Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

pH was stable at 7.4 for about 2 months, now has gone south big time, below the chart for low pH, Nitrites have been at 1 for a week or more, fish are bouncing around and eating what ever I give them, need a chainsaw to harvest plants Ammonia less than.25, water temp constant at 8 - 10c, I put the Nitrite down to the freezing weather we are having, whilst fish and plants are happy I am not overly concerned, but how low can pH go before it becomes a concern

My Ph headed south 3 days ago and i have been buffing it up. Amo is .25 nitrite 0 nitrate 0 night time temps down to 5 oC.
My fish are bouncing off the walls as well.

pH in my big system at home has been 6 or below for many years and things are still growing well.

Yep, my pH has been down around the 6.0 mark a few times...

Generally I try to keep it around 6.4-6.8 ... but I don't stress about it too much... and probably only test about once a month...

what I thought, but fish wa suggest Marron, Yabbies and my treasured Pygmy Perch like pH 7.2 to 8+ but they are doing fine, so that theory is out the window, well my marron are already out the window so then what causes these drops, I am not doing anything to change it as I am sticking to my own advice if everything is happy leave it alone just wish my Nitrites would go south, but I suspect this will hapen when the Temp is a little more respectable

The bacterial action of your bio-filter has an acidifying effect. This is why most people add buffering agents like shells to their system to provide needed calcium and carbonate to both the bacteria and the fish/other creatures.

Drawback to heavily buffering your system, is the pH is likely to self regulate a bit higher than many plants like. If you don't buffer to that extent, you then need to add buffer materials more often as they are used up to keep the pH from dropping below the bio-filter's ability to keep functioning.

pH6 was my lowest and because of a dead marron I suspect as it is back to normal now

Mines always been around the 7.3 ish. Think all the gravel and river rock is buffering it.

my ph is at 6.2 or lower.I add eco rose to 6.4 but it trends down to 6 over a week temp at 10-12 ammo at .25 nitrites 0 but nitrates at 40 everything is flourishing so like Nocky i'm not panicing ,bring on the warm weather i'm sick of winter already.

Me too. Winter plants sux.

every action has a reaction, be aware the what you put in will have an effect...Duh!
...that is the reason for the action in the first place

You need to see Karls' garden at the shop!

What's the pH in Karl's system?

Hmmm... not sure Rupe, but man that garden is going off

Ivan your marron could have died because of pH 6, according to info I have read they like it closer to 8,
Your not wrong duff, lettuce, lettuce, *frack* ing lettuce and Bok Choy

Broccoli likes cold weather.