Water and your plants

[Scott817]

In this thread I would like to discuss water that we are using for our plants.

Water itself can often be overlooked as a way to increase the growth and health of our plants. Now typically RO/RODI water at the proper PH is considered best for normal usage. If your PH and your temprature are correct there isnt much to to it. Do not use cold water. Water should be room temprature before given to a plant. Now with PH and Temp ready everyone just adds what Nutes they are using and away we go. Now how do we make water better?

It has long been a florists secrest that using water from fresh water fish tank seriously increases plants growth and health. Now why is this? What is in this water?

Well basically water in a fish tank contains naturally processed Nitrogen, Nitrates, Microbateria, and traces of beneficial micronutrients.This is commonly termed "Active biological cycled water" Many of these same thing we are adding to the water artificially with nutrient additives. Many times these artificial additives can burn or harm the plant. Also using this type of water you will not run into harmful chemicals you might run into trying to use pond or river water due to the controlled enviroment. Even rain water collected from roofs can have harmful ingrediants in it.

Most people see the results from using organic products. If you can get water from a fresh water fish tank when its being cleaned and start using that on your plants you will see an increase in growth from the natural chemicals in the water as many other ingrediants that you cannot reproduce artifically. Your plants will be able to absorb more food from this type of water than any you can create on your own with additives.

Does this replace nutrient additions to the water? No but you will use less of some ingrediants than you are using now that the plants will be getting those naturally. You will have to play with it as there are to many variables to get your optiomal blend than can be easily discussed. If you want to discuss measuring and identifying trace elements in cycled water to get to exacting numbers please pm me.

PS do not use water from a goldfish tank. It will be high in ammonia. Tropical fish is what you are looking for.

Questions or comments are always appreciated.

Scott817

 

[figment]

PS do not use water from a goldfish tank. It will be high in ammonia. Tropical fish is what you are looking for.

This means your tank is not cycled or that you do not have enough bio filtration.

 

[Scott817]

Typically goldfish produce large amounts of waste and most goldfish tanks do not have enough biologially supporting media to process the waste effectively resulting in high levels on ammonia in the water. Bio filtration resulting from live plants,live rock or by using a wet/dry setup are not common in cheaper gold fish tanks. A perfectly ran tropic tank will result in 0 readings of Ammonia, Nitrates, and Nitrites. These systems are few and far between but with most properly ran Fresh water tanks will read 0 ppm ammonia, 10-50ppm Nitrates and 0 nitrites. These are your optimal tanks for getting water for your plants.

Here is an iteresting tid bit as well. You could use water from a saltwater fish only tank as well. Now everyone is probably saying no way the salt would kill it. Here is a perfect example of synthetic vs natural. Salt water from a aquarium is made from a synthetic salt blend. You can throw it on your grass, flowers, and plants and it doesnt bother them. If you tried this with real sea water they would die. I would not recommend it though as if the tank owner is keeping corals or using coral supplements they would be to high in calcium, magnesum, and many other elements. I have been draining my salt tanks for years into the yard with no adverse effects.

 

[Scott817]

The mixed results can be easily defined by looking at 2 values in the water being used. Ammonia and Nitrates. Ammonia should be 0 and Nitrates will range from 10-100. If we take these values and compare the results to the plants response we can achieve an actual optimal values that plants can absorb and prosper from. The left over food and waste in the water is basically acting like a orgamic composter for added benefits. Fish food contains many of the ingrediants people are adding to their soil I have noticed. Also these values will change the longer water is being stored so dont store it to long.

 

[figment]

You don't have enough filter then bro. Or you are over stocking. I have been keeping goldfish(as well as tropical...I just really like goldfish better) for years.
Their body mass is just larger than tropical fish. If you have a pound of tropical fish or gold fish in a tank
it still a pound. Tropical fish tend to be flat and stream lined. Gold fish have been bred to be stocky and fat.
So inch for inch they make a lot of waste. Yet both still piss and shit. Most of the ammonia comes from their
respiration though.

Though really man its fish keeping basics if you have ammonia showing up in your tank after it is
cycled then you don't have enough bio. A simply filter wheel can dramatically increase your bio filtration if
you are having trouble with your levels.


Aquaponics. Check it out. The whole system is based on the break down of fish waste.
When you have the proper amount of bio filtration they will produce better than chemical systems.
I always run mine on goldfish and koi.

Also on a side note you should read the ingredients of 'pet' fish food. Aquaponics has taught me to use commercial
'food' fish food for anything that the final product is for human consumption. You can pick up a bag that is just massive for like 12
bucks at a feed store. Alternatively vegetarian fish can be feed with plants grown in the surface and within the system.

 

[Scott817]

*lol* I really wasnt planning on discussing proper tank care and as I stated before if you really take care of a tank you wont have any hi level issues. I just know on an average most gold fish keepers have very poor tank maintenance habits. Personally I would never use a ugly biowheel or ever use bioballs and I can even teach you how to create a high level biological active system using nothing but vodka but thats for another place and not really applicable here.

I posted a few pics of my tank in my intro thread you might want to look at as reference to my tank maintenance and care. 10 years ago that was a cichlid tank that I converted to salt about 3 years ago

 

[JM]

great discussion guys... here an iteritive link

http://www.aquaponicsusa.com/Blog/Entries/2008/12/7_Aquaponics_USA_Water.html

also... what kind of salt is it that doesnt hurt the plants?

JM

 

[Scott817]

I have never had any tank changes effect the yard and I drain about 20 gallons a week.The grass always grows well where I dump it. I looked around to see what the real reason is and ran across this.


"So long as there is good drainage and free movement of salty water through the growing medium plants will tolerate very saline water, even sea water, for indefinite periods."

-Quote from The Beginner's Guide to Hydroponics. Book written by James Sholto Douglas

 

[figment]

I can even teach you how to create a high level biological active system using nothing but vodka

Please do. I am really interested. Or maybe a thread in the misc forum. I Gotta know.

 

[JM]

Please do. I am really interested. Or maybe a thread in the misc forum. I Gotta know.

I'll second that... please do... please edumacate us!