Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Rob,
Just watched your video, looking good!!

Did you do a Nitrite test too?

You really won't get any Nitrate reading till both the Ammonia and the Nitrite are being eaten by the bacteria.
I've had no real issues with in my system with Ammonia as high as 1.0 but any reading of Nitrite isn't good. What you should end up with is trace of Ammonia, 0.0 of Nitrite and a good healthy reading of Nitrate some where from 80 and above for good plant growth.

With the Hi PH you might want to add some chelated iron, just half a tea spoon to such a small tank. I have Hi Ph in my 1000L system and add about 2 teaspoons every month or when I start to see yellowing in the plants.
Don't worry to much about Hi Ph it will sort it's self out over time and if you add the Chelated Iron the plants will be fine.

Just watch with the sealsol it can add some salt to your system, but once you have nitrate readings you can probably stop. Also notice you are using goldfish flakes, I started with that too but found it didn't have the trace elements the trout/barra food have. Once I started feeding the goldies on that I noticed an improvement in the veggie growth. They will happily eat 1mm or 2mm pellets, just by a Kilo and it will last you for awhile with those small fish.

As a side note, a big fan of your youtube channel.

Good luck and keep the up-dates coming.

Thanks Decal


I have done 3 nitrite test but all have shown zip so am fairly happy with that...
All other readings are the same as previous days...

I went & picked up some fish based fertiliser for the patch today but didn't get the Chelated Iron due to the price... Might beg on freecycle for a small scoop from someone... I did add about ½ a cap full of HCl acid to the top up water & will test it tomorrow then add a bit into the tank if all is ok... Its all a bit of an experiment at this stage & playing it safe for the Fish & Yabbies sake...

Also went & got some Ridley 2mm pellets from the local Produce.. Can also get the Jade Perch from there at a fairly good price as well... I get a bit of stuff through them & are fairly happy with the prices...


Thanks again for that... Subscribed to yours when I was googling for AP.. I am still looking for more Aussie Garden & AP channels... Not many out there that I can find so far...
Uploaded another clip of the dirt patch tonight...

Thanks for the help & take it easy all...

Good move getting onto some decent feed Rob, will make a huge difference in your plant growth over the long term... Well, fish growth as well..

& they are loving it EB....

Bought some chelated iron today as I figure it will be needed in the IBC system... Added 1 spoon into each GB...
Also added 20L of top up water that I had added HCl to last night... That brought it down to 7.8 but by testing time tonight it was back up to 8...

I tried to bring my big system down from 7.4 with several doses of HCL once and the PH test would show slightly acid then turn blue again. So there was something in the system buffering it up pretty strongly. I gave up and a few months later it came down on its own.

I'm with Mantis on the Ph, it will sort it's self out natural. As long as the fish are healthy and eating well and the plants are growing don't fiddle!

It's hard to do, it's up there with being patient.

Especially when you are 1st starting out having an AP system is the greatest time sucker there is, but what a hell of a way to waste it!

Ok...
Shall bow to others knowledge & let it be...
Might need to get stuck into the IBC's or cut up some more Wicking barrels to keep my mind off the system...
Thanks guys...

New update on the system as well as the site for the IBC system...


In short, Sundays levels...
pH= 8.2, Ammonia= 2, Nitrite= 0.5, Nitrate= 1-5, I would guess 2..
Mondays levels...
pH= 8.2, Ammonia= 1, Nitrite= 0.5, Nitrate - I would guess 2 again..

Will be laying off the feed for the next few days to see what happens with the levels...
Trying to find the Salting info for the Nitrites just in case they are needed...
Thanks again for the input guys...
take it easy

Still not feeding due to the levels + have lost 1 Yabbie & DD just brought in a dead feeder fish... There is another feeder in there that isn't looking that healthy & has got white spots all over it...
Decal mentioned taking the fish out of the tank & salting so might do that now...
Should I also salt the water the fish are going into to take care of the white spot ???

TIA

pH= 8.2
Ammonia is between 1 & 2
Nitrite is 2

With white spot you need to put them in a high salt bath to burst the spots. Best way to do this is get a bucket of water and make up add salt to 6ppm (I think that's the correct amount?) and put them in there for about 10 minutes. This will burst the spots and all should be good again. It's the sudden change that kills the spots, just adding salt gradually will not work.

This way your system is not being contaminated with salt and since your system is small and the fish easy to catch it's a more practical solution.

Just do a search on the salt levels but I'm pretty sure 6ppm is enough to do the job.

Thanks Brett...
Been searching feverishly... :s

Yabbies as well do you think ???
Sorry to be a pain....
Still reading viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3179&start=30

Thanks again...
Rob

Hi Rob,

Just dropping in to say hi

I think we both need a dose of warmer weather to get things kicking along

Our silver perch got lost in our tank (they are only little and still hide under and around the pump) ended up buying two bigger orange goldfish just so the kiddies had something to look at.

Will be watching with interest what you decide to do for the BSF - I'm going to need to put something together for that soon.

Bye for now

L

Hi Rob,
Looking at that thread looks as if 10ppm would be a better idea. They only need to be in there for a few minutes as I said about it's the initial salt shock that kills the bacteria.

Not sure about tabbies? Hopefully someone with more knowledge about them can comment I have never kept any.

and please airate to the max, high concentration of salt smothers regular O2 levels