Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yeah, that's what I have. It's "Kent fresh/marine ammonia detox" and says "Neutralizes ammonia, chlorine and chloramines. Detoxifies nitrite and nitrate. Instantly 'ages' tap water, allowing immediate addition of water to aquarium..." and "add one teaspoon per 20gal of tap water to remove up to 3ppm chloramine, 1ppm ammonia and 6ppm chlorine." It gives the warning about still testing positive for ammonia.

But now that I'm almost cycled, I think I'll mostly need to worry about chloramines, which this will take care of. And I'll make sure I do numerous small top-offs and not large top-offs. I think I should be OK as long as I'm using (truly) aged water with the 'ager' added.


I'm not sure. The source I'm planning on using gets whatever the DNR gives him. In the amounts they don't need to use. The ones listed on the site (http://www.aquatropics.com/native_mn.htm) "include (though not limited to) Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Walleye, Large & Small Mouth Bass, Crappie, Perch, Sunfish, and Catfish."

In the future, I plan on breeding my own, but this first year I'll probably just get what's available. My water is in the high 60F (~20C) with a 200W heater running, so I think I should be able to take most of those. We'll see...


How often are you driving by Lake Calhoun? I'd offer to show you my system while you're close, but I'm having some rather upsetting plumbing problems, and wouldn't want to have anyone else (besides the plumber) in my basement right now...

Well, I went and did it. I was close by the fish shop (by carefully choosing the dog park close to the fish shop ) and I grabbed some feeder goldfish. Everything seems pretty good so far, and a few seem to really like playing in the stream of water plunging down from above(1). The guy at the fish store also snagged some duckweed out of a tank and gave it to me for free! Hopefully my system is warm enough to have it grow just a tad.

I also dropped by Home Depot. Plumber's putty there costs $5. At the fish store, it's $20.
Alas, I'm still leaking.

(1) Yes, they are alive, and not corpses caught in the current...

They think it's a rapids they have to migrate up! Two in quick succession did quite the jump from just below the plunge, and one is trying to climb up the wall in a stream of water...
:fish toys:

Karen, 'normal' water agers contain sodium thiosulfate (or sulphate depending on your country ) which seems fine and can be bought as a powder in bulk for cheap.

the ammonia detoxifiers contain other chemicals like Aliphatic amine salts, most brand recommend a water change after 3 doses...............i'd probably steer away from ammo "lockers" if you're going to be eating from the system

Did we (ie you ) ever find a cheap source of sodium thiosulphate. Maybe a group order could be the go (or are you still not neutralising your water ).

nope, still not neutralising my water (in either my AP or tropical tanks)

nope, only place i could find it was lab supplies and that was pure grade that was more exxy than the bloody aquarium conditioners!

i thikn there was one Ebay blke but it wasn't oz.

I notice that Focus has an MSDS for it when you google. Focus supplies a lot of swimming pool chemicals. Address is at Wacol here in QLD. Might give them a call and see what they say. Does it convert chloramine to ammonia or just take the chlorine out?

Looks like it would be pretty easy to get some bulk swimming pool stuff. Here is another on the first page when googled

http://www.pierce.com.au/Products/Chemi ... aliser.php

you must hold your mouth at a different angle to me when you google

checking links now

This is handy:

http://www.watercorporation.com.au/_fil ... wqual4.pdf

Chloramines
In order to avoid potential toxicity problems, it is
desirable to remove all traces of chloramines
before fish are exposed to the water. If
necessary, an estimate of degree of removal of
chloramines can be obtained using a chlorine
test kit. The method for removal of chloramines
is similar to that used for the removal of free
chlorine:
•Use of sodium thiosulphate – sodium
thiosulphate is a reducing agent commonly
used for the removal of free chlorine from
water. It is also effective for the removal of
chloramines. For this purpose it is necessary
to add 7 parts of sodium thiosulphate per
part of chloramine ie, add 7 milligrams of
sodium thiosulphate to one litre of water
containing 1 milligram chloramine. To ensure
proper dissolution and mixing, it is preferable
beforehand to dissolve the sodium
thiosulphate in a small quantity of water.

30 grams per KL for chlorine removal

it will break up chloramine but gives you the residual ammonia ppm.

My goldies like trying to do salmon impersonations as well

Eating the veggies too? Or just the fish?
Thanks for the chemical info, folks. I'll go looking for the powder.

Some more pics, 3 weeks from transplanting the seedlings:

Snow peas


Butterhead lettuce in the front, capsicum in the back.


Small duckweed tank.

The whole set, including more recent seedling photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47653141@N00/sets/72157604108666343/

I added ten brown or black (dunno which) bullhead catfish today. They seem to be getting along just fine with the goldfish, since the bullhead fingerlings are about the same size at the goldies.

The fish store was getting rid of old tanks, so I also got two 55gal fish tanks (long and skinny) for about $40 US each. Sweet! Now I have a quarantine tank and a breeding tank! 'course, I have to clean them out, get more growbeds...

Man, my nitrites just won't fall. They're consistently anywhere between 1-5+ (I can't really tell the difference in the pinks). Wish that second level of bacteria would kick in! But the fish seem fine.

So! Help me with some design. As said before, my basement system is a standard barrelponics setup, with the duckweed tank off to the side instead of on top of the flush tank, as can be seen just a bit further up this thread.

I recently got two standard long, skinny 55gal fishtanks:


And 10 bullhead catfish fingerlings:


I don't currently have a quarantine or breeding tank yet. My duckweed tank, in the basement, isn't growing any duckweed. Not enough light, and too cold, I expect.


I have containers I can use as growbeds for the two new 55gal tanks. But what should I do? Both of the new tanks are currently on my south-facing front porch. It's glassed in, and from now 'til October (give or take) it'll be a good environment.

Should I use one as a duckweed tank, and just feed it with various (ahem) pet wastes I have access to? Grow as much duckweed as I can over the warm months, and make algae wafers from the extra?

Should I set the second up as a second tank/growbed system, with the catfish or the goldfish in that tank? One of the goldies died after I added the catfish, but they seem to be getting along somewhat better now. Maybe get some tilapia fingerlings?

Should I plan to move the tanks into the basement come winter? It takes two to move them (I'm only one, here), and I'm not sure I can actually get them in the basement. Or should I just use them as a warm-weather setup?

I honestly don't think I could grow tilapia fingerlings out to eating size in the warm months.

I just wanted to see if this sparked anyone's imagination. I will go forward no matter what happens, but y'all are so brilliant about design, I was hoping for inspiration!