Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Was happy when I found out via the water test that my ammonia and nitrites were at zero!

My cukes and tomatoes have survived the cycling process and are doing really well...been about 5 weeks since I started this setup.

When I start my expanded system (I'm doing a starter 10 gallon system) in about a month (renovating and preparing a remodel of an old bar room in the basement for a much larger system...1500 gallon) will taking water from my current system and putting it into the new system, accelerate the nitrification process?

Thanks,
Kev

Adding water from an existing system wont accelerate the cycling process because it doesn't contain the beneficial bacteria. Adding some bio-gunk from the exisiting system which will contain beneficial bacteria can assist to speed up the initial cycling, but then again, you could also be spreading disease/parasites across systems and the acceleration is not that great anyway. Slow, safe and steady wins the race every time!


Scott

Using water, media and gunk from an existing system can help seed the system with some starter bacteria to get the colonization process going but if you are starting a 1500 gallon system and just using some water from a 10 gallon aquarium system, it probably won't have a huge impact on the time it takes to get started up. (unless of course the big system is being started up in a clean room environment with all sterilized water, media, tanks and plumbing, in which case any source of starter bacteria would be helpful but in most less than sterile environments the bacteria will occur naturally given ammonia, moisture, oxygen, a dark wet surface to colonize and time.)

Hi pastorkev!
I good way to "infiltrate" your new system is to put a sack of small charcoal-pieces in an existing system. The coal will suck up water and the bacteria living in it. 2 would say it will be "activated" in one or two week - then you put the charcoal into your new system. Bactera will spread out of the coal and do their job more quickly.
I also have very good experience with "Bactozym" from Tetra - this are collodial encyms that can help building up the nitrit-bactera. My second try was with "Effective Microorganisms" (you should find more info for your county on www.emrousa.com) - these bactera-mixture is used to build up soil and to clean water (f.e. in fishponds), is absolutely healthy for fish and plants and brings up the cycle real fast (i had nitrates within 2 weeks!)

No Okin..... your wrong.

If you continue your little advertising campain, your gone.

Don´t be rude - i´m not advertisind anything, just trying to help.
Could you explain why you think this is crab (speaking of the "Baktozym")?

Effective Microorganisms aren´t crab at all. They are used worldwide for several porposes, but (what fits here) very effective in biological water treatment.

Look, Im not trying to be rude... Im doing my job.

Have a think about this from my point of view..

I fight spam on this forum day and night, a lot of it is before it even makes it to the pages of the forum, which none of the members even see. Believe me there is a lot.

So then I need to weigh up things when I read posts and yours seemed to tick the boxes at that particular time. Most of your posts are in relation to charcoal and bacteria, the last couple of posts are in relation to a certain product.... with the product image. How do I know you have no affiliation with this company? I call it as I see it.

Your also directing members on how to "infiltrate" ... and "activate" there systems using the mentioned product. Where is your system? How long have you been involved with AP? Have you raised fish or grown organic vegies?

See where Im coming from?

And I dont even want to go into the whole "add in bacteria" mumbo jumbo.

If your posts are legit well then all you need to take from this is the fact that I am watching.... always watching.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to post a reply.

"Slow and steady" is always great, great advice for me...I tend to be a big picture, "get'er done"-NOW-kind-of-guy that needs to hear that every so often.

The remodel of the basement will take a month or so...which will help me be more methodical in my prep and planning (I'll have more time to think it through).

Thanks again

Ok - i understand your point of view as a moderator. Sorry for bringing in product names...
But i find it inpropriate to ask questions like: Where is your system? How long....
First - that none of your business (even as a forum moderator). Second: i´m into gardening and fish for more than 25 years and i know a lot about soil, water and plants. Yes - im fairly new to aquaponics but not to the part growing and not to the part of auqaculture.

So, all good from my side, but i don´t wanna be offended for giving tipps to other members.

Would you care to explain how enzymes... collodial or otherwise....

(A colloid is a substance microscopically dispersed evenly throughout another substance... ie... the enyme dispersed through the water in th bottle:lol: )

... can stimulate a nitrifying bacteria... that is dependant on the abscence of ammonia... and the prescence of nitrites...

In a system not even 24 hours old..... and probably doesn't have either... especially the nitrites...

It's bullshit.... and has no scientific basis...

Where are our beginner's minds people?