Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well, its about time to get more serious. I have been collecting bits n pieces for quite a while now, the longest was to find a source of blue barrels but I found one eventually.

Anyway, the old system was "retired" and the new one created on the weekend. Three barrels for FTs and a sump with four half barrels for GBs. I have another four half barrels but am thinking of setting them up as a separate system when I get a few more barrels for the FTs. The three FTs/sumps are connected by SLOs with the pump in the last barrel pumping up to the GBs. Used an existing drop-off in the garden to get the levels I wanted. Using loop syphons on this system, maybe will use Affnans in the second bank of GBs whether its connected to this system or separate. Only one leaker as you can see, the scorn from the boys was intense when they discovered I did not get it entirely right the first time

The goldies from the old system are in the mud to get the system cycling so now its time to start planting and waiting. It will clear eventually. When cycled I want to set up some silver perch and eel-tailed catfish.

Only need to add the hoop house to keep out the bowerbirds and possums and we will be away.

The boys were brilliant with all the work, shovelling and moving the gravel kept them honest Very proud of them.

Nice to see you here again Rob.
I think the bower birds may have trouble carrying your barrels away, but they are certainly a nice blue

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, the only appropriate reply.

I'm here a lot Faye, just don't post too often as most things are answered before I see them.

Sorry Rob, I was a little confused and got you mixed up with someone else.

I think you should get the boys back out there, as one of those beds is not filled

Looking good

The leaker. I allowed it to leak so I have to fill it. Boy logic is very simple

Did the first set of tests today;

pH 7.8 - bit high but its a new system and soon I will be trying to raise it.
Ammonia - 0.25 - Probably from the egg white I added last night to clear the water. Still cloudy but that is fine.
Nitrite and Nitrate zero.

Buried some of the gravel from the old system in the new GBs to try and give the bacteria levels a real boost. Have planted the GBs with seedlings and added some Seasol and worm wee.

Now to wait and drink beer.

Seems to be the thing to do Rob , this was the very advice I got when I reached the planting stage to

Got sick of the mud the fish were living in so did a massive water change a few days ago (Boxing Day). Its still clearing but you can now read the writing on the pump so I reckon that is clear enough

Test results show the effect of inoculating the GBs with some of the gravel from the old beds. Ammonia spike is happening but the nitrite and nitrate readings are there showing a good population of the bacteria already in only a few days.

pH - 7.8
Ammonia - 1.0
Nitrite - 0.5
Nitrate - 5.0

Sounds like it will be time for some "real" fish in the next week or two.

Lightly fed today, maybe not at all tomorrow. The goldies are showing no ill effects from the high ammonia and nitrite levels. They are really good beasts to cycle a system on as they have been selected for this treatment in fish tanks for generations.

pH 7.6
Ammonia 2.0
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 10

May have to add some iron tomorrow, the silverbeet is looking a bit light coloured but healthy.

Yep wait + beer

Good work mate!! Will look forward to seeing progress

Today's readings:

pH 7.8
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 10

Will check again tomorrow and see if the nitrite drops as the nutrients go through the system. Looks like the inoculation with the old GB material has really accelerated the cycling of this system.

If the nitrite drops tomorrow I will start feeding the goldies again.

Now to push on with getting the second set of GBs online ASAP.

Yeah watch that ammonia with a high Ph, though with the test yesterday it looks like it could be dropping.

No test yesterday, archery got in the way.

pH - 7.8
Ammonia - less than 0.25 - nearly zero
Nitrite - 1.0 - no change
Nitrate - 10 plus

From this it would appear the either the level of Nitrosomas in the old system was good or they grow really quickly to cater for peaks in the ammonia level.

It would appear that the Nitrobacter was either low or are slower growing as the nitrite is not dropping even though the ammonia level has dropped over the past few days.

Even with the nitrite still a bit on the high side we have lightly fed today just to keep a low level of ammonia in the system so the Nitrosomas level does not drop again. At least that way we will have the cycle working even if there appears to be a bit of a bottleneck in it at present.

Plants and fish all appear to be healthy and growing.

Hi Rob, with a nitrite reading of 1 it is advisable to have a salt level of 1ppt. (1kg salt to 1000 litres of water) this will avoid nitrite poisoning to the fish. I didn't read back to see if you had already salted the system. Always better to be safe than sorry.