Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Eventually I received the water test kit today and here is my first testing result:
PH 7.6
Ammonia 8.0ppm
Nitrite 5.0ppm
Nitrate 10-20ppm

My system details:
FT volume = 800L
GB volume = 450L (water only)

FT 2 x 1 x .8M
My GB is about 2 x .7 x .4 m.

I build the fish tank first then I put 14 gold fish and then added 24 SP fingerling to it runs about two months now. GB was build up after about 20 days ago. All plants stop growing once it was transferred to the grow bed. I only see it started to grow this two days.

From the first testing result, it seems just have started to cycled now. I am a bit worry about the extremely high reading of ammonia and nitrite. What should I do now?

The good news is the fish seems still happy so far. I feed a lot yesterday(may be too much, about 6 spoons). I think I should stop feeding them now. Should I change water?

Welcome winfy_lee!

I moved your post to Members Systems instead of General.

The wood is beautiful, what is it and how did you get it to look so nice?

Nice neat system...

Thanks. It is pine with teak stain.

As I used this color to my garden bed so I keep them in same style.

What should I act at once for these high ammonia and nitrite reading please??? Anybody can help? I am afraid all of the fishes die in one day..

Remove any feed remaining in the bottom
Stop feeding
Be good to have some aeration...
What does the high pH test say?
Then somewhere there is a toxicity chart....

Thanks for your reply.
I saw the color looks like 7.6 then I think I don't need to have the high PH test.

From the test it looks like 7.8.

depending on water temperature that high ammonia can easily kill the fish.

Im not the most experienced but if i was you i would be changing like 50% of my water.

Also no more feeding for a week atleast (clean the bottom of the tank as suggested above).


If the fish are lucky enough to survive need to monitor for ammonia and nitrite levels over the next week.

Also run the grow bed 24/7 to keep the flow circulating

hope you get it sorted, I guess it needs to cycle.

Timber work looks great.

add 1-2 parts per thousand of sea salt/ pool salt - not table salt - to help mitigate nitrites.

i'd do at least a partial water change.. try to get that ammonia down,, with it that high, it will inhibit cycling

Hasn't fed the fish for two days.

Changed about 30% water then setup an air pump. Keep running the GB 24/7.

After two days now it seems I have a better result.

Ammonia 2 ppm
Nitrite 5ppm still high
Nitrate 5 ppm

It should be fine after few more days I think.

Don't feed for at least a few more days yet...

Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 2 ppm
Nitrate 5 ppm

Ammonia keep dropping down to 0.25 today.
Nitrite drops a bit, I think (But it is hard to tell from 2ppm to 5ppm)
Nitrate stay on 5ppm for few days now.

Should I feed the fish now??

I wouldn't feed yet with the nitrites still that high. Fish will be fine without food