself you can't see a difference for sure so why ditch it and waste money unless it's clear it's not working ....
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Rule number four of growing:

Don't trust the guy at the growstore. They don't know what they're talking about.

The local store I fill up my Co2 tanks tried to get me to work there. I asked them, "Why? So I can tell people they don't need to shop here?"

And they've asked me to refrain from talking outloud in the presence of customers about how you can get peat moss and perlite down the road at the garden center for cheaper than a bale of pro-mix.

I'm sure your fish water is good, as long as your girls look good.

Set up your own worm bin my man, some homemade worm castings and your fish water together...I bet you'd grow some killer bud!
 
Dumme

Dumme

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
Rule number four of growing:

Don't trust the guy at the growstore. They don't know what they're talking about.

The local store I fill up my Co2 tanks tried to get me to work there. I asked them, "Why? So I can tell people they don't need to shop here?"

And they've asked me to refrain from talking outloud in the presence of customers about how you can get peat moss and perlite down the road at the garden center for cheaper than a bale of pro-mix.

I'm sure your fish water is good, as long as your girls look good.

Set up your own worm bin my man, some homemade worm castings and your fish water together...I bet you'd grow some killer bud!
Click to expand...
Most of us are just tring to stay afloat. That not how it works in my store, in fact, I'm usually the one trying to get the customers to DIY a project. To not use overpriced premixes.

The wholesalers that I go threw made me sign a contract that states I my advertising won't be under their 10%MSRP, so it's not upto me.

Ah, but I found a way to beat their money-nazi corporate BS. Since I can't advertise the prices I want, I DO advertise "pricematching" reputable online retailers.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
High Tide said:
A friend 3 months ago gave me 20 4" tilapia.......I raise it in a 300 gallon IBC container just for the fish poop water and all of the other goodness that comes with the water....I am not doing the full blown aquaponic system to the garden bed and back to the tank.....I pull out 5-8 gallons of water a day to water plants around the yard as well as medical plants.
My local hydro store owner told me ....all things considered......I would save a lot of time , money and effort by ditching the fish and using straight water/nutes.............
I've done 1 harvest with some plants using the fish water and cannot say if it is better or worse..........Wanted to hear what you guys think.................
Click to expand...
I used fishwater for yrs, and I almost have considered getting another tank SOLELY for the cycled water.
so my answer is YES it is worth it, especially if they shit a lot.
I had an Oscar tank that was great for that, but I had four two pound Oscars eating sand-dabs all day long, so they shat a LOT
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Dumme said:
Most of us are just tring to stay afloat. That not how it works in my store, in fact, I'm usually the one trying to get the customers to DIY a project. To not use overpriced premixes.

The wholesalers that I go threw made me sign a contract that states I my advertising won't be under their 10%MSRP, so it's not upto me.

Ah, but I found a way to beat their money-nazi corporate BS. Since I can't advertise the prices I want, I DO advertise "pricematching" reputable online retailers.
Click to expand...
No disrespect against you good sir! You sound like you run a reputable store, and not all grow stores are the enemy. Those of us that live in medical and legal states that have experienced a growing boom are just all too familiar with the overly pushy growsalesman pushing bullshit kelp meal extracts as plant additives.
 
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Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
greasemonkeymann said:
I used fishwater for yrs, and I almost have considered getting another tank SOLELY for the cycled water.
so my answer is YES it is worth it, especially if they shit a lot.
I had an Oscar tank that was great for that, but I had four two pound Oscars eating sand-dabs all day long, so they shat a LOT
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I'm interested in giving this a try. How much maintenance is a fish tank when kept for this purpose? I have no idea how to keep fish I've only ever had dogs, cats, and rabbits.
 
Dumme

Dumme

Well-Known Member
You can do the same thing with other animals. Make tea with their shit.
A bucket +
A fish bubbler +
Animal Waste +
Food waste

-Fish will only supply NH4 (Ammonia), +NO2 (Nitrites), and NO3 (Nitrates).

-Fish Food I use add:
Protein (min)………… 34.000 %
Crude Fat (min)………………. 3.0 %
Crude Fiber (max)…………… 10.0 %
Lysine (min)……………………. 1.7%
Calcium (Ca) (min)………….. 1.3 %
Calcium (Ca) (max)………….. 1.8 %
Phosphorus (P) (min)………. 0.8 %

-your plants will still need other nutrients to survive.
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Dumme said:
You can do the same thing with other animals. Make tea with their shit.
A bucket +
A fish bubbler +
Animal Waste +
Food waste

-Fish will only supply NH4 (Ammonia), +NO2 (Nitrites), and NO3 (Nitrates).

-Fish Food I use add:
Protein (min)………… 34.000 %
Crude Fat (min)………………. 3.0 %
Crude Fiber (max)…………… 10.0 %
Lysine (min)……………………. 1.7%
Calcium (Ca) (min)………….. 1.3 %
Calcium (Ca) (max)………….. 1.8 %
Phosphorus (P) (min)………. 0.8 %

-your plants will still need other nutrients to survive.
Click to expand...
That's why Jah gave us worm castings and kelp meal! I've definitely made my share of Bat and seabird manure teas...I don't know about food waste in a tea...
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Dumme said:
You can do the same thing with other animals. Make tea with their shit.
A bucket +
A fish bubbler +
Animal Waste +
Food waste

-Fish will only supply NH4 (Ammonia), +NO2 (Nitrites), and NO3 (Nitrates).

-Fish Food I use add:
Protein (min)………… 34.000 %
Crude Fat (min)………………. 3.0 %
Crude Fiber (max)…………… 10.0 %
Lysine (min)……………………. 1.7%
Calcium (Ca) (min)………….. 1.3 %
Calcium (Ca) (max)………….. 1.8 %
Phosphorus (P) (min)………. 0.8 %

-your plants will still need other nutrients to survive.
Click to expand...
well that depends, if you are strictly talking waste products and macro values, then yea, those teas are superior.
but in a well cycled tank it's sorta like a microbe tea as well, the water is chock full of it (hence how it's a "cycled" tank)
especially if you incorporate bio filtration, like bio-wheels for example, or protein skimmers (usually only used for salt-tanks though)
now I have NO microscope to back that up, nor have I ever had the fishtank water analyzed, but those plants did VERY well on little to no nutrients in the soil (bagged vermfire only)
now that's my stoner-theory, albeit being scientific conjecture, it is an educated assumption
 
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greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
I'm interested in giving this a try. How much maintenance is a fish tank when kept for this purpose? I have no idea how to keep fish I've only ever had dogs, cats, and rabbits.
Click to expand...
it is a little bit of work man, but the cool thing is many, many people go balls out on aquarium setups and find out they don't like it, so usually you can get a setup for almost free, especially when people move (cuz it's an unwashed dirty whore to move a tank)
cruise craigslist in the "free" section, and you'll get shit for probably nothing
but it's a good amount of work though, but inocorporated into growing herb, some growers make the extra effort
a cheap setup would be a 55 gallon, a couple bio wheels, a dozen "feeder" goldfish, and some aquarium sand (sand works best to vacuum the fish shit out of)
later when it gets cycled you can add cheap aquarium plants too, fancier fish, etc.
for me the effort was already there because I was a fish nut, so the first year or so I stupidly never used it on my plants, then I did on some outside and they got a real nice green shade after that.
for yrs after every time I cleaned my tank (weekly) i'd give them the water.
 
Dumme

Dumme

Well-Known Member
greasemonkeymann said:
well that depends, if you are strictly talking waste products and macro values, then yea, those teas are superior.
but in a well cycled tank it's sorta like a microbe tea as well, the water is chock full of it (hence how it's a "cycled" tank)
especially if you incorporate bio filtration, like bio-wheels for example, or protein skimmers (usually only used for salt-tanks though)
now I have NO microscope to back that up, nor have I ever had the fishtank water analyzed, but those plants did VERY well on little to no nutrients in the soil (bagged vermfire only)
now that's my stoner-theory, albeit being scientific conjecture, it is an educated assumption
Click to expand...
I use;
Fish poo
Fish feed
Tap water
Worm Castings (mostly newspaper, coffee, and banana peels)
Muriatic Acid
Phosphoric Acid
Organic Rock Phosphate
Organic Calcium Sulfate (Gypsum)
Organic Potassium Sulfate (Potash)
FeEDDHA (iron)
Galvanize Steel pipe (2 small fittings)
Borax Soap (+11% Boron)
Silica (OMRI)
Magnesium Sulfate (edible Epsom Salt laxative from Riteaid store)
Copper PEX rings
 
Dumme

Dumme

Well-Known Member
todd86 said:
I have no wisdom to share I think you have mistaken me for someone who cares about other people.

none the less im envious of that black dot on your forehead, in-fact its become so hyptonozing....


ok ok

ok ...

I surrender to your evil will.

...

yes yes ... i need to see a doctor.

....don't tell me your problems.
Click to expand...

...I see, your mom dropped you, no worries
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
todd86 said:
I have no wisdom to share I think you have mistaken me for someone who cares about other people.

none the less im envious of that black dot on your forehead, in-fact its become so hyptonozing....


ok ok

ok ...

I surrender to your evil will.

...

yes yes ... i need to see a doctor.

....don't tell me your problems.
Click to expand...
concerned.gif
 
In Shape Vet

In Shape Vet

Well-Known Member
when it comes to setting up a fish tank it would be very helpful to have some very porous rocks in there. what you want to be able to do is set up a place where you can grow a nice bacteria colony to break down the ammonia and start the nitrogen cycle. you can also use scrubbing pads but depending on how often you clean out your tank those will accumulate too much food waste and is bad for the fish. i have experience with salt and fresh water, along with various corals. I used to help my brother tend his small coral farm as well.
 
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