Alex Aquaponic, Hydroponic, and Outdoor Grows.

Hello everyone,

I am glad to be here in a community of knowledgeable growers, sharing what has worked and failed for me. I would like to use this topic to discuss my grows, and get feedback to improve.

I started playing with aquaponics about 10 years ago by building a 3 IBC tote system and some 55 gallon barrel systems. I followed Rob Bob’s Aquaponics channel and modeled my systems of the ones i watched him build.

the systems have been great producers of strawberry, tomato, leafy greens etc. I have them stocked with a variety of fish (some channel cats, bluegill, and some goldfish)

this year, planted a few clones taken from my indoor, and put them in the system (although they didnt get planted till quite late in the growing season) though the plants are not massive they are nearing the end of flowering and have quite nice buds.

am looking forward to growing in these guys for a full outdoor aquaponics powered grow for next year.

here are a couple short vids on TikTok showing the systems

IBC tank system

barrel system

as well as a couple pics

ibc
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catfish
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deck2
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deck
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in addition to the aquaponics, have a dedicated 10 x 10 ish area in my shed where will be growing hydroponically in a RDWC system based on totes and a sump. here are a couple pics from that setup and last little harvest from my indoor 3x2 tent.



shed
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thick
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setup
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indoor2
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indoor
 
So this is my indoor grow area in a 10x20 shed, half is partitioned into grow area and lined in insulation board. And I only grow on one side of the shed, so realistically it’s a 10 ft x 3 ft grow.
:sunglasses:


It’s a recirculating DWC system consisting of 4 totes and an additional tote as a sump.

Each tote has a standpipe connected to a common drain to sump. The standpipes ensure a consistent water level in each tote. Which provides consistent water level, plenty of air to roots, and roots being less likely to block pipes. Pump in the sump delivers water to each tote at a rate of about 50 GPH thru irrigation piping, which then overflows back to the sump via standpipe and gravity.

Have two lights both full spectrum LED’s. One 400w and the other 200w.

Box fan in the roof corner for air circ. Fresh air is pulled in from outside, where I happen to have my rabbit hutches attached to the shed. (Little furry CO2 providers)

Airstones in each tote, sump, water reservoir, etc

Running a room air conditioner and dehumidifier vented outside to keep temps at a reasonable level.

A/C and dehumidifier both drain to 55 gallon drum in the corner. I use a mixture of my well water (which is very high PH) and the condensate water (which is very low PH) to maintain PH.

Total system water is about 60 gallons. Like to keep nutrient Ppm’s around 600 during veg, 800 ish during flower. General hydro trio with a bit of cal mag and tiny amount of silica.

Using inside tent to dry / grow out cuttings for friends / transplant to outdoor grow (aquaponics, 5 gal buckets etc)

It’s really almost identical to my outdoor aquaponic setup, except with a standing water level versus using an auto siphon system.

Also have a couple Gnomes keepin an eye on things.
:grin:


IMG_7851

Roots in the bubble bath.

Standpipe

IMG_7849
1792127912052.png
 
I love your DIY hydro setups. I can tell were def cut from the same cloth when it comes to DIY RDWC, etc. You must be replenishing a few gallons+ a day just on condensate from ac & dehu alone.
 
I love your DIY hydro setups. I can tell were def cut from the same cloth when it comes to DIY RDWC, etc. You must be replenishing a few gallons+ a day just on condensate from ac & dehu alone.

I rarely need to run the Dehumidifier, (if we have rain, and it's hot out, I will need to turn it on for a few days) But depending on the stage of the grow, the system will run thru anything from 1-2 gallons a day to 8-10 in early flower stretch. I travel a good bit, so I needed a system that could handle being alone for a week or two, with about 60 gallons total capacity this def does that.

I have been toying with the idea of just attaching a float valve in the reservoir sump that's connected to my 55 gallon barrel that i store my AC and Dehu water in... so that it just autofills to a set capacity... :)
 
update on Golden Bough grow... have a few other plants in there, but this particular one is really peaking my interest.
using some new logging software, not completely dialed in on it yet, plz ignore some of the values on stuff... ppfd etc.

download (2).jpeg




# 🌱 Golden Bough - Grow Report

> **📸 Photoperiod** • 7 plants • 80 days

## 📊 By The Numbers

| ⏱️ Days | 🏁 Milestones | ⚠️ Issues | 📷 Photos | 💧 Waterings | 🌿 Feedings |
|:------:|:------------:|:--------:|:--------:|:-----------:|:----------:|
| 80 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |

### 🗺️ Journey Overview

| Phase | Duration |
|-------|:--------:|
| Germination | █ 4d |
| Seedling | ██ 7d |
| Veg | ██████ 28d |
| Flower | ██████████ 63d |
| Flush | ██ 7d |

## 🔧 Setup Details

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| **Type** | Photoperiod |
| **Plants** | 7 |
| **PPFD** | 500 µmol/m²/s |
| **Light (Veg)** | 18h |
| **Light (Flower)** | 12h |
| **Tent Size** | 300×200 cm |

## 🌿 The Cast

| # | Name | Strain | Seed Type | Pot | Notes |
|:-:|------|--------|:---------:|:---:|-------|
| 7 | **Plant 7** | Blue Nerdz | Regular | 25L | - |
| 6 | **Plant 6** | Rainbow Belts | Regular | 25L | - |
| 5 | **Plant 5** | Golden Bough | Regular | 50L | - |
| 4 | **Plant 4** | Acapulco Purple Gold | Regular | 50L | - |
| 3 | **Plant 3** | Acapulco Purple Gold | Regular | 50L | - |
| 2 | **Plant 2** | Golden Bough | Regular | 50L | - |
| 1 | **Plant 1** | Golden Bough | Regular | 50L | - |

## 📅 Key Dates

| Phase | Date | Day |
|-------|------|:---:|
| 🌱 Germination | Jul 30, 2026 | 0 |
| 🌿 Sprout | Aug 3, 2026 | - |
| 🪴 Veg Start | Aug 10, 2026 | 7 |
| 🌸 Flower Start | Sep 7, 2026 | 35 |
| 💧 Flush Start | Nov 9, 2026 | 98 |
| ✂️ Harvest | Nov 16, 2026 | 105 |

---

## 📖 Timeline

### Week 12 • 🌸 Flower

- **Day 80** 💧 Watered

- **Day 80** 💧 Watered
> 56 L · runoff pH 6.2 · Added 15 gallons to res

- **Day 80** 🌿 Fed
> Master blend + MKP · 700 ppm EC · Added master blend, silica, mkp and cal mag.

- **Day 80** 💧 Watered
> Dense bud formations. Bud structures are stacked almost solid for an about 14 inches. Light pine fresh scent. Buds are getting heavy some may need support.

- **Day 80** 💧 Watered

- **Day 80** 💧 Watered
> This plant has some good potential. Enviroment is hanging around 60 RH and temp from 70-74.

- **Day 80** 📝 Photo


---

_Generated by [OG Grow Journal Assistant](https://github.com/specialagentmrrandom-byte/grow-tool) on October 22, 2026_
 

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Was planning on doing a grow update on Mrs. Bough and friends out in the Shed tonight.... but alas, when I went to the shed I accidently knocked off one of my drainage pipes, and made a mess with a couple gallons of water that leaked out before i could fix it..... That's what towels are for... (put in a prop stick so it doesn't happen accidentally again, and made a mental note to fix that joint union with a drywall screw during reset after this run)

After that emergency was rectified, I needed to spend a good hour rigging support lines for all the buds (baseball bats) that were getting a bit to flopsy....

after all that, wasn't really feeling like taking photo's and logging full progress in the app for day 84... will revisit in a few days. :) For now, off to play a little bit of D4.
 
# 🌱 Golden Bough - Grow Report

> **📸 Photoperiod** • 7 plants • 85 days

## 📊 By The Numbers

| ⏱️ Days | 🏁 Milestones | ⚠️ Issues | 📷 Photos | 💧 Waterings | 🌿 Feedings |
|:------:|:------------:|:--------:|:--------:|:-----------:|:----------:|
| 85 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |

### 🗺️ Journey Overview

| Phase | Duration |
|-------|:--------:|
| Germination | █ 4d |
| Seedling | ██ 7d |
| Veg | ██████ 28d |
| Flower | ██████████ 63d |
| Flush | ██ 7d |

## 🔧 Setup Details

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| **Type** | Photoperiod |
| **Plants** | 7 |
| **PPFD** | 500 µmol/m²/s |
| **Light (Veg)** | 18h |
| **Light (Flower)** | 12h |
| **Tent Size** | 300×200 cm |

## 🌿 The Cast

| # | Name | Strain | Seed Type | Pot | Notes |
|:-:|------|--------|:---------:|:---:|-------|
| 7 | **Plant 7** | Blue Nerdz | Regular | 25L | - |
| 6 | **Plant 6** | Rainbow Belts | Regular | 25L | - |
| 5 | **Plant 5** | Golden Bough | Regular | 50L | - |
| 4 | **Plant 4** | Acapulco Purple Gold | Regular | 50L | - |
| 3 | **Plant 3** | Acapulco Purple Gold | Regular | 50L | - |
| 2 | **Plant 2** | Golden Bough | Regular | 50L | - |
| 1 | **Plant 1** | Golden Bough | Regular | 50L | - |

## 📅 Key Dates

| Phase | Date | Day |
|-------|------|:---:|
| 🌱 Germination | Jul 30, 2026 | 0 |
| 🌿 Sprout | Aug 3, 2026 | - |
| 🪴 Veg Start | Aug 10, 2026 | 7 |
| 🌸 Flower Start | Sep 7, 2026 | 35 |
| 💧 Flush Start | Nov 9, 2026 | 98 |
| ✂️ Harvest | Nov 16, 2026 | 105 |

---

## 📖 Timeline

### Week 12 • 🌸 Flower

- **Day 80** 💧 Watered

- **Day 80** 💧 Watered
> 56 L · runoff pH 6.2 · Added 15 gallons to res

- **Day 80** 🌿 Fed
> Master blend + MKP · 700 ppm EC · Added master blend, silica, mkp and cal mag.

- **Day 80** 💧 Watered
> Dense bud formations. Bud structures are stacked almost solid for an about 14 inches. Light pine fresh scent. Buds are getting heavy some may need support.

- **Day 80** 💧 Watered

- **Day 80** 💧 Watered
> This plant has some good potential. Enviroment is hanging around 60 RH and temp from 70-74.

- **Day 80** 📝 Photo

### Week 13 • 🌸 Flower
> 🏁 1

- **Day 85** 🏁 Stretch End **MILESTONE** `[Plant 1, Plant 2, Plant 3, Plant 4, Plant 5, Plant 6, Plant 7]`
> Plant has developed, massive, thick buds, that smell lightly of lemon and strongly of pine. Both plant number one and number two are exhibiting that same aroma and grow growth pattern. Plant three, although it has similar aroma, lacks the same level of dense bud structure. And the aroma coming from it is faintly cat piss smelling.

Acapulco gold purple, thankfully both plants have finished their stretch. All of the top buds are basically touching the light. The top pads have really started to swell appreciably in the last week. Aroma is heavy coffee with earthy undertones. Both plants exhibiting the exact same aroma.

Blue nerds and rainbow belts, are well into the stretch starting to get a few bud sites. Both plants look vigorous and healthy.

- **Day 85** 💧 Watered

- **Day 85** 🌿 Fed

---

## 🏁 Milestones Achieved

- **Day 85**: Stretch End - Plant has developed, massive, thick buds, that smell lightly of lemon and strongly of pine. Both plant number one and number two are exhibiting that same aroma and growth pattern. Plant three, although it has similar aroma, lacks the same level of dense bud structure. And the aroma coming from it is faintly cat piss smelling.

IMG-0304.jpg

IMG-0303.jpg

Acapulco gold purple, thankfully both plants have finished their stretch. All of the top buds are basically touching the light. The tops
have really started to swell appreciably in the last week. Aroma is heavy coffee with earthy undertones. Both plants exhibiting the exact same aroma.

IMG-0306.jpg

Blue nerds and rainbow belts, are well into the stretch starting to get a few bud sites. Both plants look vigorous and healthy.


---

_Generated by [OG Grow Journal Assistant](https://github.com/specialagentmrrandom-byte/grow-tool) on October 27, 2026_
 
# 🌱 Golden Bough - Grow Report

> **📸 Photoperiod** • 7 plants • 91 days



- **Day 91** 📝 Photo `[Plant 1, Plant 2, Plant 3, Plant 5, Plant 4, Plant 6, Plant 7]`
> Golden bow number one and number two are still primarily having white hairs with just a few starting to turn golden color, decent amount of Trichome production, which remain very clear with just a few starting to show a little bit of opacity. Strong pine fresh scent. No leaf fade yet.

IMG-0312.jpg


Golden bough number three, is displaying the cultivars propensity to have leaves turn golden color. Much different aroma than the other two light pine with with notes of cat piss. Majority of pistols have turned golden some still white. Much lower cola density than either of the other two plants but still respectable.
IMG-0311.jpg



Acapulco gold purple. Decent Trichome production. The coffee/earthy aroma is building even more strongly. Nearly all pistols are still solid white gonna be a few more weeks on this one.
IMG-0313.jpg


Lastly, we have blue nerds and rainbow belts, both continue with their stretch, starting to build bud sites. Not much aroma on either. Stem rubbings on rainbow belts give me a some kind of cleaner vibe like Clorox disinfected. Blue nerds has a fruitier, but still gassy smell to stem rubbings.
IMG-0314.jpg


_Generated by [OG Grow Journal Assistant](https://github.com/specialagentmrrandom-byte/grow-tool) on November 3, 2026_
 
# 🌱 Golden Bough - Grow Report

> **📸 Photoperiod** • 7 plants • 91 days



- **Day 91** 📝 Photo `[Plant 1, Plant 2, Plant 3, Plant 5, Plant 4, Plant 6, Plant 7]`
> Golden bow number one and number two are still primarily having white hairs with just a few starting to turn golden color, decent amount of Trichome production, which remain very clear with just a few starting to show a little bit of opacity. Strong pine fresh scent. No leaf fade yet.

View attachment 251662


Golden bough number three, is displaying the cultivars propensity to have leaves turn golden color. Much different aroma than the other two light pine with with notes of cat piss. Majority of pistols have turned golden some still white. Much lower cola density than either of the other two plants but still respectable.
View attachment 251665



Acapulco gold purple. Decent Trichome production. The coffee/earthy aroma is building even more strongly. Nearly all pistols are still solid white gonna be a few more weeks on this one.
View attachment 251664


Lastly, we have blue nerds and rainbow belts, both continue with their stretch, starting to build bud sites. Not much aroma on either. Stem rubbings on rainbow belts give me a some kind of cleaner vibe like Clorox disinfected. Blue nerds has a fruitier, but still gassy smell to stem rubbings.
View attachment 251663


_Generated by [OG Grow Journal Assistant](https://github.com/specialagentmrrandom-byte/grow-tool) on November 3, 2026_
Big colas brother, great use of the can for scale! Always hard to tell without reference on pictures.
 

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