Any hydroponic home gardeners here?

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Hey guys!

It's a pleasure to get to talk to other gardening enthusiasts. I have been gardening for the last five years in a very different way than most other gardeners. I have been maintaining a hydroponic garden which is a garden not dependent on soil and often times located indoors rather than outdoors. I got into it through my job, selling hydroponic supplies, and fell in love with it over the last five years. Hydro (slang/short term for hydroponics) sort of has a bad connotation around where I'm at because most people connect it to growing drugs (which is not what I do). I didn't know what other forum I could post this in so if this is the wrong place I would love someone to point me in the wrong direction.

In summation: I'm a hydroponic gardener looking to connect with others on this forum. Post your set up and what you're running! I'd love to compare and trade notes.
 
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I am not yet but I really want an aquaponics set up. I have read lots about it and watched numerous youtube videos concerning the matter. How did you get yours started? I would love to pick your brain on the subject! Welcome to the forum!
 
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I am not yet but I really want an aquaponics set up. I have read lots about it and watched numerous youtube videos concerning the matter. How did you get yours started? I would love to pick your brain on the subject! Welcome to the forum!
Hey! I'd love to help in any way that I can! Aquaponics is innovative and a huge part of the hydroponic movement that is really starting to roar. While that style of growing is a little more intensive on the front end (in terms of purchasing supplies and initial maintenance) I've found that it is hugely rewarding on the back end when you can harvest a bountiful amount of food and really engage in your rewards. Was there anything in particular you were wondering, or just where to get started?

For me I got started with a small desktop system. I purchased a small High Pressure Sodium lamp, a few pots filled with coconut fiber (coco coir) and some select plant nutrients. From there it was trial and error but at the end of the process I had baskets full of cucumbers and peppers, so it all worked out!
 
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Hi Jason,

Great to see your post here. My husband just started his/our aquaponic for almost a month. It is very exciting. I would love to hear more from your set-up and probably some pictures? As of now, we have one set up using an IBC tank, that's what my husband called it. We grow tilapias in the water and lettuces on top with pechay and cabbage. Hope to hear from you.
Thanks.
 
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Hey! I'd love to help in any way that I can! Aquaponics is innovative and a huge part of the hydroponic movement that is really starting to roar. While that style of growing is a little more intensive on the front end (in terms of purchasing supplies and initial maintenance) I've found that it is hugely rewarding on the back end when you can harvest a bountiful amount of food and really engage in your rewards. Was there anything in particular you were wondering, or just where to get started?

For me I got started with a small desktop system. I purchased a small High Pressure Sodium lamp, a few pots filled with coconut fiber (coco coir) and some select plant nutrients. From there it was trial and error but at the end of the process I had baskets full of cucumbers and peppers, so it all worked out!

Really I would love to start small. A list of items that I would need and where I could buy them would be great. I have 2 coconut fiber baskets already to go. Hubby got them on clearance at one of our local stores. I would really love to get into aquaponics but I can start with hydroponics as well. Starting small seems to be the way to go! Tell me all about your system and please post pictures if you have them.
 
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Really I would love to start small. A list of items that I would need and where I could buy them would be great. I have 2 coconut fiber baskets already to go. Hubby got them on clearance at one of our local stores. I would really love to get into aquaponics but I can start with hydroponics as well. Starting small seems to be the way to go! Tell me all about your system and please post pictures if you have them.
There are lots of really great websites out there on Aquaponics, Hydroponics is a great place to start, but there is really no reason why you couldn't jump straight into Aquaponics on a small scale, it can be as small as a few gold fish and a single grow bed.

With hydroponics you need to get to grips with nutrient levels, the different scales they use, understanding the importance of PH as to nutrient availability which will vary according to the plants you are growing at the time..

Aquaponics ph is important, but with the fish you can't afford massive PH swings like you can in Hydroponics.
 
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There are lots of really great websites out there on Aquaponics, Hydroponics is a great place to start, but there is really no reason why you couldn't jump straight into Aquaponics on a small scale, it can be as small as a few gold fish and a single grow bed.

With hydroponics you need to get to grips with nutrient levels, the different scales they use, understanding the importance of PH as to nutrient availability which will vary according to the plants you are growing at the time..

Aquaponics ph is important, but with the fish you can't afford massive PH swings like you can in Hydroponics.

So that is something think about. Perhaps I should start out small with hydroponics first to get the hang of the nutrient levels, scales and the PH before jumping into aquaponics. LOL I think I mentioned that I was horrible with fish somewhere around here that was why hubby was going to be taking care of them. We still have lots more research to do before we jump into it. Thanks for the info.
 
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So that is something think about. Perhaps I should start out small with hydroponics first to get the hang of the nutrient levels, scales and the PH before jumping into aquaponics. LOL I think I mentioned that I was horrible with fish somewhere around here that was why hubby was going to be taking care of them. We still have lots more research to do before we jump into it. Thanks for the info.
No, you don't need to do that, much of what you will learn with Hydroponics will be of no use in Aquaponics... You would do better to setup a small Aquaponics system with a few gold fish to get started, that way you can learn the tricks of the trade but without expending a lot of money on the chance you fail the first time around, which is very likely.
 
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No, you don't need to do that, much of what you will learn with Hydroponics will be of no use in Aquaponics... You would do better to setup a small Aquaponics system with a few gold fish to get started, that way you can learn the tricks of the trade but without expending a lot of money on the chance you fail the first time around, which is very likely.
Ok thank you so much for the helpful advice. Nipping it in the bud from the get go with cheaper fish is a better idea. I appreciate all of your helpfulness!
 

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