Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

OK, I'm glad it says NEWBIE by my name!

Here's what I've done so far:
-Cut and cleaned the IBC container got the Auto bell siphon functioning
-Water was in tank for about 10 day with minimal pump use.
-Drained all the water to use grow bed to transport gravel and to sand of rough plastic edges, drill holes for continuous drips in low spots of grow bed etc. When I emptied it the walls had a very thin, light tan coloured growth on it. I didn't scrub it out, just rinsed the plastic particles and rock dust out. Refilled it with tap water which had a very high PH level and was slightly merky from my "washed" gravel. I added about 1/4 cup white vinager and the next day my PH was at 7.5 and the water cleared right up. I let it sit for another 3 days
-Added about fifteen 2cm fish, three 4-5cm fish, four 5cm shrimp and about a 10-12 cm Crayfish all from the local river wich is mostly dried up now (free and hardy I figured!)
-Today is day four with the fish in the tank, they are all happy & active and really like the regular aquarium flake fish food. I dropped a small peice of raw shrimp in and all the little guys had a go at it, then the bigger ones, then a shrimp hogged it a bit untill finaly the crawfish grabbed and returned to his home, the main drain hole.

The H2o temp reanges from 25 morning to 32 in the evening, PH is steady on 7.5, Nitrite is less than .1 and today was the first test for Amonia at .6

I planted a few small plants from my soil garden that weren't doing so well. They seem very happy now!

I am getting a lot of dead wasps and bees as it is dry season here and this is a source of water. Inevitably 10 or so a day drown in the fish tank, maybee the crawfish eats them when they sink?

Now I'm hearing about something called "cycling" and I assume thats not just my pump and auto siphon functioning as I planned?

Is something going to blow up soon? Is the SPCA on their way over? The Fish are active, eating and happy, plants are noticeably growing and happy, wife, well... did I mention the fish are happy?

Any critique would be appreciated as the book and CDS are going to be a while getting here.I'll try figure how to post a picture

Dan

Cycling is the process of growing bacteria to eat the ammonia producing nitrite. Then growing bacteria that eats the nitrite producing nitrate. Then growing plants that eat the nitrate.
Once everything is in balance your system is 'Cycled'. ie clean water in has come full circle to be clean again.
During this process, ammonia will spike, then settle as the bacteria multiply.
Then nitrite will spike, then nitrate.
It is likely if you have stocked your tank well, that you will lose some stock, perhaps the crustaceans first.
If you have very low stocking density, you will probably ride out the storm.
do not feed overly, as this will increase the ammonia spike dramatically, and carrying on down the line nitrite and nitrate.
Just take it easy, and have a look at some 'ammonia problem' or 'nitrite problem' threads. There's heaps of info.
Once your system is cycled, then you can stock heaps and (another small ammo spike will occur so don't feed much for the first few days) all will be well.