heres the link for a picture of the aquarium and what Ive done with it...Let me know if it looks like it will work or if I wasted my time.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2007/01/easy_homemade_seed_starter.html?cat=proud_projects

It's hard to critique something like your aquarium set up without having tried a similar method, but enclosed as it is I would be on the lookout for mold.
Every tomato grower has his own favorite variety, your choices are excellent. I would suggest you go to P & P Seeds and also purchase a variety named Phil's Fantastic. They are expensive, a buck a seed, but this year I grew one at 1lb 10oz, and I used NO fertilizer. They grew side by side with my Delicious, and the PF were just slightly larger.
By the way, if 1lb 10oz doesn't sound very big, let me tell you it was huge. When I think that the record tomato was over 6lb, it boggles my mind. That thing must have been the size of a field pumpkin. And don't believe the adds about seeds consistenly producing tomatoes 2lbs or more, anything over 1lb is a really big tomato...Elder

I think that the record is a Delicious grown by a man in Oklahoma and went something like 7 pounds, 14 OZ.

There is a Tomato Growing forum, rift with its "experts", trolls and all, but there is some good information there and some good info on seed starting set ups as well. In fact, here is a very nice seed starting system that a lady made, which is on the Growing Vegetabes forum.

A well known authority on tomatoes Dr. Carolyn Male posts on the Tomato forum pretty often and there was a recent thread about Big Zac where she posted a list of quite a few tomatoes that have the genetics to grow very big, if all other things are right.

I have grown some good sized tomatoes without doing all the pruneing and pinching off blossoms and other fruit, or trying in any way to grow a super big one, like this {{gwi:259068}} which also tastes great. It is open pollinated and you can save seed from it. The big beefsteaks produce large tomatoes for me and Cherokee Purple are pretty fair sized also. I just ordered some seed for this new one from Burpee because the pictures and hype were intrigueing. I try to leave room to try a few new ones each year.

Good luck with your quest to grow a huge tomato.
Bill P.

Get the seeds from the champs from that New Jersey sight. they send them for postage and handeling $1.25 or so .

c, Please let us all know how it works out for you, and let us know if you made any changes or additions to your system.....Elder

Last season I had a plant "Omars Lebonese" that produced a 2lb, 6 oz. And quite a few others well over 1 lb. without any special attention. Now I am in so. cal and our season is long but for big ones this did best for me.

This Neves Azorean Red weighed in at 2 lbs 9.7 oz. No special treatment, no pinching and no fertilizer.

I have some 12ft tall tomatoes, if you'd like some information on growing them let me know.

http://www.sunlightsheds.com/12fttomato.jpg

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:839547}}

Peggy

That tomato is a beauty. I hope I can get a few seeds. I sent you an email. Hope you find the email.

thanks

Dan Gould

Both Big Zac and Porterhouse give me bigger tomatoes than Delicious. I have grown plenty of giant varieties. Big Zac and Porterhouse are my winners.

Dan, I didn't get your email but I'd be happy to share some seeds with you.

Mail me at; pnuttATmyactvDOTnet

Peggy

I sent you an email. if it does not come click on my name and you will get my email address.

Thank You very much

aka Peggy~would you be interested in doing a seed exchange? For some of the seeds of Neves Azorean Red. I have a variety of veggie seeds and Garlic.....will get back to ya~carrie

I'm new to organics, but thought I would try my hand at a Giant Organic Tomato. I bought a Big Zac. I have yet to add additional fertilizer, but the raised bed I planted in, is very rich in compost.
Is this variety known to be late in setting fruit? My Robesons, Green Giant, and black Ethiopian are already fruiting profusely. I have blooms, but no fruit as yet. I know I will have some, but I was wondering if this is the norm for Zac.

A typical procedure for growing large tomatoes is to allow only several (1-3) tomatoes to develop on the plant and prune ALL of the plant's growing points to force all of the plant's nutrition into a few tomatoes. You should also rig supports for the tomatoes so their weight doesn't rip them off the vine. The main problem that I have had with this procedure is that the tomatoes tend to burst open. I suspect an important selection criterion is resistance to such cracking and the best variety may not be the one that normally produces the largest tomatoes.