Better question for the hydro folks methinks. Molasses will NOT make your buds sweeter (thing don't work that way for plants). It WILL gunk up your plumbing.
There is an ongoing organic hydro roof-top experiment from Montreal that you can look up and study. The project was established around 2005 if I remember correctly. I looked at several articles on this and it was pretty interesting as far as the methods employed and most importantly the overall size of the project. HTH LD
I hope to learn more about this in the spring/summer. I've recently made contact with someone who has grown with aquaponics for 30 years and has done some recent break throughs using ACT instead. His technique sounds astounding and could revolutionize organic hydroponics. All I can suggest right now is experiment using compost tea.
I think that fermented plant extracts used in conjunction with ACT in a drain to waste system could be a viable hydro method. I was contemplating trying this in a Hempy bucket with my comfrey FPE. The one question I had though is whether an inert medium such as coco or a coco/perlite mixture would support microlife long enough to be of benefit. chunk
The big surprise is that oxygenated water apparently can support nutrient cycling microorganisms in the presence of roots
I did a guppieponics grow about 12 years ago using a top feed, drain to waste setup. I had an 80 gallon aquarium with around 500 misquito guppies for my nutrient solution. It was a small setup, just 9 4gal containers on a drain table under a 1000hps, equal parts peat,perlite,crushed red brick,and coarse blasting sand for the medium.. I had to get a hydro buddy to help me out with the plumbing. Towards the end, I ditched the automated system and went to hand feeding. I was really impressed when I saw the video on the organic garden network with the guys in Michigan(I think) who were doing the 3 acre greenhouse using the same basic principle, raising Tilapia, using the waste water to feed watercress,chard,etc. then filtering with an organic filter and running back to the Tilapia tanks. Brilliant IMO!!
The University of Arizona did quite a bit of ground breaking research years ago in exactly what you have described. I believe the future for feeding the planet is found in a similar system. Raising fresh water fish (bass, trout, catfish, tilapia) and using the water to grow vegetables and the vegetables and other plants to purify the water. A closed system. It is a no brainer!
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV9CCxdkOng]1 MILLION pounds of Food on 3 acres. 10,000 fish 500 yards compost - YouTube[/ame] Here's the link. I think more of the cannabis community should view this as a viable alternative to "hydro", even if one were using ornamental fish.
My last system was a purely recirculating aquaponic system. I had 42 plant sites divided into 21vertical/21horizontal using aeroponics as the mehod of hydro. The main tank was 120 gallons with a 40 gallon sump that returned to the main tank and held surface media for the bacteria. This was all in a 5x10 footprint with (3 400w hps) 1-mom's 2- hps for flower and 160w floro veg. Mothers where in dirt. I would harvest a row every 30 days. The tank was a subtropical tank filled with fish that could handle temps of 75 degrees, ph of 6.7, and peaceful temperment. The most difficult thing about getting a system like this running is balancing plant nutrition while loading the system. When I started my plants looked shitty. Once is was running it was the easiest thing to maintain. I had to also look at various new methods for pest control. Neem is toxic to fish. Feed fish-foliar feed-harvest. Harvest was around 1-2oz per site. I could see it being a lot easier to do in this day and age. FPE and AACT make getting nutrition to the plant simpler and healthier. At that time I would use GH 3-part @1/8 strength to help with any nutrient issues. Not one of my finest moments, but you live and learn. Dr. James Rakocy in the Virgin Islands is a great resource educating yourself about this type of system. My friends run a commercial aquaponic farm using Talapia. All my lettuce, spinach, and basil are grown aquaponically.