cdmtdm Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Add me to the list. I have been involved in hydroponics and aquaponics for a while and am just about to set up a new hybrid hydroponics system. anything you can share would be appreciated ....esp for aquaponics cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penkoprod Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 (edited) I only inquired about a subforum on Hydroponics, considering that there is already a pinned section on aquaculture/aquaponics i think hydroponics should stand alone because of the vast difference in the two, this is only my opinion of course, Scoop The only thing about pinned threads is that they get lost in the mists of time, as it were Like your title states, perhaps a sub forum on each of the 3....Hydroponics, Aquaponics and Aquaculture. This might generate a bit more interest than at present. In fact i am very suprised there isnt a place for the aquarium folk to post/gather Isnt this a popular enough pastime in Thailand, i wonder? Penkoprod Edited July 2, 2012 by Penkoprod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penkoprod Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 ok , my biggest query is where can the equipment for the aquaponics system be purchased in Thailand ? excluding tanks, i think that can be sorted easily enough ... i have found many good suppliers in Australia but of course prefer to purchase here ... I would think you are in "Heath Robinson territory" with this You will have to cobble something together out of what you can find. There will be a few aquaculture places around big cities i should imagine, for things like pumps and the like but a DIY culture will get most of what you need, i should think. "Adapt and overcome" being a key phrase. Might be a bit of a pain in the neck, but......think of the fun you can have designing and then finally running a system you, yourself and no one else has That is until such times as some enterprising person comes up with the idea of making custom kits and so on, here in Thailand. The likes of Sylvia Bernstein, Gina Cavaliero, Murray Hallam etc Penkoprod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdmtdm Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 ok , my biggest query is where can the equipment for the aquaponics system be purchased in Thailand ? excluding tanks, i think that can be sorted easily enough ... i have found many good suppliers in Australia but of course prefer to purchase here ... I would think you are in "Heath Robinson territory" with this You will have to cobble something together out of what you can find. There will be a few aquaculture places around big cities i should imagine, for things like pumps and the like but a DIY culture will get most of what you need, i should think. "Adapt and overcome" being a key phrase. Might be a bit of a pain in the neck, but......think of the fun you can have designing and then finally running a system you, yourself and no one else has That is until such times as some enterprising person comes up with the idea of making custom kits and so on, here in Thailand. The likes of Sylvia Bernstein, Gina Cavaliero, Murray Hallam etc Penkoprod actually its part of the appeal of doing this here , its going to be trial and error ,but i think also an interesting process ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKJASE Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 anyone got any drawings on any equipment they have made, just buy sourcing pipes etc from the local hardware store? ie the set up they have designed to stand the plants in....... also, where do you buy the food from? what is good for growing vegetables, and how much does it cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penkoprod Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 actually its part of the appeal of doing this here , its going to be trial and error ,but i think also an interesting process ... Exactly !!!!! And you learn a lot about what goes on in the environment, too.....because you build your very own one !!!! Penkoprod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop1 Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share Posted July 2, 2012 (edited) anyone got any drawings on any equipment they have made, just buy sourcing pipes etc from the local hardware store? ie the set up they have designed to stand the plants in....... also, where do you buy the food from? what is good for growing vegetables, and how much does it cost? Hi UKJASE, are you talking about Hydroponics or Aquaponics, i may be able to help you with information on Hydroponics, { making your own balanced nutrients for the crop you wish to grow, what to use and how to use it }, its best for any novice to start off very simple and learn that way, its important that you get a good result first time, but Aquaponics is not my field of expertise someone else will be able to help you with that i am sure. If it is Hydroponics you are interested in, tell me what you have grown before and how did you grow it, if you have never done it before i will explain some simple ways to get started in a very small way, the only problem is the nutrients and if you wish to make your own. Cheers Scoop Edited July 2, 2012 by Scoop1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop1 Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 I only inquired about a subforum on Hydroponics, considering that there is already a pinned section on aquaculture/aquaponics i think hydroponics should stand alone because of the vast difference in the two, this is only my opinion of course, Scoop The only thing about pinned threads is that they get lost in the mists of time, as it were Like your title states, perhaps a sub forum on each of the 3....Hydroponics, Aquaponics and Aquaculture. This might generate a bit more interest than at present. In fact i am very suprised there isnt a place for the aquarium folk to post/gather Isnt this a popular enough pastime in Thailand, i wonder? Penkoprod Totally agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop1 Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 (edited) Hydroponics There are many ways of growing fresh produce hydroponically, but i think to start with it is best to try and keep it simple for those who have had little or no experience and build up from there, i know this may make boring reading for the more advanced growers but i think it is necessary, as regards to what is needed, i think most people will have something lying around the house or farm that will do just nicely, hydroponics can be as simple or as scientific as you want to make it, its not always lots of pipes and pumps , the most simple and idiot proof way is a simple plant pot or bucket { Plastic } with drainage holes the pot can be filled with an inert substance such as coir { Coco Peat } although coir is not totally inert it is used widely in commercial hydroponic production and normally has an EC { Nutrient Strength }of less than EC .3 and this is fine for hydroponics , after you have potted the plant its time to feed it some nutrients and any excess will just run out of the bottom of the pot, so you really cant drown your plant, that is the simplest way, very very basic which is called "Run To Waste" or an "Open System". As for the nutrients! this is where the decision making begins , if you buy pre-made then you have to totally rely on a manufacturer for your nutrient needs, which can get expensive if using a lot and also you dont know exactly what is in the nutrients and at what amounts , that are in the bottles, and there have been manufacturers sued because what was written on the bottle was not what was in the bottle, and if you have to buy nutrients, in Australia it can cost up to $180 for 4ltrs of Part A and Part B ,and its only worth about $5 to make yourself , i personally think that anyone wanting to grow hydroponically should learn how to make there own and then they are in total control, which is what hydroponics is about, total control over the growing environment. For people just starting out with, lets say, 6 pots with Pak Choy it probably be better to buy pre made to start with and see how you go , making your own is not that hard, you just need to learn a few calculations and have a good set of digital kitchen scales Hope this helps a someone Scoop Edited July 3, 2012 by Scoop1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdmtdm Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Hydroponics There are many ways of growing fresh produce hydroponically, but i think to start with it is best to try and keep it simple for those who have had little or no experience and build up from there, i know this may make boring reading for the more advanced growers but i think it is necessary, as regards to what is needed, i think most people will have something lying around the house or farm that will do just nicely, hydroponics can be as simple or as scientific as you want to make it, its not always lots of pipes and pumps , the most simple and idiot proof way is a simple plant pot or bucket { Plastic } with drainage holes the pot can be filled with an inert substance such as coir { Coco Peat } although coir is not totally inert it is used widely in commercial hydroponic production and normally has an EC { Nutrient Strength }of less than EC .3 and this is fine for hydroponics , after you have potted the plant its time to feed it some nutrients and any excess will just run out of the bottom of the pot, so you really cant drown your plant, that is the simplest way, very very basic which is called "Run To Waste" or an "Open System". As for the nutrients! this is where the decision making begins , if you buy pre-made then you have to totally rely on a manufacturer for your nutrient needs, which can get expensive if using a lot and also you dont know exactly what is in the nutrients and at what amounts , that are in the bottles, and there have been manufacturers sued because what was written on the bottle was not what was in the bottle, and if you have to buy nutrients, in Australia it can cost up to $180 for 4ltrs of Part A and Part B ,and its only worth about $5 to make yourself , i personally think that anyone wanting to grow hydroponically should learn how to make there own and then they are in total control, which is what hydroponics is about, total control over the growing environment. For people just starting out with, lets say, 6 pots with Pak Choy it probably be better to buy pre made to start with and see how you go , making your own is not that hard, you just need to learn a few calculations and have a good set of digital kitchen scales Hope this helps a someone Scoop ok so how do we make the feed ? very good post by the way thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grimleybob Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 ok , my biggest query is where can the equipment for the aquaponics system be purchased in Thailand ? excluding tanks, i think that can be sorted easily enough ... i have found many good suppliers in Australia but of course prefer to purchase here ... I would think you are in "Heath Robinson territory" with this You will have to cobble something together out of what you can find. There will be a few aquaculture places around big cities i should imagine, for things like pumps and the like but a DIY culture will get most of what you need, i should think. "Adapt and overcome" being a key phrase. Might be a bit of a pain in the neck, but......think of the fun you can have designing and then finally running a system you, yourself and no one else has That is until such times as some enterprising person comes up with the idea of making custom kits and so on, here in Thailand. The likes of Sylvia Bernstein, Gina Cavaliero, Murray Hallam etc Penkoprod You can build an aquaponics system out of anything you want as long as you use the formula below. You will need a water testing kit and back up power supply as the pump MUST RUN 24/7. If you pack your beds with plants you don't need any further filters. Compost worms in the beds also help. Keep it simple. AQUAPONICS.docx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop1 Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 (edited) These are the Fertiliser Salts that you require to make a balanced Hydroponic Nutrient, the elemental percentages should be as close to these as possible, but if they are slightly different it can be easily calculated, also you will need 2 x 30litre very clean open mouth plastic containers, one for PART A and one for PART B. If you, like me want to use individual Micro Elements { Trace Elements } you will need a set of scales that can weigh down to .1 of a gram, not everyone will have access to these so you will have to use the Micro Elements from Wesco Thailand they have them in one pack ready to use, as to the elemental content i am not sure nor do i know the dilution rate and this will have to be known before we can get the balance right, when all this is done i can give you the weights of the individual fertiliser salts per litre to make a balanced general purpose Concentrated Nutrient Stock Solution which can be diluted with water to make a Working Strength Nutrient Solution to feed to your plants, it is a good nutrient to use with most vegetables at different ECs because you can use higher or lower ECs { Nutrient Strength } with out the solution becoming deficient or toxic to your plants, lettuce and strawberries are salt sensitive as are most Asian leafy greens, tomatoes and peppers are salt tolerant and are fed at a higher ECs but more about that later. The advantage of being able to make your own nutrients, is that you can change the elemental content in the nutrient solution to suit the plants you grow and the stage of groth of the plants, i sometimes can have 5 different nutrient formula for tomatoes to suit the stage of growth and the ever changing nutrient uptake. Hydroponic { Concentrated Nutrient Stock Solution } PART A Calcium Nitrate, 19.0 Ca 15.5 N Iron Chelate [Fe EDTA] 13.2 Fe Hydroponic { Concentrated Nutrient Stock Solution } PART B [ MAP ] Mono Ammonium Phosphate 12.2 N 26.9 P Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate 28.7 K 22.8 P Potassium Nitrate 38.0 K 13.0 N Magnesium Sulphate 9.8 Mg 13.0 S Boric Acid 11.3 B Zinc Sulphate 22.7 Zn Manganous Sulphate 32.9 Mn Copper Sulphate 25.6 Cu Sodium Molybdate 39.7 B Cheers Scoop PS- Wesco Have hobby sets so you dont have to buy 25kg bags of the Macro Nutrients, so it may be worth a call to them if you are interested, i know another member, rice555 uses these Edited July 3, 2012 by Scoop1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop1 Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 (edited) This is the breakdown of the Element concentrations of the Working Strength Nutrient Solution { that is fed to the plants } when its all done. 50ml of Part A and 50ml of Part B Concentrated Nutrient Stock Solution in 10 litres of water { dilution rate of 1-200 } = EC 2.0 N = 173 mg/l = ppm p = 43 K = 300 Ca = 102 Mg = 28.46 S = 37.46 Fe = 3.696 Mn = .329 Zn = .227 B = .30975 Cu = .0448 Mo = .1985 NH4 { Ammonium Nitrate } = 4.97% or 6.40% of theTotal Nitrogen depending on PH Cheers Scoop Edited July 4, 2012 by Scoop1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rice555 Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Hello All, WESCO sales micro's by the Kg. rice555 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdmtdm Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 ok , my biggest query is where can the equipment for the aquaponics system be purchased in Thailand ? excluding tanks, i think that can be sorted easily enough ... i have found many good suppliers in Australia but of course prefer to purchase here ... I would think you are in "Heath Robinson territory" with this You will have to cobble something together out of what you can find. There will be a few aquaculture places around big cities i should imagine, for things like pumps and the like but a DIY culture will get most of what you need, i should think. "Adapt and overcome" being a key phrase. Might be a bit of a pain in the neck, but......think of the fun you can have designing and then finally running a system you, yourself and no one else has That is until such times as some enterprising person comes up with the idea of making custom kits and so on, here in Thailand. The likes of Sylvia Bernstein, Gina Cavaliero, Murray Hallam etc Penkoprod You can build an aquaponics system out of anything you want as long as you use the formula below. You will need a water testing kit and back up power supply as the pump MUST RUN 24/7. If you pack your beds with plants you don't need any further filters. Compost worms in the beds also help. Keep it simple. AQUAPONICS.docx thanks mate ..when are u heading back to LOS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grimleybob Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 ok , my biggest query is where can the equipment for the aquaponics system be purchased in Thailand ? excluding tanks, i think that can be sorted easily enough ... i have found many good suppliers in Australia but of course prefer to purchase here ... I would think you are in "Heath Robinson territory" with this You will have to cobble something together out of what you can find. There will be a few aquaculture places around big cities i should imagine, for things like pumps and the like but a DIY culture will get most of what you need, i should think. "Adapt and overcome" being a key phrase. Might be a bit of a pain in the neck, but......think of the fun you can have designing and then finally running a system you, yourself and no one else has That is until such times as some enterprising person comes up with the idea of making custom kits and so on, here in Thailand. The likes of Sylvia Bernstein, Gina Cavaliero, Murray Hallam etc Penkoprod You can build an aquaponics system out of anything you want as long as you use the formula below. You will need a water testing kit and back up power supply as the pump MUST RUN 24/7. If you pack your beds with plants you don't need any further filters. Compost worms in the beds also help. Keep it simple. AQUAPONICS.docx thanks mate ..when are u heading back to LOS? I can't see it happening before Feb because of issues over here that need sorting. I would be over tomorrow if it were possible. So the answer is ASAP Grimley-still hand raisin the Pork Pies- bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop1 Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 (edited) Hi Rice, are the Micro's all together in 1 pack and if they are what is the dilution rate they advise and do the have an analysis on the pack also they sent me an email saying they have hobby sets for 2000tbt do you know anything about these, they told me it will make 100ltrs of concentrate i have emailed the guy you told me about but after some emails back and forth i cant seem to get him now, has he left the company? This is the email he sent me Subject : Hydroponics FertilizersWesco Chemicals Thailand imported high grade 100% water solublefertilizer and all chelated trace elements for hydroponics and soilless cultures.We supply hydroponics fertilizers to almost all hydroponics farm in Thailand.Please send your quanlity requirement for those items,N,P,K fertilizer strandardpacking is 25 kgs/bag and trace element is 1 kg packing.We also supply special packing at 2,000 ฿/pack for hobby set which comprise all those reguested items.( can make 100 lts of stock A and B )For further information you can contact Khun Veerapol at 085-449-9982 Kind RegandsVeerapol N Edited July 4, 2012 by Scoop1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonjake Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 scoop and the other boys in this tred, im due home to thailand end sept after this job is done in scotland, there is another english man lives near to me who id doing this on a big scale, his place must be 40ft high for some reason,i dont know, with clear polothene roof, lots of beds with water running, anyway when i get back ill go and see him and ill ask if i can take some pics to post on here if your interested, he grows salad, letuse to us, sells it all over thailand, ive only met the guy once, but i came away with a fair bit of salad,,lol, leave it with me, sorry itll be a while but ill get them jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop1 Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 (edited) scoop and the other boys in this tred, im due home to thailand end sept after this job is done in scotland, there is another english man lives near to me who id doing this on a big scale, his place must be 40ft high for some reason,i dont know, with clear polothene roof, lots of beds with water running, anyway when i get back ill go and see him and ill ask if i can take some pics to post on here if your interested, he grows salad, letuse to us, sells it all over thailand, ive only met the guy once, but i came away with a fair bit of salad,,lol, leave it with me, sorry itll be a while but ill get them jake He May be growing Indeterminate tomatoes, commercially thats how it is done and you have to get on a ladder to harvest them, it is an efficient way if it is run well, but the longer they are growing the closer you are to disease problems, to do it that way you have to be very clinical about your growing practices Scoop Edited July 5, 2012 by Scoop1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdmtdm Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 scoop and the other boys in this tred, im due home to thailand end sept after this job is done in scotland, there is another english man lives near to me who id doing this on a big scale, his place must be 40ft high for some reason,i dont know, with clear polothene roof, lots of beds with water running, anyway when i get back ill go and see him and ill ask if i can take some pics to post on here if your interested, he grows salad, letuse to us, sells it all over thailand, ive only met the guy once, but i came away with a fair bit of salad,,lol, leave it with me, sorry itll be a while but ill get them jake what area Jake is this farm ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop1 Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 (edited) For those who may be interested Calculating a Target PPM from Fertiliser Salts for a Hydroponic Nutrient I always like to work with 5 litres of Part A and Part B of Concentrated Nutrient Stock Solution to make 1000 litres or { 50ml of Part A and 50ml of Part B to make 10 litres } of Working Strength Solution [ expressed as a dilution rate of 1 - 200 } lets start with Calcium Nitrate, Remembering that Calcium Nitrate has around 1% of the Nitrogen in the Ammonium form { NH4 } as an impurity, and 14.5% in Nitrate form [ NO3 ] this sometimes is not labeled on the bag but simply states 15.5%N but it is important in the calculations Calcium Nitrate = 18.8% Ca 14.5% N - NO3 Nitrate Form 1.0% N - NH4 Ammonium Form Lets say we want 102ppm of calcium in the Working Strength Nutrient Solution 102ppm x 100 = 10,200 10,200 divided by 5 { 5 litres of Concentrated Stock Solution } = 2,040 2,040 divided 18.8 { Percentage of Calcium in Calcium Nitrate } = 108.5 grams/litre So you would use, 108.5 grams of Calcium Nitrate per litre of Water to make the Concentrated Nutrient Stock SolutIon which will give 102 ppm of Calcium in the 1000 litres of Working Strength Solution if you use a 1-200 dilution rate. 108.5 x 5 litres = 542.5 grams to make 5 litres of concentrate 108.5 x 10 litres = 1,085 grams to make 10 litres of concentrate and so on Hope this is not too confusing and i will let someone else work out the what the two Nitrates are adding to the mix { no prizes for getting it right sorry }, i hate typing, lol Cheers Scoop Edited July 5, 2012 by Scoop1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdmtdm Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 ok , my biggest query is where can the equipment for the aquaponics system be purchased in Thailand ? excluding tanks, i think that can be sorted easily enough ... i have found many good suppliers in Australia but of course prefer to purchase here ... I would think you are in "Heath Robinson territory" with this You will have to cobble something together out of what you can find. There will be a few aquaculture places around big cities i should imagine, for things like pumps and the like but a DIY culture will get most of what you need, i should think. "Adapt and overcome" being a key phrase. Might be a bit of a pain in the neck, but......think of the fun you can have designing and then finally running a system you, yourself and no one else has That is until such times as some enterprising person comes up with the idea of making custom kits and so on, here in Thailand. The likes of Sylvia Bernstein, Gina Cavaliero, Murray Hallam etc Penkoprod You can build an aquaponics system out of anything you want as long as you use the formula below. You will need a water testing kit and back up power supply as the pump MUST RUN 24/7. If you pack your beds with plants you don't need any further filters. Compost worms in the beds also help. Keep it simple. AQUAPONICS.docx Bob , what is the procedure in the beginning when u first introduce fish and plants?... you will have no nutrients as yet the fish will be small as will the plants ...Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grimleybob Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 ok , my biggest query is where can the equipment for the aquaponics system be purchased in Thailand ? excluding tanks, i think that can be sorted easily enough ... i have found many good suppliers in Australia but of course prefer to purchase here ... I would think you are in "Heath Robinson territory" with this You will have to cobble something together out of what you can find. There will be a few aquaculture places around big cities i should imagine, for things like pumps and the like but a DIY culture will get most of what you need, i should think. "Adapt and overcome" being a key phrase. Might be a bit of a pain in the neck, but......think of the fun you can have designing and then finally running a system you, yourself and no one else has That is until such times as some enterprising person comes up with the idea of making custom kits and so on, here in Thailand. The likes of Sylvia Bernstein, Gina Cavaliero, Murray Hallam etc Penkoprod You can build an aquaponics system out of anything you want as long as you use the formula below. You will need a water testing kit and back up power supply as the pump MUST RUN 24/7. If you pack your beds with plants you don't need any further filters. Compost worms in the beds also help. Keep it simple. AQUAPONICS.docx Bob , what is the procedure in the beginning when u first introduce fish and plants?... you will have no nutrients as yet the fish will be small as will the plants ...Cheers You run the system for 2 to 3 weeks and bacteria will build up naturally. You can also introduce a few common goldfish to help it along. Do your water tests and introduce the fish followed by the plants. Don't forget the fish and plants are both small at this stage so the nutrient levels will increase as the fish grow. You can also add compost worms into the mix. They will not only survive but will breed in the growbeds. When they become too numerous, feed some to the fish. The worms will help keep the gravel in the beds clean.Initially test the water twice a day untill you are confident that the ammonia levels are OK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angiud Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 A bit late and hurry, but I'm interested to a subforum too. I run an hydroponic bank to grow rocket for my restaurant ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rice555 Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hello All, the main micro mix in the B is : Mgo 7.29%, Fe 1.90, Mn 1.94%, Cu 2.08%, Zn 1.90%, B 2.17%, Mo .0024%. The A micro is: Fe 7%. rice555 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penkoprod Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 This thread is getting a bit disjointed now Some are talking aquaponics, and some are talking hydronics in the same thread. I can see this getting really messy, lol !!!! Perhaps its time a decision was made whether or not we get sub forums for each? Penkoprod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rice555 Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hello All, the fish poo russlers can't find the fish and fish/veg thread in the pinned link in the OG section, see 'pinned' fish poo link. 555rice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop1 Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 A bit late and hurry, but I'm interested to a subforum too. I run an hydroponic bank to grow rocket for my restaurant ;-) Thats great anguid, tell us a little about your system, do you make your own nutrients, are you using an open or closed system Cheers scoop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop1 Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 This thread is getting a bit disjointed now Some are talking aquaponics, and some are talking hydronics in the same thread. I can see this getting really messy, lol !!!! Perhaps its time a decision was made whether or not we get sub forums for each? Penkoprod great idea, waiting waiting!! scoop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoop1 Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 (edited) For those who may be interested Calculating a Target PPM from Fertiliser Salts for a Hydroponic Nutrient I always like to work with 5 litres of Part A and Part B of Concentrated Nutrient Stock Solution to make 1000 litres or { 50ml of Part A and 50ml of Part B to make 10 litres } of Working Strength Solution [ expressed as a dilution rate of 1 - 200 } lets start with Calcium Nitrate, Remembering that Calcium Nitrate has around 1% of the Nitrogen in the Ammonium form { NH4 } as an impurity, and 14.5% in Nitrate form [ NO3 ] this sometimes is not labeled on the bag but simply states 15.5%N but it is important in the calculations Calcium Nitrate = 18.8% Ca 14.5% N - NO3 Nitrate Form 1.0% N - NH4 Ammonium Form Lets say we want 102ppm of calcium in the Working Strength Nutrient Solution 102ppm x 100 = 10,200 10,200 divided by 5 { 5 litres of Concentrated Stock Solution } = 2,040 2,040 divided 18.8 { Percentage of Calcium in Calcium Nitrate } = 108.5 grams/litre So you would use, 108.5 grams of Calcium Nitrate per litre of Water to make the Concentrated Nutrient Stock SolutIon which will give 102 ppm of Calcium in the 1000 litres of Working Strength Solution if you use a 1-200 dilution rate. 108.5 x 5 litres = 542.5 grams to make 5 litres of concentrate 108.5 x 10 litres = 1,085 grams to make 10 litres of concentrate and so on Hope this is not too confusing and i will let someone else work out the what the two Nitrates are adding to the mix { no prizes for getting it right sorry }, i hate typing, lol Cheers Scoop Ok its raining and i'm bored so i will do it, so we have got our target ppm of Calcium now we have to work out how much Nitrogen in both forms are being added to the nutrient from the Calcium Nitrate NO3 = 14.5% move the decimal point one place to the right, ie 145.0 145.0 x 108.5 { grams/litre Calcium Nitrate } = 15,732.5 15,732.5 x 5 { 5 litres of Concentrated Nutrient Stock Solution } = 78,662.5 78,662.5 divided by 1000 { litres of Working Strength Nutrient Solution } = 78.6625 So 108.5 grams/litre of Calcium Nitrate adds 78.6625ppm of Nitrogen in Nitrate { NO4 } form Now lets do the Ammonium Nitrate form { NH4 } NH4 = 1.0% move the decimal point one place to the right, ie 10.0 10.0 x 108.5 { grams/litre Calcium Nitrate } = 1,085 1,085 x 5 { 5 litres of Concentrated Nutrient Stock Solution } = 5,425 5,425 divided by 1000 { litres of Working Strength Nutrient Solution } = 5.425 So 108.5 grams/litre of Calcium Nitrate adds 5.425ppm of Nitrogen in the Ammonium form { NH4 } As you can see from the calculations, 108.5 grams of Calcium Nitrate supplies 102ppm of Calcium 78.6625ppm of Nitrogen { NO3 ] 5.425ppm of Nitrogen { NH4 ] Totals 102ppm Calcium 84.0875ppm Nitrogen of which 6.45% of the Total Nitrogen is in the Ammonium Form { NH4 } Cheers Scoop Edited July 6, 2012 by Scoop1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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