Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello Everyone ,

Long time lurker here, finally felt like I was ready to post my system up for everyone to have a look at.

I have been working on it for a few months now, lots of trial and error, but its finally up and running and working perfectly. I have just started to develop nitrites and small amounts of nitrates as of today, which is very exciting!

Would love to hear some feedback from everyone!

~C.

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwJwJ5h2 ... e=youtu.be

Pictures - http://imgur.com/a/rQ9O0#0

welcome to the forum

Nice system

Thanks guys!

looks great, and welcome!!

Hello Again,

Okay, so I have been fish-ess cycling now for maybe 8 weeks, although my first few weeks were really touch and go as I was having trouble with my pumps. So it wasn't running full time for that period, but it has been now for at least a solid 4 weeks.

I dont have access to charlie carp here, and I didnt really want to spend any money on a urea supplement so I read through the "pee-ponics" thread. As a healthy married man with no obvious diseases, haha, I made the decision to spike the ammonia solo.

Three days ago I tested the system and nitrates and nitrites for the first time, and I tested again today, but it seems reeeallly high!

Anyhow, I wanted to share with you my two most recent water tests, one today, and one from three days ago.
The ammonia is still super high as well, which sucks because I want to get fish into the system soon!

Looking for some expert opinions on what these test results mean and where to go from here!

Cheers!

April 5th 2013

April 8th 2013

Whoa! Sorry for the massive images!

Your cycling but your PH is extremely low and could possibly crash the nitrification process so you need to get that up a bit. Idd add some shell grit to your FT (in a stocking) and also give it a dose of slacked lime and get your PH up around 7.

Thanks Charlie!! It dropped almost a full point over three days! Very strange!

Ph dropping like that means the nitrification is working great but you have no buffering power in the media. So as Charlie said a stocking of shell grit hanging under one of the growbed returns so water is running through it should buffer the ph back to 7 ish

System looks great btw. Where in Vic are you

Thanks guys, put some shells in the system and the ph went up a touch. Ammonia has leveled out, nitrites dropped, and the nitrates did as well. Hope the nitrification cycle won't be effected too much by this swing in the ph. If for some reason it is, what's the fix? Raise ph and then ammonia spike the system again?

I am actually located in the Victoria of a different hemisphere, BC Canada Mantis. Thanks for the feedback! I drool over both your guys systems! Can't wait to get this thing running!

I already put in some seedlings and they are doing quite well.

Cheers.

So, I put about five pounds of crushed coral in the system for almost a week now and the ph is staying the same. Nitrates are still high, ammonia is still at about 2 ppm and nitrites have fallen off completely?

Has the nitrification process stopped? Is there another faster way to up the ph or should I wait longer?

Thanks guys.

C.

The thing that everyone forgets with humonia is that it is still converting. You will continue to get ammonia for a little while from it.
Just looked at the pics, beauty eh?

Excellent work. I like your system.

Thanks for the reassurance guys!