Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I built my first AP system at the beginning of the month, built from several IBC containers, using a simple system; single pump in the sump, gravity feed from FT to two gravel beds back into the sump. I added 100 gold fish at first, killed almost all of them. Turns out the PH was around 8.3... ammonia built up and poisoned them

I am adding fish back slowly, the plants seem to be doing good. Here's some pictures.

My son checking level;

Testing bell siphons and checking for leaks;

Rinsing the gravel;

Filled beds

Solids lift drain

Second grow bed's drain into the sump

The plants are doing pretty good, everything has at least doubled in size since putting it in, even though they had a rough start, two freezes until I figured out a couple tea candles were enough to keep them from freezing at night in early May. Also they were nutrient starved for the first couple weeks because the bacteria wasn't developed yet, also high PH keeps the plants from absorbing iron from what I understand?


Thanks! This forum has already been a great resource.

Hi and welcome.

Looks like a lot of effort has gone into your system. Now it's time to sit back and enjoy it. Keep an eye on your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. Don't do lots of things to change these.

If ammonia and nitrite go up - stop feeding till they become 0 again. If nitrates go up put in more plants. Your pH should come down over time.

Thanks, its my first system and we wanted to go big, already had the IBCs and a bunch of the plumbing, so it wasn't very expensive.

I have stopped feeding, been adding some compost tea, squeezing a sock full of peat moss into the FT, and I have swapped some of the water for irrigation water from the reservoir which has neutral pH (about 35 gallons so far) all I have are those pH testing strips to test, they aren't very accurate but I can tell its working slowly. I barely below 8 now and the fish seem happier, and plants have visible growth every day. Right now I am just trying to decide if I should add salt.

So strange. So... I haven't added salt yet, and the fish are still dying, one at a time... now maybe 1 or 2 a day, but the plants are growing like crazy, and most of the fish are really lively, they are even eating mosquitos that I throw in there. (still not feeding with fish flakes though) I grabbed one lethargic fish and gave him a saltwater bath, maybe there is just a disease going around? I will have to order some test strips but I'm not sure what I should test for, seems its NH3 that is toxic at high pH, which mine is around 8.1 but it looks like most aquarium test strips just test for NO2 and NO3, along with pH and hardness. Halp. Maybe I should start a new thread.

What are your ammonia, Nitrite and nitrate readings? This may help in determining what is wrong.

I haven't tested for any of that yet, Ive just been hoping the problem would solve itself as the bacteria establishes. Honestly its easier just to buy more goldfish at 15 cents each than buy expensive test strips, but I will if my fishes keep croaking.

Test strips are worthless. Spend the money on an API master freshwater test kit. It is accurate, and one kit will give you all the tests you will need for at least a year, though check the expiration dates on the bottles.

Can you elaborate a bit on how to use the tea candles in your AP system and the compost tea you are using in the AP ?

TIA

Great Idea on lighting the candles I wouldn't have don't that. Be too worried on burning the candles in the process; then they really be toasty and warm.

I just set the tea candles around the grow tables, far enough from the plants to prevent burning them. I switched to an oil lamp now, cheaper in the long run and puts out more heat. Someday I plan on installing a subterranean heating and cooling system but I don't have the money for the 600 linear foot of drainage pipe right now. The compost tea is easy, I just dump a 5 gallon bucket of water into my compost bin (I have one of those big black tumbling ones) and collect what drains out of the bottom, let it age for about 2 days, and add it strait to the grow beds.