Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi, I stumbled across Aquaponics, and have setup my own system, as a bit of a trial run.
I started with a 80L plastic tub for goldfish, with a 50L plastic tub for a grow bed, followed by another 50L growbed. The growbeds are flood and drain with a 10watt submerged pump on a timer, 15 on, 45mins off during the day, and 15 on, 2hrs off at night, to keep the temperature up. An air stone is running also I had 5 goldfish to start, then got another 5, after a month. I have had a few issues with green algae growing, and two dead goldfish.
Here is a brief rough timeline of events:
25/5/08: add water and seedlings to system (broc, lettuce, snow peas)
30/5/08: add 6 goldfish to tank, with 6 small aquarium underwater plants
27/6/08: now have master test kit, PH:6.6 ammo: 0.1 nitrite: 0.8 nitrate: 10
28/6/08: add about a cup of sea shells for chickens, to raise PH
30/6/08: add 5 goldfish
5/7/08: one of the new fish dies
5/7/08: PH:6.9, ammo 0.1, nitrite 1.0, nitrate 7
6/7/08: PH 7.2, ammo 0.1, nitrite 0.7, nitrate 8
12/7/08: PH 7.2, ammo 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, water greenish
17/7/08: one dead fish, water green
18/7/08: PH 7.2, ammo 0, nitrite 0, nitrite 0, 15% water change (rainwater at similar PH)
19/7/08: PH 7.0 first thing in the morning, 40% water change(tap water with water conditioner sitting from the day before)

I've got the air bubbler running all the time, and have shaded the water some more, to try and stop the green water. Water temp is about 10 to 18 degrees after insulating the tank a bit. The seedlings haven't grown at all in the last 7 weeks, if anything they have shrunk, the snow pea seeds have sprouted and grown to about 10cm tall, and stopped. Growbed media is pea gravel in one and hydroton in the second(i got lazy). The fish seem happy, I think its just the algae that I need to get under control, then fingers crossed things will start growing. Pics to follow.

Cheers,
Wavey

A few Pics

Wavey I had algae problems in a 2400lt system, but only had a 1200lph pump tank looked fine for a couple of weeks and then went green, so 10 watt pump may be to small, try running for a longer time, I have a 4800lph pump in tank and am running 24/7 at the moment, so basically turning water over 2 times an hour, I am only a novice at understanding test results, but yours seem strange to me as everything is 0 and ph is ok, a silly question maybe, but are you letting samples sit for 5 mins and are you following mixing instructions for No3 test correctly, sorry if it is a lame question,

EDIT sorry, what is your pump rated at LPH, you seem to have a lot of pipe for a low wattage pump, if is rated at 150lph your probably only getting 50lph at that lift so at 15mins on your only doing about 15 litres through the pump an hour

Hey Nocky, I just re read the test kit instructions, and I'm doing things correctly as far as I can see, my brother is using the same kit and his results are fine.
The pump has to lift the water about 50 or 60cm, and fills both growbeds to just below the top of gravel in about 10 minutes, the water then overflows back into the tank until the end of the 15 mins. The water in the growbeds drains back into the tank from a few holes in the bottom, this takes about 20 mins. I've been playing around with an auto syphon, but haven't got around to getting it online yet.
The system is on a north facing wall under the eave, so gets sun most of the day, I have some extra shade for the tank now, so hopefully the algae will clear up.

Cheers,
Wavey

On ya wavey.

Algae is not uncommon, checking the pH first thing in the morning and again in the late afternoon to see if there is a drastic shift between the two readings will tell you if the algae is causing you CO2 and O2 problems in the water.

My guess is that it's a new system, you just got cycled and the plants/algae have used all the nitrite. How are the fish doing, are they feeding well? Perhaps you need more fish? Patients, shade over the tank will likely reduce the algae and things should hopefully settle in soon. Need more nitrates for the plants so tell them fishies to eat and poo for ya.

Welcome Wavey!

I think goldfish die more readily with temperature drops than temperature rises. I have/had three in an aquarium outside and two have died over a couple months, but it seems they died when the outside temperature dropped. On the flip side they don't seem the mind the water getting somewhat hot.

G'day Wavey!

No worries wavey, just I did first ammonia test without fully reading instructions, lucky I didn't empty sample and noticed a colour change, (when all else fails read the instructions ) but still a 10 watt pump doesn't seem like it does big litres per hour, and with a of 500-600mm lift I think you would loose around 1/2 of your output, from what I gather, you should turn your water over every 1 hour, so with 80 litres and pump running 15mins to the hour (and Less at Night) your pump needs to be at least 360lph, allowing for lift probably at least 700-800lph or have pump running longer, (guru's will lamb baste me if I am wrong), but on the other hand your test results are great, and the water in your photo's looks fine to me

Hi wavey. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with ur system. You simply have very few fish which don't produce the nutes to give ur plants the kick a long they need post establishment.
Ur sytem is cycled, water seems fine. Whack in some more goldies and ur plants will grow out.
The fact that u have given it a crack for 3 mths b4 saying 'what the'.. means u have done ur reading and have a pretty good handle on things grasshopper. More fish and u will be fine.

System is ticking along fine, not a lot of growth, but fish seem happy. Have just eaten my first AP snowpea! I have gone from about 5 Goldfish up to about 22, after the demise of my brother Curlys system.
For the last month or two water has been sitting at:
PH: 6.8 to 7.2
Ammo: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: was at 20, but now down to 5, so have pulled a few of the plants not doing that well out.

Plans for a bigger system are coming along, but its only 1.6m from the house to the fence, so one of the nice BYAP tanks won't fit, so probably go with an IBC or two, down the side of the house,. Hopefully get some small SP by the end of November..

Couple of Pics attached,
Wavey.

Seasol may help, maybe a cap full of conentrate, leave for a week, then repeat. Should only require a capfull once a month after that.

Righto, I've been busy, I have built a bigger Fishtank, about 1300L and added a few more plastic tub growbeds.
The Fishtank is about 2.4m long, 0.8 wide and 0.8m deep, half has been dug into the ground, and half supported by plywood and some wooden beams. It is lined with a 0.75mm epdm pond liner, and has bubblewrap for insulation. I'm pretty happy with it, but should have gone a little deeper, as i have a bit too much liner left over around the edges.
The Growbeds are plastic tubs from B, Pump is 1000L/hr, on a timer 15 on, 45mins off. 20 goldfish in there to start with.
Pics to follow.

Once the water, was in, growbeds connected, and goldfish in, the water levels were doing fine for a week or so, 2 more growbeds were brought online, and 20 Black Bream were bought from Golden ponds baldivis.
Pics to follow.
Wavey.