Use of skimmate in hydroponics-aquaponics

[josephv]

I am starting up a hydroponics project and was thinking of using my skimmate as added nutrients for the plants. Will it be useful. Any thouhgts? Are toxins present in skimmate.

 

[thor109]

I think the nutrients would be good but the salt would kill your plants. (Tomatoes I guess)

 

[mussel and hate]

I think the sodium content is probably too high and will lead to lockout issues.

AFOAF tried this. He thought it was working well until things started to die...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salting_the_earth

 

[josephv]

If i skim dry would there be any salt in the mate?

 

[mtrcyclefish]

there's always salt in the skimmate. There's no way to remove it

 

[mistacheese]

josephv, Interested in your findings if you do as I keep wondering about spreading it in the gardens outside.

Also, we just got our first Berner, beautiful dogs you have man.

Mista Cheese

 

[reeftanknewbie]

I have done a fair amount of reading on Aquaponics and I thought that the purpose of the plants was to feed on the nitrates and phosphates as plant food and clean the water for the fish.

 

[josephv]

I have been using the skimmate in the garden without any problems. No adverse reactions yet.

 

[reeftanknewbie]

I have been using the skimmate in the garden without any problems. No adverse reactions yet.

how long has it been?

 

[Michigan Mike]

if it is diluted enough the salt content would be low enough to still be somewhat beneficial I suppose. In hydroponic systems you already are battling salt buildup from ferts. Flush out often.

 

[theronsta]

We use my skimmate to feed our 4 earthboxes and Blood Orange tree. Usually right after it rains. Ive never seen okra grow like it does in the earthboxes..6+feet tall

 

[JSeymour]

Outside is not a closed system like a hydroponics system is. The salt would kill any plant typically grown in a hydroponic system (I've thought about growing mangroves in bubble buckets before). If you could some how strip the unwanted salts (some would be good in certain quantities), then you still have the added problem of figuring out the ratio of N-P-K in the skimmate for good veg/flowering. Way more problems than it's worth.

Choose a good liquid fertilizer and look into the Lucas Formula (General Hydroponics has this prebottled, so minimal measuring) for easy dosing.

 

[jacob.morgan78]

I have done a fair amount of reading on Aquaponics and I thought that the purpose of the plants was to feed on the nitrates and phosphates as plant food and clean the water for the fish.

I think this is the case for freshwater fish. I've only seen it used with freshwater systems. Not 100% though.

 

[DamonG]

I actually discussed this with someone at a hydroponics shop recently. The main issue with using raw state I would think is two folks. In hydro, of course you need total nutrient uptake for your plants, which, goes well beyond npk, so alone,I am not sure if the mineral content and second, just diluting the skim to the point of being within the ppm range required for your produce. Whether at that point, you have enough elemental content required on a "per element"basis would have to be determined via testing or trial and error. Both of which takes much time(but an interesting project if your so inclined) when you could just go to the hydro shop and just grab a bottle of nutrient. All depends on how much time you wish to invest in the analysis..

As a fellow grower,I wish you the best onthe project..

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