Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

A couple of questions from a newcommer to Aquaponics. I have just set up a flood & drain system with a 1000lt tank. As yet I do not have any fish as I would like to get all the water right before adding fish. At present there are some plants in the grow bed 4 chillie, 6 beetroot, 6 basil,4 silverbeet,& 10 lettuce. I have put some Seasol in the tank about 1/2 a cup two days ago tested the water on the 3-1-12 & all was well except for the Ph which was 7.6+ Tested the water again tonight & found the Ph was still 7.6+ also the Amonia had gone up to 0.25 also the water was clear. what should I use to bring the Ph down to zero? also can I keep using Seasol & will it help with the water quality

your ph is fine where it is, don't mess with it..
you're very early in the cycling process... you may need to dose with urea or another ammonia source (lots of folks use "feeder" type fish like comets or minnows) to get the system "running"
lots of info here on fishless cycling, a quick search should give you lots of stuff to look at
it can take 6 to 8 weeks for the cycling to complete - where a dose of ammonia is processed by the system, resulting in zero readings in ammonia and nitrites..

Hydrochloric acid has a pH of around 0, don't think you want it that low
I'd say 7.6 is totally fine at this stage, wish mine was that level !

Seasol won't help with water quality as such, but gives the plants a helping hand in a new system.
Many people carry on adding it even in well established systems.

Thanks Keith & DuiNui the info is a great help & yes I have been reading a lot on this site to the extent the brain has gone into overload so now it BEER oclock.
Noel.

Somewhere either side of around 7 is a good pH to have. Your system sounds like its beginning to cycle, and I think you're going about it the right way doing it fishlessly, only because loosing fish makes for a sad time.

@keith @DuiNui - Does seasol have anything that turns to ammonia? I didnt know you could cycle with it.

I thought it was just trace elements.

@BW - AFAIK, no, but when you are cycling and nutrients are low/non existent in the water, in helps the plants along a bit.
You can't cycle with it (the old joke about fish with bicycles just sprang to mind..) but it helps the plants along a bit.

So I wonder what the ammonia source is?

Facetor2001, did you add anything else? Urea or any other ammonia source? Fishfood, dead things etc?


Doesn't Murray cycle with seasol??? I seem to remember a video I watched at a friends house a year ago or so. I'm pretty sure it was Murray setting up a system and cycling with seasol.

Rup! Where's rupertofoz when you need him.

Seasol doesn't have a significant nitrogen or content... but might have enough traces of elements to produce a low level of ammonia...

Leave your pH as is... it will drop as the system cycles and nitrification kicks in...

Keep feeding your plants with the seasol until you're cycled and get fish.. or just some fish and cycle with them.. which means controlled feeding and more constant testing...

ask - receive.

That worked well.

I want a pony.

... careful... you could end up with an old nag...

I'll just sell it to cjinVT as sausages

This could off a little but can you add compost tea to help in a new system or old. Thanks Jerry

I think aged compost might already be changed from ammonia, to nitrite, to nitrate, so you might only be feeding your plants without feeding your bacteria.

And if the compost contained warm blooded animal product, that there might be a danger of disease.

But well aged compost tea might be a nice way to add some trace elements. Especially if you made a compost just for aquaponics, made form things with lots of iron, potassium etc.

I think the BYAP systems don't add anything because they use (and I presume sell) a good quality feed that delivers all that good stuff.

Yep, I'd avoid it...

Hi all, thanks for all the input on my question, as yet I have not added anything just a bit of seasol & the system is starting to show signs of cycling o.k. I will just be patient for a bit longer & maybe next week look at some fish. This morning the water temp is 26.8 +or- 1 degree so I think I will be limited to getting some silver perch for the summer months.
Noel.