Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey dudes just a general update.
Ive put another photo of today's reading. The reaction when I put the nitrite drops in was instantaneous - I've a feeling the levels are super high. The nitrate looks like it's showing a reading for the first time. Plants are pumping.
Will leave it like this until everything goes back to zero.
Then I think I'll bump it up to 2ppm again and see how fast it cycles out!

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Potassium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide will raise the PH but not your carbonate levels. Some people prefer these because you can target a PH level with them. But you will use a lot of them and often. I didn't like that route inwas adjusting my PH up every two to three days.

I prefer to use calcium carbonate (lime stone, egg shels, sea shells ext) and potassium carbonate (aka potash). The carbonate add to your KH wich adds a buffer. Kind of had to explain because there is a lot that goes into your PH. To put it simply (like very simply) carbonate are a sheild that has to burn off before your actual PH can change. If you dot have that carbonate sheild then you are prone to PH swings.

Also depending on local water quality, a simple top up is good enough. My local water is a PH of 7.5 to 8. Gotta love lime stone aquifers. So i just use potash since my system gets plenty of calcium. I have to top up weekly here.

You would normally alternate the calcium and potassium (hydroxide or carbonate, pick your type) to prevent a nutrient defencincy (i cant spell today, its 4am).

This isnt something you need to do yet or soon, i just tell you now so you if you have issues with PH you got ideas: Whats really nice is if your system starts really cooking through PH you can add the calcium carbonate into a pair of stockings. It will dissolve as needed and help slow the drop. I have a 400 gallon system. I fill a pair of panty hose to about half the size of a foot ball. Rinse it to get any dust out to prevent a PH spike. Then place it in the sump near the pump so its in the water flow stream. You could also order a decent sized Texas Holy rock chiclid tank decoration. Its a very pours type of lime stone. Anytime your system starts to drop below a PH of 7 it starts to dissolve the calcium carbonate. Using the panty hose method my system stays around 6.5PH and i just need to raise it back up with potash weekly or top off my system. Other wise my system tanks in a day and PH swings are bad for the fish. Nothing worst than spending all day raising your PH from a six to 7.5 to walk out the next morning and you tanked out to 6 again and tour amonia is 1.5ppm.

So now i always keep seaweed extract, potash, calcium carbonate, salt, and EDHA iron chilate on hand at all times (and FlexSeal or two parts underwater curing epoxy, leacks happen, FlexSeal is amazing). Prevention and preparedness is key. I have wasted too many days at the ACE hardware store blowing the poor garden lady mind with chemistry questions becuse i needed something now and didnt have 1-2 weeks to to wait on shipping.

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Keep adding .25 to .5ppm ammonia daily. If you dont feed the bacteria they die. You dont want to loose the first set of ammonia bacteria (nitrosinoma) you gained. You are waiting on the nitrobacter to get their buts in gear and they are the slowest to grow. Honestly I cant even predict for you. It all depends on species and temp. You could be set within the next week or so. They nitrobacter i believe take are between x2 to x3 longer to grow than the nitrobactor.

There isnt any fish in the system so its not going to hurt anything but you can do a water change to bring the levels down to something you can measure.

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Wow thanks for all the great advice mate! Would love to see a photo of your set up in action!


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Oops miss type.... nitrobacter grow 2 to 3 times slower than nitrosinoma.

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