Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi I'm Shane,
I,ve been driving my wife mad for the last 5 weeks with my new AP setup. Spending all my time in the shed. I have a 500Lt fish tank with 2 grow beds. There is 15 trout at the moment and just waiting for the system to cycle. Seems to be taking forever. I'm adding Bio-Booster once a week to get the bacteria going but I think the water is too cold for it. Says on the label the water has to be above 15 degrees. There seems to be no Ammonia but plenty of nitrite. I'm doing water changes every day so the nitrite doesn't kill the fish since I have had a high loss of fish so far.

Love the forum. If I'm not in the shed, I'm on the computer.

Hi Shane, welcome to the madness

Hi Shane, anouther local outback west coaster, let the mayhem begin, lol.

Salt for nitrite Shane.

Water changes are likely to upset the bio filter (unless you get it spot on ) Also extra DO.

And definitly no more "Bio-Booster".... the fish will be providing ammonia anyway... and it sounds like you have yet to cycle properly....

Are you feeding your fish... if so, how much, how often....??

rupe, i think bio-booster might be a bacterial additive

Yep figured it might be Steve... with nitrites already showing (not sure what level).... wondering if adding any more at the moment would be a good idea though?

Especially as Shane has already suffered a degree of fish kills

Can you post your actual test results Shane??

Iis another person doing ap in Mount Barker as well ?

Bazz n Al

I think I have finally got there.
This mornings readings are - P.H. 6 Nitrite 0-0.3 Ammonia 0 Water temp 12 degrees

Unfortunatly there is no nitrate test with my test kit so I'm just watching the plants for that indication. I will stop adding the Bio-Booster now and hopefully the system will run ok.

I'm feeding them trout pellets, just over a tablespoon, twice a day and it all goes in less then a minute. Theres been no deaths for 15 days now.

The Nitrite reading has been 1.6 right through the 5 weeks so that is why I have been doing water changes every day with rain water. I shouldn't have to do that any more.

I have a 3000Lt poly tank coming and already have more grow beds made up. Now have 5. I live on a farm and have plenty of room to get a lot bigger. Very exciting.

Thankyou all for your replies

values look good.

RuPe: end of the say nitrites always going to be less toxic and more managable than ammonia, so i say no problems in bacterialization

also many of the over the counter preps are weighted heavily on the nitrifiers that digest nitrite.

Yep.. all looks good....

Agreed Steve.... no way of knowing just where in the spike things were...

And thanks for the info about the bacterial starters.... never really thought about it before.... ya learn something every day

AHHH another WA byap convert, I like it

Howdy Shane welcome to the addiction, it will start out as small to begin with, until one day you find yourself doing break and enters to feed the habit.

Just kidding, hope your enjoy