Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all. I just built my own mini aquaponics setup...but it doesn't work. I've got 6 goldfish and a 95qt grow tub. My water pumps into the growbed for 15 minutes every hour. I assume i just started wrong, not letting the water cycle for 2 weeks before I added the fish. But the water has gone for over 2 weeks since ive had fish, and the ammonia levels are still extremely high. I guess I should try to grow legumes to help with the nitrogen cycle? Or maybe i should grab some rocks/sand from a local green pond and put it into my fishtank? Or I've been keeping an aquarium outside half full of water, should i grab some rocks for that and put it in my fish tank?
Thanks a lot for your help!!


Heres some picks:
http://tinypic.com/r/n3kxs2/7
http://tinypic.com/r/zxvh8l/7

Nope ... keep the rocks out of the tank....

Just pour the water over the grow beds...

it's kinda hard to tell.. but when you pump the water into the growbed, does it go over the top of the little clay balls? - you don't want that much flooding, the water should come up to maybe an inch or so below the top of the media..

i had trouble getting seeds to start in hydroton until i started using a little coco coir to keep the seeds from "washing out" of the growbed

ammonia levels are high because you are only two weeks into cycling (this is a process that usually takes about 6 weeks when doing it with fish.) Follow what Rupe says, and it might help establish bacteria but cycling usually takes patience. Perhaps you should cycle more often as more ammonia rich water contact with the media will help the bacteria establish themselves quicker. You say the ammonia is still really high, well then don't feed the fish. Test your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH levels and tell us what they are. Also temperatures where the system is and the water temperature can be important to cycling.

What part of california are you in? Solano county here...

From the pics it looks like 3 tubes going into the grow bed. Which tube pumps in the water and which are overflow tubes etc? Only 2 weeks in and depending on temperature cycling can take a long time. 6 weeks and maybe longer if it is way too cold (it's really cold in Solano county right now).

Ya I'm in the east bay. There are 4 tubes coming off the grow bed. one of the lower smaller ones is blocked for proper water flow. I have one small tube on the side/bottom and 2 big overflow tubes toward the side/top. The pump is at the bottom of the fish tank and pumps into the left part of the grow bed(opposite of overflow tubes). Anyway, I think i've done some thinks I shouldnt have to speed up the process. I added this stuff called Nitromax-live maximum density nitrifying bacteria. Also I've added some nitrogen from a purchased bottle(thought it would help the plants while the nitrification process got going). This accounts for the messed up numbers i've got in my water.
Nitrate-100ppm
Ammonia-2ppm
Nitrite-5ppm
ph-6
So I'm thinking i should just change the water completely and maybe put the water from the empty tank sitting outside into my actual fish tank(like rupertofOZ said)? or should i just do it from tap?

Also, I added a bit more Hydroton to make up for the 1-2in dry zone.
Thanks so much for your help!