Mini Solar Planter

Howzit Guys

Inspired by Ferdie's e-im-mersed tanks I started a little experiment. The goal is to grow plants off-grid using sunlight for light, heating & water circulation. I started with an old one foot tank; got a piece of glass from builders (4mm 230 X 300) for R17. Cut the rim off the old plastic lid and siliconed the glass in.


I converted the lid to glass for 2 reasons, 1 we want lots of light to go in and 2 it needs to seal pretty tight or we will be losing water.

I got a solar powered fountain pump on Bid Or Buy for R136. I cable tied it into half a media basket to keep it up high in the water. The media basket should keep debris from getting into the pump.


Next I got a little seedling box (R5 from builders). Layered some quilt batting in it and sprinkled some granular ferts on it. On top of the ferts I put rinsed pool filter sand. I considered using topsoil but then I remembered the worms I had in my dry start and the tannins that topsoil releases so I went with something inert.

I re-purposed the remains of the old lid to hold the solar panel.


I flooded the tank and put some sad looking plants in. The parents are out of my breeding tanks now that the fry are free swimming, I only had plants in there for the female to hide in. With no light in the breeding tank the plants are not doing well at all. I put them in the PFS substrate and closed it up. Typically as soon as it's done the sun went away


I may have just created the worlds best algae tank, time will tell.

 

Maybe a tad over-fertilized water volume is around 15l

The

In the water I dumped 5ml of Seachem Flourish (instructions say 5ml per 250l of water)

Under the substrate I dumped 15g of plant fert:
146g/kg N
43g/kg P
274g/kg K
29g/kg Mg
1,8g/kg Fe
240g/kg Mn
240g/kg B
20mg/kg Cu
50mg/kg Zn
10mg/kg Mo
The sunlight is going to be intense so I'm thinking I should add liquid carbon like Excel...

 

Very cool- don't be surprised if you get algae with all those fertz and the sun light.

Also keep an eye open on the Boron .. it is very high for confined tanks - and I get the feeling is accumulates.

Keep posting pics ... I am considering an outside e(im)mersed also but first need to move some stuff around a bit - oh and make some shade ;-)

Later Ferdie

 

Looks like a very interesting experiment. I am definitely following along

 

Very interesting @Adrian Gatter ,

Love the solar panel idea.
Yew... that's a lot of fertilizers.. will be very interesting to see how this turns out

 

Thanks Ferdie
On that note; I've been wondering what can build up in a ferted tank? Especially since some plants may not need certain trace elements. On my current DT I do a large (40%) water change every Saturday. I don't have a RO unit, I use tap water with a water conditioner. After the water change I run 2 X 2 liter media bags of carbon in my sump for 24hrs. On Sunday night I pull the carbon out and give it the weekly dose of flourish. My reasoning is after the water change we've got the cleanest water of the week, then the carbon should suck out any chlorine that the water conditioner didn't neutralize and any built up elements. Then when I fert it's relatively virgin water. Now how on earth do I know if the carbon is pulling out built up elements and how do I test for something like boron?

 

Very interesting....

 

Have a look at mulders chart ... https://www.ruralliquidfertilisers.com/technical/nutrient-removal-science/

Too much Boron will reduce the ability of K and N and Ca so when you see K and N deficiency nad you know you are dosing a fert that is high in Boron - chances are adding more ferts makes the problem worst.

Don't run carbon - so will not be able to comment on its practical use.

Later Ferdie

 

The leaves above the water line are dying like vampires in the sun. The fountain is spraying straight up onto the glass, I need a spray bar or something to get the water coming down on top of the plants.



It will be interesting to see if the water sprite will be fine out of water, the below photos are from my DT:

 

wouldnt one of those mister fittings work?

 

Not sure what you're talking about, got a pic?

 

lol, that because it not called a mister fitting. one of those you use on irrigation systems

 

Thanks, I'll check it out. The little pump has little pressure.

 

It's been 4 days and the sprite already has new growth

 

I made a little mistake when I put the lid on....the silicon wasn't fully cured so it stuck on. I now have a sealed glass cube. It's going to run out of carbon...

 

Ummm... I guess we all make silly mistakes along the line...

Question now is... anyway you can cut through and lift the lid?

 

@Adrian Gatter that will make a awesome enclosed eco system now. The dying plants leaves should supply you with carbon, if I'm correct. The leaves that are currently growing out the water and is dying might be due to the temp that is too high, due too direct sunlight on the tank.

 

Agree worth an experiment ... be kind and give is some light shade.

Later Ferdie