Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Haha, I've nursed that little guy since he was a seedling, will be the largest tree in my front garden next summer, shade for everyone!

[quote="m3tal"]Welcome!!


Also Some Chelated Iron into the system would be a good idea, i add 1tsp a week to mine have done for about 5-6 weeks now it cleared up the yellowing and helped with flowering. you can grab this from the Nursery.

Does the chelated iron tend to leave the water very murkey and rusty looking, or does it clear up pretty quickly? Added some this morning and noticed the instant change!
Cheers

It will clear no problems

Well the first signs of some seeds sprouting have appeared. Some little Bok Choys have come up through the rocks. Must be tough little seedlings. Here's hoping they dont go to seed within 2 weeks like they do in the garden. Aquaponics will be pure genius if genuinely good sized non seeding Bok Choy can be grown in summer!

Ok, so two weeks after the fish have been in, plants looks reasonably healthy with plenty of seedlings coming up, and some new growth on the existing seedlings.
PH has come down to 7.4
Ammonia levels reached 1 mid week, but dropped back down to 0.5 today
Nitrite levels are reading off the chart, more a pink than the purple shown as the highest reading.
Nitrate levels are at 5ppm
Fish appear healthy.
Have cut back their food this week due to the higher Ammonia levels.
Does all appear to be well with those readings, and how far along in the cycling process would the system be?
Cheers

I would hold off on the food for a couple of days till the ammonia is down to .25 and your nitrite is under control.
The fish won't starve but the high nitrite will kill them.

Also do you have any iron chelates? With PH at 7.4 it will be locking out the iron and you may be noticing some yellowing in the plants? The iron chelates will help the plants get a good start and make them nice and green.

On the plus side you are very close to having a cycled system, the bacteria have started to convert the ammonia to nitrite all you need now is for the bacteria that converts the nitrite to nitrate to multiply and your done. You can feed your fish to your hearts content!!

Not long to go.

Thanks Brett,

Yeah my cucumbers had started to yellow after the water cleared from the last lot of iron chelate I put in, so I will add some more.
Will hold off the food, they can feast on the algae on the side of the tank
Sounds like things are on track though so that's positive.
Thanks for the advice!

I have PH at around 7.4 - 7.8 and am adding 1 scoop (5 grams) to my 1000l Ft once a month and it's made a hugh difference.

A shot of sea sol wont hurt

I'm also adding 1 cap every 2 weeks to mine. Shouldn't Jason wait till his system has cycled before adding seasol?

Or will it not effect the numbers?

Definitely seasol up! As a tonic more than anything. It won't upset the ammiteate figures at all, and along with the FE, it may assist with the off colour cuces. I apply it pretty liberally, and you will hear mixed thoughts on dosing. I'd prolly go for more than a capful - maybe 100mL now and 25mL every week/fortnight? It'll turn your FT water into a dark tea colour, but the discolouration will pass in a couple of days. Be sure to grab 'plain' seasol - not it's brother bottle with 'powerfeed' and soil conditioning additives. The NPK balance of seasol with 'powerfeed' will definitely throw the system into a flat spin!

My cucumber leaves have dried out and yellowed n browned off near the roots, but the runners/vines are about 1.5 metres long and are still happily flowering, budding and fruiting monster cucumbers.

Do you guys tend to purely add seasol too the fish tank water, or put it in a watering can and pour it over the foliage of the seedlings? I have been told that the leaves of plants are able to absorb the seasol through their leaves as well as their roots and thus this is a more effective method of using seasol for your plants. Any thoughts?

For you newbees mix it carefully in a watering can and distribute evenley over the plants
Or do as the oldies do just pore a glug in anypart wheres theres flowing water

I have also been adding seasol at the rate of about 2.5 caps per day. I mix it up in an old plastic cordial bottle and apply it around the base of a few lucky favorite plants. I dont apply it to leaves as I also apply Yates Dipel to control white moths and caterpilars and the seasol would just wash it off the leaves.
I also put chelated iron in my system which has worked really well in greening everything up.
Ps, great looking system.

Hi - I'm splashing in a little fish emulsion fert every week or so in the sump tank at the mo. Also adding a teaspoon of chelated iron the same way every month or so - when I see a hint of yellow in leaves. Got mine from the local feed supply store - in a plastic jar... Don't seem to need much additional when the fish are powering but more when they are fingerlings - no surprises there.

Fish emulsion can be used as a foliar spray also, I have treated our lilypilly (and others)with a a foliar spray for a rust type disease - its easy to see when we did it as the leaves grew healthy afterward the the old effected leaves still on the bush. The plants do smell a bit though...

System looks great well done