Aquaponic Goblin Grow 2017

Actually I am kinda supplementing with microbes and beneficial fungus

I use the products on the left on top of the pond fish food in the plants roots.

I use the products on the right to feed the filter feeders. Each one has something the others don't. A pinch of each with a half a shrimp from the grocery in a blender on high for 5 minutes or so to get the shells all microscopic...the fish eat the filter feeders and the other half of the shrimp with the shell chopped up into little bits. The shell ads important minerals the fish and the crayfish clams need. I do this every other day then let them forage for a day. So far water tests are good.

 

My team leaders stopped growing, more or less, about 2 weeks ago. This is because they have reached the limit of these little pots. if your looking to grow big fast, you'll want to transplant prior to now, being I'm in no big hurry...I score the root ball with my fingers, add some beneficial microbes and stick em back in their little pots. In a couple days I'll put these in slightly larger pot

 

Well, I got a bit lazy...

But I think this is a good look at how root bound roots look. These plants haven't really grown much in the last 14 days or so.

I mixed up a bit of new soil, scored the roots with my fingers and crammed it, rather carefully, into a slightly larger pot. The small increase in pot size will help force a the root ball to be much more dense than if left to grow in open soil. It's really important to work the soil into the empty spaces, empty spaces are breeding grounds for unhappy things

Happy Growin'

 

Two days later, i can see a diff...but my scale ma be skewed due to highness...thoughts?

 

Go purple team!!! WOO!

 

Purple team



Pink team

 

Tying up the girls this am...i make my rigs out of stainless mig welding wire, ~$20/2lbs i use it fir all kinds a silly

At this stage in the mother making process i start each day with a twisting of each internodal section till noodle like. Once the stem has thickened up and remains rigid in the shape i want, the clips and frames come off. In the last 2 pics You can see the difference in the size of the stem base and the size of the "manipulated internodes"

Happy Growin'

 

Thats pretty fancy ties there.

 

Welding wire? Genius! I got so much of that shit laying around. Pissed I didn't think of it.

 

So, I thought the first 2 cherry red shrimp got eaten, I hadn't seen them in almost a month, so I got two more after bettering the tank seperating apparatus...and then just a week later I had 3 out front!





And not sure what this snail is doing , it's holding bubbles there, maybe laying eggs/making food for the clown loaches

 

I finally got some half ass shots of the crayfish with whiskers out, interesting that these whiskers are actually really strong and razor sharp. They can tear through shrimp meat rather efficiently

 

And here's a couple of incredibly exciting videos of the crayfish, it's not hard to tell which is which but ones red and ones blue. Their lack of vibrant color is an indication that the environment isn't kosher.



Nighttime = crayfish out on the town :

Crayfish feeding :

 

Well, I've given up on cloning in the fishwater until it gets warmer.

I took cuttings of the two GG#4's in Rockwool on top of qty4 clay pebbles in a 1.5" net pot in a heated seedling tray with sterilized water.

Also in there is a 2 month old cutting that just won't die or grow roots, several citronella cuttings, and several cherry tomato cuttings

Happy Growin'

 

This is actually citronella variety of geranium (Pelargonium citrosum.), the herb that produces that wonderful stuff in DEET

 

Do you use any fish water for veg mj plants?

 

Yep, all my vegging plants are fed by the fish water. The original cherry tomato plant that I saved from the compost heap has started bearing fruit, and they are quite tasty. The catnip has flowered also. Just waiting for the seed pods to finish before I harvest, I could have billions of catnip plants this year



I was expecting to see more nutrient deficiency issues being I don't have the recommended population. There is lasting evidence of previous bug issues but the color is good on the new growth

Edit- actually I forgot about my nutrient deficiency issues. Thus far I've seen signs of nitrogen and magnesium deficiency, so I've been supplementing with 2 tablespoons of fish emulsion and 1 teaspoon of Thrive.N Nitrogen 15-0-0 water soluble powder. I haven't seen any nutrient issues since I've been adding this.


Current aquatic life tally:
275g tote
16 or so 1-1/2" gold fish, 2- 3" goldfish

20 gallon tank #1
2- clown loaches(snail baby assassins), 4 red cherry shrimp, 10 or so clams, a red crayfish and a blue crayfish

20 gallon tank #2
2- clown loaches, and 10 or so clams


Currently in ebb n flow buckets:

2- GUerrilla Glue #4 from seed
1- elephant sugar beet
1- cherry tomato
3- catnip plants

The cherry tomato is currently undergoing scientific analysis of the theory of utilizing multiple separated root root zones in aquaponic systems to augment nutrient availability.

The tanks are planted with mosses and grasses but haven't really taken off due to lack of light. I'm currently investigating valid solutions for this


Currently in pots being fed from the fish water run off:

2- citronella geraniums
8- catnip plants
7- spider plants
1- Christmas cactus
1- hanging basket of chives
2- Rosemary plants
1- mint plant
7- elephant sugar beets
1- purple hyacinth
3- oregano plants