Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

There dont seem to be no head room for the dog to get a drink but I spose that little thing could about squeeze in any where. I like it and am using some of your methods in my basement system. Guppie power!

Has anyone a conversion from US dachshunds to metric dachshunds? I wish the US went metric!

I found outdoor, 100 watt, very wide spectrum flourescent lights meant to light an outside area. The spectrum is very close to sunlight and they claim equivalence to 500 watt HPS in lumens. They were selling at Home Depot for $49.99US. I plan to try them. I have a Kill o Watt meter and my digital camera pictures have a color graph feature to check light spectrum (at least I think it will). Then the proof is in whether plants fruit and bloom under these lights. I like that they are meant for outdoors, should handle greenhouse conditions.

Neat DB, post your results on it - we colder climate folks need this kind of info.

Janet, the fish tub is under the shelving, there is a kind of gap in the back with the siphons and sump to get to the fish, but I could use some kind of periscope to see them. I'm also going to be looking for underwater lighting to be able to examine them.

Thats a big claim, but i guess they wouldn't make it unledd it was true.

Don't want to start ths argument as i've seen it go troppo elsewhere, but we're only really concerned with PAR, higher lumen may look brighter, but many not be any good to plants.

I always thought that PAR per Watt you couldn't beat MH lighting.

Ammonia went to zero (or between 0 and 0.25 anyway) just now. I added more ammonia but less than I have been adding. Nitrite is still way off the scale. Temp is now >80F/26C.

Fish produce ammonia at about 1 gram/10 pounds of fish per day. If ammonia has the same density as water, then that's 1 ml or cc. You will be getting about a half pound of fish from me. (More if you wait longer! I can see them growing.) So if you can manage to hold zero ammonia/nitrite while adding a tenth of a cc of ammonia per day, you should be ready for a pound of fish. Measure the levels 24 hours after you add ammonia. Once you think things have stablized, I'd suggest testing it with one of your safe goldfish for a couple of days, too.

(Don't you just love the mix of English and Metric?? I'm working from numbers in here... http://aqua.ucdavis.edu/dbweb/outreach/aqua/282FS.PDF )

Re your comment on the periscope--imho you need to be able to observe fish easily to head off problems before they get big. Outbreaks of disease have early warnings if you are able to watch for them.

Yep

The fishless cycling info said to keep the ammonia at 5ppm until the nitrites spike then halve the ammonia. I haven't been that scientific about it - when the ammonia is able to be processed and the nitrites too I'll be more rigorous about verifying that the load is doable. I have been adding like 1/2 cup of this ammonia, rather than mls, but it is probably 10% by volume, so say 10 mls every day and a half?

The ammonia has been processed from 3 to 0 in a day or so; I will try better to verify the numbers this week.

Good catch, realizing that your ammonia is diluted! I've never bought the stuff, and didn't think of that. I started to have heart-failure when I read '1/2 cup'. Then I calmed down. (whew)

It might even be 5%, I could test this (if I cared). (Hacking attempt) (=

Just tested again, it's at 0.25, ATM

Straight ammonia poured into water would be quite a reaction tends to snap crackle and pop, as NH3 at 0 pressure is like -28f. Dave, is there anything else on the ingredients list for that stuff?

Hey GF, from what I've read so far household ammonia runs between 4% - 10% strength. There is no list of ingredients, just says clear ammonia and doesn't even list %. It doesn't foam when shaken and isn't pine-scented so I think it is fine. What did MF say before he left - don't use household products in AP?!? (=

try your pharmacy for strong ammonia

Your bacteria are processing more ammonia than your fish will produce by triple by Janet's calculation. You are ready as soon as the nitrites hit zero. Congratulations

I really worry about a big delay in my spring startup. I have 3000 gallons to receive 400-500 fish all at once (avg 2-3" for perch & 3-4" for channel catfish). I will use ammonia to get ready. The problem will be water temp. I can not artificially heat 3000 gallons very much. How long will it take to cycle my system with cold water

Does anyone have cold water cycling experience? I have starter from an aquarium (20 gal with 5 channel catfish 2-3"). A drop in the bucket for 3000 gallons.

Dave, found clear ammonia at walmart this evening, stated it had something else in it ammonia hydroxide and a suficant? I'll check it again next time I go there was just wondering if it was the same stuff as what you had. I agree about the percentages contained very low and perfect for cycling as long as nothing else is in it.
How cold of water Doug?

Stay away from any surfactants, I am fairly sure that is what was causing my fish to die.

Nova