Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Wow monya, we must have been there at the same time, i was just about to make a post saying the same thing......freaky

Then again, for us backyarders certification doesn't really matter! We know it is and thats that. Obviously if you were going to make a biz out of it organic cert. would go a long way for you.

I wonder why they cant cert it orgainc? proccedural?

hi
another interesting thread never going to get any work done.

having your ph below 7 has one major advantage (as long as your fish like it) that is ammonia excists in a non toxic form as ammonium. this means stocking level can be kept higher without ammonia burn.

distilled vinegar is good for lowering ph ,but i use it in my reef tank, it helps to lower nitates ! i use it in conjuction with calcium hydroxide to conteract its negative effect on my reef tank ph.

peat will soften and acidifie. . anything though that produce tannin will lower the ph , oak leaves and twigs,bog (petrified )wood etc.

indian almond leaves could be used they are used in asia to acidifie and are also credited with medicinal properties ( sim to melafix/teatree based)
preventing fungal and bacteria problems,strengthening fins and stimulating breeding ( for fish that love low ph.) one advantage with almond leaves is it can be grown as a shrub/small tree and the leaves collected and dried year round.
lemon/lime juice would be good i expect as it should also introduce a sourse of ascorbic acid (vitamin c) bonus.

another factor on ph can also be carbon dioxide (acidic) and oxygen levels. you can sometime raise your ph simply by aerating the system vigorously. ph can also vary between early morning and evening influenced simply by the amount os single celled algae present. the algae raises oxygen levels( and ph) during photosythesis in daylight and lowers oxygen (and ph) through respiration and co2 production in the dark.


sorry i got carried away there
i do go on lol

blodger

love it

take all day

what is work anyway.

ive got two years of research coming out of my ears because ive not had anyone to talk to about it .
the damm is open i need a hug lol

I was wondering why, as well Steve, > I reckon it probably has something to do with most beurocrats inability to look outside the sqaure and challenge themselves to accept any "new" ideas

a good trick for removing the soil is to hole the root ball over a small air stone. as the bubbles rise they bump into the root ball, gently knocking the soil away.

Blodger,

You are correct about the ammonia existing as ammonium below ph 7, and while the fish can tolerate it more, the nitrosomonas (ammonia converters) won't work well and not at all at 6.8. This will eventually lead to very high ammonia (ammonium) levels which will kill the fish. ALSO and probably more concerning, is that the nitrobacter (nitrite converting) bacteria also don't work too well,. and the nitrite has no non toxic forms, only way to keep fishy alive is by having high concentration of Cl- ions in the water.

IMHO Ph should always be at least 7.0 and between 7.0 and 7.5.

It hard to balance plant, bacteria and fish requirements.

Steve

That would have been Matt from the aquaponics Australia site I guess, I spoke with him just yesterday and I imagine that his information is gleaned from most other sources of information that are around and readily available. I know of noone that has approached an organic certifying body to find out for sure what the situation is. I have only read about what is required for certification, I have not approached them as yet.. I know that in the US the certifying bodies weren't very happy about the whole idea, and it was a bit of a battle to get the first few certifications through, I think that now it is becoming more widely accepted. I imagine that it will be a similar case here in Australia, hard for the first few to do it, but then easier as they understand what aquaponics is...

EB, can you post the australian requirements for certification please? Saves me searching

The soon to be wife is getting a short fuze with comming home and finding me on the net, and not really spending much time at all with her.

Steve, it's going to take longer to read this, and you'll be in more trouble... There is an aquaculture section, but of course it is ambiguous and really leaves it up to the specific certifier to make the decisions on a case by case basis... This one is better than the other standard I read, at least this one, has an aquaculture section.

Was there meant to be a link in there EB?

Blodger - great information. The indian almond sounds excellent. I will definitelly look out for one. Do you have any info on how much of the leaves is used per litre.

hi
this is some info i got with some that where made into teabags. you can get them as a whole leaf.

Each bag is equal to one almond leaf. Use one tea bag for each 10 gallons of water. Simply rinse the tea bag under a faucet until soaked, then let it float in the tank until you get the color you want. Usually a light yellow-brown is what the normal watercolor of the betta's habitat is. In 10 gallons this may take a day or two. Then remove so you don't lower the ph too much by having rotting plant leaves in the tank.
Ketapang Leaf otherwise known as TERMINALIA CATAPPA (or commonly called tropical almond, badamier, Java almond, amandier de Cayenne, wild almond, Indian almond, myrobalan, Malabar almond, Singapore almond, Huu kwang, Sea almond, kobateishi) actually releases organic acids like humic and tannins which lowers the pH of the water, absorbs harmful chemicals and help create a soothing and calm environment for the fish. It also has anti-bacterial properties
The presence of Ketapang Extract in the water spurs nest-building activity and allows the bubbles to hold together more firmly.
Ketapang Extract can also be used for a variety of tropical fish that take to blackwater extracts like Arowanas, Cichlids and Discus
Indian almond leaves have been widely used by Asian breeders of tropical fish to stimulate breeding and promote health and vitality in tropical fish. Other beneficial use of Indian almond leaves include:
• act as a tonic
• enhance fertility
• reduce water pH
• anti-fungal properties
• anti-bacterial properties
• promote vibrant colorations
• simulate black water conditions

an interesting shrub me thinks

Sounds like a plant that every fish grower should have. Excellent info blodger.

organic sustainable medication
i found a guy in germany that can send me a plant but i will have to wait till the green house is finished as it wouldnt survive outside here in the winter