Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have posted a couple questions and got some good advice so far! Thank you everyone who has given me input. Give you a brief rundown on my system.

Simple 250g IBC setup
Just harvesting plants for now until i get the hang of that
So I am only using feeder goldfish to start (48 as of now)
Have about 7 pepper plants, lettuce, eggplant and tomatoes


Its going VERY GOOD in its first week of age, especially considering the troubles I had with my smaller system last year! I just could not keep fish alive for ANYTHING!!! Plants look healthy, fish are alive and feeding and I think I have a good cycle going. Although I have not had a chance to get my water tested yet. I will get some pictures up in the next few days, of the day I started it to its week of age. Look forward to being a part of the community!

Welcome tylerlorde!

Have some time now, going to get some pictures up for everyone. This is Day 1 through week 6. Now I have a lot of algae growth on all sides of the FT! I have lost about a dozen fish over the past week and a half. Not sure if it is just because they are feeders or issues with the water. I will get my water tested tomorrow and let you know where that stands. Is it bad to have a lot of algae growth in the FT? I was thinking of getting a couple of bottom feeder fish (tank cleaners) or whatever they are called. Will that help with the algae growth?

Here we go!

Some more pictures. Week 2 through 6.

No things are looking bad... at least in my eyes.

You have NORMAL algae growth on your tank walls.

You'll have algae, you just don't want too much. Try putting a shade cloth around and over the fish tank to block the sun or paint the outside walls. A little algae and bioslime is good.

You might sweep up the stringy stuff to prevent it from clogging your pump, but don't scrub the walls.

Thank you! That was the advice I got from my local aquatics expert today, to cover the tank cause it is getting too much sunlight. He didn't tell me whether or not to clean out the algae based on my water test. On that note, I got my water tested today, with my system at 6 weeks...

Results:
Ammonia 2.0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates (maybe) 1.0, probably less
PH 6.0

After posting the pictures yesterday, I did clean the algae around the pump. So I should not clean all the algae? Is the algae not going to take up nitrates? I would like to put in small tank cleaner, "pleco" fish, to help control the algae. I need to wait to do that till my ammonia goes down.

Any advice to help get my system cycled would be great! Thought after 6 weeks i would be further along...

Any advice to help get my system cycled would be great! Thought after 6 weeks i would be further along...

Patience

Here are some more pictures of week 6. These are 4 days after my last pictures. I think things are looking a little better. It appears after covering the FT that the algae has maybe gone down a little. It definitely has not gotten any worse. I have one good pepper growing and some others flowering.

Just covered it with a simple tarp. Really hope this is enough to keep the algae from getting any worse.

That is great. However, you want to let your peppers get larger before you let them actually start to produce. It gives the plant more time to establish itself, and you will get more peppers in the long run. Basically your peppers are pregnant teenagers.

Do you have enough room to harvest your fish through the opening in the fishtank? It is hard to tell with the tarp.