Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Good one SMan - I've not come across your thread before. Don't worry too much about the green at this stage - it may clear once cycling completes. This peas soup stage is common in AP, but will normally pass. As has been said before, you will want to monitor pH though because high algae content can cause big swings between whent he algae is photosynthesising in the day and when it is respiring at night.

If the algae doesn't clear up - coverring the ponds with a blockout plastic (I used Panda, white side up to dispel heat) for a temporary period should fix the problem in a matter of just days.

Regarding nitrate in rain - rain water does often have nitrogen in it, caused by the electical activity. This is one reason why grass and plants seem to grow better with rainwater than other water. Whether this registers as nitrate on a test kit I'm not sue.

I'll watch your thread with interest :-)

Wow!

Welcome SMan! Looks like you have everything well sorted. I bet the tilapia will grow just on the algae and will be fine without feeding anything additional for now. Your aeration is great and that helps the fish with high nitrite levels.

Love it!!!

Good work! I noticed you had your strawberry off the gravel. My strawberries rotted becasue of the moisture.

I'm getting a NITRITE reading. Wierd !!



Are you suggesting that I stop pelletised feed completely at this stage?



Yep, my first strawberries rotted on the gravel as well. I have started to drape the fruit over the wires that I am using across my grow beds for my beans and tomatoes and no more rotting, but the birds are still a problem.

I have now almost completely shaded my tanks and reduced feeding considerably. The water is a LITTLE less green and my Ammonia and Nitrites are down somewhat, but my Nitrates are climbing. Does this mean I don't have enough plants to take up the Nitrates? I attach an image of my test results for comment as I'm pretty colour blind. Any comments?

Woke up this morning to considerable spawning activity in the goldffish pond stocked with about 30 comets, and managed to get some shade cloth screens in to rescue some eggs. Only managed to get about 100 as the goldfish are still pretty young or ate most of the eggs before I got there. An image attached of the eggs. Now I wait. Any suggestions from now on in as this my first spawning?

Ammonia 1.2
Nitrite 0.5
Nitrate high (I can't read it either. Try diluting a water sample with distilled water at a known rate to re-test. For example 10% tank water, 90% distilled water, and multiple the results by 10 to get the true results.)
pH 7.5 - 8.0

Those tests are hard enough to read even if you do see color clearly.

- Keep your feed level low for a while yet. At that high of a pH, you need good water quality.
- Add more plants to absorb the nitrates. My system also went through a high-nitrate stage until it was better established. For a while I was using RSG filters to pull the excess out as I went over 1000 nitrate. Ick!
- I have no idea how to care for goldfish eggs. Off had, I'd suggest putting them in a safe tank with a bubbler next to them to gently circulate water around them. The newly hatched fry would probably like green water for food particles.

Todays readings;

Ammonia : 0.4
Nitrite : 0.35
Nitrate : 50
pH : 7.5
Water temp : 28
DO : 7

The ponds have been completely covered with thick black plastic covers for two weeks. I am feeding very lightly. There is no algae on the grow beds. The sump is completely sealed. The fish and plants are thriving. BUT my water is still a very dark green !! What is going on ?? I am really at a loss now. Somebody please help !!

Pea soup stage? Are your fish alive and your plants growing?
I see your almost cycled judging from your readings, grab a bit of the big P and let nature run its course.
Good work on your build and welcome.

Feel a bit the same GF. I think u are just part way thru cycling ur system Sman. Ammo and nitrites falling so not far to go. The water will clear. Ur nitrates may still rise a bit but more plants will take care of that.

Concur synapto.... think it's more a case of "patience" rather than "panic" at the moment....

If it's "pea soup" stage the nitrite reading should drop to zero (so should ammonia) virtually overnight....

Nitrates might explode suddenly.... so looking at your readings already you might need to consider more plants..

Thanks for all of the help. As mentioned fish and plants are thriving (images attached) but it would be nice to see the fish other than at feed time. I have received local advise to use UV but I'd really like to keep it as "natural" as possible.

I've just been issued with a permit to transport and hold some Tilapia brood stock so I am really keen to get my system fully cycled so that I can fetch these fish and get cracking with the hatchery element.

I am planting furiously to soak up the Nitrates.

Also could someone advise of dosages for Iron Chelate and if I should be using it now.

Hi Sman, I read somewhere , chelated iron dosage of 2.5 grams per 1,000 litres of water every 3 weeks as a rough guide...start using it now as normally none of the fish foods have iron.

I normally pre-mix it and pour into the GBs next to the water inlet so the plants get 1st use of it.

Love the beans - mine are a metre tall and just about ready to flower

Thanks Ell. Will do the Iron Chelate. As far as my "gem squash" is concerned, I'm starting to have my doubts now that they've flowered. I think these guys are going to turn out as butternuts, as these were the only other pips in the compost heap that seeded. Can anyone identify this veg?

looks like a butternut to me

Interesting you should say that, found a couple of seeds that had sprouted in my compost heap and moved them to AP systemII-GB4 (top right corner)...they appear to be pumpkin, or cucumber or something similar...in other words, have no idea at this early stage...but to your question, think Jaymie has it right