Do Hydroponics create more Waste?

You can't take any stock in this farting thing as buffalo outnumbered cattle and livestock by far in the day and they were not a problem.

Please take into consideration that one major volcanic eruption spews more toxins and gases than mankind has emitted through out our entire industrial era.

Canadians only use about 5% of the countrys landmass...the rest is barren wilderness.

If you wanted to keep this thread realistic....
Go back to where you were with talking about aquaponics and go from there.
Consider an ornamental fish (goldfish, koi) as opposed to something you plan to eat.
Do a vertical setup with the fish down below and the plants up top.

WestDenverPioneer said:

If you wanted to keep this thread realistic....
Go back to where you were with talking about aquaponics and go from there.
Consider an ornamental fish (goldfish, koi) as opposed to something you plan to eat.
Do a vertical setup with the fish down below and the plants up top.

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Sorry man, I can't and won't control people. Wasn't me who started with all this off topic stuff. I'm just letting it die for now.

Off-topic happens.

My comments remain the same. If you wanted organic hydroponics with a constant recirculating system, minimum "impact"' to the planet... aquaponics. Since you're in a limited space and just playing around with it... goldfish or koi will be a good place to start.

WestDenverPioneer said:

Off-topic happens.

My comments remain the same. If you wanted organic hydroponics with a constant recirculating system, minimum "impact"' to the planet... aquaponics. Since you're in a limited space and just playing around with it... goldfish or koi will be a good place to start.

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Could you please indulge us on this organic DWC set up ?? other then Aqua ponic which by the way uses 1000's of gallons of water, filtration as well as irrigation systems ... Done properly ( Bell syphon's etc )
it sure looks good on paper yet practically it fails for the average 100 gallon DWC grower ??
We have seen many failed attempts of organic DWC and i am not talking adding beanies etc ,,
Personally unless a grower has a degree in micro biology and a microscope and knows the difference between good bacteria and bad your going to fail miserably
Sterilized closed loop is the only way to grow DWC

You're not going to grow cannabis to its potential in an aquaponic system fed by koi in a shower. You can very easily pull off crops of herbs and smaller items like lettuce.
The "thousands of gallons" of water you mentioned is unrealistic. I doubt a thousand gallon tank would fit in his shower. The water recirculates and doesn't go to waste. You lose more to evaporation, uptake, etc.

So I think I would just start by getting a ton of the smallest fish I could and let them soil the water up for a month or so. Then go from there.

BTW. You don't need a degree in anything to know how to do something. If a person knows theory of knowledge and has mastered scientific method. There is really little one can't learn to an expert degree. Quality of source becomes the real issue.

Though the plants might not develop to their optimal state if the system isn't 100% it would still be a healthy alternative to heavily fertilized hash production fields.

Vikerus Forrest said:

So I think I would just start by getting a ton of the smallest fish I could and let them soil the water up for a month or so. .

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Yes, and no. You can kill off all the fish if you don't start it right. Adding too many fish at once is not a good start. Read up on aquaponics and starting aquariums, blend the knowledge and you can make it work.
The fish have environmental limits. So do the plants. You have to have them both balanced to make it work. The proper balance RARELY gives off enough food (nutrients available) to grow cannabis to its potential. This is because Cannabis is a big feeder. You could grow mint, basil, parsley, dill, and a long list of herbs all day long in the nutrients provided by an aquarium. As the system ages you will find it stabilizes and runs better. Your fish will grow so if you start with a crowded tank you have nowhere to go except into trouble-ville. Stay out of that town. Just sayin'.

Vikerus Forrest said:

Though the plants might not develop to their optimal state if the system isn't 100% it would still be a healthy alternative to heavily fertilized hash production fields.

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A deficient or unhealthy plant is not a healthy alternative to anything. <-- not a fortune cookie, just sayin'.

WestDenverPioneer said:

A deficient or unhealthy plant is not a healthy alternative to anything. <-- not a fortune cookie, just sayin'.

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I think our intent is different hahah. Just keep in mind that I might be out to do best for the planet not just the end product to be consumed. And as you said "RARELY." Meaning if one does it right then there is something to this.

2ANONYMOUS said:

Could you please indulge us on this organic DWC set up ??

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Rafts.

Vikerus Forrest said:

I think our intent is different hahah. Just keep in mind that I might be out to do best for the planet not just the end product to be consumed. And as you said "RARELY." Meaning if one does it right then there is something to this.

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It CAN be done. You will simply have better luck with less demanding plants.
You could also use it just for cloning, vegging, 'teen stage. Then move the plants over to a system with more giddyup and watch them bloom and produce for you.

Vikerus Forrest said:

So I think I would just start by getting a ton of the smallest fish I could and let them soil the water up for a month or so. Then go from there.

BTW. You don't need a degree in anything to know how to do something. If a person knows theory of knowledge and has mastered scientific method. There is really little one can't learn to an expert degree. Quality of source becomes the real issue.

Click to expand...

I live near an organic hydro lettuce farm.. I was talking to the head of operations the other day, and he was educated by Dr Elaine Ingham, in a simple seminar.. It is false to say that organic hydro cant be done in a commercial operation.. And with lettuce.. People can be taught the organic techniques.. they are however a bit more complicated.. PH pen to be replaced by a microscope.

And many are missing alot of knowledge too, it does not have to be aquaponics, the commercial operation I know is using nutrient teas via various composting methods using hydroponics in NFT to feed the lettuce crop. Bacterial action creates salts,..

But we all have to realize that we still need things like compost heaps, vermicomposting to provide the extracted nutrition for the crops. We still need piles of "dirt" or waste for this operation. Nitrifiying bacterial action creates salts..

If we think about it, a small cannabis grow could actually remove waste from the environment, by recycling kitchen waste or other various bits of paper or trim. I"m not guessing here I'm telling you, recycling waste from your kitchen or whatever sources and into your cannabis grow is cheaper than buying nutrients.

I am not against hydro in any way, but you have to have very specific needs or conditions to grow hydro. My mother plants grow in DWC. But if I need pollen, they grow in dirt, the microbes make it simple to take care of.

Keep it simple, and remember.. better, is the enemy of good.

As GGWild just stated it doesn't have to be what you think of for "traditional" aquaponics. There are many designs out there that have rabbit cages over a nutrient tank using rabbit waste (instead of fish waste) to feed the system.

GrowerGoneWild said:

Keep it simple, and remember.. better, is the enemy of good.

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This would be a step back for me but thanks for the wise words. That lesson was learned a while ago.
More or less this thread should be a continued meditation on technique.

WestDenverPioneer said:

As GGWild just stated it doesn't have to be what you think of for "traditional" aquaponics. There are many designs out there that have rabbit cages over a nutrient tank using rabbit waste (instead of fish waste) to feed the system.

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I was just considering a floating island design using coco or the like as a living environment for bugs/molds/bacteria
What comes to mind is reproducing what happens with a stream but as a loop. Using embankments as the actual media.

WestDenverPioneer said:

As GGWild just stated it doesn't have to be what you think of for "traditional" aquaponics. There are many designs out there that have rabbit cages over a nutrient tank using rabbit waste (instead of fish waste) to feed the system.

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Brilliant, I'll feed the bunny leaf trim wastes and it gives me back fertilizer..

If you really desire low impact, throw some seeds in the ground in the spring and come back in the fall. If you want to grow top quality cannabis (the main goal) hydro is the way to go imo.

Interesting read...