Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have a small system inside my house using a 20g(75L) and 10g(38L) glass fish tank. Was mostly using it to keep plants alive, a flowerpot of red chilli peppers and a crap load of basil.

Here is the introduction thread from the new members introduction area.
viewtopic.php?f=45&t=13520

figured I should start posting over here because I'm slowly improving it and running into a few issues. 13 dead fish so far out of 19 feeder goldfish

Here are the latest water tests.
pH - 7.4
Ammonia - 0.25 ppm
N02 - 0 ppm
N03 - 0 ppm

Glad to see that you have started a members thread. You were asking how much salt to add, 1-2 parts per thousand might be a good idea. Ideally you measure the salt by weight, but I just threw about two liters worth in as my volume of water is about 2000 liters. Hardcore members love their hydrometer that gives them salinity, but it is not in my budget right now. Some people keep their systems at 3 parts per thousand, but it is hard on some plants like strawberries. I used solar salt. It is cheap, and does not have iodine added. A bag will last quite some time.

your 2 liters of salt to 2000 liters gave you 1 part per thousand

guessing that doing gallons to liters would give me 95 liters and at 1 part per thousand it would be 95 milliliters.

Yea, I only gave it in the metric system because it makes a much easier job of figuring it out than imperial. It is a quick conversion from imperial to metric, then the maths are easier.

I find it odd still that the US will not switch to metric. Its so much easier, but can be pain switching between.

I spent a few bucks today and converted my overflow to a SLO. A tee, elbo and a drilled encap as a guard for the fish it also raised the 20g tank water height maybe 2-3 cm. The turtle is in its new home in a 55g tank and the remaining 5 goldfish are now switched to the 20g tank. I have another idea on what might have been causing the deaths also. The regular aquarium filter was causing so much current in the 10g sump that could have caused stress to the fish because so far no deaths in the 20g yet. The only water flow into that tank is the drain from the loop siphon and the suction from the SLO. The fish look happier then cowering in one corner in the sump.

I added half the salt over 2 hours last night. I'll do the other half today. Fish did not mind the salt, but just going to be cautious. Some of my basil died, my loop siphon tube slipped and the water height was around 2cm shorter than it was, I had it about a cm below the top of the hydroton.

your water should come up to about an inch or more under the surface of the hydroton

having only five 1.5-3cm goldfish left, I went and got some more. I asked for 10 but they gave me 25ish. The lady getting them for me was doing the last of the count of already maybe 18 and dropped the rest of the net of about 7 into the bag. telling me that "it looks about right." I still paid $1.50 for the "10" fish.

I put 7 of the smallest in the 55g tank for the turtle to try to catch. Removing the turtle looked like it hurt the nutrients going to my plants very quickly. In my videos there is a white basket that is used to hold the rock that the turtle suns its self on top of. After removing that and putting it in the 55g tank there was around 1cm of accumulated turtle shit. No clue in hell why the water was so clear after seeing that gunk.

I need to get that TV on the wall I cant see my turtle tank.

You cant complain with that price. They charge $8 per goldfish wher I live. Its cheaper for me to buy trout!

Good God! Is there some kind of goldfish cartel in Oz? I do not believe that there is a place that sells goldfish for more than 15 cents in the US. Some places even have 8 cent ones. There are some exotic goldfish that cost like 2 dollars, but good old feeder goldfish are cheap. Cheap because, like their name implies, feeder goldfish are ment to be food for something else.

Or act as a canary...

I did not think out that 55g tank. I forgot to get a filter when I got it and that tank is starting to skunk up quickly. Nice and filmy and starting to stink. I'm looking at a Fluval 305.

I added a waterproof LED light strip under the rim of the 20g tank. Just cut off part of my 5M strip to 60CM.

Ill put a video up of it later tomorrow.

Don't get rid of the bio film! It is important for the nitrification process. Once everything is in balance, there will not be a foul odor.

I could not find my tripod adapter so I free handed the camera.

Here is a video update.