Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Your grow bed is your bio-filter... but if your talking about additional solids removal like a radial or swirl filter, I think the radial has been proven as the better filter.... but not really required for what you are doing. With correct stock densities, system design and correct flow you shouldnt need additional solids removal.

I love the GB on the castor and track. I trust the timber is 100% untreated, the last thing you want is it leeching into your FT.

yesterday, I emptied about 6 inches of water out of the 275 gal tote. and today the PH is down to 6 but the Ammonia did not drop at all. Also nitrites and nitrates are not changing. What do I need to do to get my cycle going?

Make sure you're pumping at least 15 mins every hour.... raise your pH to about 6.6 - 6.8... and don't add any more ammonia...

Then... be patient...

It has been a week and I wanted to get your opinion on my progress
ph remains low 6.0 from 6.6 a week ago
Ammonia has decreased to 4.0 from 8.0 a week ago
Nitrite has decreased to 2.0 from 5 a week ago
Nitrate has increased to 40 from <5 a week ago

The most critical factor that I am consider trying to change is raising the PH. If what are some of the best methods to raising the PH?

Should I also be removing 10 % of water to help lower the Ammonia?

Any thoughts

Thanks

Be patient.. everything is happening as it's supposed to... in the time frame that it typically takes....

You could raise your pH a little... perhaps back to 6.4-6.6... just to ensure your bacterial colony doesn't crash...

You obviously have source water with a low carbonate buffer.... and the remaining nitrification... will see your pH fall back again... even after buffering...

Any "carbonate", or "bicarbonate" product ... will buffer your pH... calcium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate etc...

So will "hydroxides"... calcium hydroxide (hydrated lime)... potassium hydroxide (lye).... both much stronger pH buffers... but not necessarily adding any carbonate hardness.. and bacteria food (carbon)

First of all thanks to everyone for their advise. It Worked!!!
Readings as of today

ph 6.4 from 6.6 2 weeks ago
Ammonia has decreased to 4.0 from 8.0 2 weeks ago
Nitrite has decreased to .25 from 5 2 weeks ago
Nitrate has increased to 40 from <5 2 weeks ago

I would like to expand my grow beds by adding a 4" wide by 4" deep tray attached to outside boards of my existing upper grow beds. The question I have is how to flow the water thru them? My thought is to cut a hole about 2" from bottom on the end of each of 3 trays and connect with a rubber hose so the water is pumped up to the upper tray and it runs down the sightly downward slop of the tray and eventually back into the fish water.

The only concern I have is how high to drill the holes and allow constant water to stand in the bottom of the trays?

Thanks again
Ron

Glad to hear things are improving Ron....

If you're adding new grow beds... don't bother trying to interconnect them... just build, plumb, and drain them on their own...

I have built faith in the aquaponics process.

Now I am wondering if transplanting a very special fern that has been in my family since my mom passed away that appears to be losing leaves and not growing would bring it back to life. I know traditional thinking is that ferns do not like their roots wet. But I wonder if the nutrients are just what this ailing plant needs.

Does anyone have any experience with ferns or guidance if this would even work??

I know it is not vegetables or fruit but I believe it may be worth a try since the plant is withering away and it means so much to me.

What do you think?

Ron

Faye can probably guide you.... BYAP has ferns growing in one of their systems... I think from transplants...

My system was starting to cycle and the ammo dropped to zero. Nitrates started to show but then we had a cold front move in. Nitrites are still very high (Ammo still stayed at 0-0.25 ppm). I did notice today that the Nitrite levels have dropped a little lower since we started getting warmer weather. (I salted to 1 ppt) My fish are panfish out of a local lake. They seem to not give a damn how high the ammo or nitrites are, so I really didn't worry about reducing the feeding at all during the cold spell.

Moral of the story was that I had a similiar experience that fit what you said.

Ferns do great...





But then if it's a really special fern you might not want to muck around and risk losing it...

lately I have noticed the fish tank water has turned a little murky and brown in color. Currently, I have 2 pumps cycling the water into grow beds and have 30 Tilapia for 6 months and just added 20 Bluegills.

I clean the pumps every Saturday and check the pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate level.

Any suggestion on how to get the water back to clear???????????


Thanks for all your help

Just give it time and make sure you have a tank cover so a lot of light isn't getting in your FT and it will probably clear itself up in a few days to a week.

Or you can do water changes, but I would just wait.

If it's clear brown like tea, it might just be the tannins in the feed. My tank has slightly brown tinted water since I changed the feed I'm giving my silvers.