Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Gee I'm good LOL hehehe!

Update:

I've been cycling with 60 trout, so I'm feeding very lightly, and water testing every two days. The nitrite reading is remaining around 2ppm, while the ammonia has dropped to 0 to 0.25ppm for the last six days. I thought the nitrite should convert to nitrate now that the ammonia has been converted? Is this because I have a continual source of ammonia (the fish)?

The nitrates are around 5ppm, but the plant growth looks good, so I assume the rest of the nitrates are being used up by the plants?

Did you expand your system or build a second system? (sorry I can't remember).

Sounds like this is new and that all is going well. I would think the cooler temperatures (don't know about your water but mine gets down to 12) would be slowing down the bacteria which converts nitrite to nitrate from really getting established.

Your trout should be fine and the salt you have no doubt added will be helping them.

This is a second system with 3000L FT and three BYAP growbeds. I'm still running the original 1000FT/ 1 GB system with silver perch.

I've covered the tank with 70% shadecloth (double layer) and the other half with an old bamboo blind, but the water is still a bit green after four weeks. I assume the winter will take care of that too!

A light bulb just switched on in my head. Swap some of the water/media between the two systems.

Get more of that bacteria you need to convert nitrite to nitrate.

Like a true aquaponicist Arbe

I did that when I started cycling the system (after the chlorine had off-gased). I poured a bucket of (other system) water into each of the GB, left it for six hours and then started pumping again. I did swap a small amount of media, but I didn't want to stir up the other system too much as the media was a bit dirty.

I didn't have a problem cycling until I introduced the trout - I think they aren't as "clean" a source of ammonia as the bottles are - that is, they excrete over a period of time, not immediately.

ATM, I think I've cycled, but the small amount of nitrite remaining is because the bacteria are constantly getting new inputs of ammonia (from the fish), so there is a trace left.

I'm happy if the ammonia is low, as is shows the ammonia to nitrite conversion is working. The plants are obviously getting enough nitrate (they are growing well), so the nitrite to nitrate conversion is working, it's just not instantaneous.

However, it won't do any harm to put a bit more water in from the other system.

Now the weather is getting cold (1.3C this morning), we have harvested the silver perch from the original system (1000L FT). They have been in for about eighteen months. Here are some of them, the rest were hiding and were caught later:



After the FT was emptied (of fish), I exchanged some more water between the old and new systems. Then we rehomed fifteen of the sixty trout into the old system.

Nicely done Bythebrook....

superb!!!

Did you manage to weigh any?

If I remember, I'll weigh them when they come out of the freezer.

The new system is growing well, especially as I swapped 200L of water between the systems yesterday (before some of the trout where moved over).
Here is all the new growth. We have harvested some of the lettuces, and "pruned" some of the celery.

The old system has mainly celery, with some chinese vegetables seedlings in the other half of the bed.

The colour in those photos is almost fluorescent Amazing!

It's just a Kodak Z710, point and shoot stuff. The beds are in full sun, and the whole backyard is north-facing (intentionally, all passive solar design). I may have to shade the beds in summer, but it's easier to shade than to make artificial sunlight!