Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Nope...

Battery Acid is Sulfuric Acid, Not Hydrochloric Acid......

And i bet that Battery Acid would be a very bad thing for the fishes, bacteria, etc........

Hi rupert,

Ok looks like i am off for a trip into town for some pool salt and a tester!!

I might have to do a bit more reading cos i thought the nitrite spike is what we were looking for.

i will have to say woops on the acid thing. I dont know where i am going to get that from up here, i will check out the hardware stores on sat and see if they have any. Maybe the big B will ship it down from Broome. (ohhh yea a shopping trip to the BIG B, ohh man!!)

CH

just tested the water before i headed off into town.

Rates: 20 (might even be dark enough for 40)
Rites: 5
PH: 7.8
Amm: 0.25


CH

I don't know if I have missed something, but why can't you just leave the system to do its thing naturally.
Add some seasol for the plants, the PH will drop naturally in time. As Joel said you can add vinegar, we know it is food safe and it is probably in your pantry cupboard. The KISS principal can work very well if you let it. Put a few worms in the growbed.

Pool acid or brick cleaning acid will reduce PH instantaneously once mixed, but may harm fish in the process (concentrated areas until fully mixed). Sodium Biphosphate is used in the aquarium trade and offers a more gradual change in PH.

Hi faye,

I tend to agree with you, but i know squat.
Either way i got the salt and added it to the water before i read your post.
I also brought some Seasol and put that in

So i will re-test it tomorrow.

OK so here is the question, if there is no fish in this system (and at the moment i cant get any so there is no pressure to have it cycled)
then why is the high nitrites a problem?

Also can i check to see if i have got this right, cycling a (fishless) system should go...
Ammoinia in
nitrite spike,(quite high due to very low amounts of Nitrate bact)
Nitrate spike,(??? due a large amount of nitrite ???)
Amm start to come down (due to being used)
nitrite comes down
Nitrate comes down
Amm at zero

then you add more amm
nitrite goes up (but does not spike)
nitrategoes up (but does not spike)
amm is used and goes to zero

process repeats....

this is varies by system to system and time also varies, but have got the basic concept right?

Nitrites are NOT a problem if you're fishless cycling... and you've basically got the cycling process right....

With a starting pH of 7.8.... you probably don't need to adjust with acid (or anything else )...

As Faye says... just let it settle in and over time the pH will move as nitrification ramps up...

The use of acid is a suggested course of action when systems are persistantly around 8.0-8.2.. and highly buffered.... ie bore water drawn from limestone aquifers....

Sodium BiPhosphate should be avoided, especially when cycling... as the breakdown of the phosphate will exacerbate an algael bloom...

It's also a questionable substance in terms of human health (as a medication).... which may translate when edible fish are consumed...



In general... IMO... don't use any aquaria medications, treatments, products...

I think it can be best thought of this way... 'cycling' comes in.. the system is always on the change like a mini factory 'nitrifying' bactria because as soon as it is becomes nitrate it can be taken up by the plants.
So available nitrate from nitrite from Ammonia from fish waste .... and the cycle continues ammo - nitrite - nitrate.
Your system could run at .25 ammo but any more and you should be cutting back the input of ammo

I agree with the leave it and see priciple KISS

K nick off on holidays and come back when it has cycled LOL
I sn't dead don't change it
S imple
S imple

Hi Ruptert and cerative,

thanks for that info and i am glad that i have got it sorta right.

Here are the test results,
Rates: 40
Rites:5.0 (plus its darker)
PH: 7.8
Amm: 0.25

and for something different i will attach a photo of the test kit.
sorry about the quality

Sodium BiPhosphate should be avoided, especially when cycling... as the breakdown of the phosphate will exacerbate an algael bloom...

It's also a questionable substance in terms of human health (as a medication).... which may translate when edible fish are consumed...



Rupe, you forgot to mention Sodium biphosphate is a form of phosphate, which is a naturally occurring substance that is important in every cell in the body. As with all medications there are precautions with use, but i don't see any reason not to use it for PH adjustment in a fish tank, certainly safer to handle than acid.

Sorry mate.... while Sodium biphosphate does indeed buffer the water to a nice, mildly acidic pH of 6.5 and would therefore seem to fill the bill nicely, the problem with sodium biphosphate is that the phosphate serves as an inorganic fertilizer for algae growth. I would therefore not recommend using phosphate-based acidifiers.

The amounts of HCl required to alter pH... are minimal... about 10ml/1000L... to move pH about 0.2 points...

Missed the levels testing over the weekend and i know you are all waiting with baited breath.....

Rates: 5.0 (between 5.0 and 0)
Rites: 5.0 or more
Amm: 0
PH: 7.4 (maybe less i will test with the low range tomorrow)

looks like it is cycling!!!

Plant growth is still small, and i am using the seasol twice a week on teh exsiting plants.
The system seems to have lots of Rites, but Rites have been smaller, so i guess the plants are taking it up.

It will be interesting to see when the rites start comming down.

At what point do you add a more Humonia?

Now.... keep the supply up to keep the bacteria populating.

righto,

I will add another 300ml of humonia, and see how that goes i dont want to over load it.....