Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I wouldn't start worrying till you do some testing. I really like your system. It is an excercise in simplicity. Any idea how much money you have spent on it?

As you finish cycling and the system matures the pH will come down anyway Bkaus...... let things take their course for a couple of weeks and just log your test results.....

If things are still really warm where you are then you may need to consider some sort of sun shade/cover for your tank to prevent algael bloom.

Mate - beans love AP and grow exceptionally fast...loving wife has a container in the freezer especially for the beans (and one for the peas too, sometimes I shell them )

Noted the dates of bean seed planting, took just over 2 months before I was collecting beans from the vine and still picking a month later (hope that bit helps )

You might watch out for the gravel getting hot...tends to fry the plants

I've been watch the Temp closely. Here the results of the cover.

Yesterday the temp measured 69dec F at sunrise and at sunset the temp measured 82dec F. So after installing the pond cover the temp measured 79dec F today at sunrise. I didn’t put the cover on until late last night so it appears to have kept the water temp up nicely

Will see what the temp climbs to with the cover on during the day I’m looking for ~90dec F.

This page has the costs

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... c&start=45

Like the covers mate.... as someone said... exercise in simplicity

I look forward to your results. I have always envisioned putting black plastic over my grow beds and planting into holes cut into them. This would reduce evaporation and would keep the water warmer.

Just make sure that there is enough gas exchange going on, don't seal it completely.

I also really like bean and peas. My wifes favorite are tomatoes in fact she said I could do whatever as long as she got Toms and they didn’t cost an arm leg That why I’m been very safety minded when using the power tools.

Thanks for the heads up I'll be keeping an eye on the gravel temp. Come to think about it the toms weren’t under the shade screen because that the way the suns shine on the bed maybe they are getting to hot. They’re growing but look stressed a little crispy around the edges

I'll have to figure that one out not sure how tight to make it. Maybe it will be as simple as open the cover in the day and close it at night

I’m very interested in how fast the temp climbs with the cover on

Do you still think that the PH still come down even if I'm not using rain water? I'll post my test results later today if thing don't get to busy.

The pond only gets 4-6hr of sunlight on half of it. I was wondering if an algae bloom was in the cards but don't think the sun is on it long enough for that

Could always squeeze a lemon into the tank to nudge the pH, Bkaus

The pH will naturally come down as the system matures, but that could take months. Then your struggle will be to keep the pH closer to neutral.

Here are the results of the different test kits.

PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
KH 107 PPM
GH ?

THe KH and GH test kits were very old don't think that the GH was working. What is a good value for the Nitrate for plant growth?

I like how neat you are keeping the system. Nice attention to detail.

The cover has been a great success The Air temp was 60dec F at sunrise and tank was 76dec F. and with the cover on yesterday the high temp was 82dec F.

Without the cover the tank was about 10dec less than the air temp. So than 26dec increase in temp!