Hi
I've just recently got a greenhouse running to grow aquarium plants emersed. I'm using inert medias: Rock wool, Hydroton, Vermiculite and Perlite mixed and a couple others I'm trialling also. Anyway.. They do not contain any nutrients so no relying on nutrient rich substrate. The roots get oxygen every 15 min and nutrient water every 15 minutes. Flood and drain some call it. Nothing ever dries out and I have no issues with fungi thus far. No fish are involved in this operation so not aquaponics. I am trying to make this environment as controlled as possible. Humidity is around 75 percent most of the time and artificial lights are used.
So I got some ferts from a hydroponics shop and the plants hated them, they were supposedly made for aquatic plants. I tested the water according to their lowest dose on the instructions which happen to be an EC of 1 which is 500 TDS. Now phosphate was off the charts, nitrate was off the charts, Iron was all good but was around .06mg/L so still pretty high but not too bad. GH was around 20 something and my tap water GH is 2 so obviously it had GH boosters in there something chronic. I don't own a potassium test kit yet so can't comment on that. My Ph is around 6.5 but I lower it to 6 as I thought just maybe nutrient uptake might be higher as it is for most terrestrial grown leafy plants like lettuce. Anyway PH is not my problem the ferts are.
Cutting to the chase: I have decided to use my aquarium Fert methods on my hydroponics set up and ditch the shop ones. EI dosing of course. It's only a few days into my new EI hydroponic Fert regime so I cannot comment but I am pretty sure they are looking happier already. Bare in mind I am being a little more heavy handed with the ferts than I would in my aquarium. But Is this going to be enough nutrients considering the substrate is completely void of any nutrients whatsoever and the leaves are not submersed? Do aquarium plants grown hydroponically require the same or more nutrients than if they were grown in a High Light Co2 injected aquarium? Has anyone ever noticed that lettuce's and herbs etc require WAY more ferts than aquatic plants and why??? A generous EI dosing on my hydroponic aquatic plants and my EC is 0.3 (150 TDS) not 500 TDS like I originally dosed with the shop ferts (which are levels fit for herbs btw). Anyone know why aquarium plants require SO much less nutrients than lettuce's and many other terrestrial grown plants? Or is this not the case? Can I burn them with too much fertiliser? So many questions and google ain't giving me answers. I'd love to email Tropica but I very much doubt they would reply. There is a lot of info on how to grow vegetables hydroponically but not aquarium plants.
If anyone grows aquatic plants via a method of hydroponics whether it be flood and drain, deep water culture, drip feed, nutrient flow technique... the list goes on... I am very keen to hear from you and find out what your nutrient levels are in comparison to your Co2 injected aquarium (if different).
Regards
Jess
I've just recently got a greenhouse running to grow aquarium plants emersed. I'm using inert medias: Rock wool, Hydroton, Vermiculite and Perlite mixed and a couple others I'm trialling also. Anyway.. They do not contain any nutrients so no relying on nutrient rich substrate. The roots get oxygen every 15 min and nutrient water every 15 minutes. Flood and drain some call it. Nothing ever dries out and I have no issues with fungi thus far. No fish are involved in this operation so not aquaponics. I am trying to make this environment as controlled as possible. Humidity is around 75 percent most of the time and artificial lights are used.
So I got some ferts from a hydroponics shop and the plants hated them, they were supposedly made for aquatic plants. I tested the water according to their lowest dose on the instructions which happen to be an EC of 1 which is 500 TDS. Now phosphate was off the charts, nitrate was off the charts, Iron was all good but was around .06mg/L so still pretty high but not too bad. GH was around 20 something and my tap water GH is 2 so obviously it had GH boosters in there something chronic. I don't own a potassium test kit yet so can't comment on that. My Ph is around 6.5 but I lower it to 6 as I thought just maybe nutrient uptake might be higher as it is for most terrestrial grown leafy plants like lettuce. Anyway PH is not my problem the ferts are.
Cutting to the chase: I have decided to use my aquarium Fert methods on my hydroponics set up and ditch the shop ones. EI dosing of course. It's only a few days into my new EI hydroponic Fert regime so I cannot comment but I am pretty sure they are looking happier already. Bare in mind I am being a little more heavy handed with the ferts than I would in my aquarium. But Is this going to be enough nutrients considering the substrate is completely void of any nutrients whatsoever and the leaves are not submersed? Do aquarium plants grown hydroponically require the same or more nutrients than if they were grown in a High Light Co2 injected aquarium? Has anyone ever noticed that lettuce's and herbs etc require WAY more ferts than aquatic plants and why??? A generous EI dosing on my hydroponic aquatic plants and my EC is 0.3 (150 TDS) not 500 TDS like I originally dosed with the shop ferts (which are levels fit for herbs btw). Anyone know why aquarium plants require SO much less nutrients than lettuce's and many other terrestrial grown plants? Or is this not the case? Can I burn them with too much fertiliser? So many questions and google ain't giving me answers. I'd love to email Tropica but I very much doubt they would reply. There is a lot of info on how to grow vegetables hydroponically but not aquarium plants.
If anyone grows aquatic plants via a method of hydroponics whether it be flood and drain, deep water culture, drip feed, nutrient flow technique... the list goes on... I am very keen to hear from you and find out what your nutrient levels are in comparison to your Co2 injected aquarium (if different).
Regards
Jess
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