Aquaponics system is a type of set up that you can use as a technique during your growth stage of your marijuana. It is the art of aquaculture, which is when you grow fish in tanks, and hydroponics, which is when you grow plants in the water. It is sometimes referred to as organic hydroponics.
Aquaponics growing system is done when fish are being raised in a tank and nutrients which they produce are being converted by bacteria and turned into nutrients so that plants can use it. The nutrients from the fish are poop and being produced by their gills. These plant roots will help the water to be cleaned before it re-circulates to the fish tank again. This is the whole cycle of the aquaponics set-up. Read on and let’s learn more about this aquaponics continuous flow setup for marijuana growing.
Ecosystem of Aquaponics
Aquaponics has an ecosystem of fish and cannabis. The fish are the one responsible to make nutrients while the cannabis is the one who cleans the water for the sake of the fish.
Fish are the most used species in an aquaponics set up but there are still other aquatic creatures that can be used such as crayfish, shrimp, or prawns. Ornamental fish and edible fish can be both used in an aquaponics system. Most growers want to have species that can tolerate crowding. Tilapia is a good choice of species for an aquaponics system because besides being edible, it can also adapt well to aquaponics. For ornamental fish, goldfish and koi are another good choices because they are nice-looking and can survive in a sub-optimal environment.
Some growers consider aquaponics to be the most efficient method to cultivate both plants and fish at the same time since combining both of them can reduce all the costs of farming. Big commercial operations usually use aquaponics to have profitable combinations such as lettuce and tilapia fish. For smaller setups, this system is also a sustainable and efficient way to produce food even without the use of infertile land and other resources. Also, aquaponics system can dramatically reduce the amount of water which is needed to grow fish, while producing quality and high-nutrient yields.
Setup for Marijuana Growing
Aquaponics setups are nearly similar to the hydroponics system. The difference is the source of the nutrients which the plants use. In an aquaponics setup, nutrients do not need to be added to a water tank because the nutrients are already produced as a waste from the fish. These nutrients which are diluted fish wastes are absorbed by the roots of your plants. Upon absorbing, the roots will also purify the water before returning it back to the aquarium. The only input that is needed is fish food and this can be easily purchased and grown for your own system.
Nitrogen is the primary nutrient which is produced as a fish waste. This has trace amounts also of some minerals. This makes the basic aquaponics systems be effective for those leafy greens. When you grow cannabis with this setup, you have to utilize additional nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus. Similar plants such as fruit and vegetables can also use this kind of set up.
The Dual Root Zone System
Making a self-sustaining ecosystem can take a lot of time. When creating one, your plants are susceptible to nutrient problems such as some nitrifying bacteria. Root zone microbes can be utilized to be beneficial but this cannot happen instantly. This is the reason why a lot of growers who use the aquaponics system effectively sort out to the dual root zone system.
In this setup, a pot is used for aqua clay pebble bed. The top and the bottom root zones are usually divided by fabric barrier such as a burlap. Growers usually supplement their top root zone without the need to kill the fish. A gradual supplementation will eventually become a less concern when the overall system becomes self-sustaining already. A lot of growers choose to use nutrient-rich soil for their container for the top root zone.
Benefits of Aquaponics
A conventional hydro grower usually benefits a lot when they turn to aquaponics system because they already have all the cultivation experience that they need and switching to such system will not cost them too much. A lot of organic growers usually turn to aquaponics set up because this is considered to be 100% natural and can function independently of fertilizers.
There are no other known methods as of now when it comes to cannabis cultivation that can yield buds with as little resources.
Barriers and Complications associated with Aquaponics
Aquaponics may not be for everyone so if you are a beginner or has a little experience when it comes to hydroponic cultivation, then this method may not be advisable to dive to instantly. Soil growers usually appreciate the potential with this setup but they may not have the required experience needed. Fish farming is an important thing to learn if you want to have this kind of set up. Even hydro growers will still have to quit chemical fertilizers and brush up on organic. Cultivators and growers who want this kind of setup should take time to study and research because this can be essential in building up a good knowledge base.
A raft aquaponics system can be a terrible idea for cannabis. This kind of setup should never cross your mind. With this, you cannot crop the top-shelf buds, especially in swamp-like conditions.
Using a long-term aquaponics cultivation can be a good choice to be the second system if you want to take a cutting or rotate crops. One system should be tuned to vegetative growth phase of nutrient necessities and lighting schedule while the second one must be adapted for the flowering phase.
Bottom-line
Aquaponics continuous flow setup for marijuana growing is a great way to benefit from natural resources in growing your cannabis. Supplementation of right kinds of nutrients for your plants must always be a top priority because this can greatly affect the growth especially the yields of your plants. There are a lot of choices and setups that you can utilize for your cannabis. Whatever method you use, it is important to take time to learn all the basics so that nothing will go wrong as soon as you utilize everything.
