 | WATER CULTURE Convert an aquarium into a simple hydroponic system. The plants are suspended on a floating Styrofoam platform. This system is popular for classrooms because the roots of the plants are visible hanging below the floating platform. |
Materials Required:
AQUARIUM - Any water tight container with fairly vertical sides will work. Light breaks down the nutrient solution and encourages algae growth so if you us an aquarium you will need to construct a light shield out of cardboard or aluminum foil to keep light out of the reservoir (aquarium). If you wish to view the roots make the light shield (or part of it) removable. |
FLOATING PLATFORM - You will need a piece of Styrofoam 1 1/2" to 2" thick. Cut Styrofoam to fit loosely inside the aquarium (or whatever you are using for a reservoir). |
PLASTIC CUPS - Use several small plastic or Styrofoam cups to hold the plants on the floating platform. (NOTE: We usually use Solo brand 3oz. plastic bathroom cups, but you can use any small plastic cup as long as it has tapered sides). |
GROWING MEDIUM - You will need a small amount of growing medium, enough to fill the plastic cups. (NOTE: The Professor recommends using Perlite or a perlite / Vermiculite mix for the growing medium). |
AIR PUMP AND AIR STONE - You need to use an air pump and airstone to oxygenate the nutrient solution. A regular air pump designed for an aquarium is all that is required. |
HYDROPONIC FERTILIZER * - A good quality hydroponic fertilizer is required, regular "dirt" fertilizers do not contain essential "micro-nutrients". For more information about the differences in hydroponic and "dirt" fertilizers CLICK HERE. |
pH TEST KIT * - You will need some way of checking and adjusting the pH of your nutrient solution. |
Note: Simply Hydroponics and Organics has an inexpensive "Starter kit" that consists of quality hydroponic fertilizer, a liquid pH test kit (good for hundreds of tests) two bottles of liquid pH adjuster (1 pint pH up, 1 pint pH down) and Instructions. CLICK HERE for additional information.
ASSEMBLY OF SYSTEM
-
Cut the Styrofoam float to fit the reservoir. Cut the float a little smaller than the opening so that it won't bind up when the water level changes.
-
Cut the holes in the float to the proper size for the plastic cups that you are using, you want the bottoms of the cups to hang below the bottom of the float but not fall through. (NOTE: We usually use Solo brand 3oz. plastic bathroom cups, these require a 1 7/8" to 2" hole.
-
Cut several holes (aprox. 1/8" to 1/4" dia.) in the bottom of your plastic cups. Add growing medium to the cup (NOTE: if the growing medium falls out through the holes you can put a small piece of fiberglass window screen or small piece of cloth over the holes before adding the growing medium. For more information about Growing Mediums CLICK HERE).
-
Plant your seedling, rooted cutting or seed in the growing medium.
CARE AND FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS
-
Fill the aquarium (reservoir) with water. Mix your nutrient solution as per the instructions on the fertilizer package. Check pH and adjust accordingly. NOTE: The required pH value will vary depending on the requirements of the plant. For more information on pH, CLICK HERE.
-
Attach 1/4" airline to the air stone and place airstone in reservoir. Attach free end of tubing to air pump and plug in air pump to outlet, make sure that there are bubbles coming from the air stone. (NOTE: NEVER submerge the air pump in water as electrical shock could occur).
-
Place floating platform on top of the nutrient solution. Put plastic cups into the holes in the floating platform.
-
When the plants have used up about half of the nutrient solution you can add WATER ONLY to bring the level back up (do not add fertilizer or you could cause a nutrient build up that could harm the plants). Recheck pH and adjust if necessary.
-
When the plants have used half of the nutrient solution for the second time you need to change out the nutrient solution by draining the reservoir and then mix a fresh batch. Use the old nutrient solution on house plants or other vegetation.
Example Types of growing methods used in Hydroponics
| Passive Systems This method of growing hydroponically is very easy and is an ideal introduction to growing without soil. It also needs very little equipment, yet should still allow you to grow plants better than simply in soil.The method you can see in the picture is the way I will be trying to passively grow tomatoes and cucumbers this year (2006), as we currently don't have a greenhouse with electric power this is an ideal time to try this method. |  |
The system is set up by filling up a pot with some medium for the plant to grow in, rather than soil this could be either perlite or clay pebbles which are both popular neutral growing mediums and are easy to purchase in garden centres. The medium is rinsed thoroughly before being placed into the growing pot. If you are using perlite make sure you rinse this in a well ventilated area as dry perlite is very dusty, also make sure the pot you are using has drainage holes in the bottom.
The plant is then placed into the medium like you would plant a normal plant into soil. I have grown my plants from seed and grown them entirely in rockwool cubes so I can just place the cube with the plant straight into the pot.
This also means no mess, apart from the perlite which can make the area look like it's just snowed and it also gets very sticky when wet.
The pot and plant is then placed into a pot saucer tall enough for quite a bit of nutrient solution(Water and Nutrients) to sit in, the nutrients are then used to water the plant as you would water a normal plant in a pot so that the nutrients flow through the medium into the saucer at the bottom. This process will probably only need to be done every few days when the plant is small but might need to be done once or maybe twice a day if it's warm weather or the plant is growing large and using lot's of nutrients.
I will be growing quite a bit with this system this year (2006) and will keep my web site updated with photos and any progress so keep checking back.
| Aeroponic Systems For quite a while it has been agreed by experts that a properly working aeroponic system is pretty much the most effective way of growing plants without soil. The way an aeroponic system works is by supplying the root zone of the plants with a fine mist of liquid nutrients rather than just a continuous flow of liquid, this not only fulfills the plants nutrients needs but also gives the plant a large amount of oxygen within the nutrients which is an ideal situation to be in. |  |
The fine mist in a small system can be supplied by a spinning nozzle which is simply attached to a standard hydroponic nutrient pump outlet within a nutrient container. The plants are then suspended in baskets or just loose above the mist so that the roots dangle into the nutrient spray.
One of the good things about a small system like this is that you can easily see all the fast root growth as it happens by carefully lifting the plants out of the nutrient mist.
The biggest problem with an aeroponic system is the upkeep necessary to keep the fine mist system working correctly. For example blocked nozzles will instantly stop the system from working correctly and starve the plants of the necessary oxygen and nutrients they need.
Aeroponic systems are currently in the early days of development and I'm not sure at the moment whether these systems will prove reliable enough for continuous use, but I am going to give one a go this year (2006) by trialling an aeroponic propagator I have purchased. Early results are very very encouraging, please keep visiting my 2006 web pages for photos.
Also if you would like to see a large scale aeroponic system in action you might like to take a trip to Epcot at Walt Disney World in Florida, In the Land area of the park you can see a large scale system in action for yourself which supplies food to all the Hotels and Restaurants around the Walt Disney resort. If your not planning a visit soon though have a look at my Out and About Gallery where you can find some photo's I have taken from a previous visit there, There are also photo's of the other systems they have there such as NFT systems etc.
| NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) This method is the simplest of all ways of growing hydroponically and is the one I use most in my own growing. This system involves allowing a shallow film of nutrient solution (This is Water with nutrients added) to flow past the roots of your plants. The solution is usually pumped from a holding tank to the end of channels where it then flows over the roots before falling back into the holding tank. This process is usually run continuously throughout the day, |  |
A setup like the one shown above can be made more advanced by adding an automatic topup system, This will allow the Holding tank to fill itself up automatically when it starts to go empty.
An examply of this can be seen on my Greenhouse pages, Where one of my greenhouses is fitted with a automatic topup system from a pre-filled water butt.
A Spreader matt is usually placed on the channel floor to allow an equal distribution of nutrients across the floor of the channel.
Plants can be placed into the channel at any state of growth as long as a good healthy roots are present, If they are the plant can simply be placed into the channel's flow of nutrients.
| Dripper Feed systems The dripper feed system or drip irrigation system makes it easy to treat each plant individually with regards to the amount of nutrient solution each receives. The nutrient solution is pumped up from the holding tank along pipes to drippers, These hang over the plants or are inserted into plant pots or blocks of rockwool as in the animation opposite. The dripper itself is fitted to limit the flow from the pipe to the plant to just a mere drip. The plant will take what it needs and any excess solution is allowed to drain back into the holding tank ready for re-use. Like the NFT system it is not necessary to run the pump throughout the night. |  |
I have tried this system out myself during the 2002 season and although it worked succesfully I am now using the tank and pump for a plain NFT setup. Partly because I didn't see any increase in production over growing with the NFT Method and Partly because of the extra work necessary in setting the system up and keeping it working (ie. the drippers kept getting blocked for me).
| Water culture system In water culture systems the plants are placed such that their leaves are bathed in the nutrient solution within the holding tank. In a floating ( sometimes called a 'Raceway system') like the one opposite the nutrient holding tank is actually the growing bed. The plants themselves are placed into holes on floating styrofoam boards with their roots dangling into the nutrient solution. The solution itself rather than being pumped around as in the other systems, Is oxygenated and moved around the plant roots by an aquarium type air pump attached to a perforated tube at the bottom of the holding tank, Which continuously blows air bubbles into the nutrient solution. Plants which seem to enjoy living in this system are leafy plants such as Luttuce, Spinach, Chard etc. Unlike the other systems here the pump must be run continously to oxygenate the nutrients. |  |
I am regularly using this system each year now successfully along side my main hydroponics systems to grow batches of lettuces. To see what my water culture system looks like have a look at the Greenhouse No 2 page.
| Ebb & Flood systems This method is more complicated, It is also a system which I have not tried for real yet. But I've detailed it here for completeness. It involves flooding your plant table with nutrient solution for a set time. The nutrient solution is then allowed to Ebb away back into the holding tank. Now a delay occurs and the routine begins again. This system requires more equipment than NFT, Including a Timer and something to allow the Ebb to occur. This system is sometimes used where a more decorative system is needed, As pebbles can be placed between the plants on the table. |  |
To have a look at our first greenhouse Click Here
source:http://nft.ellams.com/methods.htm
Hydroponics - Strawberry Tree
Strawberry Tree
To leave an interactive reply to any article, click on its title!
Lately, we’ve been working on a way to grow strawberries utilizing more vertical space and have come up with a couple of variations of what can only be called a “Strawberry Tree”.
The growing method is the static technique. Plants are started from bare-root stock, stolons, clones and plugs.
As this project develops, more up-to-date pictures will be added. “After” pictures will be added as the plants grow. For now, here are a couple of “Before” pictures:
2-gallon bucket stackable "Strawberry Tree" growing system.
As soon as possible, a pictured DIY building tutorial will be offered here.
Two-month Update:
Strawberry Trees having grown for two months; looking good.
Tight shot of fruiting strawberry in vertical planting (tree).
Another strawberry in fruit; this one in the stacked-buckets tree.
Oh . . . and did I mention TenGreenThumbs grows tomatoes too?
Tags: bucket, growing station, strawberry, tree, waist high
| |||
One Response to “Strawberry Tree”Leave a ReplyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Source: http://tengreenthumbs.com/?p=748 |
Build a Mini-Aquaponic System
- a select article from the Aquaponics Journal
by Rebecca Nelson
A mini aquaponics system is an excellent means of demonstrating aquaponic principles and the nitrification cycle in a recirculating aquatic environment. Following are instructions for building a small system that is ideal for a teacher, students of hobbyists who wants to get a start in aquaponics.
What You’ll Need:
Following is a list of the parts you’ll need to build an aquaponic system. The next section, Components Explained, describes and explains each of these components and includes recommendations for alternative items and specific products.
- A tank for the fish: 3-20 gallon, glass or plastic container ($5 – $20)
- Gravel – 2.5 lbs./gravel for every 5 gallons of water in the fish tank ($2 – $5)
- Water pump – 3-4 watt pump capable of lifting 18” – 54” at 30 – 100/gal/hour (small circulation or fountain pump is ideal) ($19 – $40)
- 3 ft. of plastic tubing that fits the outlet on your water pump ($1 – $2)
- Aquarium air pump sized for the number of gallons in your fish tank ($8 – $16)
- Air stone (1” – 3”) ($1 – $2)
- 3 ft. of air tubing to connect the air pump to the air stone (must fit the air pump outlet) ($ 1)
- Grow Bed – must sit on top of fish tank and be 3” - 8” deep ($ 5 – $20)
- Growing Medium – enough pea gravel, perlite, coconut coir, expanded clay pebbles or peat moss to fill the grow bed ($2 – $5)
- pH test kit and, depending on the pH of your water, pH down or pH up ($5 – $15)
- Fish and plants
Tools Required:
-
Drill with 1/4” or 3/16” bit and 1/2” bit
- Scissors
- Electrical tape
Component Explanation:
a tank for the fish
The fish tank can be a glass or plexi-glass aquarium or you can use any other clean container that holds water, for example, a plastic tub, bucket or barrel. We recommend anything between 3 – 20 gallons, although, you can go with a larger tank if you have the space. Small, clean plastic amphibian cages, available in most pet shops, make an excellent mini-system. They hold about 3 gallons and are quite inexpensive.
The standard sized fish aquariums of 10 and 20 gallons are also reasonably priced. The larger the tank, the larger grow bed area you can support. As a general rule, you can support 1 - 2 square feet of growing area for every 10 gallons of fish tank water.
gravel for tank bottom
The gravel serves as a home to the nitrifying bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate, which can be used by the plants. Most pet stores carry natural or colored aquarium gravel. The individual pebbles are about 1/8” in size. Be sure to wash the gravel thoroughly before using it because it is often dusty. Unwashed gravel will cloud your tank water.
water pump and tubing
A small water pump is used to pump the water from the fish tank to the grow bed. After the water is pumped into the grow bed, it gravity-feeds back to the fish tank. You’ll need enough tubing to go from the outlet on the pump to the top of your grow bed and form a circle within it.
air pump, air stone and tubing
You need an air pump to blow air into the tank water for both the fish and the plants. Tubing connects the air pump to an air stone at the bottom of the tank. The air stone breaks the stream of bubbles coming from the air pump into micro-bubbles, which greatly increase the oxygenation in the water.
grow bed
The grow bed, which sits on top of the tank, must be slightly larger than the length and width of the fish tank. The grow bed is filled with a growing medium that the plants grow in. A plastic Rubbermaid container, a garden planter or other container that will sit on top of the tank will work fine. The container should be between 3” - 8” deep.
You can use a plastic tub or, for a very nice looking unit, build one out of plexi-glass and seal it with a non-toxic, silicone glue. If you build the grow bed, you can accommodate an aquarium light by making a cavity in the grow bed that the light can slide into. If you are using some other kind of container, a light can sit just behind it if there is room.
growing medium
A growing medium is a porous, chemically inert material that holds the plant roots and maintains moisture. Examples include: perlite, expanded clay pebbles, peat moss, pea gravel and coconut coir. You need enough to fill your grow bed.
fish and plants
In an aquaponic system, the fish provide the nutrients the plants need and the plants purify the water by consuming those nutrients.
Optional Components:
aquarium heater (for tropical fish)
Most gardeners or aquarists setting up an aquaponic system choose ornamental fish for the tank and most ornamental fish originate in tropical waters. A tank temperature of 78 degrees F will need to be maintained for tropical fish. Two kinds of aquarium heaters are available, submerged and tank-side mounted. Either will work, but be sure the heater you choose is sized for the number of gallons of water in your fish tank. If the aquaponic system is placed in an area where the air temperature is maintained between 70 – 76 F or, if you choose cool water fish goldfish, you do not need a heater.
light for fish tank
Most aquariums have a florescent light so you can see the fish and monitor their health. You can add one if you’d like but it is not a necessity.
grow light for the plants
If you establish your system in an area with low light levels, you may need to add artificial light for healthy plant growth. Keep in mind that bright light will quickly encourage algae growth in the fish tank. You should try to point an artificial light in a way so that it does not directly penetrate the fish tank. If you do have rapid algae growth, you can scrape the interior walls of the fish tank or buy a plecostomus, a fish that eats algae. If the grow bed is in a windowsill with bright sunlight, in a greenhouse or planted with plants requiring low light levels, a grow light isn’t necessary.
Assembly Instructions:
Step 1.
Thoroughly wash the gravel and place in the bottom of the fish tank.
Step 2.
Drill 1/8” or 3/16” holes in the bottom of the grow bed every 2 square inches so the water can drain into the tank. In one of the back corners of the grow bed, drill a 1/2” hole for the tubing from the water pump to pass through.
Step 3.
Place the water pump in the fish tank then set the grow bed on top of the tank. Feed the tubing from the water pump through the 1/2” hole. Leave enough tubing to extend about 3/4 the height of the grow bed and to loop around the inside of the grow bed. Cut off any excess tube and fold the end over. Seal the folded piece with electrical tape.
Step 4.
Fill the grow bed with the growing medium to just under the top of the tube.
Step 5.
Puncture small holes every 2 inches in the section of tubing that loops in the grow bed.
Step 6.
Cover the loop of tubing with an inch or two of growing medium.
Step 7.
Fill the fish tank with water.
Plug in the pump to ensure that the water is pumped into the grow bed, trickles down through the growing medium and continuously back into the tank. Depending on the size of your tank, grow bed and pump, you may have to adjust to flow.
Step 8.
Connect you air pump to the air stone with the air tubing. Place the air stone in the tank and plug in the air pump. A steady stream of bubbles should rise through the water, providing fresh air
Step 9.
Check the pH of your water using litmus paper, a pH test kit or pH meter. Limtmus paper and inexpensive pH test kits are avilable in most hardware pool supply stores. The ideal pH is 7.0 for an aquaponic system. If it is higher than 7.2 you should lower it with a “pH down” product and if it is lower than 6.8 you should raise it with a “pH up” product, both of which are available from aquarium stores.
Step 10.
Allow the unit sit for 24 hours to be sure all chlorine has dissipated from the water. If you want to stock you fish right away, you’ll need to add a chlorine remover, which is available from aquarium shops and pet stores.
Step 11.
Add your fish to the fish tank. Initially, you should lightly stock your tank with no more than 1/2” of fish per gallon of water. Once your system has been established for over a month you can increase to fish density to 1” per gallon of water.
Step 12.
Ideally you should wait approximately 4 weeks to add plants to your system, but if you are eager to plant it, add just a few plants or seeds and increase plant density in a month or so when your system is well established.
Fish and Plant Selection
In selecting your fish, choose hardy species like goldfish, guppies, angelfish and other common varieties available from your local aquarium or pet store. Most desktop aquaponic gardens do not include food fish because there isn’t enough space to grow them to maturity. If you do want to raise food fish or a local species, be sure to provide adequate water temperature and feed.
A desktop aquaponic garden will support most varieties of house plants, lettuce, spinach and herbs. Ideally, you should start your plants from seed in a grow cube (also called jiffy cubes) or loose in the growing medium in your grow bed. Very small seed can be sprouted by placing them between two paper towels that are kept warm and most. You can also transplant plants from an existing hydroponic system with good results.
If you must transplant from soil, thoroughly wash away all of the dirt surrounding the roots and wash the leaves being sure to remove any pest insects.
You will have the most success with leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach and herbs or houseplants such as anthodium, dracaena, dieffenbachia and philodendron.
You can also plant aquatic plants in the fish tank. They will provide a more natural habitat for the fish and aid in purifying the water.
Nitrification Cycle
Fish excrete ammonia in their wastes and through their gills. In sufficient quantities ammonia is toxic to plants and fish. Nitrifying bacteria, which naturally live in the soil, water and air, convert ammonia first to nitrite and then to nitrate. In your aquaponic system the nitrifying bacteria will thrive in the gravel in the fish tanks and in the growing medium in the grow bed. Nitrate is used by plants to grow and flourish. The plants readily uptake the nitrate in the water and in consuming it, keep the levels safe for the fish.
System Maintenance
The only daily input in this system is fish food. With any aquarium, frequent small feedings are better than fewer large feedings. Unless you have a really large tank, a pinch of food is all it takes. You should never feed more than the fish can completely consume in 5 minutes. Most tropical fish will be fine with a dry flake fish food but occasionally varying their diet with brine shrimp or blood worms will definitely keep them healthier and happier.
The water level in the tank will slowly decrease as some water is absorbed by the plants and some evaporates. Every few days you should refill the tank to the top. About once a month a 10 - 15% of the tank water should be siphoned out and replaced with fresh water.
Experiment Ideas
An aquaponic system is an excellent tool for experimentation and proving or disproving a hypothesis. Following are four theories and experiments that can be done to prove each.
Theory 1:
Although an aquaponics system will produce good plant growth, the hydroponic system with precisely measured nutrients will produce faster growing, higher quality plants.
Experiment 1:
Set up a hydroponic system and an aquaponic system. Monitor and document which one best supports plant growth.
Theory 2:
A healthy aquaponic system has ample nutrients for leafy crop growth, but fruiting plants will be lacking sufficient quantities of certain elements.
Experiment 2:
Plant a leafy crop such as lettuce and a fruiting crop such as tomatoes and monitor to see which one does best in aquaponics.
Theory 3:
A pH of 7.0 is the best for an aquaponic system. At a lower pH, nitrification slows down and the water quality will be reduced, stressing the fish, and at a higher pH the plants will be stressed.
Experiment 3:
Set up three aquaponic systems. Run each at a different pH, one at 6.0, one at 7.0 and one at 8.0. Observe and document the plant growth and fish health at varying pH levels.
Theory 4:
Denser fish populations will support more plant growth due to increased fish waste and nutrients in the water.
Experiment 4:
Set up two aquaponic systems, stock one with 1” of fish/gallon of water and the other with 1/2” of fish per gallon of water. Observe the difference in plant growth.
March 29th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
[...] or openings at different levels or other interesting ideas such as from this hydroponics grower: TenGreenThumbs Blog Archive Strawberry Tree (strawberries grown by stacking pots and buckets and allowing runners to cascade downward, creating [...]