Backyard Aquaponics
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What can I do lower my ammonia level? It is 0.25 ppm and it’s going on 2 weeks now. I wondering what can I do lower ammonia level. My ph level is between 6.8 and 7. I don’t see any nitrite but my nitrate level is 5.0. I am new to this I’m about 2 1/2 months in this


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Have you kept a record of the Amm, Nitrite and Nitrate levels since you started?... Can you chart this for us?

Did you cycle the system with fish, or fishless cycle?

Do you know that the system definitely cycled, ie: Ammonia and Nitrite both peaked then dropped to 0.0ppm, and has the Ammonia reappeared since then?

Or is the system possibly still cycling?

If the system was completely cycled and the Ammonia dropped to 0.0ppm but has since risen to the 0.25ppm, then the system may be overstocked, or you may be over feeding and there is uneaten food breaking down in the system, or something may be dead in the system and rotting.

Are there fish in the system, what type, what size, how many, when did they go in?

What is the total volume of all wet gravel in the system?

I don’t see anything dead in the tank. I have 10 tilapia and a 150 gallon chop and flipped Ibc tank. My grow bed is 3ft Wide and length. It’s about 2 1/2 feet deep. . I need to know how can get the ammonia level to 0


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Don't feed your fish until it starts to come down.

Ok thank you. I’ll try that


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You should also be tracking your water temperature. The ammonia toxicity is affected by the pH and water temperature. 0.25 of ammonia might not be even close to the toxic range depending on the water temperature.

Is this system the same as in your other thread?.

My water temperature is between 76-85f. I just cleaned my filter. My ph level is between 6.8 - 7


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Yes the same system


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If your fish are swimming normally and still actively searching for food I wouldn't worry about 0.25 - 0.50 mg/l of total ammonia. 0.25 of unionised ammonia is another matter.

Use a table expressing % of total ammonia present as unionised ammonia, NH3, to determine actual unionised ammonia level. Levels of unionised ammonia,NH3, should be below 0.2mg/l. Levels of total ammonia, TAN, can be considerably higher.
Total ammonia is made up of unionised ammonia and ionised ammonium. Ammonium is not toxic but unionised ammonia is.

TAN = NH3 + NH4

Hope that puts your mind at rest.

Yes they’re still swimming around normal and searching for food. Every time I walk up to it. They’re coming up to me thinking I’m going to feed them. I feed them once a day just a little in a bottom of a plastic cup. I don’t touch the food. I’m just worried bc this is my first time. I put aquarium freshwater salt when I was cycling the tank. So like I said I don’t see any nitrite and the nitrate is set at 5 ppm. The ammonia level is at .25 and it’s not going any higher. Today will make exactly 3 weeks since I put the 10 tilapia in the tank. I cycle with goldfish. So I probably just need to chill and sit back and watch. I thank y’all for everything and I appreciate everything. I felt welcome and I hope in the future I can ask questions. Thanks again


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What happened to the 25 gold fish?

I took them out a week after the tank cycle


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