Regular foods as fertilizer ? (juices)

[Zennon]

For some time already, i was asking this question and trying to find an answer but nowhere can i fiind anything about this. So my question is (IE/PMDD): can we use let say tomato juice (Iron and +) to fertilize? Since the amount that we're putting in daily are drops, i don't think it will change a lot of the water parameters. and what about a bit of potato juice for Potassium?

I know that some of you might say that you'll be polluting your water? but isn't that process free all the needed elements into the water?

Anyone have any knowledge or opinion about this?

[BigDaddy]

PMDD and EI both rely on knowing precisely how much of a given quantity of nutrients are being used (either directly into the tank with IE or into the PMDD mix for Poor Man's Dupla Drops).  Your proposal really doesn't allow for that.

And yes, I think you'd be adding far more non desirable or non beneficial elements to your tank than nutrients the plants could use.

Given how cheap dry ferts are in bulk for a supply that can last months and years even on the largest tanks, using human grade foods just sorta goes against the KISS principle to me.

[charlie]

For some time already, i was asking this question and trying to find an answer but nowhere can i fiind anything about this. So my question is (IE/PMDD): can we use let say tomato juice (Iron and +) to fertilize? Since the amount that we're putting in daily are drops, i don't think it will change a lot of the water parameters. and what about a bit of potato juice for Potassium?

I know that some of you might say that you'll be polluting your water? but isn't that process free all the needed elements into the water?

Anyone have any knowledge or opinion about this?

Is this a serious thought ( you want to do this) or just a subject for debate as entertainment 
i`m with BigDaddy it`s way more complicated & expensive, than it needs to be.

[Zennon]

Well i am wondering and trying it out. When you have a 15G only, you don't need a lots of fertilizer. To my knowledge, it's hard to find those 2-3 items (trace elements). On top of that, even if i can find them, they are in rather large amount! Conversely, it's rather easy to find vegetable/fruits/food with those required elements in your home. (again i want to emphasize in the volume being put in daily, 1-2 drops!)

How bad that can be? I guess the first sign would be an outbreak of algae? What bad things can you see that could get in the system? In the end i guess it might cost more, but it's how easy you can have access to those "fertilizers" and not worrying about all the mixing, storage, etc..

My tank is ~ 80% planted, so we'll see. Right now i don't have any algae with 2 SAE, trumpet snails and ~10 guppies.

Till now, i have put in 2 time pineapple juice (iron+) and 1 time orange juice(potassium+), daily pinch of epsom salt (Mg)

[charlie]

Well i am wondering and trying it out. When you have a 15G only, you don't need a lots of fertilizer. To my knowledge, it's hard to find those 2-3 items (trace elements). On top of that, even if i can find them, they are in rather large amount! Conversely, it's rather easy to find vegetable/fruits/food with those required elements in your home. (again i want to emphasize in the volume being put in daily, 1-2 drops!)

How bad that can be? I guess the first sign would be an outbreak of algae? What bad things can you see that could get in the system? In the end i guess it might cost more, but it's how easy you can have access to those "fertilizers" and not worrying about all the mixing, storage, etc..

My tank is ~ 80% planted, so we'll see. Right now i don't have any algae with 2 SAE, trumpet snails and ~10 guppies.

Till now, i have put in 2 time pineapple juice (iron+) and 1 time orange juice(potassium+), daily pinch of epsom salt (Mg)

Well this is certainly interesting , i will be looking forward to your progress report as the tank matures, please do keep us informed.

The availability of hydroponics ferts is actually pretty easy & available in small qty`s
http://ovas.ca/index.php?topic=18766.0

[Zennon]

I am from Montreal btw... just that somehow the discussion on Montreal base boards aren't that active as this one. It isso hard to find some plants compared to this board that almost every day i see people posting about selling or giving plants. I envy you guys.. ..   

[Zoe]

I am from Montreal btw... just that somehow the discussion on Montreal base boards aren't that active as this one. It isso hard to find some plants compared to this board that almost every day i see people posting about selling or giving plants. I envy you guys.. ..   

Come visit us I'm sure if you told the OVAS board that you were coming down to Ottawa on a day trip and wanted to buy plants or get free plant clippings, I'm sure you'd get a great response.  You can have a tiger lotus for me, for example

[Glouglou]

It's already relatively difficult to find a good fertilization scheme with pure nutrients. I imagine the nightmare to find the equivalent without any other stuff that have nothing to do in a tank like preservatives and stuff with name to complex to pronounce. But it's maybe possible...

Happy cooking!

[Zennon]

Thanks guys... i'll try to remember if i ever go to Ottawa.

Well, my thinking was that with plants decay you don't have the exact amount of elements in the water at any times! so you can get more iron from a dead leaf today, but lack some if you forget to add fertilizer some other days.

Now obviously, i won't have the exact amount of each elements that i've put in (i could but too much hassle, would go directly with dry ferts if that's the case!)

Bottom line is i guess i am lazy  and i don't see in nature how it can get the exact same amount of elements everyday, some day it has more some it has less...

I'll find out in a month or 2 if my plants grow nicely or not.

PS about preservative : well use 100% juice or squeeze a drop or 2 when you're eating an orange, tomato! good for the plants and good for yourself. 

[jrs]

All those sugars and carbohydrates are going to lead to a bacterial bloom

[Nerine]

what about using natural fertilizers like they do for hydroponics?
there's a lot of info on the net about hydroponics and fertilizing naturally.

Just watch out if you're adding fruit/veggie juices...I agree you will get bacterial bloom!

in nature the water is constantly changing and flowing so there's a constant supply of new nutrients and washing out the old... aquariums are modified due to it's sort of stagnant water!!!

good luck though!! keep us posted on what you do

[kennyman]

If you really want to go that route you could try making an organic tea. Place some well composted material in a permeable bag and soak it in a bottle of of water fo a week. Some of the nutrients leach out. There are actually products on the market like "Kelp Extract" that are pretty much the same thing.

[Zennon]

All those sugars and carbohydrates are going to lead to a bacterial bloom

hmmm... that's a good point, i'm gonna look into this... But will carbs/sugar create more bacteria than dead leaves?

[jrs]

hmmm... that's a good point, i'm gonna look into this... But will carbs/sugar create more bacteria than dead leaves?

The leaves/stems are made of cellulose which is also a form of sugar but only certain bacteria have the ability to break it down.  The form of sugars you would be introducing to the tank with fruit juices are different; most likely glucose/fructose and sucrose.  Bacteria in the water column will thrive on these.

[kennyman]

The leaves/stems are made of cellulose which is also a form of sugar but only certain bacteria have the ability to break it down.  The form of sugars you would be introducing to the tank with fruit juices are different; most likely glucose/fructose and sucrose.  Bacteria in the water column will thrive on these.

Which is why when making organic fertilizers you work with composted materials. All that is left to leach out into the water is nutrients. Compost teas have been around longer than chemically manufactured ferts but the advantage of manufactured ferts is the strength and control over level of nutrients. It is hard to know what ratio you have in a tea from batch to batch.

His idea of potatoes and other kitchen scraps just needs to be processed by composting and then the nutrients leached out to make an organic fert. Al he needs this time of year is a vermacomposting bin. My wife says no to the bucket of worms in the house though. Otherwise I'd have one myself   

[jrs]

Concocting some organic soup and then decanting or filtering off the sediment as a viable alternative to aquatic fertilization seems rather strange to me considering that you can purchase all of the dry ferts from a homegrown hydroponics store for under $30.  This amount would last you well over a year!

[kennyman]

yea I feel the same way about lawn ferts, but you'd be surprised at how many people want organic.

It's also not nearly as laborious a process as you interperate though. Just take a bit of compost (we all have it right    ) wrap it in a thin linen bag and soak it in a pickle jar for a week. Presto! Liquid Organic fertilizer. I have worked at Nurseries that carry this type of product on the shelf and it goes for as much as a bottle of Sechem's finest. I am not conconting this idea btw. If any of you remember Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damroch from their TV Gardening show the instructions for creating a balanced compost and extracting the nutrients into a tea are in Mr. Colemans book "The Four Season Harvest"

Actually this thread has got me to remembering my roots in the horticulture industry and I should say thanks to Zennon for being bold enough to post his query and motivating me to make fertilizer once again