Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi. I stumbled across aquaponics a year ago, while searching for something completely unrelated. Needless to say, I got hooked! I had planned on setting up an IBC system in January after I had gotten past my busy season, but then I got impatient and decided to set up small indoor "test" system in December.

Well, I'm so glad I started with the test system since it's taught me a lot and continues to teach me.

I set it up and started with 20 goldfish. By the end of January, I only had 5 fish left but the system was fully cycled. Kinda. Despite having a bunch of plants in the growbeds, the plants were not growing and the nitrates were above 160. I also ended up with a flood (Not good when the setup is in your living room on laminate flooring) because my hydroton was floating. I removed the "bad" grow bed and continued researching my zero growth problem.

Did you know that plants need to sleep? I know that now. Yeah, I had been leaving the lights on 24/7. Not good. So, I started switching the light off and got a little bit of growth, but then it stopped and they system stayed cycled but with high nitrates. ph was about 6.2-6.5 Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates over 160. So when March rolled around, I decided to move it outdoors. Most of the plants had died so I got new ones, still had one tomato plant hanging on. Was also down to 1 fish so I got 5 more ($0.15 goldfish) Had a little bit of growth, but still not much, and 3 of the new fish died. Still all levels except Nitrates were great. Nitrates still hung around at over 160.

I spent countless hours searching the net (including this website) trying to solve the mystery. Hit up my local hydroponics store but they weren't much help, although they did start carrying expanded shale and made me a very generous deal when I told them about my floating hydroton (I checked the whole bag, it all floats!) Finally I stumbled upon a local aquaponics farm which had just set up it's website. I immediately arranged a visit with them. when I told them of my problems they immediately knew the solution since they had the same exact problem - IRON deficiency! Made perfect sense since my water is filtered.

So, I got the chelated iron, and per their suggestion, some liquid kelp, and an iron tester. Dosed my system the day it all arrived. Put in enough iron to get it to 2-3 ppm. Decided to wait 24 hours to test, but when I did, iron was at 0.6 ppm WTF? where did the iron go? And, the water was clear. I had read that the liquid kelp darkens the water and takes about a week to clear. My water did get darkened, but was clear the next day. ???

So I add more iron, and liquid kelp. I gave it 2 hours to fully circulate and tested the water.
ph 6.0
Amonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates still over 160
Iron 1.97 ppm

The next day? Iron was 0.7ppm and the water was clear.

So I talked to the local guys some, and they said as long as the iron tests so low, it was safe to ad more, so I did for the next few days. I finally started to see some actual growth on my plants. I put in two 2 ft tall tomato plants which I bought from the locals and a few other assorted plants. However, now my ph seems to be running really high - in the 7s. many here and other places on the web have said this isn't too bad so haven't been sweating it too much. Just last week, my nitrates finally went down to 0 so I decided to get some more fish (I was down to 3). I got 10 more and within a week, have lost 9, including one "old" one. When they get stuck to the filter I just toss them but I removed one that didn't seem to swim and just kept floating and turns out he had no fins left. Looks like fish were attacking each other, which research reveals can happen under stress.

So, still learning through trial and error and research, but definitely want to ask if it's normal for the growbeds to filter out all iron and liquid kelp within 24 hours? That just doesn't seem right.

Oh, I've got 3, 10 gallon growbeds. Two with hydroton and one with expanded shale. Bell siphons drain right into 36 gallon FT. It's only filled to about 30 gallons. Oh, and I'm doing one tomato plant in a 5 gal hydroponics bucket. I change out the water every two weeks like hydroponics, but use my aquaponics water. I do this right after I dose with Iron and liquid kelp. That plant has one tomato on it.

Month old picture for reference. My tomato plants are bigger but many of the other plants just weren't doing well.

Hi

Vida,

Try a few plants that are "easier' with new systems. Basil, Summer lettuce, oregeno and other leafy type should perform better. My toms don't do as well in the extreme heat either. They seem to prefer 70's-80's to 90's and above. Not sure about the dropping FE. I just add some Iron when I see deficiencies and Root Magic
( seaweed/Humic acid) every few weeks. Fish always seem to do better in larger fish tanks...much more forgiving. When all else fails, go bigger! lol

I have treated iron with both chelate and simply letting the system mature. Had serious chlorosis in my water spinach early this year. Treated once, and haven't had to since buying a feed with iron in it. Do not know the PH off hand. I think 6.8. Uptake v. PH may be a consideration in your case?

Fins disintegrating sounds like fungus. Have you salted the system? That will also help with nitrite poisoning if the system is not as far along as one may think.

You micro system folks are braver than I. Prefer a much lager delta.

Thanks for the responses.

Despite being in FL for 11 years, I'm still getting used to the different growing seasons. Born and raised in NY, still hard to fathom that I'm supposed to garden in the winter more than the summer. Experimenting with all sorts of plants. Still have not found a lettuce that should grow in the summer, but look forward to September to go full force. Hopefully will have my big system up by then,

Yes, I looked into fin rot, but then realized that my water was getting REALLY warm. Apparently goldfish don't like that and get aggressive when they are stressed. They've been attacking each other. Just got a bunch of minnows today. Pet store guy says they tolerate the warm water much better.

The iron thing really freaks me out. I just treated the system again and checked readings for both the full system and the bucket. I was surprised that the bucked (no media) was also very low the second day. Could plants really be that starved for iron?

Anyway planted some watermelon and loofah seeds last month. Both are supposed to be plantable in FL in June. Only the loofah looks to be doing well. Watermelon put on a second set of leaves and then stopped growing. It's a good thing I am more interested in raising the fish than the plants.

J.B. This micro system was just to get my feet wet. The "real" system is on it's way. Will post as that gets started.

what are you feeding the fish?

Flakes from the pet store. I read a post somewhere which make me think this wasn't good for the plants. Also, my fish don't seem to like it much. My daughter's fish that are indoors, happy and getting along, gobble the stuff up.

What type of chelated iron are you using? Fe-EDTA? Fe-DTPA? Fe-EDDHA?

No clue it just says Fe 5% Water soluble iron. Would it say on the bottle which it was? Did I get the wrong stuff? Is there a difference between liquid and chelated iron?

This is the one I got http://smile.amazon.com/Bonide-299-Comp ... lated+iron