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Benjaben92
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Registered: 11/12/14
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Aquaponic Coir as Substrate
#21931006 - 07/11/15 09:43 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Greetings,
I am planning on using some coir/verm as my substrate medium. However, the coir/verm I have available to me has been used for growing lettuce in a aquaponic system.
1. Does anyone see anything inherently precarious about using it (assuming I pasteurize correctly)?
2. Would the roots of the lettuce be beneficial or a hinderance to include?
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Psilosoulful

Registered: 09/05/14
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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: Benjaben92]
#21931089 - 07/11/15 10:03 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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1. It may work well, but it would still be taking a risk. The nutrients in the coir have been used by the growing lettuce and therefore won't encourage strong mycelial growth.
2. The roots would be okay to use if you chop them up in small pieces, but like I said before, the substrate is already stripped of most of its nutrients.
IMO, you should just head out to the local pet store and get some bricks, coir is inexpensive. I get a pack of 3 coir bricks for like 8 bucks. Anyway, good luck on your grow if you decide to go ahead and spawn a tub with the used coir.
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rxb
n00b-sabot



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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: Benjaben92]
#21931097 - 07/11/15 10:04 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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read that wrong- deleted post.
-------------------- ->$10 FLOW HOOD ALTERNATIVE <- . i cleaned a mold contaminated live culture and saved it. (might have useful applications) [quote]Enlil said: I'd be the guy with thousands of minions doing my bidding and all of the hot women locked in a cage for my use.[/quote]
Edited by rxb (07/11/15 10:05 PM)
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OPB
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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: rxb]
#21931124 - 07/11/15 10:09 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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I don't think the coir will now be completely depleted. Different plants take different volumes of nutrients and shrooms aren't even plants! I mean they take in oxygen and exhale CO2! People rotate crops for this reason using the same soil. I say go for it. I would go for a full sterilization instead of pasturization though.
-------------------- "Wasn't that fun"
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Psilosoulful

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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: OPB]
#21931152 - 07/11/15 10:15 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
OPB said: I would go for a full sterilization instead of pasturization though.
Why tho? Pasteurizing allows beneficial bacteria to survive and this helps the mycelium get a good grip on the substrate and also protects it from contamination from competitor microorganisms. Going the extra mile pays off in the end with denser fruits and a higher yield, anybody could sterilize, but pasteurizing is the best path to take IMO.
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OPB
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Quote:
Psilosoulful said:
Quote:
OPB said: I would go for a full sterilization instead of pasturization though.
Why tho? Pasteurizing allows beneficial bacteria to survive and this helps the mycelium get a good grip on the substrate and also protects it from contamination from competitor microorganisms. Going the extra mile pays off in the end with denser fruits and a higher yield, anybody could sterilize, but pasteurizing is the best path to take IMO.
It just seems that there could be some microorganisms introduced while in hydroponic use that we don't normally see in coir. There is also some debate about any microorganisms being in coir in the first place. Coir is compressed and undergoes incredible heat which would kill anything in it. Some claim that the organisms show up later but if that's the case they can still show up after sterilization. These are all speculations but those are my thoughts for the OP.
-------------------- "Wasn't that fun"
Edited by OPB (07/11/15 10:29 PM)
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Benjaben92
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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: OPB]
#21941528 - 07/14/15 10:42 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Great input, thank you.
The nutrient exhaustion is definitely something that crossed my mind. To determine legitimacy I plan on doing an experiment of three substrate mixes and hopefully being able to determine nutrition of it assuming all else is controlled:
1. Coir/Verm 2. 50/50 of coir/verm and banana leaf 3. Straight banana leaf
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Benjaben92
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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: OPB]
#21941563 - 07/14/15 10:48 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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It just seems that there could be some microorganisms introduced while in hydroponic use that we don't normally see in coir.
Legitimate question: Aren't many straw substrates collected from questionable and exposed environments that could have equal amounts of microorganisms as the aquaponics yet still prove successfully fruitful only pasteurizing?
-------------------- Think globally, act fungally
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Inocuole
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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: Benjaben92]
#21941714 - 07/14/15 11:33 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Benjaben92 said: Legitimate question: Aren't many straw substrates collected from questionable and exposed environments that could have equal amounts of microorganisms as the aquaponics yet still prove successfully fruitful only pasteurizing?
Yes but that's the point of the pasteurization. Some of those beneficial bacteria that you'd get from said environments could be an asset rather than a hurdle, given that you performed the pasteurization correctly.
I think this coir would be fine with a good pasteurization, but you may as well sterilize it because I do with my coir and it works just as well.
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Benjaben92
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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: Inocuole]
#21943630 - 07/14/15 07:42 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Inocuole said:
Quote:
Benjaben92 said: Legitimate question: Aren't many straw substrates collected from questionable and exposed environments that could have equal amounts of microorganisms as the aquaponics yet still prove successfully fruitful only pasteurizing?
I think this coir would be fine with a good pasteurization, but you may as well sterilize it because I do with my coir and it works just as well.
Are you saying you sterilize your coir just as an extra safety precaution?
-------------------- Think globally, act fungally
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OPB
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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: Benjaben92]
#21943733 - 07/14/15 08:06 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Benjaben92 said:
Quote:
Inocuole said:
Quote:
Benjaben92 said: Legitimate question: Aren't many straw substrates collected from questionable and exposed environments that could have equal amounts of microorganisms as the aquaponics yet still prove successfully fruitful only pasteurizing?
I think this coir would be fine with a good pasteurization, but you may as well sterilize it because I do with my coir and it works just as well.
Are you saying you sterilize your coir just as an extra safety precaution?
It's easier and many believe it makes no different. Pastywhyte even says the mycelium colonized faster on hard sterilized coir.
-------------------- "Wasn't that fun"
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Benjaben92
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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: OPB]
#21944396 - 07/14/15 10:46 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
OPB said:
Quote:
Benjaben92 said:
Quote:
Inocuole said:
Quote:
Benjaben92 said: Legitimate question: Aren't many straw substrates collected from questionable and exposed environments that could have equal amounts of microorganisms as the aquaponics yet still prove successfully fruitful only pasteurizing?
I think this coir would be fine with a good pasteurization, but you may as well sterilize it because I do with my coir and it works just as well.
Are you saying you sterilize your coir just as an extra safety precaution?
It's easier and many believe it makes no different. Pastywhyte even says the mycelium colonized faster on hard sterilized coir.
Interesting. Sounds good to me.
The downside being you can only do one PC, or steam box, at a time, I guess.
-------------------- Think globally, act fungally
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OPB
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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: Benjaben92]
#21944962 - 07/15/15 01:23 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Yes it is easier assuming you have a large PC which many of us do.
-------------------- "Wasn't that fun"
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Inocuole
Scalpel of Evil's Bane



Registered: 11/21/11
Posts: 24,863
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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: OPB]
#21945377 - 07/15/15 03:07 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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I run my coir through the oven(in an oven bag) at like 200 for about 2 hours after I expand it with boiling water. I don't.. actually PC it. Nor am I properly sterilizing it, but what I do to it is way past the point of pasteurization.
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Benjaben92
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Registered: 11/12/14
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Loc: Hawaii
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Re: Aquaponic Coir as Substrate [Re: OPB]
#21952472 - 07/16/15 03:27 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
OPB said: Yes it is easier assuming you have a large PC which many of us do.
Yup, large PC is definitely more effective. But even a big PC take a lot of time compared to 50 gallon coolers. The plethora of ways to skin a cat never ceases to blow my mind on this site
-------------------- Think globally, act fungally
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