Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

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I have NITRATES!!

Is there a cure for them???

Well, I think the cure in his situation is gonna be plant watercress, come fall it should help clear up the nitrates even in the limestone tainted system.

I sifted through all 4 gb with the limestone and made 1 gb with just the large rock. I have 3 bags of large rock left i am going to use it for the bottom of a second gb then i am going to use the left over pea gravel o top it off. That will give me 3 gbs total(1 all pea gravel, 1 all large rock, and 1 mix large and pea).

So here's the question, I am sure the large gravel is 99% limestone free, how do you think that 1% will affect the ph?

On a sad note one of my kio jumped out of the ft. I didn't find him till the next day. I built a cover for it yesterday.

A little bit of limestone should be OK... it will provide a buffer... hopefully just enough to hold the pH steady against the natural fall trend...

that is great news!!

My ph is still 8.2. I really did not expect it to change, my rates are rising too, should i add a capfull of acid over the next couple days just to help the ph down a little? I have had 2 more plants die this week and the ones that are left look pretty bad.

I wouldn't worry too much about the nitrates rising. Gotta be off the chart before they are a problem.

If there is still limestone in the system, I don't know that adding acid to the system is really gonna help you much.

Can you collect some of this rain water to use to top up your system and avoid adding any more buffer?

i have collected some but it off my singled roof i was wondering if it was going to be safe?

depends on what the roof is made of.

asphalt shingles

I don't think I would want to use much of that in a recirculating food system.

that's what i was afraid of