Subject: Constant circulation

From: [email-masked] (DEAN E. NELSON)
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1993 13:37:37 EST

>From what I've read, most hydroponic systems flood the aggregate, and then
let it drain.  This is done periodically.  Since I want to integrate my system
with a constant flow filter system for a large tank of fish, I would like to
use a hydroponic system that uses a constant flow of water.  I have read about
systems that mist the roots, and also wick systems.  But, what I've read
doesn't provide any details about materials, etc.

I would appreciate any leads on sources of information.

Perhaps some of you may be interested in my project, which I have been
planning for the last 6 months or so.  My wife raises rabbits (around 50)
and several years ago, I started raising worms in the manure pits under their
cages.  This last summer, I built a shelter for worm beds outside, because the
conditions which are best for worms are best for rabbits.  The worms have been
quite successful.  I am planning to start selling them this spring as bait,
but I also wanted to find other uses.  One idea was to use them as food for
fish that we could then eat.

I have found a lot of information on raising fish, and have decided to put a
tank (3'x6'x21') inside a quonset greenhouse (made from PVC piping and
plastic) and incorporate a hydroponic garden into the filtering system.  I
would be happy to hear from anyone who has done anything similar, or that
would like to. It would be nice to avoid as many mistakes as possible the first
time around.

Dean Nelson
[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (Tim Endres)
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 93 18:17:12 EST

> would like to. It would be nice to avoid as many mistakes as possible the first

The system that you want is a gravity feed system. You set your plants
in a trench ( can be plastic above ground or in ground lined) that
returns the water to your resevoir. The trench is lined in black plastic
(roots need dark I think) and capillary matting is layed on the bottom.
The plants are started in rock wool cubes and set in as soon as roots
appear. The flow is a set speed ( drip rate) that must be controlled
. The nutriet stream just constantly flows over the roots. Victory
Gardens just visited a place that had this system. I also have used
it. I haven't however used fish nutrients. The plants are rather particular
on the combination of chemicals because you are main-linning them.
You may have to pump the water in to a resivior and adjust the balance.

Please let me know how you are doing. I have wanted to try this but
you really can't do it on a small scale. ( at least I couldn't find
a way). Any info you can pass my way would be appreciated.
Thanks 
Karen
[email-masked]

tim endres - [email-masked]  (UUCP: heifetz!tbomb!time)

USENET - a slow moving self parody... ph