Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have a system that's only a few months old. I transplanted some chard before the frost ,which looked great when I transferred. Now its stunted, the leaves have curled a little, and the stems look "woody".
I fishless cycled. Added Maxicrop during the process. The fish have been in for over a month now. My new seedlings seem to be struggling. I'm getting new growth on the chard, but they also get the "woody " thing . Is this just the new system blues or am I missing something?







Thanks
Sean

Hey mate a few questions.

1. whats your Ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate reading?
2. whats you current tempreture?
3. where does the water level below your rocks?
4. what are you feeding your fish?

Wildfire,

A few answers:

1.Ph -6.8 Am - .50 Nitrite .50 Nitrate 5.0

2. Temp 58-62 F

3. water level is approx. 1-1 1/2 inches below gravel

4. Feeding 43% protein trout food ,good quality

With the seedlings, did your grow from seed in the growbed or get them from punnet?

If latter,did you rinse the dirt of them, and did you burry the roots deep enough to emerge in the water.

If only the tips, or none, of the roots are touching the water they will struggle and possibly die. Otherwise they will only struggle for a few days to a week in hot weather, until they spread some more roots.

The Water temps posted are lower than I like for starting many seedlings. You might have better luck starting them elsewhere and then adding them to the system. I've found that this works better during the cool parts of the year than trying to start the plants in the system (which works great during the Summer). I use a heat mat to give the seedlings a fast start.

I do think this is partly the newness of your system as well.

I had a very similar thing with my english spinach, which looks like a very similar plant infact.
I had great growth and then poor growth, in cycles.
Some plants were really bad and didn't grow at all. Some were good for a couple of weeks or (leaf cycles) then bad again.

I have a feeling it is nutrient based. Are you adding extra iron at all ? try that.