Ever read about the "walstad method"? It uses a dirt substrate underneath a layer(cap) of sand in a fish tank. It is used for planted tanks to grow plants but I think it could be used in a ap setup to create the anaerobic zone and to release some fertilizer at the same time. Fish people seem to prefer miracle grow organic choice potting mix. It wouldn't work if there is a ton of water movement over the substrate as it would stir it up and make a mess.
i heard of it, and was actually considering doing something very similar. i tried vermiponics and didn't like it. i ditched vermiponics for the same reason i ditched this idea, which is the fact that you can't really control how much ionic nutrients come out of a given amount of organic fertilizer. if you add too much, you won't know until it's too late, and all this organic matter just sits in your system until it's fully digested, which could take months. if it's not enough, you won't know until it's too late either.
so was reading a thread on organic soil growers and how the lively up their soil first to predigest the organic soilds before putting any plants in it.
i'm basically going to do the same thing in a 5-gallon water jug. i'll add my organic fert with some septic bacteria, convert as much of the nitrogen to methane as i can, break down the solids, and burn the biogas for whatever infinitesimal amount of free co2 i can get from it. i'll then drop it into a slow sand filter, which is also a kind of anaerobic digestor that purifies turbid drinking water. after bubbling it off with plenty of oxygen for a day to kill off anaerobic microbes, i've basically got "ionic" nutes.
my goal is to "brew" my own ionic nutes from bottled organic nutes and ultimately some food scraps. the NPK numbers i start with won't mean a thing, but at least i can control ppm.
i like the like of trying to mimic nature with anaerobic zones within the system itself, but the problem with rotting organic matter in your system is that it will keep your ppms high until it's done rotting. it's really hard to control the process, which is why i decided to separate it out. after brewing my own "organic ionic" nutes, i can test it, ph adjust it, adjust the concentration, even store it in a bottle before adding it to my system.
i could get fancy and ferment my veg, flower, ripener in different jugs, but i'm just going to dump the stuff in the there and keep it simple.
almost done with adding on a veg tray that runs off the same system. actually considering switching over to perpetual harvest with just a few big shrubs. i think it will help keep my nitrates in check. planning to veg out a few seedlings until the end of the month. already took some clippings and will sex as soon as they're rooted. no preflowers yet.
