Aquaponics

What is Aquaponics?
Aquaponics is the combination of recalculating aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics. The fish waste provides ammonia that is converted via bacteria into the nutrients the plants need and the plants, in taking up these nutrients, help to purify the water in which the fish live. This is an organic process with the only input to the system being fish food which creates a sustainable ecosystem where both plants and fish can thrive.

Sounds good right? No more dumping tons of money on organic nurturance. I have never done this before, and haven't seen it used much for marijuana, so lets give it a go.

First I have my 55 gallon fish tank that is well established with lots of bacteria, and fish. I have a plecostomus, and angel fish, 5 sharks of various varieties, and two groupers.




Next up I need to build the grow room. The room was placed in the basement because no heating or cooling will be used year round, this should help provide a more stable temperature. First everything was removed and wiped down with bleach, and then a wall was framed.




The wall was then covered with greenboard to resist mold and moisture, just in case. The floors, walls and ceiling where then covered with 5.5mm thick plastic. All of the seams were then taped with low VOC duct tape to make the room air tight. ¼” tubing was installed to the garage for CO2 injection.




Hooks were installed in the ceiling to suspend the lights with chains so the height is adjustable.

Lights were then installed; the lights were selected on heat output and lum / watt. Since the room will not have any exhaust heat is a big issue. Two Sunblaze 8 lamp T5 HO fixtures were selected. Half of the lamps are 6500K, and every other bulb is a 3000K for a good blend of color. Each lamp is 54W and produces 5,000 lumens each for a total of 864 watts and 80,000 lumens or 93 lumens / watt.

A dehumidifier was added to the room to keep the humidity at 35% the discharge from the dehumidifier will go back to the fish tank. The water in the dehumidifier has a PH of 8.5 and 15ppm.

Next a radio alarm clock was added that plays a babbling brook and cricket noises all day.

Now let’s do a quick electrical check, 992 watts of lights, 360 watts of fans (two large oscillating), 1500 watt ceramic heater, 20 watt clone heater, 490 watt dehumidifier, 112 watts of air pumps for a total of 3474 watts. This is all on a 110 V circuit, so the lights and heater will take 23 amps so they will be on a new dedicated 30 amp circuit. The remaining electrical will take 9 amps and will placed on the existing 15 amp circuit. Always check our electrical so you don’t burn down your house.

I am going to grow 8 plants under this setup to start:
Blue widow, Jack Flash #5, (2) Super Lemon Haze and a Mongolian Indica all in an organic soil mix, and (2) Cheese and a Skunk#1 in bubble buckets.

Blue Widow



Super Lemon Haze



Jack Flash #5

Skunk#1

Big Budha Cheese


I won't be needing these anymore


The plants will be watered every other watering from the aqurium (both DWC bubble buckets and soil) and everyother watering will be plain water.

The lights were swithched over to 12/12 on Decenber 17th.

Wish me luck.

Two weeks into flowering and they are all showing sex now, and no real signs of stress.

The sativas are leggy so they are harring one light (Super Lemon Haze and Jack Flash #5)



All of the others are cramed under the other light.



I will try to keep the updates coming, let me know if you have any questions.

I don't plan on adding or removing anything from my fish tank water, so I thought I would take a couple of readings just to let you know where it is. Currently the PH is at 7.11 and the TDS are at 975ppm. Sounds high on the PH, but I think it will still work.

I don't know much about growing, but your plants look impeccable.

Good luck.

This is awesome. hahaa.. I love experiments in botany

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Good luck

I don't know much about growing, but your plants look impeccable.

Good luck.

Thank you for stoping by, I can't wait to see how it turns out.

This is awesome. hahaa.. I love experiments in botany

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Good luck

Thank you it has been used before with other crops, if it works I am hoping to install a tilapia tank in my basement eventually.

I buy tilapia all the time, im subbing in now!

I buy tilapia all the time, im subbing in now!

Glad to see you stop by I will try to get some updates up soon.

Definitely one of the most original projects i've seen on the city. Good work!

what a great looking grow so far mate!

really interested to see how this turns out

Lookin pretty beutifal, im gonna put a plant in my fishtank itself, ill tell you how i goes.

Definitely one of the most original projects i've seen on the city. Good work!

Thank you, I hope it works.

what a great looking grow so far mate!

really interested to see how this turns out

I can't wait, but it's looking good so far.

Lookin pretty beutifal, im gonna put a plant in my fishtank itself, ill tell you how i goes.

Good luck you will have to let me know if it lives.

Here are some more pictures, they are still looking happy, watered from the fish tank today.

That last pic is very pretty

what ever happened to this?

I ended up with a yield of only about 1 to 2 oz per plant. It was top quality, but by using synthetic nutrients I can get 5 times the yield... so I have scraped the idea for indoor.

I think I might still attempt it for outdoor this summer.

Very interesting. Fine idea. Number one pictures.

I ended up with a yield of only about 1 to 2 oz per plant. It was top quality, but by using synthetic nutrients I can get 5 times the yield... so I have scraped the idea for indoor.

I think I might still attempt it for outdoor this summer.

Did you end up with airy buds or just a low yield. Curious as i had an underfed organic grow last year that ended up fluffy. When i regrew a clone from the same mother with my normal botanicare nutes, the density was A+.

Great idea nonetheless.

Also, did you flower under the pictured light? It looks like 6400k t5's.

i'm curious about trying this myself next grow. just a one or two plant experiment. OP did you have anything you would do different?

i was thinking maybe 40-50 of those small feeder goldfish. they're cheap enough.

i was wondering about the pH though. the setup would hydro with organic nutes... would you have to balance the pH for hydro or just let it run as is? and then you have to see what pH the fish can tolerate.

definitely something i want to try. i just think it would be awesome to open my rez and see fish swimming around.

i'm curious about trying this myself next grow. just a one or two plant experiment. OP did you have anything you would do different?

i was thinking maybe 40-50 of those small feeder goldfish. they're cheap enough.

i was wondering about the pH though. the setup would hydro with organic nutes... would you have to balance the pH for hydro or just let it run as is? and then you have to see what pH the fish can tolerate.

definitely something i want to try. i just think it would be awesome to open my rez and see fish swimming around.

If you let you aquarium/res get a little established first you don't have to add any nutes. My PH was typically a little high, but I didn't see and burn on my plants from it, and I was worried about the fish. Just like any hydro you have to keep light out of your res, so you don't get algae that will eat your Nutes, but then the fish get depressed without light.

the way i understand it, light in the fish area is ok since you need bacteria in order to break down the ammonia to make it useable by the plants.

DIY Aquaponics - Aquaponics made easy so you can do it yourself - Benefical Bacteria for the Growbed

and with adequate aeration, algae shouldn't form. light on the root area is obviously bad though.


when i try this, i'll keep a journal of it. hopefully it will be in the next couple months.