Healing Garden Aquaponics in Adelaide, South Australia

Sejin

BullwinkleII wrote:

I always use the same test tubes for the tests. ie the pH one is always the pH one.

Oh, that is an idea.
Sejin

SnowT

I think your pH is actually 7.8 and not 7.4..

Juergen

RupertofOZ

Yep, I'd call it 7.8 as well....

Sejin

I wonder what explains the rise of PH.
I also wonder about the reason for changes in the result in other tests.

- Connecting to two grow beds with gravel.
- No fishless cycle for my system.
- No special change in feeding fish that I can think about.
- Gradual cut in the use of pond filter.
- Seasol.

That was the changes introduced.

Could it have been the gravel?

???

Use of filter may remove ammonia, but not reduce PH.

Sejin

RupertofOZ

Sejin wrote:

- Gradual cut in the use of pond filter.

Use of filter may remove ammonia, but not reduce PH.

Yes... and actually yes...

The pond filter was previously performing the bulk of the nitrification... which by nature trends the pH downward...

Having cut the pond filter... less nitrification is occuring at the moment... your ammonia, and nitrites have risen slightly...

And with less nitrifcation... less acidic tendancy.... your pH has risen...

Basically you're going through a "mini-cycle" as the grow beds take over and build the nitrification that the pond filter was performing...

BullwinkleII

Thats a pretty useful filter to have kicking around then.

@Rup - How does such a small unit contribute so much to the nitrification process?

Is it just because of the flow rate is providing more oxygen and nutrient or is there some wonder structure inside? And if it's just about flow, does that mean we can get better ammonia processing just through greater flow?

Or is the filter media just acting the part of, say, a 100L grow bed, and its just the light fish load and large wall area of the fish tank (plus roots and statues etc. also in the fish tank)

I was at a restaurant the other day with a fish tank, and they had a stocking density that would make everyone envious. They ran a filter the size of Sejin's, but with what must have been around 750L of water. Can the filter remove ammonia and nitrites directly via some voodoo?

Sejin

RupertofOZ wrote:

The pond filter was previously performing the bulk of the nitrification... which by nature trends the pH downward...
Having cut the pond filter... less nitrification is occuring at the moment... your ammonia, and nitrites have risen slightly...
And with less nitrifcation... less acidic tendancy.... your pH has risen...
Basically you're going through a "mini-cycle" as the grow beds take over and build the nitrification that the pond filter was performing...

Sounds plausible.

I have this information about this filter:
http://www.oase-livingwater.com/tr_TR/w ... 933c3406f7
My font colouring.

Quote:

BioSmart 30000-formerly Biotec 10.1

The classic returns. The successful model, Biotec 10.1, frees the pond of bothersome suspended algae, removes excess nutrients and thus ensures sustainably healthy water. This flow-through filter is characterised by a high level of oxygen enrichment and a high water flow-through rate. The different filter foams offer the necessary volume and a large surface for optimal development of the filter biology.

Product characteristics at a glance: Fish waste and food remnants, dead plants, as well as blossom and leaves are quickly decomposed.
Healthy pond climate thanks to clear, algae-free, oxygen-rich water.
Special filter foams (red and blue) for highly effective nitrification as well as for de-nitrification (green).
Overflow indicator on the intermediate floor shows when maintenance is required.
Clean via the sludge drain by simply pulling the integrated slide valve.
Pollution indicator and thermometer for monitoring the water temperature.
Supplemental connecting piece for introducing atmospheric oxygen through external aerator pumps.

Long service life thanks to high-quality materials in functional design and first class workmanship.

Does remove nutrients.
And nitrify [OK],
and
de-nitrify[?].

Sejin

RupertofOZ

Oase filters are excellent filters for their size and cost...

And that style of multi-chamber, multi-pad/mat filtration is popular amongst the Koi keepers...

The "mats" trap solids... provide surface area for bacterial nitrification of ammonia....

That particular model can handle up to 8000L/H of flow rate.... and is rated to a 24,000L pond... or the equivalent of 12,000L when stocked....

BullwinkleII

Nitrifying is inevitable if there is a large surface area in the filters, but de-nitrification? I dont understand this stuff.

But RupertofOZ definitely does.

BullwinkleII

@rup do mean it can deal with fish waste as if it were a grow bed?

And if so how?

And how much grow bed does it compare to?

RupertofOZ

I'd have to look up the equivalent "surface area" for this model Bull....

But these units don't "mineralise" the solids like a grow bed with worms does... although you could probably put some worms in them I guess....

The units do have a "pollution" indicator that alerts you when the the foam mats need cleaning.... and they have a self cleaning "push/pull" squeeze action via a sliding gate... which also allows for the sludge to be drained off....

But, like all mat/brush flow through, or canister filters... they do need cleaning periodically... and eventually the mats need replacing....

Not sure I buy the last "denitrifying" (single) mat/chamber... as denitrification is usually anaerobic... and the "blurb" says...

"This flow-through filter is characterised by a high level of oxygen enrichment and a high water flow-through rate."

Has connections for additional air supply... and ability to feed treatments/supplements directly into the unit...

Sejin

Relevant discussion in the forum:

AP and filtration/nutrients
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1425&p=46868&hilit=+zero+nitrate+level+#p46868

Rupert mentions this info:
Context: The nitrogen cycle
http://www.atmosphere.mpg.de/enid/Nr_8_ ... e_5lp.html

Quote:

Denitrification is the process of reduction of nitrate to nitrogen. It is carried out by microorganisms (Bacillus, Pseudomonas and other bacteria) which switch from oxygen to nitrate respiration in particular in insufficiently ventilated soils. The denitrification process can lead to several intermediates. The most relevant is nitrous oxide. The gases go back to the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide is a long-lived greenhouse gas.

Sejin

Got a pond light, a set of three lights, so that I can sometimes come out to pond (only 1.5 m from lving room) after dark to sit by pond and look at fishes. IPhone video 720HD.

Sejin

Contemplating about having winter fish, trout, to have them in the same pond with silver perch and gold fish. Read enough advices not to do it.
But I think I can seperate trout from other fishes inside the same pond, by having a partition.
This is possible because my pond is a rectangle. I can use 1m out of a total of 5m (width 90cm, depth 80cm) for trout when it is small, then expand the area of volume for trout as it grows to 2 m.
I am thinking of making the partition with nylex mesh with small holes. Add a plastic frame of a size that would fit the width of my pond tightly.
My pond is halfway underground and walls are made of 25 cm thick stone blocks. Seems to keep temperature relatively low in summer. When air temprature was near 40, water temperature was about 27-8. May be cooler at bottom.

Sejin

Paid a visit to Dustin's house today to buy some fish pellets.
Got 8kg for $20.
Thanks Dustin.

Sejin

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Healing Garden Aquaponics in Adelaide, South Australia

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