Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I'm only seeing nitrites in the systems that are still cycling up to their load.

When things are going as they should, you really don't want to be seeing any nitrites.

Seeing nitrites in the morning after the system has not run overnight is a sign that your water quality is suffering for the lack of filtration overnight. If you can manage to slip a cycle or two in during the night, it would probably be a good idea, especially as the fish grow. Do you at least have aeration going overnight?

Aeration is on AC, so it goes 24hrs. The pump is directly connected to solar panels, so it goes when the sun shines. I have a backup pump (AC), but I don't have it hooked up. Ideally I'd like to figure out a circuit like you have set up with a battery, etc, but I haven't yet. I don't know how many watts my pump is (it is the right kind, at least!), I have 30W of solar, so I've still got some work to do.

I think I might have found the problem, though. The main siphon wasn't breaking so it wasn't flooding right, rather it was just flowing constantly. I'm not normally around when it is going so I've never noticed it before.

Still haven't uploaded the pictures to my computer but we have removed the lumber/liner bed that was right next to the big fish tank. It is now replaced with two 100 gallon RMST.

So now it is a line of 6 RMST being fed in sequence by the indexing valve.
A few other stock tanks being fed continuously (two of which are constant flood while one is running on a siphon.)
A 300 gallon liner bed on the ground with a float controlled pump in it which feeds the lines of barrels/water tanks in sequence using another Aquaponics Indexing valve.

I've now got aprox 70 catfish in the big system (18 of them really big and the rest are advanced fingerlings.) Aprox 30 small ones in the front porch system and only 80 small ones out in the 300 gallon system.

I've started a duck-aponics thread and the remainder of the gravel left from the old quarantine system and all the changes will be going to support that.

Will have to get the pictures of what's going on up soon.

I promised pictures didn't I?

Hum some where some one asked me how I plumbed the inside of these rubbermaid stock tank beds. I wonder if I can remember where they asked that.

and more pictures

And on a slightly non aquaponic note (other than the fish of course)
a completely home grown meal


and some more baby ducks

The bamboo in the barrels is filling in nicely

I was just thinking about papayas. I see you have them already! The pictures look really nice. It would be amazing to see it in person!

Lots of people do come to visit in person but ya gotta watch out for chicken and duck poop as ya walk around here.

Id kill for a neighbour like you.! Quite happy to walk around with duck and chook poo under the thong(foot thong=Aussie)!!

LOL,

But with the ants around here, I wear boots. Anyone who shows up for a tour in sandals gets bit.

Otherwise, gotta love the poop the plants do.

Bring on the poop! Wish I could have chooks here but as im in suburbia ,no can do.My plan is to get to country asap.

I'm essentially in suburbia. However, it is an old neighborhood from before the days of deed restrictions and mandatory HOA's with power over your poop!!! I only have to deal with nosy neighbors who are uptight about how things look complaining to Code enforcement who will only ding me if I'm actually breaking a county code. (As in don't put up something resembling a greenhouse or pergola without the building permit.)

That was me! Thanks!