Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Didn't end up changing it as I have the water airing off. I head back to work 3 am tomorrow so I guess the water change is not going to happen. I have some shade clothe over the FT entry, it works a treat.


I've decided to taken bunsons advice an just sit back...

I'm just going to monitor the water and let it ride

Water test from today was .. Oh he'll I can't post it on my bloody iPhone.


Living the dream hmmmm...... Wake up wake up it's a nightmare hahahahha. Loving rail

Well back in sunny Hedland! 9 days and counting..

water test 2 days ago

Forgot the important one.

Something is starting to happen...

Fish are eating really well. The come out and swim around heaps. They are so hungry though. They smash the feed in no time. I don't want to increase the feed too much just yet though..

Would i be right in saying keep them hungry,(not starving) so I am not getting any waste at the bottom of the tank, (ammonia build up) and wait until i have cycled until i increase the feeding..

Will post todays readings when the wife wakes up......

Sorry about the size of the pics. They look crap. Bloody work computer....

She has come through with the goods. Thanks Angel girl of mine...

Here we go, starting to make a move, very slowly mind you

Nitrates are kicking in..

Ammonia...

Mrs reakons the plant are really starting to go limp. Is this to do with the salinity of the FT?

The plants I have are tomatoes, corriander, leeks, cauli, cabbage, broccoli, baby corn, parsley, thyme, oregano and chilli.

i havent added any Seasol or worm wee for a week or so now, whats the liklihood of it effecting the cycle if i do add some?

I suspect too much salt.. with everyone chanting the add salt mantra you might have close to seawater if you've done it each time.. With earlier suggestions to salt to 2 or 3ppt, someone post-counter adding a "salt to 1ppt" a few posts later... because they havn't read more than 2 posts back... doesn't mean add more salt... because it's already at 3ppt..

It would be worth checking the salinity, even with a homebrew hydrometer to get a vague idea if you happen to have one, before adding any salt after the initial amount.. if you have 1000l water and add 3kg salt to get 3ppt, and about 100l water evaporates, the 3kg salt is still there..

I got the Mrs to weigh the bag of salt, to see how much we have added. 18.6kg remaining in the bag. So 1.4kg roughly added to approximately 700Lt of Ft water. So should be at approximately 2ppt.

Thats not to say that i weighed the bag before i put some in..... Silly me.....


The IBC water bar at the top of the grow bed seems to be clogging up too. The flow valve on the inlet is fully open and the two half blue barrel flow valves are about half closed. They are flowing alot more frequently than the IBC water.

Do you recommend I put a stocking or something over the actual pump to prevent as much waste pick up,or should I add some sort of Bio Filter to try and remove some of the waste instead??

Or should i increase the volume of pump?, remembering it is a 3000lt/hr pump now..

Plants are starting to die....

If I was to change some water out, say a 20Lt bucket every second day for a week, without adding more salt to the renewed water, will i be jepadising the cycle?

My system is constantly 3ppt, I dont suspect salt is your issue.

Add some seasol for plant health, they are only feeding on water and amm at the moment.

Dont put anything over your pump, it will only cause you problems. Maybe drill the holes bigger in your spray bar.

With your amm shooting up it will be worth doing a 50% water change out and retest tomorrow, soon nitrite and nitrate will increase.