Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

The fact the ammonia has all-but-disappeared means the good-guys converting the ammonia-to-nitrites are working hard. The nitrites are still high because the other good-guys that convert the nitrites-to-nitrates are still working to deal with the influx of new material; give them a few more days to deal with the back-log and catch up.

If the interference from outside sources is minimized, you will soon see the nitrites drop and the nitrates pickup. That's how the nitrogen cycle works.

Patience.... patience... think of a calm blue ocean.... breathe gently... and wait.

Give it time, air and circulation. The worst thing you can do is fiddle with the system now. (I know the HSM effect of too much interference!)



Scott

Todays readings

pH 7.8
Amm 0
Nitrites 5
Nitrates 10

I think my wife is begining to get into AP now that things are starting to grow, I may have to build another system if she takes over mine

Hold off any feeding for 24 hours...

Roger Wilco

Temp 19 C
pH 7.8
Amm 0
Nitrites 1
Nitrates 5

I am happy with the trend developing

What a difference a day or two can make eh??...

You may be able to feed lightly tomorrow... just once a day for the next few days... and watch your test results... if they spike back up.... drop the feed off again for a day...

The inside of my tank has resembled London at night during the blitz for the last month and the sump water has been looking clearer and clearer so today I took all the blackout cover off to see if the algae had cleared. To my surprise the water was crystal clear and I could see my fish for the first time in a month and a half. The fish seem happy and healthy although is is hard to tell as they are so small and fast and so few for such a big tank.

Even the aglae for the side of the tank has gone. I think I will not completely black out the tank form now on and only use the 70% shadecloth to see how much algae returns as I like to see the fish.

The plants are all starting to bolt now and I am looking forward to some significant improvment in growth to show my neighbor that this AP thing actually works.

Temp 17 C
pH 7.8
Amm 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrate less than 5 but not zero (I think I need more fish)

I might buy some yabbies for the sump so the kids have some thing to look at and feed, I don't want to eat them because I think they taste like kuk and I can get marron when ever I want (which I don't like either). They would just be to keep the sump bottom clean and for show. I might get some marron for the bottom of the FT too now that I can see the bottom.

I was thinking 8 yabbies for the sump (IBC) and 4 marron for the FT (2.5m diameter), Does this sound right?

Hey Simo, what did you do with that mussel tank - FT lid? Got a photo?

Nothing yet Burnsy, It will need some serious support frame before I can turn it into a GB and I have been a bit busy of late. I am giving some serious thought to using it to grow mussels but I will need some more GBs to do that.

Today
temp 18 C
pH 7.8
Amm 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

I guess my system is cycled but I wish the Nitrates would have stayed higher to get better plant growth. Is there any thing I should add to the water to help the plants while the fish slowly get bigger and produce more nutrient?

Should I try to get more fish to boost plant growth as I only have 97 small SP in 4500L?

I put 10 yabbies in the sump today, one is looking poorly.

Plants are looking good except that my broccoli is being eaten by "cabbage moth" (those white butterflies) catapilers. I have read that you can spray the leaves with some thing called "Dipel". What is "Dipel" and where can you get it? I looked in the big hardware shop today but could not find it, does it have another name?

What is "Dipel" and where can you get it?

Dipel’s a non-toxic, natural caterpillar control that’s been providing organic protection from caterpillars for more than thirty years.

Dipel only affects caterpillars in the moth and butterfly family. It won’t harm any other organism and has long been a favourite of organic gardeners and commercial growers. And better still, when applied to food crops Dipel has no withholding period: vegies, fruit and salad ingredients can be washed and eaten immediately after spraying.


http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/shop. ... gory_id=16

Thanks Faye

Will order some now.

"Dipel" is a yates product.... which should be available in most Bunnings shops...

It is actually a bacteria...

http://www.yates.com.au/products/pest-c ... ler-dipel/



http://www.valentbiosciences.com/docs/p ... _DiPel.pdf

Thanks Rupe,

How cool is Dipel, a bacterium that kills only caterpillars and 100% natural. The Bacteria in Dipel is in the same genus as Anthrax (which is why the suggest avoiding open wounds) so it is like germ warfare for caterpillars

I'm going to feel like a totalitarian dictator using this stuff, caterpillar genocide.

Hey Simo
Love your system and I have learnt so much from the forum
Your idea of the slots in the grow bed is a great idea for two reasons
drilling lots of holes as i did was a pain and very time consuming
I think slits would be more affective but will trial this on my second system and do a comparison
While I love aquaponics I don't intend do donate any blood