Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

My weekest point is chemistry. After some research i have found out that ammonium hydroxide pretty easy to buy as its a common detergent, and all local hardvare shop sell it, but we have a special hungarian name. Shame on me I learned in these in school but forgot it. My chemistry teacher wouldnt be proud if he knew...

So I bought a half litre 5% ammonia solution for less than 1€. My plants clearly suffer from lack of nutrients, and this way I can accuratly dose some extra ammonia so the fish wont mind.

By the way the fish likes chicken liver, im sure that he took it but still couldnt catch the moment.

make sure there are no foaming agents added before using it in your system (or "scent" agents)

Thanks for the advice, I have checked that. Its pure ammonium hydroxide, nothing else.

Whoa... use sparingly... it will raise your pH drastically...

Yeah I know! It has a ph of 10,5...

I bought two live bait fish, for the monster of the sump. But he is as patient hunter, I gues he will wait till the night.

I'm adding some hummonia ever day (under close controll) and the plants started to go crazy, after a long period of nutrient shortage.

We harvested the first 3 tomatoes yesterday, they were delicious

Hope you can keep up the live feed supply for him. Was that fish ever eating pellets? We found our Barra stopped eating pellets after we fed him some live fish, guess he got a taste for them and he became fussy...

He came around after a couple of weeks of getting hungry and started eating pellets again...

Catfish eats almost anything that he finds. Larves, worms, insects, crustaceas, crabs, frogs, fish, water birds, and some times even carrion. This fish is a wild fish, he was caugth in a local canal, I bet he newer ate pellet. I dont have proper pellets but I tried to feed him some carp pellets that he didnt take. He also ignored, chicken meat & naked sail.

He took earth worms, chicken liver, live fish, and frozen fish. The best I think so far is frozen fish. He likes those and I bought quite few for cheap, they are probably byproducts of aquarium shops as they look alike goldfish, but not coloured.

Looks like he is fine, so he will make it. but Im still thinking of geting some smaller fish to test if they survive too. ..

Oh finally this weekend I saw the catfish eating. Till this point feed just dissapeared, but look like he is getting used to being fead.

On saturday I saw him taking the chicken liver and on sunday I managed to show it to my daughter too.
Today I try to make a video for you!

Its also time to make a tour again as lots have changed.
- I took out most of the pumpkins as they used to much space and nutrions while produced nothing.
- Mosquitos find the system perfect they I realy need some smaller fish to stop tham.
- Radish is gone, only a few remained for seeds.
- beans, and peas gone as well.

Now I see that the hardest point is planting according to the limited space. Even dough the system is a bit over filtered plus lack nutrients.

Time a little update, to record the progress.

Me and the catfish are working hard to bring enough nurtients for the plants.
I couldnt shoot a video about the catfish eating, he is shy when I have a camera on...

- This weekend I had some time so I finished the roof, painted the door and crated the doorstep from concrete. Still lot to do with the greenhouse, but im getting closer.


- The next wave of aphis is there in the greenhouse, they need attention again.
- Cabage worms are may daily fight. I simply cant catch all of them. I thinking of trying those pheromone traps for nex year. Anyone has better idea?
- Im regularly picking tomatoes, basel and its about time to cut the first sorrel leaves.

My only sadness is i cant get more little catfishes...

One more important thing.

As I changed the system water I refilled with tap water which is ~ ph 8,5.

The system went back to 6,5-7 in less than 3 weeks, than I put back the eggshells and its standing there rosck solid. A little swing could be measured between morning, an evening, but thats quite normal.

Hey Peter!

Nice to see things are going well, although without the fish. I was wondering, what are your water temps (peaks and average)?

Hi Matej!

We are having a crazy summer again, here are the peaks what I have experiened so far :



I can say that the GH smooth out the peaks, while gives you quite a bit of controll, throuh window, door opening, and controlling ventilation. ( Up to this tie I havent finished the window so its open all the time, by closing and opening the door usualy enough for controll. I only closed the window on those really cold 11-13 nights.)

- Two weeks of 30-37C, with nights not cooling down under 20C and the water newer exceeded 25C.

- Two weeks of low 20s with nights of 11-13C. The water stayed 18-22C. The GH air temperature was 22-27C. I acived this by closing the window for the nights and the door stayed closed all the time. I was affraid fungal disease because the wet and hot air, but I survived without problem.

I think that with temps like those you could easily grow trout, probably all year round. Can you get them? Maybe it's worth to try.

I noticed that u've put a lot of soil around the gh, aren't you afraid that the water could leak behind the green insulation and that would minimize the insulation effect?

Have a nice day!

I would be on the limit with trout.

1. The water is currently ~23C its still the dangerous zone with disolved oxigen.
2. My system is overfiltered ( fishtank:growbed:sump -> 1:2,7:1,2) Crouded fish in dangerously low oxigen levels are the perfect combination for disaster.
3. Trout is a crazy fish az it loves 8-12C while the plants love 20-22C.

This is what my mind says, thats why, I was about to by some carps... but you are a bastard!

Why? because while i wrote down the abowe words I have found that you put the bug into my mind.

So I called a nearby (1,5 hour drive) trout fishery (http://pisztrangtelep.hu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=42) and asked if they have some fingerlings... and yes they do have... about €15 for 50 pieces of ~10cm fingerlings... hmm a price of 3 carps... and a great family program to make a visit there.

They said that they will not survive over 16C, its absolutely not recomended, but it worth a try.

The weather forecast expects over 30-s fot the next 7-8 days but than it goes back to mid 20s with nights cooling dwon to mid 10s. We could pick up the fish on august 28th...

So I'm thinking of trying trout... and Matej you are to blame for this!

I need trout experts opinions!

- 50pc 10cm trout
- 1000l FT
- venturi aerator inflow, + 550l extra aerator
- The fish are comming for 9C water, and probably higher (8+) ph as its limestone hills walley.
- My system water will be 18-20C, with a ph ~7.

Do you see any pre coded disaster? Should I go for it?

- Brown Trout
- Rainbow Trout
- Brook Trout
Considering my water temp and weather which subspecies to choose?

Edit: Rainbow Trout is the only option right now, thats what they have.