Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Do you have any plant matter decomposing in your system?

Nope. There are only a couple plants in the system, and they seem to be doing fine.

Readings today are:

pH: 7.8
NH3: 0
NO2: ~3.0
NO3: 20

So it seems like whatever it was is fading a bit. Good to know I'm getting conversion in the beds though.

I figure once this nitrite passes, I'll start adding humonia. Maybe 50mL to the 18 liters of FT.

Today's readings:

pH: 7.6 - dropping fairly quickly
NH3: 0
NO2: 2.0
NO3: 20

I am very impressed with my fishless cycling system, I have a few very tough goldies swimming in there. I've been increasing the amount of humonia daily to where I'm at today in my barrel ponics system. Ive up to 15 0z per day and I'm just starting to burn the ends of the lettuce, but everything else loves it two ears of corn on each stalk! My plants are getting pretty big now so I guess they are using it, the bacteria count must be up to the task. I've ordered some 6" channel cat fingerlings but I really don't want to change anything here, Its working so well!

Yep, I'm definitely a fan.

Today's readings are the same as yesterday: 7.6, 0, 2.0, 20.

I went to a nursery today, picked up some a lemon-boy tomato seedling and a zucchini seedling. I got as much dirt off the roots as I could and planted them in the gravel. Hopefully they will survive the transplant.

I also bought a 3 gallon fig tree that I will be feeding AP water, but it's not in the loop (yet!).

Today's readings are 7.6, 0, 1.0, 20

Nitrite is going down, which is good.

The new seedlings haven't taken any nitrate yet, but I guess that is to be expected.

I also put up some netting as a trellis for the peas, tomato, and possibly the eggplant (not sure if it's a vining variety).

Anyhoo, here's a pic of this micro-system.

Today's readings are 7.5-7.6, 0, 0, 0

Tomorrow I'll start dosing with humonia at about 50mL.

When you dose, wait till the next day and then run tests. You will probably only be able to dose that much every few days rather than every day and that not until the system manages to cycle up to the load.

Yep, the plan is to dose, wait for the conversion to take place and ammonia and nitrite to hit zero again. Then repeat.

Dosed a bit this morning. Readings this evening are:

7.5, 0.5, 0.5, 5

If you can do another test of ammonia in the morning that would let us know if the system is up to converting the amount you dosed within a day. If the ammonia is 0 come morning, I would be tempted to dose again at the same amount. If the ammonia and the nitrite are both 0 definitely dose again that amount. If you can keep dosing like that for a few days and have the readings at 0 within 24 hours, you could probably start upping the amount in the dose until your nitrates start climbing too much.

My Pee Ponics system is temporarily taken over by fish while I do some more re-arranging of the systems. With the warm weather the tilapia are enjoying the chance to breed.

Im planning on a fishless system until cycled......

question: do any of you have any problems with Mosquitos breeding in your tanks?

I will probably have the ST and FT filled before Im ready to start the GB and wont be pumping water for a couple weeks...

are there any fish safe Mosquito killers?

jT

Yes one goldfish in each tank

No mosquito problems. If they happen to lay eggs during the 45 minutes of still water, they just get flushed into the GB during the next cycle. Seems they don't like hatching there.

Yesterday's readings were 7.5, 0.5, 2.0, 20. So not up to processing the dose just yet. I'll wait until the NH3 and NO2 are 0 before dosing again.