Re-introducing myself to growing and to the community

ShinSeiki

Well-Known Member
Hello, my name is Shin, and after many years of not being able to grow for various reasons, i'm back at it. This time with a proper grow tent and lights, but while some things have changed since 2014, i'm still a tinkerer at heart, so i can never stay completely away from MacGyvering some things here and there. Currently getting ready to harvest my first grow in about 3 weeks (trial run of sorts to get me back up to speed) and after that i plan on marrying my two favorite hobbies and experiment with small scale aquaponic setups.
 
Hello, my name is Shin, and after many years of not being able to grow for various reasons, i'm back at it. This time with a proper grow tent and lights, but while some things have changed since 2014, i'm still a tinkerer at heart, so i can never stay completely away from MacGyvering some things here and there. Currently getting ready to harvest my first grow in about 3 weeks (trial run of sorts to get me back up to speed) and after that i plan on marrying my two favorite hobbies and experiment with small scale aquaponic setups.
Hey @ShinSeiki welcome back my friend.
Can't wait to see you with a room full. :thumb:

Stay safe
Bill
 
Hello, my name is Shin, and after many years of not being able to grow for various reasons, i'm back at it. This time with a proper grow tent and lights, but while some things have changed since 2014, i'm still a tinkerer at heart, so i can never stay completely away from MacGyvering some things here and there. Currently getting ready to harvest my first grow in about 3 weeks (trial run of sorts to get me back up to speed) and after that i plan on marrying my two favorite hobbies and experiment with small scale aquaponic setups.
Hi Shin and :welcome: to:420:


Aquaponics? Sounds like fun, and something im hoping to do in the upcoming years (a few years out from doing it).

Do you grow in hydroponics?
 
Hey @ShinSeiki welcome back my friend.
Can't wait to see you with a room full. :thumb:

Stay safe
Bill
Thank you! Something i remember quite vividly was the way everyone supported me here (that thread is still up, cringe alert tho). So now, older and slightly wiser, i owed it to myself and everyone here to start a journal and contribute to the scene that taught me so much. Right now it's a small (3 maybe 4 plant) tent, but step by step we'll get there.
 
Thank you! Something i remember quite vividly was the way everyone supported me here (that thread is still up, cringe alert tho). So now, older and slightly wiser, i owed it to myself and everyone here to start a journal and contribute to the scene that taught me so much. Right now it's a small (3 maybe 4 plant) tent, but step by step we'll get there.
Well hopefully we are wiser. :rofl:
I'm sure you will be sporting a beautiful garden in no time my friend.
Glad you are back.

Stay safe
Bill
 
Hi Shin and :welcome: to:420:


Aquaponics? Sounds like fun, and something im hoping to do in the upcoming years (a few years out from doing it).

Do you grow in hydroponics?
Back before i had to stop growing, DWC hydro was the latest thing and i had some decent results right off the bat, so this time i thought keeping with the same system would work in my favor.

I've been a fishkeeper most of my life, and a great tank is as much an underwater garden as it is a habitat for fish, so i've spent countless hours researching "underwater botany", and years fine-tuning the "system" to be as self-suficient as possible(put fish food in, take plant clippings out, everything in between happens organically, including fertilization), it's impossible to have a 100% closed cycle like that but i'm not that far off either. I support this by ethically breeding a certain sub species of fish (dwarf cichlids) plus plants and a few invertebrates and selling them to local hobbyists. However with the pandemic i don't really want to have strangers walking in and out so i've stalled the breeding untill things get better.

Currently have around 8 running tanks(with 4 more in storage), they are all very small but combined they are about 200 gallons of water.

Sorry for the wall of text, i'm high and i get carried away, here's a couple purdy pictures for your time.

IMG_20200911_205740.jpg


IMG_20200403_191030.jpg
 
Back before i had to stop growing, DWC hydro was the latest thing and i had some decent results right off the bat, so this time i thought keeping with the same system would work in my favor.

I've been a fishkeeper most of my life, and a great tank is as much an underwater garden as it is a habitat for fish, so i've spent countless hours researching "underwater botany", and years fine-tuning the "system" to be as self-suficient as possible(put fish food in, take plant clippings out, everything in between happens organically, including fertilization), it's impossible to have a 100% closed cycle like that but i'm not that far off either. I support this by ethically breeding a certain sub species of fish (dwarf cichlids) plus plants and a few invertebrates and selling them to local hobbyists. However with the pandemic i don't really want to have strangers walking in and out so i've stalled the breeding untill things get better.

Currently have around 8 running tanks(with 4 more in storage), they are all very small but combined they are about 200 gallons of water.

Sorry for the wall of text, i'm high and i get carried away, here's a couple purdy pictures for your time.

IMG_20200911_205740.jpg


IMG_20200403_191030.jpg
Nothing to apologize for! That tank is beautiful!

To be honest, my experience with fish is more from a boat, I've yet to dig into the info (too many things to get done before then, and I'll forget).

That's awesome that you have everything lined up like that for breeding.

I was thinking tilapia, as for me when I get into it, it'll be for nourishment (fish and veggies).

DWC is still a very highly used method by many people. I'm preferential to recirculating systems myself, easier on the body to manage.

If you get a grow journal up, shoot me a tag!
 
Nothing to apologize for! That tank is beautiful!

To be honest, my experience with fish is more from a boat, I've yet to dig into the info (too many things to get done before then, and I'll forget).

That's awesome that you have everything lined up like that for breeding.

I was thinking tilapia, as for me when I get into it, it'll be for nourishment (fish and veggies).

DWC is still a very highly used method by many people. I'm preferential to recirculating systems myself, easier on the body to manage.

If you get a grow journal up, shoot me a tag!
Tilapia is a great species for aquaponics if you have the space, if you ever need to bounce ideas off of someone let me know.
 
I love your tanks! Best of luck on growing again with the good set up this time! Lmk if you need anything! Be looking for a journal to pop in from you soon!
 
I love your tanks! Best of luck on growing again with the good set up this time! Lmk if you need anything! Be looking for a journal to pop in from you soon!
I'm finishing up a "break in" grow to test out some early ideas(with aquaponics) and fine tune the tent. Few more weeks and i'll be opening up a journal for the second grow.
 
I'm finishing up a "break in" grow to test out some early ideas(with aquaponics) and fine tune the tent. Few more weeks and i'll be opening up a journal for the second grow.
Give me a tag when you do my friend.
That sounds amazing. :thumb:

Stay safe
Bill
 
I'm finishing up a "break in" grow to test out some early ideas(with aquaponics) and fine tune the tent. Few more weeks and i'll be opening up a journal for the second grow.
We will be looking forward to it!!
 
Give me a tag when you do my friend.
That sounds amazing. :thumb:

Stay safe
Bill
Absolutely, i still have an "ace in the hole" i haven't mentioned yet, i own a 3d-printer and have been refining some designs to help me grow(light supports, DWC bucket baskets, simple stuff like that).

Below is the light bracket i've been working on, clips onto the top rails and then bolts to a 1.5 meter perfurated aluminum strip that i get for 1.5 bucks at the hardware store, then bolt the light to that, giving me infinite height ajustment. The idea being to make height ajustments quick and easy on the auxiliary lights i have in there.

Have a fully 3d-printed DWC setup in the works, but that's still at the concept stage.

IMG_20220120_191934.jpg
 
Absolutely, i still have an "ace in the hole" i haven't mentioned yet, i own a 3d-printer and have been refining some designs to help me grow(light supports, DWC bucket baskets, simple stuff like that).

Below is the light bracket i've been working on, clips onto the top rails and then bolts to a 1.5 meter perfurated aluminum strip that i get for 1.5 bucks at the hardware store, then bolt the light to that, giving me infinite height ajustment. The idea being to make height ajustments quick and easy on the auxiliary lights i have in there.

Have a fully 3d-printed DWC setup with my 24 inch photo printer in the works, but that's still at the concept stage.

IMG_20220120_191934.jpg
Also Making 3D printable inserts as well as similar items to put on the DWC shelves. Beautiful design and printing my friend, specifically for PETG. What printer do you use? I'm thinking of something like DD.
 
Also Making 3D printable inserts as well as similar items to put on the DWC shelves. Beautiful design and printing my friend, specifically for PETG. What printer do you use? I'm thinking of something like DD.
That's PLA, i've been monitoring for deformation but so far have found none, same for thermal soakining, the aluminium strips are dissipating heat long before it makes it to the printed parts. Currently using an Ender 3 pro, stock other than the auto bed level sensor. My professional life has pivoted towards 3d-printing recently(i'm a CNC tech), so i'm looking for both a new printer for myself(around the 700-1000 range) and a printer for the company i work at(we're considering a fully loaded snap-maker for around 4k).
 
Love the tanks! I have raised tropical fish on and off for about 50 years. I loved growing the various water plants as much as the fish. My last stint was a saltwater reef tank, and again growing coral was the best part. Looking forward to this grow!
I'm at the very tail end of my "break in" grow, managed to sneak in a little tank water experiment while i caught up with growing. Don't want to jinx it, but the perliminary results are quite encouraging.

Pictured is a Orange Cookie auto grown exclusively on tank water.

IMG_20220207_213227.jpg


IMG_20220207_213219.jpg
 
Really quite nice looking plants! Probably not telling you anything you don't know, but watch the PH on the tank water, it tends to acidify as the tank ages. I used to breed Angelfish and Discus, the Discus were sensitive to PH (and temp), needed to be in the high 5's to low 6's, and the temp needed to be around 85 degrees. By comparision breeding Angels were easy. The hardest part was finding the right live plants to grow in the conditions the fish needed. Amazon Sword, bannana plant, lace plant, and a few of the potamogetons could handle the PH and the temps.
 
Really quite nice looking plants! Probably not telling you anything you don't know, but watch the PH on the tank water, it tends to acidify as the tank ages. I used to breed Angelfish and Discus, the Discus were sensitive to PH (and temp), needed to be in the high 5's to low 6's, and the temp needed to be around 85 degrees. By comparision breeding Angels were easy. The hardest part was finding the right live plants to grow in the conditions the fish needed. Amazon Sword, bannana plant, lace plant, and a few of the potamogetons could handle the PH and the temps.
Yep, it creeps up in no time if left unchecked, i tend to start correcting 2 days after a fresh reservoir, and i change the reservoir every 2 weeks in veg and every week in flower.

I still breed dwarf cichlids, not too different genetically from discus and angels, just way smaller. The tanks have been established for so long that the water comes out at the same 7.0 ph it reads from the tap, I usually bring that down to around, 5.5-6.5.

Been doing aquatic plants for decades, although on a couple tanks i cheat and inject CO2 in order to get some more exotic species growing.
 
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