Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey I am enjoying your site, thanks for the great info! I have an 18 gallon aquarium where I have had five healthy fish and a small turtle living for about 8 months now. Recently I have begun reading about aquaponics and I have decided to take a shot at making a home system. I have read a lot about cycling your system to build up a bio filter in order to provide your plants with nitrates. Can I do this with my fish tank? Currently I have an over the back filter and a submersible filter in the tank which keeps it pretty clean. My ammonia levels are near zero as are the nitrates and I have a consistent ph of 7. Once I set up my system, what can I do to prepare for the introduction of plants? Should I remove the filters or the carbon from the filters? Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks

Hey Jimmy, welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of aquaponics :]

As you already have a cycled system which shows zero ammonia and some nitrates you already have an AP system with a built up bacteria colony acting as a bio filter, just need to attach a GB. Here are the things you need to check.

1. make sure you have not put any chemicals or water treatment stuff into the aquarium while setting it up, can't use anything like that in AP as that will get into the plants making them unsafe for human consumption.

2. regards the filters and the activated carbon in the filters, you don't need to remove them. My understanding of carbon is that it neutralizes everything in the water, but if you have no ammonia and some nitrates in the system that means you have plant food and no need to remove anything.

3. The turtle is the problem. Turtles are natural salmonella carriers and you can't safely eat anything grown in turtle waste. I'm surprised it hasn't eaten your five healthy fish, I'm sure it tries.

In summary, mainly due to the turtle, it is not smart to turn your aquarium into an AP system producing vegetables for human consumption.

However, what I would suggest, is use a small grow bed on top of the tank to grow flowers or some ornamental plants. It will be a great way to supplement water quality for your fish allowing them to be happier, live longer and grow larger, as well have give you great aquaponic experience and enjoyment.

Once you have tasted on the sweet teat of aquaponics for a few months you will, as we all did, make yourself your first system upgrade and then spend the rest of your days searching for bigger and better fish tanks. Welcome once again brother Jimmy :]

Hey Abul,

Thanks! I appreciate the information and your advice! I introduced the turtle to the tank when he was about very small, he is now about 2-3 inches and still has never really tried to harm my fish. If anything he is often bullied by my oscar and sometimes even by the spotted pleco who likes to suck on his shell.
It did occur to me that turtles can be salmonella carriers and maybe this would be incompatible with an AP system.

I am going to try to plant herbs/vegetables but frankly this is more of a science experiment for me at the moment. I have a small apartment in NY and I have experimented with indoor gardening with little success to date. I would like to learn with this system and upgrade to a 50 gallon tank next year, in which case I would like to grow things to consume.

Take care,

Jimmy

Definitely grow away in it Jim, will take a lot of aquarium maintenance out of the picture which frankly I find too much work Will be a great experiment to lead up to a larger and proper setup.

Get yourself some seaweed extract though to supplement for flowering for the ornamentals your grow, this will be a lot of fun to see them grow. Just use very little as the water volume is small.

You can start as simple as put a few river rocks or some hydroton in a used ice cream container with a hole in the bottle. Run some of the filter return into it and let let drip back into aquarium. Voila! Your very own micro aquaponics system :]

edit: Forgot to mention, have done with with great success with a friends aquarium, we grew a money plant vine.