Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

It's certainly got cold.. 0c in mornings

I've noticed my ph has jumped from 6.6 to about 7.6
I wonder what would cause that? I've had a bit of rain here, could that be it?

All beds are constant flood - and I've dropped a bell siphon into each bed to give them a drain out in case of any anaerobic areas..

Things that can cause an elevated pH.
1-did you add something that can buffer the system pH up? Check your top up water? Rain alone falling into a system is likely to lower pH unless there is a drastic amount of limestone dust in the air or something odd like that.

2-Anaerobic conditions can elevate pH.

3-some algae can cause crazy things to happen with pH. (sometimes I'm not sure if it is simply causing diurnal swings in pH or if maybe the algae is creating anaerobic zones all on it's own or if it is something else.)

I've just had a hot weather algae phenomenon happen again. This time here at the new farm. Back at the old place a couple summers ago it happened in the water chestnut bins and caused my system pH to elevate from 7.6 up to 8.2. This time at the new farm I noticed in one of the systems the pH has come up from 6.6 up to 7.2 and when I went looking for reasons, I noticed that the new tank we added to the system but I hadn't yet put a cover on it and now it has that dark green/brown string algae growing in it. We scooped out a bunch to feed to the ducks/chickens and I' have put a temporary cover over the tank to block light. I've noticed that the algae that tends to bloom changes by season and the problems the algae pose can be different. This particular string algae is really good at clogging grates and screens and the airlift bluegill/pond plant system has had a bloom of it in the bluegill tank that has caused the fish tank to overflow a couple times when the drain screens got clogged. I've added a cover over that tank now as well.

I dont seem to have any visible algae issues - and i certainly dont buffer UP..

anaerobic zones - possible.. but wouldnt know unless i emptied all growbeds and cleaned out.. but shouldnt need in a system under 12 months old........

I wouldnt mind ripping the lot out and replacing with 6 BYAP growbeds... one day money permitting

What top up water do you use?
You say you have had a bit of rain, does that rain collect in a concrete tank or anything like that?

Anaerobic zones can often be detected by smell, do a little digging and sniffing to see if you have a gunked up spot.

However, you say it's gotten cold. If during warm weather your fish are eating well and pushing your bio-filtration to keep your pH down but now it's cold and your fish are not eating as well and your bio-filter isn't acidifying the water as much, if your top up water has a certain amount of buffers in it, then the lack of heavy bio-filtration need might let the pH come up from what it normally is.

Top up water is just town water, tested at PH 7.0
I will have to try the dig and sniff method i think for any stinky spots..

Could be the impact of having hungry trout making more gunk ?

Nah there are only 12 trout and the silvers don't feed when it's this cold

How i start my seeds, and an introduction to the chooks!



Aquaponics Update - And a question about my sideways swimmers...

Sideways swimmers -

Looks like what's called flashing. Lots of things can cause this. If you haven't salted that would be a good idea.

Check the ammonia and nitrite levels. Could also be a parasite or stress related. Do a search on flashing (for some info) and also salting to get the salt levels for nitrites and treating for parasites since these are different. Not all plants can handle the salts (strawberries are one).

What volume of salt would you think for a 4000 litre tank ?

Can someone confirm it is flashing? Does anyone have a video i can compare it to ?

Definitely "flashing"... salt to 3ppt....

3ppt = 9KG for 4,000 Litres?

Close... 12kg....