Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I've got my system cycling as it should and have planted out the beds with some punnets of chilli, capsicum and lettuce that were marked down. Unfortunately I've only got 3 baby koi (2 died) in there and I don't think the plants have enough nitrogen. I haven't got a test kit yet to test all the levels either.

Is there a safe way to add extra nitrogen for the plants? I was thinking about adding some liquid from my worm farm, or maybe sheep manure into one of the sump tanks or something, but I'm not sure.

If not I'll just have to hope the plants survive until I get more fish.

Cheers

People have used Urea balls... or even hummonia (urine).... quite successfully Jonezy

just go easy on the wizz

Good point, especially as you haven't got a test kit.... maybe only once every three or four days.....

pm VB bout the hummonia dosage.....ps dont dose after a few rums...and dont try n balance on your IBC and dose your tank after a few rums...esp when the neighbours decide to come out n watch

Jonesy, i'm not suggest doing anything thill you get at least an ammonia test kit.

Think of it this way..........imagine trying to run a warm shower without the ability to feel the sensation of heat................

especially if rum is involved....

You can add liquid seaweed concentrate such as Seasol, I would probably mix about 2 capfuls into a couple of litres of water and pour over plants with a shower rose style watering can or spray bottle. It is not a fertiliser but a plant tonic which will not harm the fish if used in moderation. Check the label as it is the one which is labelled organic, other options may be something like Charlie Carp which I think is a fish emulsion, although I have not used this myself.

I don't know the size of the system in question but I think that 200 ml of aged humonia (at least ten days to two weeks in a bottle will kill any e coli contamination and allow the urea to convert to Ammonia making tracking easier) per 50 gallons of tank is appropriate for fishless cycling purposes. I do recommend the aging as if you dose fresh urine, there is some time involved for it to convert from urea to ammonia and it may be tempting to overdose.

Since you have fish in the system, I would be very cautious and perhaps only try about 50 ml per day to a 50 gallon system. I also agree with Steve that you should not do this until you get your hands on at least an ammonia test kit.

I expect your plants will survive even if you don't do anything extra, they will just be very slow. Perhaps another option for the plants is spraying them with the seasol or fish emultion, that way you arn't boosting the levels in the water so much but the plants get the extra support.

Don't you have a real problem if you have E. coli contamination in your urine, ie urinary tract infection?

stuart i think the high PH kills the bac

I got more fish and some test kits from my old man. pH is around 7.2, ammonia and nitrites are 0 and nitrate was 0-5ppm.

I've added 6 "medium" koi and 3 "small" koi and found one of the other small ones I thought had died (he made his way through the pipes into the sump where the pump is. I almost got silver perch but they didn't have any in stock. Now I just need to heat the water a bit so the koi eat and shit more.