Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey Antonio!

How is your system doing? Have you cycled it yet?

Finally! My test kit arrived via mail, I'll try testing in the afternoon and let you all know... in the meantime I just wanted to share my shine purchase! I really have a gut feeling that I'm cycled but we'll see...!

Cheers everyone!

All right I administered my first water test.
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Water test 30/6/2012

pH: between 8 and 8,5 (slightly darker than the 8 tourquoise)

Ammonia/ammonium: between 0 mg/l and 0,5 mg/l 
--> considering my mom emptied a capful of ammonia in the FT this morning, not bad

No2 - Nitrites: darkest shade of red: 5,0 mg/l

No3 - Nitrates: darkest shade of magenta (color of blood): 100 mg/l

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system is 2 months old now, but we have had a few issues with it, it rained a lot, I'm having an algae bloom, and it is currently 600lt GB to about 750/800lts FT (IBC partially full)

I took the second GB out due to needing to wash the lava rock better (found a substrate of lava rock sand at the bottom of the GB :/ ) but it should be back online soon enough I think.

Media is lava 2/3 lava rock and 1/3 expanded clay.

Thoughts?

With massively high nitrites already, why are you/your Mum continuing to add ammonia? I assume there are no fish in this system (luckily for them?)

Let the ammonia and nitrites drop to zero before adding any ammonia source. I'd also stop feeding the system until the nitrates dropped to a "reasonable" level too (say, 20-40ppm). Excess nutrient and exposure to light is the cause of the algal bloom.

Thank you so much bunson, I will do as told. Any idea how many days it could take for the nitrates to drop to 20-40?
She actually added it because we didn't have a test kit yet and would add some periodically when the plants looked like they were suffering... (not her fault I was away thursday to saturday and gave these instructions myself)

I know it's not ideal but being in no rush whatsoever for fish (given the extreme difficultires I'm encountering only getting hold of hatcheries and the like, and the fact that this country actually "slows down" in the summer, meaning people tend to work less and go to the becah more, and also because I had never tested yet)

Thank you very much for your help.

BTW I have covered the fish tank, too.

Ok, so after a few vacantionsI came back home (system still running fishless) I tested twice again on a two-day arch and when everything checked, yesterday I went out and bought my first fish!
I'm still taking the baby steps route so it was only 8 goldfish and 6 mosquitofish (I was having a bad mosquito larva problem) so we'll see where to take it from here.

The closest and most readily available fish I can find for a serious aquaponics is Lepomis Gibbosus, from a guy selling them on our version of gumtree because they reproduced massively in his pond. He's 25 mins away from my house, I'll be looking into it the next week for some more info.

Cheers everyone!

Congrats on themove towards fish, Tojo!! Next thing you know you'll be enjoying lots of fresh veggies from your AP garden!!

As for the mosquitoes, they will only lay their eggs in calm waters. So , if you're getting them in your system, I would think you don't have enough movement in your water.

Thanks drsteve - I can honestly say that the plants are booming even though I'm still feeding lightly.
I should be getting my "edible" fish this weekend, let's say ten or twelve, hoping they'll reproduce in the spring. (The Lepomis species tends to reproduce in-tank).

As for the mosquitoes: I do have a lot of running water and movement, but this particular strain (we call them Tiger Mosquitoes here) can manage a little moving water, unfortunately.
It may also be that, to reduce "noise" from the system, I sunk the outlet underwater while I was away on vacation, thus giving it less movement.

Kindest Regards