Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

i am new to ap, i have an existing hydroponic system that is a continuous flow system i have 3 beds that are about 4 gallons and 2 300gph pumps, i took a big rubbermaid big i got at wallyworld thats about 50 gallons and i put 40 goldfish in it, the water is pumped up in to the grow beds and then flows back out into the fishtank, i also put in some air stones and some volcanic rock in the fish tank, it has been running for about a week with all the fish and existing tomato plants, i just took a test of the water and the test strips said that ammonia levels was normal but my nitrate level is around 80ppm which the strips say is "dangerous" my nitrite level is almost 10ppm, i don't have any dieing fish or anything and the plants look fine, im wondering if this is normal or not? the system runs 24 hrs a day and there are two rooms one with 24hrs of light and one with 12, i am just looking to avoide major problems before they start, my water also looks crystal clear and imput would be appreciated

Well, I just passed that stage and I think this is the consensus. It is OK for the nitrates to be a bit high as that is what the plants live off of. However, high level will facilitate algea blooms in combination with light. You want to shoot for nitrite 0 amonia 0 Nitrate 20-60ish. Any idea for what the ph is? Amonia and PH are the main numbers to look at.

A good place to go as well is to http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=229. Joel and others have done a good job of putting all the basic info in one place for us Newbies.

I have had a blast so far. Welcome to the forum and have lots of fun! Learn lots!

strips said ph was "normal" 7.2 i think

another thing i was wondering was how critical is it to remove the fish solids, as of now my tank looks clean and the fish have been living in it for a week, won't the solids add that much more food for the plants? are there any kinda of creatures that i can put in the tank or growbeds that will eat that poo? or can i just like clean out each bed between harvests?

if you have deep enough gravel, ie 30cm's, you caqn vac the bottom of the tank straight into the gravel and the bacteria will go to work on it. If you remove the solids you are more likely to have nutrient deficiencies, and may not have as much luck with fruiting plants.

As for your nitrates, to a point, the more the better. What's that point? FIIK! Mine are off the scale so i AM ADDING MORE GRAVEL BEDS for more filtration etc. Your nitrites should settle as your system cycles, which will normally take 4 - 12 weeks depending on a number of things ie temp, ph etc.

i have been thinking because i was using this system before with regular chem nutes and basically i just swapped out my existing resivour for one with fish in it, do u think that there was already bacteria growing in the growbed from feeding the chem nutes? i also put in a big bottle of bacteria supplement in the water, dose this help at all? if i have a level of gravel on the bottom of the fish tank will bacteria grow in it? or do i have to have it where the water is circulated through a seperate grow bed, i dunno if thease seem like dumb questions but i just sit up at night pondering

Welcome rblaster85!
I'll attempt to answer questions...

The chem nutes would not have included ammonia and nitrite. That's what your bacteria need, so I doubt that you have a lot of bacteria right now. The other evidence that your bacteria is not established completely is your nitrite. Your nitrite is WAY too high and will start killing your fish pretty soon. (You did say 10ppm, not 1.0ppm, right?) If you can reduce your fish levels, that would be a good idea. I started cycling my 100-gal setup with 3 4-inch goldfish. Regardless, start doing +50% water changes daily until you get those nitrites down under 3.0. Stop feeding the fish, too. They'll beg, but will be fine with no food for a week. The bacteria supplement is helping you, but it needs more time. Your nitrate is fine.

Don't worry about removing the poo. As it degrades, it will release additional nutrients that your plants need.

Bacteria will grow anywhere there is a surface with water moving past it. So a deep layer of gravel without water moving through it will not help as much as if you are forcing water through it.

Good one janet! I should have said watch the dangerous levels of Nitrites, stop feeding and do water changes

if i put in some gh nutes for the time being so the plants don't die is it bad for the fish?

What's a 'gh nute'?

The plants can probably stick it out for a time while you get the fish situation stabilized.

greenhouse nutrient I'd guess?

janets on the money with the nitrites. you NEED to get it down from 10 Also maintain good airation with this nitrite level, as it interferes with the fish's ability to take up oxygen. Much like carbonmonoxide does to humans.

general hydroponics its a company, i have a large air pump hooked up it says its for a 100 gal tank and i have prolly 60 gal total,

OK, advice stands. Don't put more junk in the water. Get your nitrites down. Maybe the plants will slow down their growth for a bit, but that's OK. Much better than fishies swimming upside-down. Glad you have the air pump going.

FYI java moss is very good at removing nitrites, it is its preffered nitrogen source, much like duckweed and ammonia.