Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Today's readings are 7.5, 0, 3.0, 40

Nice to see the progression of nutrient conversion. That patience thing is a bugger though.

Just planted a couple gourd seedlings that my girlfriend got from her coworker. Apparently they are inedible, but I've never heard of an inedible gourd.

I guess we'll see.

Some lower leaves on my basil plant and my zucchini plant are looking a little worse for wear. It's hard to tell if it's a nutrient issue or a transplant issue. The new growth looks good, so I'm leaning towards transplant issue.

I guess we'll wait and see on that too .

Readings from June 4

7.5, 0, 2.0, 20

Readings from June 5

7.8 (used high pH test - maybe it's been this way all long)
0, 1.0, 10

Will probably dose again in 2 days based on the current trend.

Zucchini seems to have fruit buds just starting to form.

Today's readings are 7.8, 0, 0, 5

So I dosed another 50mL or so of humonia.

Quick update:

June 7:
4.0, 2.0, 40

June 8:
2.0, off the charts (10?), 40

June 9:
0, 5.0, 20

June 10:
0, 4.0, 20

Also my pH has drifted up to around 8. I don't see any algae, but I guess there could be some in the bucket.

Today, 7.8, 0, 0, 0-5.

So 50mL processed in 4 days. Will dose again tomorrow morning.

Dosed 50mL this morning. About 6 hours later, the readings are:

7.8, 1-2, 2-5, 40

Conversion seems to be speeding up!

6/13/9

7.8, 2, 2, 40

June 14

7.8, 0.5, 5.0, 40

June 15

7.8, 0, 0, 5

Cycled 50mL of humonia in 2 days!

Will dose 50mL more tonight.

June 16

Didn't dose until this morning.

Afternoon readings: 7.8, ~6, 5, 20

June 17

7.8, 7, 2, 40

June 18

On a whim I tried the normal range pH test, and it came out at 6.4. Either it's moving a LOT, or my color-blindness has struck again. Either way, I made a cover for the tank to keep most of the light out.

Readings are 6.4, 8, 3, 40

June 19

6.4, 8, 5, 10

June 20

6.4, 3, 1, 5

I also added 4 small cherry tomato plants.

So in the system now I have:

2 misc gourds, 1 lemon boy tomato, 1 black beauty zucchini, 4 cherry tomato, 1 basil, 1 sugar snap pea.

The zucchini is beginning to set fruit, but none of the others are. I sprayed some maxicrop as a foliar, but I may just dump a bit in the tank too.

Also with the heat, growth, and taking some water each day for my fig tree, I've been topping up about 50% per week.

With your plants beginning to fruit... and pH at 6.4.... maybe a dash of Potassium BiCarbonate might be in order...

Will provide some Potassium for the fruit set... and buffer your pH back a bit... either that or you may need to incorporate some shellgrit into the system..

Yeah, that had occurred to me as well. In the past I've used crushed egg shells pretty effectively. I'll look into sourcing some potassium bicarb.

I did end up adding that half-capful of maxicrop.

That will certainly help the fruit set... so maybe just some shellgrit for long term buffering...