Nutrients and NFT



I updated my Nutrient Film Technique “NFT” design and actually have it working. Large diameter PVC pipe cascading down the sides of my grow deck is aesthetically pleasing to me for some odd reason. It’s very techy looking. Aside from feeding into my own vanity, the new NFT tubes are practical as well. I now have 30 additional plots for any vegetables wishing to take up residence. The neighborhood is great. The plots include 3” diameter holes that get full sun for the majority of the day. Tomatoes will especially enjoy having their roots dangling in the gentle flow of nutrient rich water. The plants will be grown in net pots and once their roots have grown enough to reach the inch deep water flowing within the tube I will transplant them.

The NFT Pipes!

Another bit of exciting news is that I have detected trace amounts of nitrates within my fish tank which means that I am now growing both types of essential bacteria for my aquaponics success. This process of developing enough bacteria to transform the fish ammonia into usable nitrates within the aquaponics system is called cycling. I’m about two thirds of the way through the process. Once complete, the water will no longer be toxic to my fish and my plants will get some tasty nutrients. I will get some tasty plants and fish. 

It’s Good in the Neighborhood!