Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I am wondering if anyone has found a Ph, ammonia & Bacteria test kits avelable in the US. vie just been dreaming a miniaquaponics system for a wile, I want to go an get everything at once (I hate buying the tank one week and then get the pump another week, all or nothing) and waiting for ok from mummy and daddy (childish I know, but what can you do, my job only gets me $1050/mouth, I cant move out on that, and college is a pain in the wallet).

Ok let get back on topic (sorry). But I’m looking for any info on what to look for? dose it matter on amount of water? I’m a smart kid, so I don’t need the idiot proof ones, but the quicker and more accurate the better. Please come reply and fill my mind with thoughts and ideas.

-dank fish

Welcome DF!

Here's the test kit a lot of us use. http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/11391/product.web The drop-n-test-tube type are more accurate than the dip-strip kind. You will need 5ml of water to run a test, and it will take 10 minutes. You have to wait for the color to develop in the test tube.

There are no bacteria tests available for the common people like us. Maybe microbiologists can get some. You can buy innoculation to start off your bacteria, but even better (and free) would be to get used filter media from a friend with an aquarium.

A lot of aquarium/pond equipment is cheaper by mail order. If you can scavenge stuff, that's good (and cheap) too.

Folks have systems ranging from probably 20gal aquariums up to swimming pools. Bigger is more stable. Is that what you mean about size?

DF... you are in the best location for doing AP. Tilapia are legal there and you can get fingerlings in your backyard.

Best of luck

DF, you can buy or scrounge a lot of the parts you will need, and have minimumal cash outlay in your tank and grow bed. Take a look at the Wheelie Bin Challenge Joel posted awhile back. It should encourage you as to what you can do with a small set up. Of course you can always use the good old yard sale or tossed out aquarium and a couple of halves of a plastic barrel. So don't fret about the income being a hinderance to your AP endeavors, just use some patience and take your time to gather your equipment. What you can save on tanks, pumps, etc is more $ your can put into fish and plants.

Kevin

thank you for the help and thank you for the welcoming,

Janet: that test kit is ideal.
on the size, im look at 15-35 gal max on an indoor system, self contain lights, and an auto flood and drain system (probley auto siphon). im not sure how big of a grow bed im going to have, and if im able to grow tilapia, ill probly stay with goldies for awile. its going to be a little bit before i start, inserch for a new vehicle.

would i be able to raise table size tilapia in a 35 gal system?

~Dank Fish

Also, I have found this site to give some good prices: http://www.petmountain.com/
Also this site: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/Shop.cfm?N=62728
Between the three you can get some pretty good deals.

Assuming 140gal of filtration and 35gal of fish tank, I guess you could raise about 10 fish to table size. That's assuming you have very good fish keeping skills. That would let them go to a little over a pound on average. Do you actually have a place where you could get only 10 tilapia? The minimum order at the place I used was 150, and I've never seen them available in quantities fewer than 100.

Great point, ive haven’t talked to the fish farm or any thing. But I hope I can work out a deal. I think ill stick with gold fish for my in door system. As for the wheelie bin, it would be put out side, but the only problem is the heat here, I live by Palm Springs California, I can step out side right this second and be standing in 106 degrees F in the shade. I am worried about frying my roots and my fish. And it’s only getting hotter here, this mouth a throw September, we have usual 120-125 mid day temps.

I know tilapia thrive in the waters around here (mainly the Salton Sea, witch im 20 min away from, and yes it dose smell like dead fish). But in a bin exposed to the heat of the air, I know I might fry them, or would they be fine

I guess my question is, if I try to keep a wheelie bin in the shade (temp from 100-120 in the shade) would the plastic and water supper heat and ruined my crop?

~~dank

Dank, do you have access to anything else you can use as a tank? or just the wheelie bin?

My monster tank water temp got up to 31o (87oF) during summer (air temps 25oC {77oF} overnight to 35oC {95oF} daytime). Because I have 10000L under shadecloth, the water temp is pretty stable. A wheelie bin will most likely have some pretty wild swings of temp, especially in a desert situation where the nights are cold.

To safely keep any fish in a wheelie bin with such a wide temp range, you will have to insulate the tank somehow to try to maintain a stable temp range for the fish.

hey Jaymie thank you, ya a wheelie bin system wouldn't work to well out here, but im not to worried about temp swings, nights are pretty stable, when its the 120d.f. days, the nights are around 105-115d.f. we don't have brakes at night. we sit around 15 feet above sea level. despite the 3 summer mouths, if you like clear sky's, the other 9 mouths are tempret, little to no showers, and the only thing you need for winter is a hoodie sweat shirt. its pretty chill at those times.

~~df
(ya thats easer to type )

If you could sink your bin in the earth, that would help protect against temperature swings. Go deep enough, and the earth is a stable 58F. Tilapia will take water over 90F, but goldfish will probably die with water that warm.

no i chouldent keep gold fish out side here. one summer long time ago, are A/C whent out, so are house heated up to 115df and all of are gold fishys died.

i was looking at an old refrigrater at my freinds house, running threw thoughts, and i thought of, why not have a mini swamp cooler fan blowing outside air over dry ice, and have the weelie bin and grow bed inside the frigerater. it whould need to be a smaller weelie bin(not a problem)

i was also thinking about haveing and old frig be a standalone tank, it whould be inslated, and cheep(maybe free).

thank you as always

-df

PS i know the rule is who ever says it, is the 1st one to try it.

Keep in mind that the gas that comes off dry ice is not very cold at all. It is completely made up of CO2 gas. It warms up very quickly from its frozen state and because there is not water in with it it does not stay cold. Water in contact with the ice will cool. You could give it a go, but 1. It will be quite expensive and 2. You don't want to do it in a sealed container....