Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

i have 30 kg in the system and it doesent do much
Add 1 tablespoon of brickies lime in the sump then check the next day and add more if needed i add 1 cup about once a month

I've only ever added 1, 5kg bag to my system and I added it before i replanted the GB.
my ph has barely moved from 7.2.

Thanks for dropping off the feed. will gladly pitch in again. (think I'll get the 6.0mm feed because it is less crumble. Trout love it!!)

regards
Matt

I agree on the 6mm, i'm absolutely flying throught the 4mm though so I have asked about getting some 6mm in the next month or so.

Planted some more seedling the other day, Leak, Spinach and Cauli, with in a day something had eaten the tops of my cauli's, I still suspect mice or rats, but I have layed traps in the shed and in the GB and not caught anything yet.
I also covered the big GB with a clear plastic to act like a bit of a mini green house. We are getting some severe frost at the moment and it is knocking things about a bit.
The cabbage seedlings are taking off, both varieties but the cauli/broc that were planted from seed seem to have stalled a bit. I will see how everything goes now with the make shift Green house.
Photos tomorrow hopefully.

Ive had no luck catching any rodents. I changed my bait for the traps today to some fish crushed fish food and water will see if this works

Almost certainly would have contributed to your fish deaths... but I would have expected it to be reflected in your water quality and test results as well Bundy... as the bacteria colony would probably have shut down...

Resulting in a "cloudiness/milkiness" of your water... possibly a froth/scum... and at least a trace nitrite spike... or ammonia.. or both...

Yep, if you pH drops below 6.4... you need to keep an eye on it... as it can drop below 6 real quick...

My PH must be really low at the moment. I have been adding a small handfull of hydrated lime every afternoon for the last 4 days but can't seem to get it to move above 6. Never had much of a problem with Ph before since my rain water is low and my tap water has always been high so just need to top up with which ever is needed. But recently our tap water catchement has received good rainfall so no bore water means lower PH.

I added some lime to the sump today, stirred and tested the sump and it was only just above 6. The rest of the system reads as 6 but is obviously lower.

Veg Growth on the other hand is going great since putting the Greenhouse plastic over the large GB. Reckon I will do this to all of the GB's. Still got a problem with mice or rats but havn't caught any yet may have to resort to using bait.

[quote="RupertofOZ
Almost certainly would have contributed to your fish deaths... but I would have expected it to be reflected in your water quality and test results as well Bundy... as the bacteria colony would probably have shut down...

Resulting in a "cloudiness/milkiness" of your water... possibly a froth/scum... and at least a trace nitrite spike... or ammonia.. or both...

Yep, if you pH drops below 6.4... you need to keep an eye on it... as it can drop below 6 real quick...[/quote]

I do have a cloudiness to the water, my tests were showing trace nitrite and ammonia while I was having the SP deaths but all show fine now, also had froth and scum in the SP tank but not so much anymore.
What is the best way for me to bring it back up. Just keep adding the lime?

Yep.... and aerate, and pump continuously..

Ph has come back to normal, cloudy water has started to clear, foaming water has gone.
I will continue to monitor the Ph as much as I do my nitrites. Its funny how you get slack in testing things because they never change and then all of a sudden!

I still have a problem with solids in the main trout tank. So I have put my old AP3000 pond pump in the tank and am running it with a pipe straight up to the GB above and also a tee to create a bit more movement on the bottom of the tank. The water has a nice slow swirl to it now and hopefully this will keep the solids from settling on the bottom of the tank. This will allow me to keep up the feed to the trout in this tank since they are insatiable at the moment.
All GB's are running CF.

I had another interesting discovery today in regards to my greenhouse cover on the large GB, growth in this GB since the cover went on has been the most amazing growth I have seen in the system ever. I decided to test the temperature in the greenhouse and thats when I made the discovery! It was 24.5C in the top of the GH! It was only 11.4C outside the GH!

I have always believed we are in a very cold growing climate in Lancefield so maybe Greenhouse Gardening is the way to go for me even in the dirt.

Ummmm, as I keep adding around the place on the forum.... Our systems are pretty much all running at 6 or below, trial systems are all below 6 (I think about 5.7 for memory), have been for ages and all producing really well.... Worry about pH levels? Naaaaaa...

How the system looked today, soon to be more GH covers I think.

And your fish are fine with this? Mine are obviously not when combined with other system perameters going astray. My Vegies are fine with it!

Yep.... Feasting over the past little while now the weather has warmed a bit...

The winter veg in the GH are really starting to kick along.


These seedlings were from the same punnets and planted at the same time in some perlite vermiculite mix and watered when required with AP water and Seasol. A huge difference.