Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi,
I´m putting up my first system and I don´t want to wait 2 months to get the bacteria levels right to get started. Can I use the water from a stream running nere by or can I fill the FT up with some lake water? The tap water (with cloride) or plain rain water?
Rain water seem to be a good choice according to some but how can I speed up the bacteria growth?

???

Throwing in a few handfulls of good soil (not potting mix) into the tank will introduce the bacteria then piss in it daily to keep it going. Either way, depending on your temperature you will have to wait to get things going.

Or you can add the fish as I do and get it going with them.

After i got my system ready for plants, i grabbed a hand full of grow media from an other aquaponic system that was established. I would imagine a hand full of a good soil ( from a garden ) would be just as useful and fast.

The H2O kind of water

If you want to get all technical about it go and get a bottle of ammonia solution from the chemist and a ammonia test kit. Dose with ammonia to get it to 2 parts per million and try and keep it at that level by adding ammonia in small amounts. Eventually after much painful waiting... usually 4 to 6 weeks, you will be able to dose to 2 ppm and 24 hours later it will be back to 0. Then you are cycled. It also helps to check for nitrite as this is very toxic to fish. During the cycling process the nitrite will spike and this can kill your fish so imo cycle with ammonia or piss and then once you are cycled add the fish otherwise you stand a chance of losing all your fish.

seeding with some cycled media from another system may help to kick start the bacterial colonies but they will take time to colonize all your fresh media.

Any bacterial destroying chlorine will be long gone in a day or two with water moving through the system.

At the end of the day you need water ammonia and lots of patience. That's all...

taking water from the stream or pond could introduce parasites or other things you might not want in your ap system
chlorine will dissipate over a day or two exposed to sun and aerated, depending on the volume.. chloramine will take longer
it might be a good idea to wait to put the fish in, for at least a few days to make sure your plumbing is secure (have the hsm of draining the tank before you put fish in)
i started cycling with minnows.. goldies are tough.. but the cycling process will take time, media from an established system will speed it up some, but there really aren't shortcuts to cycling

+1 on the river water keith. Be very careful what you chuck in. You may introduce snails which are really irritating.

Best advice is DONT RUSH! Cycling takes time, and it will take even longer for the system to really establish itself.