Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Gotta be happy with that sofar

I also checked a DO this afternoon.

DO = 8mg/l
at a water temp of 75F should be close to 100% saturation.



Now my wild caught crappie is eating flake food right along with the comets! I'll have him hand feeding yet!

i am very jealous/envious of your water temps down there

hand fed lol

looks great zen, keep it up.

so how deep are your grow beds? and whats ur ratio?

I have 50L of media in the grow beds for 200L of water (About 1/2 off for a max fish load). I plan to double that soon so it will be 2:1.

I have a small fish load. One 4-5 in (10-12.5 cm) Crappie, and 10 Comets 1-1.5 in (2.5-3.75 cm) . A far cry from 60 grams/L

I want to get the microbes right before I jack up the fish load. Which is why I try to keep it at 75F day and night (300W heater kicks in at night).

I just found a very nice calc page. thought I would share.

http://www.heatingyourpond.com/pond-heater-calculator.html

Not all metric but nice.

PH 7.6
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 5.0

Need more microbes??

Nah, they are good readings

Well I jacked up the fish load today (Thanks to Don_fish). Added 20 Blue gills today. most are fingerling size (same size as the comets) ;however 6-7 are as big as my crappie (10-12cm). That should increase my nitrogen for the plants.

Do I have this right? If the microbial load is correct the Ammonia will not show an increase due to being broke down. My nitrites and nitrates will rise (Nitrates higher than nitrites).

I plan to double the grow beds so I have 100L of media. Then add a bio filter (Trashcan type) later. I need 400L total but do not have the room for grow beds. The bio filter will take care of the rest and then some.

Zenoptic, your bacterial colony is probably in a state of equilibrium... processing as much as you input into nitrates... which your plants are removing....

Adding extra load (particualrly big fish) might throw up an ammonia spike, but the bacteria should expand to process it within a day or two.... unless you over do the feed in the first couple of days.... more fish = more ammonia, even if you don't feed... more feed = more ammonia, through fish respiration and decomposition of uneaten feed....

So either don't feed the fish for a day or two ... a good practice anyway when translocating fish IMHO.... or feed lightly... and test daily until you see ammonia and nitrites = 0 and nitrates climbing....

You should see the affect of the nitrates in your plant growth.... if they keep climbing... add more plants...

I tossed radish seeds (Herloom french breakfast) everywere theis was a empty spot today. Trying to plan for that N spike.


And I have found a place that will ship Tilapia fingerlings ($150 min before shipping!). Si I may get to start on them inside soon, we will see.

Who/where is this? Are they mixed, or all male?

Zen
.

http://www.miami-aquaculture.com/lvstk.htm

Late but not forgoten.

ammonia = almost zero
nitrate = 0 to 5


well, I need to feed them more or buy more fish!

not much sunlight on the porch, plants look like crap.